Manic Miner for the Sinclair Spectrum

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Manic Miner

Year of Release

1983

Compatibility

48K / 128K / +2

Number of Levels

20 Screens

Original Price

£5.95

Worth now (confirmed sale)?

£5 Date Unknown

Comments

Personal Computer Games Screen Star.

Controls

Left - Q E T U O, Right - W R Y I P, Jump - Z-M, Space

Original Rating

Sinclair User 5/5

Review:

For those who do not know this game, it was based on a relatively obscure American game called Miner '49er. Manic Miner was one of the very first 48K games when most people still had 16K machines and, along with The Hobbit, was probably a reason why RAM chips for upgrades sold out in double quick time.

On the Spectrum this was the definitive platform game, elevating Matthew Smith into the computer programmers equivalent of a pop superstar. It might look like a basic platform game nowadays but just about every game since of the type since is modelled on this and its official follow-up.

Not only was this a massive influence in terms of style, the hidden telephone number cheat that provided infinite lives was a feature that is still coded into games to this day. Some of the levels are fiendishly difficult and the unenlightened will wonder what all the fuss was about but this was a real classic and even managed to make the tune The Hall of the Mountain Kings famous amongst computer users. Very highly recommended, if only as a history lesson!