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Back in '83 Manic Miner was THE title that converted me from a casual gamer, to a serious hobbyist.
If anyone wants to relive those halcyon days, or would like to see what was cutting edge way back when, why not have a quick play on my lastest title, a remake of Manic Miner.
www.floatingmarket.uk2k.com/manicminer/
On the title screen (with the piano), pressing space switched between the Bug-Byte and Software Projects versions, also, pressing + or - switches between the Miner Willy and Jet Set Willy sprites.
If anyone wants to relive those halcyon days, or would like to see what was cutting edge way back when, why not have a quick play on my lastest title, a remake of Manic Miner.
www.floatingmarket.uk2k.com/manicminer/
On the title screen (with the piano), pressing space switched between the Bug-Byte and Software Projects versions, also, pressing + or - switches between the Miner Willy and Jet Set Willy sprites.
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demonhead wrote:
> ManicMyna wrote:
> demonhead wrote:
> its a cool game but it would be better with better graphics
>
> If you'd seen the GBA version you'd rethink that statment!
>
>
> ok then buy the game boy advance version for me
why not download it off the net try before you buy as it were - or not buy in my case
> ManicMyna wrote:
> demonhead wrote:
> its a cool game but it would be better with better graphics
>
> If you'd seen the GBA version you'd rethink that statment!
>
>
> ok then buy the game boy advance version for me
why not download it off the net try before you buy as it were - or not buy in my case
ManicMyna wrote:
> demonhead wrote:
> its a cool game but it would be better with better graphics
>
> If you'd seen the GBA version you'd rethink that statment!
ok then buy the game boy advance version for me
> demonhead wrote:
> its a cool game but it would be better with better graphics
>
> If you'd seen the GBA version you'd rethink that statment!
ok then buy the game boy advance version for me
demonhead wrote:
> its a cool game but it would be better with better graphics
lol, cheers, but don't blame me, blame Matt Smith! :)
There is a perfectly good (and surprisingly dull) explanation for why I used the original graphics...
Primarily because I'm crap at graphic design, I tried to update the graphics with the JetPak applet I wrote a year or so back, with disastrous results! (I still keep promising myself I'll rewrite that program one day):)
Also, given the trouble Java 1.1 has with transparent .GIFs I decided to construct the graphics within the program, which meant a lot of typing 100100101... for each frame of animation for each sprite/background/etc...
Although the payoff was that I had complete control over the graphics in the paper and ink way the Speccy did, which allowed me to do the screen flashing when Willy is hit, and at the end of each level. It wasn’t until nearly the end of the program, when I was typing in the information for the title screen (primarily Willys house, tractor, hills, etc..) that I implemented a rudimentary system for having multiple pen/paper colours.
And finally, because I've played a few Manic Miner remakes, I generally find the updated graphics don't seem to fit properly, probably because I'm so more used to the Speccy original rather than any design fault on their part, for me, they don’t seem to gel?
> its a cool game but it would be better with better graphics
lol, cheers, but don't blame me, blame Matt Smith! :)
There is a perfectly good (and surprisingly dull) explanation for why I used the original graphics...
Primarily because I'm crap at graphic design, I tried to update the graphics with the JetPak applet I wrote a year or so back, with disastrous results! (I still keep promising myself I'll rewrite that program one day):)
Also, given the trouble Java 1.1 has with transparent .GIFs I decided to construct the graphics within the program, which meant a lot of typing 100100101... for each frame of animation for each sprite/background/etc...
Although the payoff was that I had complete control over the graphics in the paper and ink way the Speccy did, which allowed me to do the screen flashing when Willy is hit, and at the end of each level. It wasn’t until nearly the end of the program, when I was typing in the information for the title screen (primarily Willys house, tractor, hills, etc..) that I implemented a rudimentary system for having multiple pen/paper colours.
And finally, because I've played a few Manic Miner remakes, I generally find the updated graphics don't seem to fit properly, probably because I'm so more used to the Speccy original rather than any design fault on their part, for me, they don’t seem to gel?
ManicMyna wrote:
> I think its the sound that gives the impression of it being a slow
> fall (I heard the original spectrum sound that many times its
> engrained into the back of my skull)
Aye, it doesn’t help being stuck with the awful .au sound format, which, although eminently compressible, tends to grotesquely distort the sounds, which is especially frustrating given how important the sound is in making the game feel like 'Manic Miner'
> You should be commended for the last time i played a reworked manic
> miner it always crashed upon exiting the Managerie
Thanks man, I appreciate that. I spent a lot of time seeking out as many of the bugs as possible, I think I managed to get all the show stoppers?... Though I've noticed a couple of smaller bugs, e.g. the key in the collapsing floor column on the Menagerie is picked up too early, and that the collapsing floor doesn’t disappear properly in some levels (I suspect they may be related) shows I’ve got a way to go yet...
I was thinking about sticking in the levels for some the homebrew Manic Miner sequels that seem to be floating around the net at the same time as the bug fixes?
> I think its the sound that gives the impression of it being a slow
> fall (I heard the original spectrum sound that many times its
> engrained into the back of my skull)
Aye, it doesn’t help being stuck with the awful .au sound format, which, although eminently compressible, tends to grotesquely distort the sounds, which is especially frustrating given how important the sound is in making the game feel like 'Manic Miner'
> You should be commended for the last time i played a reworked manic
> miner it always crashed upon exiting the Managerie
Thanks man, I appreciate that. I spent a lot of time seeking out as many of the bugs as possible, I think I managed to get all the show stoppers?... Though I've noticed a couple of smaller bugs, e.g. the key in the collapsing floor column on the Menagerie is picked up too early, and that the collapsing floor doesn’t disappear properly in some levels (I suspect they may be related) shows I’ve got a way to go yet...
I was thinking about sticking in the levels for some the homebrew Manic Miner sequels that seem to be floating around the net at the same time as the bug fixes?
J-42 wrote:
> 'Manic Miner..... Nothing Finer'
>
> Hey, your a poet and you didn't know it!
lol... unfortunatly I did... It's nicked from the title of pretty much all the Manic Miner articles written in the 80's... No matter what the speecy magazine, it always seemed to crop up as the title of one article or another :)
> 'Manic Miner..... Nothing Finer'
>
> Hey, your a poet and you didn't know it!
lol... unfortunatly I did... It's nicked from the title of pretty much all the Manic Miner articles written in the 80's... No matter what the speecy magazine, it always seemed to crop up as the title of one article or another :)
demonhead wrote:
> its a cool game but it would be better with better graphics
If you'd seen the GBA version you'd rethink that statment!
> its a cool game but it would be better with better graphics
If you'd seen the GBA version you'd rethink that statment!
Armatige Shanks wrote:
> I was using an emulator for comparison when writing the game, so the
> accuracy of the game speed is a little contenious... however, he is
> falling at the right speed in comparison to his movement
> (running/jumping/etc..) so I think its okay?...
>
> Overall I did speed the whole game up a little since it seemed to
> improve playability a little?
I think its the sound that gives the impression of it being a slow fall (I heard the original spectrum sound that many times its engrained into the back of my skull)
You should be commended for the last time i played a reworked manic miner it always crashed upon exiting the Managerie
> I was using an emulator for comparison when writing the game, so the
> accuracy of the game speed is a little contenious... however, he is
> falling at the right speed in comparison to his movement
> (running/jumping/etc..) so I think its okay?...
>
> Overall I did speed the whole game up a little since it seemed to
> improve playability a little?
I think its the sound that gives the impression of it being a slow fall (I heard the original spectrum sound that many times its engrained into the back of my skull)
You should be commended for the last time i played a reworked manic miner it always crashed upon exiting the Managerie
Edgy wrote:
> I wonder if you know it is out on the GBA? (you probably do - just
> checking :D)
Indeed i did and what an awesome PILE of ELEPHANT DUNG they turned it in to, the games looks are simply terrible and then add the fact there's no classic mode to rid those evil graphics. Its an embrassment to the great name of Manic Miner
> I wonder if you know it is out on the GBA? (you probably do - just
> checking :D)
Indeed i did and what an awesome PILE of ELEPHANT DUNG they turned it in to, the games looks are simply terrible and then add the fact there's no classic mode to rid those evil graphics. Its an embrassment to the great name of Manic Miner
ManicMyna wrote:
> Cool i haven't seen that page before. Maybe its because i haven't play
> it in ages or because of the sound thats played but Miner Willy seems
> to fall more slowly than i remember
I was using an emulator for comparison when writing the game, so the accuracy of the game speed is a little contenious... however, he is falling at the right speed in comparison to his movement (running/jumping/etc..) so I think its okay?...
Overall I did speed the whole game up a little since it seemed to improve playability a little?
> Cool i haven't seen that page before. Maybe its because i haven't play
> it in ages or because of the sound thats played but Miner Willy seems
> to fall more slowly than i remember
I was using an emulator for comparison when writing the game, so the accuracy of the game speed is a little contenious... however, he is falling at the right speed in comparison to his movement (running/jumping/etc..) so I think its okay?...
Overall I did speed the whole game up a little since it seemed to improve playability a little?
its a cool game but it would be better with better graphics
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