Manic Miner

The game saw the player controlling miner Willy with the objective to collect all flashing objects within each screen before heading to the flashing exit before your air supply ran out. Each level was all contained within one screen with no scrolling. Miner Willy would have to avoid some truly strange monsters such as telephones, penguins and flowers while negotiating moving platforms and timing difficult jumps. All the while the background music of the familiar part of "In the Hall of the Mountain King" would loop endlessly.Interestingly, including background music was a big innovation of Manic Miner and was thought to be impossible at the time due to memory constraints. Matthew Smith achieved this by alternating the processor/memory from playing the game to playing the music. This is why Manic Miner has a characteristic, instantly recognisable 'juddery' effect to the music. It aslo explains the subtle juddery movements of Miner Willy and the monsters inhabiting the mine he has to avoid.The ZX Spectrum version of the game is the most well-known version of the game and was released in 1983. It is regarded as one of the most popular games ever for the ZX Spectrum but enjoyed a comeback on the Gameboy Advance (developed by Jester Interactive at the time) and as a mobile phone game.The game's success not only made Matthew Smith quite, quite wealthy, but also spawned a quick sequel also staring Miner Willy in 1984 - Jet Set Willy.ReviewsMagazineIssuePageSystemRating%ReviewerLanguagePopular Computing Weekly09/22/198316,17ZX Spectrum10 out of 10100 John ScrivenEnglishPopular Computing Weekly01/10/198525Amstrad CPC5 out of 5100 Tony KendleEnglishComputer Gamer05/198562,63Amstrad CPC5 out of 5100 PGEnglishHome Computing Weekly09/20/198331ZX Spectrum96 out of 10096 NBEnglishHome Computing Weekly02/12/198522Amstrad CPC95 out of 10095 DHEnglishZzap06/198957C6495 out of 10095 Maff Evans, Paul RandEnglishCrash05/198930ZX Spectrum92 out of 10092 -EnglishHome Computing Weekly02/21/198427C6491 out of 10091 BJEnglishComputer + Video Games09/1983131ZX Spectrum9 out of 1090 -EnglishCommodore User06/198654,55C169 out of 1090 James PickeringEnglishConsoles+09/2002138Game Boy Advance89 out of 10089 -FrenchCrash04/199277Sam Coupe88 out of 10088 -EnglishACE (Advanced Computer Entertainment)05/199051Amiga870 out of 100087Laurence ScotfordEnglishComputer + Video Games04/198429C648.5 out of 1085 -EnglishCommodore Force05/199316,17C6485 out of 10085 -EnglishAmiga Power12/1991102Amiga84 out of 10084 Stuart CampbellEnglishYour Sinclair04/199226ZX Spectrum84 out of 10084 Jon PillarEnglishCommodore User05/198965C6481 out of 10081-EnglishCommodore User07/198475C644 out of 580 -EnglishAmiga Power05/1991107Amiga4 out of 580 -EnglishThe One02/199273Amiga4 out of 580 Jools WatshamEnglishZero03/199272Amiga80 out of 10080 David WilsonEnglishTilt03/198438ZX Spectrum4.7 out of 678 -FrenchAmiga Mania04/199226Amiga78 out of 10078 -EnglishTelematch01/198575Amstrad CPCNote: 2.872 Harald UenzelmannGermanPersonal Computer Games04/198457C647 out of 10070 CAEnglishGames-X11/199149Amiga3.5 out of 570 -EnglishZzap05/199048Amiga61 out of 10061 -EnglishDatormagazin06/199018Amiga6 out of 1060 Pekka HedqvistSwedishAmiga Power03/199282,83,85,86Amiga3 out of 560 -EnglishAmiga Action06/199082,83Amiga52 out of 10052 Steve Marrett, Doug Johns, Alex SimmonsEnglishASM (Aktueller Software Markt)5/199014Amiga4.4 out of 1237 Torsten OppermannGermanAmiga Format05/199040Amiga25 out of 10025 Maff EvansEnglishAmiga Joker05/199082,83Amiga5 out of 1005 Max MagenauerGermanPopular Computing Weekly07/28/198346ZX Spectrum-- -EnglishSinclair User12/198349ZX Spectrum-- -EnglishHappy Computer01/1984118,119ZX Spectrum-- Thomas StögmüllerGermanZX Computing04+05/198450,51ZX Spectrum-- -EnglishSinclair Answers09/198438ZX Spectrum-- -EnglishMicro Hobby11/198414ZX Spectrum-- -SpanishCommodore ForceAutumn/199321C64-- -English