JSW Central - Resource Centre for ZX Spectrum games based on Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy game engines

Resource centre for ZX Spectrum games
using Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy game engines

VI. Other game engines

D. New games using other game engines

2. The Perils of Willy

Author: Allan Turvey (Highrise)

Year: 2020

Bugfix of the Bog Roll Edition: 2021

Language: English

The Perils of Willy is a ZX Spectrum conversion of the 1984 game released by Software Projects Ltd. for the Commodore VIC-20 (most probably created by S. Hearnden and I. Lomas). According to the original game's description, Willy is walking home after drinking, dancing and singing till dawn. He is walking through a park and has to jump over ducks and wild dogs and avoid trains while catching notes of music that seem to hang in the air. Collecting all notes on the current level allows him to proceed to the next one, gaining a time bonus on the way.

According to the author, the game is based on a reverse-engineered version of the Manic Miner code. Although the levels are based on the VIC-20 game, they are built from scratch and, due to alternative mechanics, play entirely differently to the original.

The Perils of Willy on the VIC-20 uses this computer's screen which is 22 blocks wide and 23 blocks high. The Spectrum playing area is 32 blocks wide by 16 blocks high. This problem was addressed by making the playing area in the Spectrum version 20 blocks wide and 19 blocks high, with a black and white, one-block-wide checkered border around it, a 10-block-wide panel with the game's title (changing colour on each screen) on the right hand side of the screen and a three-block-tall status bar along the bottom of the screen.

The game was released in March 2020 and can be purchased on itch.io and also downloaded for free if someone does not want to make a donation.

In addition to the standard version, Allan Turvey has released a special version of the game called The Perils of Willy Plus, made available only to his "patrons and to those who kindly donated when downloading the original game". It has some additional features: two AY tunes by David Saphier, a newly designed "missing" Screen 33, which was advertised but not included in the original VIC-20 game, a short end sequence which connects the game to the other titles in the Miner Willy series, slightly improved joystick support and a new game mode - Vic Mode, which replicates some of the features of the original VIC-20 game, such as getting an extra life every time the player collects a musical note and no reset of the already collected notes when a life is lost (Screen 33 and end sequence are not accessible in this mode). The Perils of Willy Plus ZIP package also includes tape cover art provided by Jason Fenton.

Furthermore, Allan has released The Perils of Willy - Bog Roll Edition, which is a variant of the standard edition of the game with some sprites modified in reference to the COVID-19 pandemic. The player has to collect the rolls of toilet paper scattered around the levels. This version is shorter than the standard edition - it only has 31 rooms (it misses the last room of the standard edition). The original release of the Bog Roll Edition was incompletable due to a critical bug in room 31. Allan Turvey released a fully-completable, bugfixed edition in December 2021.

The Perils of Willy

Bugfix needed after original release? NO

Number of rooms: 32

Spare lives at the start: 2

Highest documented score upon first re-entry into the first cavern: 62,951 points

The Perils of Willy Plus

Bugfix needed after original release? NO

Number of rooms: 33

Spare lives at the start: 2

Highest documented score upon first re-entry into the first cavern: 64,806 points

The Perils of Willy - Bog Roll Edition

Bugfix needed after original release? YES

Official bugfix released? YES

Number of rooms: 31

Spare lives at the start: 2

Highest documented score upon first re-entry into the first cavern: 61,225 points

Download links

Homepage	The game's home page on itch.io

Direct game download	Direct game download is not offered at this time, as it is not allowed by the author. The basic variant can be downloaded for free (while donations are encouraged) from the game's home page on itch.io, but the Plus variant is only available to those who have paid for it one way or another (by donating on itch.io or by being among the author's paying patrons on Patreon).

Speccy Screenshot Maps	The game's map on Speccy Screenshot Maps

RZX Archive	An RZX walkthrough of the standard version of the game, published on the RZX Archive on 16 March 2020, was taken down a couple of days later at Allan Turvey's request and is currently not available for download.