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Message: 3922

Author: ShaneJ

Date: 03/02/2004

Subject: Re: [Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy] Re: What makes MM/JSW so great?

 

I started playing manic miner when I was 13 and never completed it. I am now 34, thats 21 years ago and I have C64 emulator so I can play both Manic Miner and JSW 1 and 2 in their original format. Whats does that tell you? If a game can keep you occupied for 21 years where you will go and play it regardless of all the fancy PC games you may own, then Matthew Smith is still the most famous and talented programmer ever. I do not know of any other game(s) which can keep you interested after 21 years, it will never happen!! Matthew Smith is GOD.

andrewbroad wrote:

andrewbroad wrote:

Why do I continue to play and edit MM/JSW to the exclusion of all
other games?

* I love their particular jumping platform style; it's very
therapeutic and addictive.

* I love the elegant game-mechanics, the pixel-precise nature of
the movement, the way you know exactly how far you can stand on
the edge of a platform, &c.

* I love discovering and exploiting quirky features (in general,
and in particular MM/JSW games).

* There's enough freedom in room-design to accommodate a very wide
range of subject-matter without the games seeming too "samey". I
don't think I'd get the same artistic freedom from any other game-
editor. I can't see this potential in my other favourite games.

* Once I start writing a MM/JSW room, it tends to flow naturally
from me. If my inspiration does sag, I always find my list of
quirky features a great tonic.

* The non-compressed room-formats enabled me to decipher them and
write my own editors. It feels great to be at the cutting edge.

* These games - and Spectrum computing in general - give me a
warm, nostalgic glow.

I forgot to mention one other important factor: that there exists a
vibrant MM/JSW community on the Internet, where we share each
other's games. I worked on MM/JSW in isolation in 1991-1994, lost
interest in 1995, and regained my passion when I discovered the
Spectrum-emulation scene and the first few unofficial MM/JSW sequels
in 1996. The `cyber-friends' that I've made through MM/JSW are the
best I've ever had.

--
Dr. Andrew Broad
http://www.geocities.com/andrewbroad/
http://www.geocities.com/andrewbroad/spectrum/
http://www.geocities.com/andrewbroad/spectrum/willy/

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