Resource centre for ZX Spectrum games
using Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy game engines
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Manic Miner & Jet Set Willy Yahoo! Group
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Message: 4427
Author: andrewbroad
Date: 29/08/2004
Subject: Mutant Monty
I've just played Mutant Monty (Arctic Computing, 1984 - not to be
confused with the Monty games by Gremlin Graphics) for the first
time since the 1980s, and I was struck by how heavily it was
influenced by Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy!
Mutant Monty is like Manic Miner in that you have to clear each cave
(40 of them in total, all of which have names) of items, then take
the exit to the next cave, whilst avoiding horizontal and vertical
guardians (collision-detection is very liberal!).
However, the controls are very different: up and down instead of
jump (there's no gravity), and pressing left or right causes you to
accelerate in that direction). Monty is very difficult to control
compared with Willy, and the levels are difficult to pass from the
start.
Like MM/JSW, Mutant Monty has title-screen and in-game music. The in-
game tune is a ragtime number superior to the MM/JSW music, and
cannot be turned off. Cool sound-effects this game has, and a title-
screen scrolly to boot.
All block-sprites in Mutant Monty are 16x16 pixels: background,
walls, items, exits, but no floors (wouldn't make sense without
gravity) or static nasties.
The graphical influence of MM/JSW is clear: Mutant Monty looks a lot
like Miner Willy (especially the legs), and the damsel he must
rescue resembles Maria (particularly in certain `attributes').
The guardians include guards with sticks similar to JSW, bare feet,
hopping rabbits, and Matthew Smith is even referred to in one of the
room-names! On Game Over, a hand pushes Monty across the screen from
right to left.
There's a sequel, Mutant Monty And The Temple Of Doom (released
exclusively on a compilation called Assemblage) which is like JSW,
with gravity (left, right and jump) and free movement between rooms.
--
Dr. Andrew Broad
http://www.geocities.com/andrewbroad/
http://www.geocities.com/andrewbroad/spectrum/
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