A British computer programmer named Matthew Smith produced the games Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy in 1984 and l985 respectively.
In return for a contract to make three games, he borrowed a ZX Spectrum from Bug-Byte Software Ltd., and produced Styx in 1983. Manic Miner, which he wrote in six weeks, followed and became an instant success. An addictive platform game with stand out features such as in-game music, sound effects, playability and colourful graphics, it was followed by Jet Set Willy which was also to become a great success.
Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy are known, even today, as the most famous ZX Spectrum games.
Matthew Smith’s company Software Projects started work on further production of games but in 1988 he left the business and remained elusive until finally coming back into the limelight in the late 1990’s.
Matthew Smith was a 17 year old prodigy when he produced Manic Miner. He was considered to be too good to be true, and at one stage was even considered by some to be the figment of computer programmer’s imagination.
The fact that he disappeared from the scene made him seem even more fascinating, and many fans claimed to have seen him in different parts of the world. In fact he lived in a Dutch commune for a while before returning to the UK in the 1990’s.
Matthew Smith produced just a few games during his short career as a programmer of ZX Spectrum games. Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy are still the most famous games ever released on the ZX Spectrum.
Manic Miner is a game that will be forever associated with the ZX spectrum. Deceptively simple to play, it gained a fan base which exists today. For this reason Matthew Smith became an overnight hero.
With it’s wicked sense of humour and great level design, it had 20 unique screens which was an innovation at the time. It certainly paved the way for computer games where the levels became progressively harder, along with the maddening tune that goes round and round in your head. What a brilliant conception!
Computer games are sophisticated now compared to Manic Miner, but will they retain the fascination and playability in the years to come?
It’s thought Matthew Smith is now working on the production of new games, and on mobile versions of his original games which will no doubt please his constant fans.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
The tales of Miner Willy
New versions of the classic ZX Spectrum games Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy are being made all the time. These games have been a fascination for players since their first inception in 1984/85.
The game is one of simplicity wherein Miner Willy has to defeat his enemies and overcome all sorts of obstacles, whilst at the same time collecting things of value on his route through to the surface of the mine.
It was among the pioneers of the platform game genre and became an instant success. The hazards he encounters are many, and if he uses up all his lives then he must return to the beginning of the game.
Players experienced extreme frustration, together with excitement, and it became a game played by teenagers everywhere.
Jet Set Willy was the sequel to Manic Miner, and encompassed many more horrors to overcome in Miner Willy’s mansion which he’d bought with the proceeds of his success in the mine.
The whole idea of Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy came from 17 year old Matthew Smith, and in a very short time made him an extremely wealthy young man.
Despite the intervening years, these two games are experiencing a fantastic revival, and the originals can be seen again thanks to the accessibility of ZX Spectrum emulators which enable these classics to be played on your computer.
Manic Miner was the first game on the ZX Spectrum with in-game music, which was achieved by alternating CPU time between the music and the game. It’s incredible to think that despite the fact there are so many computer games now available, these two classics are still played and enjoyed by so many enthusiasts.
Initially released by BugByte in 1983, Manic Miner was later released by Software Projects. There were several differences between the BugByte version and that of Software Projects i.e., at the end of the computer belt in the processing plant the BB version had a bush, whereas in the Software Projects version it was a ghost. Octopuses were changed into smiling beetles and so on.
Some remakes today remain faithful to the original but by adding new stages and giving the game a graphical and aural makeover they’re brought up-to-date for modern day players. This does not take away the broad appeal of the addictive game play and the series still stands up to close scrutiny even in today’s high tech genre.
The game is one of simplicity wherein Miner Willy has to defeat his enemies and overcome all sorts of obstacles, whilst at the same time collecting things of value on his route through to the surface of the mine.
It was among the pioneers of the platform game genre and became an instant success. The hazards he encounters are many, and if he uses up all his lives then he must return to the beginning of the game.
Players experienced extreme frustration, together with excitement, and it became a game played by teenagers everywhere.
Jet Set Willy was the sequel to Manic Miner, and encompassed many more horrors to overcome in Miner Willy’s mansion which he’d bought with the proceeds of his success in the mine.
The whole idea of Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy came from 17 year old Matthew Smith, and in a very short time made him an extremely wealthy young man.
Despite the intervening years, these two games are experiencing a fantastic revival, and the originals can be seen again thanks to the accessibility of ZX Spectrum emulators which enable these classics to be played on your computer.
Manic Miner was the first game on the ZX Spectrum with in-game music, which was achieved by alternating CPU time between the music and the game. It’s incredible to think that despite the fact there are so many computer games now available, these two classics are still played and enjoyed by so many enthusiasts.
Initially released by BugByte in 1983, Manic Miner was later released by Software Projects. There were several differences between the BugByte version and that of Software Projects i.e., at the end of the computer belt in the processing plant the BB version had a bush, whereas in the Software Projects version it was a ghost. Octopuses were changed into smiling beetles and so on.
Some remakes today remain faithful to the original but by adding new stages and giving the game a graphical and aural makeover they’re brought up-to-date for modern day players. This does not take away the broad appeal of the addictive game play and the series still stands up to close scrutiny even in today’s high tech genre.
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum was one of the first large audience home computers in the U.K. and the ZX Spectrum led to the production of software and hardware for the machine. Huge numbers of ZX Spectrum were sold worldwide which made it the most successful British computer ever made.
Developed by Sinclair Research Ltd., in 1982, it was launched to show the machine’s colour display as compared to the Spectrum ZX81 which was black and white.
The ZX Spectrum has a dedicated fan base and for many kick started their careers as programmers. Game designers used their creativity to make games which even by today’s standards are creative and playable.
There were many hardware limitations, and yet the success as a game platform was achieved despite it’s primitive sound generation and lack of inbuilt joystick ports.
The ZX Spectrum was a small black computer with rubber keys and led to computer manufacture and software programming. For many people this was their first experience of using a computer and was one of the first affordable machines on the market.
Manic Miner became an addictive platform game for ZX Spectrum and was released in 1983. With features which included excellent playability and the first in-game music and sound effects, it was a great success and opened up the computer games industry.
Amstrad purchased the Spectrum range and Sinclair brand in 1986 and went on to produce ZX Spectrum +2 which featured a spring loaded keyboard and dual joystick ports. Over the years they produced ZX Spectrum +2A, ZX Spectrum +2B and ZX Spectrum +3, which was in production until 1990. In December 1990 the production of the model was finally ended.
The ZX Spectrum has become popular again due to the accessibility of the ZX Spectrum emulators which allow 1980’s video game enthusiasts to be able to see classic titles. The simple architecture of the ZX Spectrum means it’s easy to emulate on modern computers, which has led to thousands of games being converted to emulator formats.
The introduction of the ZX Spectrum opened up a whole new world for games enthusiasts across the globe, and led to the sophisticated games market available today.
Many believe that despite all the new technology the original games are still among some of the best ever produced. Manic Miner, which was developed and played on the first ZX Spectrum computer, is as popular today as it ever was and has an international fan base.
Developed by Sinclair Research Ltd., in 1982, it was launched to show the machine’s colour display as compared to the Spectrum ZX81 which was black and white.
The ZX Spectrum has a dedicated fan base and for many kick started their careers as programmers. Game designers used their creativity to make games which even by today’s standards are creative and playable.
There were many hardware limitations, and yet the success as a game platform was achieved despite it’s primitive sound generation and lack of inbuilt joystick ports.
The ZX Spectrum was a small black computer with rubber keys and led to computer manufacture and software programming. For many people this was their first experience of using a computer and was one of the first affordable machines on the market.
Manic Miner became an addictive platform game for ZX Spectrum and was released in 1983. With features which included excellent playability and the first in-game music and sound effects, it was a great success and opened up the computer games industry.
Amstrad purchased the Spectrum range and Sinclair brand in 1986 and went on to produce ZX Spectrum +2 which featured a spring loaded keyboard and dual joystick ports. Over the years they produced ZX Spectrum +2A, ZX Spectrum +2B and ZX Spectrum +3, which was in production until 1990. In December 1990 the production of the model was finally ended.
The ZX Spectrum has become popular again due to the accessibility of the ZX Spectrum emulators which allow 1980’s video game enthusiasts to be able to see classic titles. The simple architecture of the ZX Spectrum means it’s easy to emulate on modern computers, which has led to thousands of games being converted to emulator formats.
The introduction of the ZX Spectrum opened up a whole new world for games enthusiasts across the globe, and led to the sophisticated games market available today.
Many believe that despite all the new technology the original games are still among some of the best ever produced. Manic Miner, which was developed and played on the first ZX Spectrum computer, is as popular today as it ever was and has an international fan base.
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