JianYang

Here are some screenshots from my attempt to make a Manic Miner Construction Kit.

Most sprites and NPCs are now png spritesheets 32 x 32 so more detail available. These sprite sheets are made with gimp so are easily to editable. If anyone likes doing pixel art. Please do volunteer to help :)

The editor is currently a html web editor. But an in app sdl2 might also be possible. I will try and get a public repo and release up in the next couple of weeks.

I tried to submit PRs that were rejected. The project was archived, so I created a love2d clone. Then the forum shows the original authors erratic responses to the love2d version.
In parallel I am creating a new c version inspired by Matthew Smith's original instead. With many more features and an editor
 
It will use a different methods for video and sound et al. Which allows the construction set to be even more flexible.
 
It will also be under an MIT license as far as I'm concerned the original copyright belongs to Matthew Smith alone.
 

I have gone back to the original project by @fawtytoo as I could not get LOVE2D to work with a web browser using this great implementation of the game

So I have added the record game option (push R) Play back via the (O)ptions Menu that also lets you select lives and level. Also has high score per level (S) on title screen 

Pressing U in game saves progress. L on Title to select on 5 save slots

Also runs on touch screen(Only test Android)

https://monkeyx.net/

I know you weren't asking me, but I would definitely get rid of the background images. Or at least make them optional.

There's no background images in Manic Miner. I was only suggesting things that I would ADD. @Trullybug was referring to things they'd remove.

I was going to make an HD version with full colour graphics, background images, improved sound effects and MIDI music, smooth animation and 60fps but have the gameplay exactly as the original.
What would you remove?

Celeste，I think.😄

Probably VVVVVV for me. It has graphics just like JSW, the controls are almost identical, it's difficult and very fun.

Frank N Stein - Bugfix.tzx
Zero modifications other than the patch applied. Note there's very very little room in the Basic to insert any cheats (there's no space to insert the patch this way as pokes) due to ramtop location. Are ways around it such as sticking them into the screen and calling it but that's a 'mod' I suppose.
NB: May need loading in 48K mode only. I could 'fix' this but that would be a modification lol.

Thanks for the video! It's interesting to know how someone really good is playing "Zuma's Revenge" 🙂 . I've spent a lot of time playing the game, but I'm very far from this level of efficiency 😮.
Whoever played the game in the video shows both speed, accuracy and an extremely fast thinking related to where to place balls that will later cause a "chain reaction". It looks extremely impressive 🙂 .

I don't think I've ever played an original Zuma game, but I've played several clone games. After a few levels it always seemed to get impossible and I could only progress with luck.
So I just got curious and wanted to see what that game looks like if played by people that know what they're doing.
 
Holy moly!
 
I never thought of me having a slow brain, bur I cannot even follow what's going on there.

I don't think I've ever played an original Zuma game, but I've played several clone games. After a few levels it always seemed to get impossible and I could only progress with luck.
So I just got curious and wanted to see what that game looks like if played by people that know what they're doing.
 
Holy moly!
 
I never thought of me having a slow brain, bur I cannot even follow what's going on there.

Thanks, Andy!
Where can we get the bug-fixed version? The game's page on Spectrum Computing you linked to provides a description of the bugfix (what needs to be modified) but not an actual bug-fixed file as far as I can tell.

My favourite game somewhat-similar-to-MM-or-JSW games is "Monty on the Run". I absolutely love the somersaults that Monty makes, and the atmosphere. I used to play it on the real hardware back in the 1980s, but never managed to complete it back then. I only completed it recently for the first time. I made a separate page for it on JSW Central where you also have the links to the video of my playthrough (to watch on YouTube or to download from Internet Archive).
On the non-platformer and PC side, Zuma's Revenge is a game that I have spent countless hours playing, mostly the three-minute runs at high scores at a given level (after unlocking them via the adventure mode or whatever it's called). This game has a mesmerising quality for me. When I start playing these high-score rounds, I just can't stop. My high scores are so elevated now that it's very difficult to improve anything (only the top 5 results at each level are recorded in the game), but I could still spend hours playing them. Time seems to stop when I'm at it. I play and fail (to improve the high score), play and fail, play and fail, but with every failure it seems that I was so close (even though the score is very far away from the top one), so close, that I can achieve what I want with the next game. So I go on. I could easily stay up all night doing this. It's the closest to an addiction I have in life. I generally try not to fall into temptation (because it robs my JSW time), but periodically I feel like playing the game, and then find it difficult to stop...

That's not easy. I think I'm starting to understand why I suck so much at games with Mario inspired physics.

Hi all,
I just wanted to let you know about something that I spotted today on YouTube.
A guy has produced a new version of classic (Bug-Byte) Manic Miner called Manic Miner Sprint, in which he's injected 'physics' so that the game can be played quite differently. Now Willy has a variable jump, can adjust his movement in mid-air, and has a 'sprint' ability that allows him to do long jumps and so on. It's quite an interesting mod, and gives the game a new way to play it.
What's especially interesting (if not alarming) is that apparently the coding was mostly done by AI.
Anyway, I'll leave it to you all to watch the video and investigate the updated version for yourselves.
I found out about Manic Miner Sprint by stumbling across this YouTube video: https://youtu.be/gxxNgZgd88I
The code repository for the patch, along with release notes, is on Github: https://github.com/sharopolis/manic-miner-sprint
And since no downloadable .tap file of the patched game is supplied, I'm saving you all the bother of creating it by attaching the copy I made to this post.
The patched game appears to have lost access to the 6031769 cheat (unless it's been changed, but there's no mention of that). But given the changes, and that infinite lives is standard in this version, it's not terribly important.
Manic Miner Sprint [Sharopolis 2026].tap

I thought that too. Then I thought "That's clever - Fest-Vial! I bet Willy will have to collect some potions."
But from @UncleWan's reaction it seems to be a typo. But maybe you (unclewan) could consider solving the issue by changing some item graphics to vials, which in my (not so perfect) understanding of the English language are little bottles.
Maybe a stupid idea. I don't know. I'm pretty exhausted. I couldn't even make it past the second screen.
So my review is just: What I've seen looks really nice.

I'm so glad I clicked this link. I'm usually not a fan of AI images, but this might just be the greatest Miner Willy picture ever.
 
Happy new year!
 

I'm so glad I clicked this link. I'm usually not a fan of AI images, but this might just be the greatest Miner Willy picture ever.
 
Happy new year!
 

With the sound of firecrackers, a year comes to an end.Tonight is the last night of the Year of the Snake.Wishing everyone good fortune in the Year of the Horse!
My mini-game has been submitted, and I also used AI to make the game's cover.🙂
Have Fun！

For me the closest match I have found are Meat Boy/Super Meat Boy that are puzzly, platformy and have quite minimal inputs. The next closest thing would be The Lost Vikings. Puzzly, platformy, but far from minimal inputs.
 
On the non-platformer side maybe Hill Climb Racing. I guess it`s mostly the three button inputs and difficulty in getting over obstacles.
 
What are your favourite somewhat-similar-to-MM-or-JSW games?
 

For me the closest match I have found are Meat Boy/Super Meat Boy that are puzzly, platformy and have quite minimal inputs. The next closest thing would be The Lost Vikings. Puzzly, platformy, but far from minimal inputs.
 
On the non-platformer side maybe Hill Climb Racing. I guess it`s mostly the three button inputs and difficulty in getting over obstacles.
 
What are your favourite somewhat-similar-to-MM-or-JSW games?
 

Frankenstein is an interesting platform game. Get the bug fixed version as otherwise it will falter at about level 8 or so (had this back then when it was new) 
Surprisingly good perhaps one of the best compiled Basic games actually.
Although one post long ago along with others on the WOS forum helped spur the author into an updated version , I still sometimes prefer the original for its simplicity.
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/1849/ZX-Spectrum/Frank_N_Stein
 

Just a guess: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Coal_Board
 

It does indeed mean National Coal Board.

Software projects received a threatening letter from the National Coal Board, about usage of the NCB logo without permission.  Remember this was at the same time as Mr Arthur Scargill, was having a good laugh with the NCB.

Whilst the games MM and JSW do not have reference to The NCB (directly), the artist( Roger Tissyman) responsible for the cover design of the software projects release of these two games inserted the NCB graphic into his artwork.