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JSW Central - a website dedicated to Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy games for the ZX Spectrum

Posted: Thu May 02, 2019 10:40 pm
by jetsetdanny
Hello,

This is my first post here. I have been following the forums without registering for a while, and now I have decided to join to introduce my website and be able to take an active part in the developments here.

As the 35th birthday of "Jet Set Willy" will be celebrated at PLAY Expo in Manchester this weekend, with the presence of Matthew Smith, the UK premiere of "WILLY: 48K About A Legend" – a short animated film by Paolo Santagostino, and a JSW48 mod competition, I would like to highlight the fact that both "Jet Set Willy" and its predecessor "Manic Miner" have inspired numerous remakes by fans who wanted to create new rooms and caverns. Some of them use the original 48K game engines designed by Matthew Smith; others use their 128K extensions created by John Elliott. While many people are completely indifferent or even negative about them ("What do we need another JSW clone for?"), for some creating them became a labour of love and passion, resulting in products which, hopefully, can still provide fun and interesting challenges to the "mainstream" ZX Spectrum community.

JSW Central is a website dedicated exclusively to these games. It aspires to list all existing gamma-released games and provide information about them, download links and ultimately also screenshots of every single screen from every single game.

The website is still work in progress and does not yet feature everything it will have one day, but it does already provide comprehensive and up-to-date information about MM and JSW remakes for the ZX Spectrum. Currently it lists 20 games in its MM section, 48 games in its JSW48 section (plus 4 "advanced modifications of the original JSW"), 18 games in its JSW128 section and 24 games in its JSW64 section, plus one entry in the JSWII category and 10 entries in "MM and JSW games using other game engines" section. It also has 19 individual pages for Versions of the original MM and 25 pages for Versions of the original JSW - mods considered "not modified enough" to be classified as new games, but nevertheless interesting for various reasons.

As we celebrate the 35th birthday of "Jet Set Willy", it is good to remember that a part of the legacy of this remarkable game is a host of fan-created games which take advantage of the original's exquisite game mechanics, and the people who have devoted their time, energy and talents to create them. And this community is still active, and new projects are underway.

As for JSW Central, it will hopefully continue to grow and provide accurate and up-to-date information about MM and JSW games for the Spectrum. Please let me know (here or by mail) if you know of any games which are not there, or if you have some additional info, or spot some errors, or have any other suggestions for the site.

Finally, I will be at the Manchester PLAY Expo wearing a black T-shirt with the figure of Willy and the address of JSW Central. Please say hi if you see me - it will be nice to meet you in person :).

Daniel

Re: JSW Central - a website dedicated to Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy games for the ZX Spectrum

Posted: Fri May 03, 2019 8:26 am
by stupidget
jetsetdanny wrote: Thu May 02, 2019 10:40 pm Hello,

This is my first post here.

Daniel
Hi, and welcome.

I knew there were quite a few remakes, but, not that many!!! Jeez they’re going to keep me busy :D

Re: JSW Central - a website dedicated to Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy games for the ZX Spectrum

Posted: Fri May 03, 2019 11:38 am
by Ralf
Welcome to the forums! Have fun here.

It's also great to see your website growing and expanding and people still active. Good luck with it!

Re: JSW Central - a website dedicated to Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy games for the ZX Spectrum

Posted: Fri May 03, 2019 1:50 pm
by jetsetdanny
Thanks, guys! :)

Re: JSW Central - a website dedicated to Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy games for the ZX Spectrum

Posted: Fri May 03, 2019 2:31 pm
by DouglasReynholm
Just had a quick look great stuff, and looking forward to more screen dumps in the JSW section.. but Manic Scribbler just looks insane - is it really playable to completion?!

Re: JSW Central - a website dedicated to Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy games for the ZX Spectrum

Posted: Fri May 03, 2019 2:34 pm
by stupidget
DouglasReynholm wrote: Fri May 03, 2019 2:31 pm Just had a quick look great stuff, and looking forward to more screen dumps in the JSW section.. but Manic Scribbler just looks insane - is it really playable to completion?!
My like us purely based on your quality username DouglasReynholm :D :D :D

Re: JSW Central - a website dedicated to Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy games for the ZX Spectrum

Posted: Fri May 03, 2019 2:37 pm
by Einar Saukas
Excellent!

It seems most of your game pages have links to Spectrum Computing. The few pages that don't, they have links to Martijn's WoS, that shares the same ID anyway.

Would it be easy for you to send me a list of all your game page links with the corresponding ID (in WoS/SC/ZXDB) for each one? It can be a text file, spreadsheet, or whatever you like. I would like to import this list into ZXDB, so sites like Spectrum Computing can provide links to your site.

Re: JSW Central - a website dedicated to Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy games for the ZX Spectrum

Posted: Fri May 03, 2019 3:08 pm
by DouglasReynholm
stupidget wrote: Fri May 03, 2019 2:34 pm
DouglasReynholm wrote: Fri May 03, 2019 2:31 pm Just had a quick look great stuff, and looking forward to more screen dumps in the JSW section.. but Manic Scribbler just looks insane - is it really playable to completion?!
My like us purely based on your quality username DouglasReynholm :D :D :D
When I joined this website, I had only two things - a dream, and 6 million quid.. :lol:

Re: JSW Central - a website dedicated to Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy games for the ZX Spectrum

Posted: Fri May 03, 2019 9:03 pm
by jetsetdanny
DouglasReynholm wrote: Fri May 03, 2019 2:31 pm Just had a quick look great stuff, and looking forward to more screen dumps in the JSW section.. but Manic Scribbler just looks insane - is it really playable to completion?!
Yes, you can watch the RZX walkthrough on RZX Archive. Recording it was a real struggle and a very time-consuming, but also very gratifying experience...

Re: JSW Central - a website dedicated to Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy games for the ZX Spectrum

Posted: Fri May 03, 2019 9:11 pm
by jetsetdanny
Einar Saukas wrote: Fri May 03, 2019 2:37 pm Excellent!

(...)

Would it be easy for you to send me a list of all your game page links with the corresponding ID (in WoS/SC/ZXDB) for each one? It can be a text file, spreadsheet, or whatever you like. I would like to import this list into ZXDB, so sites like Spectrum Computing can provide links to your site.
Thank you :)

Yes, I will prepare the list for you and I will be honored when links to JSW Central are on SC. Just give me a little time to do it after the Manchester Expo.

There are no links to SC on the Manic Miner individual game pages, because it’s an older section of the website and I did things slightly different when I prepared it. I will overhaul these pages to have links to SC when time permits - the goal is for all games to have links to SC (and WoS if pertinent).

Re: JSW Central - a website dedicated to Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy games for the ZX Spectrum

Posted: Sat May 04, 2019 12:51 am
by DouglasReynholm
jetsetdanny wrote: Fri May 03, 2019 9:03 pm
DouglasReynholm wrote: Fri May 03, 2019 2:31 pm Just had a quick look great stuff, and looking forward to more screen dumps in the JSW section.. but Manic Scribbler just looks insane - is it really playable to completion?!
Yes, you can watch the RZX walkthrough on RZX Archive. Recording it was a real struggle and a very time-consuming, but also very gratifying experience...
I thought Dark Souls was hard..

Re: JSW Central - a website dedicated to Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy games for the ZX Spectrum

Posted: Wed May 29, 2019 1:22 am
by jetsetdanny
Einar Saukas wrote: Fri May 03, 2019 2:37 pm Excellent!

It seems most of your game pages have links to Spectrum Computing. The few pages that don't, they have links to Martijn's WoS, that shares the same ID anyway.

Would it be easy for you to send me a list of all your game page links with the corresponding ID (in WoS/SC/ZXDB) for each one? It can be a text file, spreadsheet, or whatever you like. I would like to import this list into ZXDB, so sites like Spectrum Computing can provide links to your site.

JSW Central has just been updated. On all of the individual pages of games and game variants there are now links to their pages on Spectrum Computing - if pertinent (not all games have their pages here yet).

As a next step, I will prepare the list you've mentioned, Einar, of all game page links with the corresponding ID SC/ZXDB for each one. However, I want to do more than that. I will prepare and send you all the files which are not hosted here but could or perhaps should be, and various other comments and suggestions where appropriate (e.g. about games which are missing from here, or about cases where there is an RZX recording of a game on the RZX Archive but no link to it on the game's page on Spectrum Computing, etc.).

It will take me a little while to do it, and due to some extreme work-related real life distractions I don't think I'll be able to start this work in earnest until about a month from now. So the ETA will probably be around the end of July, or even later. I'll do my best not to take too long, but I also want to do a thorough job of it.

One question, please: on Spectrum Computing in case of some games there are game files to download (that's the case of Jet Set Willy II, for example), and in case of other games there are no game downloads (e.g. that's what happens to the original Jet Set Willy - just ads, cassette inlays, maps and instructons can be downloaded, but no game files). Is this some kind of glitch or rather a problem related to intellectual property protection, explicit permits to host these files here - or lack thereof, etc.?

Should it be the latter, it would seem strange to me that "JSW II" can be download and "JSW" cannot, since both games were originally released by Software Projects. I understand, however, that there may be things about their copyright history I just don't know...

Re: JSW Central - a website dedicated to Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy games for the ZX Spectrum

Posted: Wed May 29, 2019 4:55 am
by jetsetdanny
Let me just add that the details of the latest JSW Central update are available here.

Re: JSW Central - a website dedicated to Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy games for the ZX Spectrum

Posted: Wed May 29, 2019 11:40 am
by PeterJ
jetsetdanny wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 1:22 am

JSW Central has just been updated. On all of the individual pages of games and game variants there are now links to their pages on Spectrum Computing - if pertinent (not all games have their pages here yet).


One question, please: on Spectrum Computing in case of some games there are game files to download (that's the case of Jet Set Willy II, for example), and in case of other games there are no game downloads (e.g. that's what happens to the original Jet Set Willy - just ads, cassette inlays, maps and instructons can be downloaded, but no game files). Is this some kind of glitch or rather a problem related to intellectual property protection, explicit permits to host these files here - or lack thereof, etc.?

Should it be the latter, it would seem strange to me that "JSW II" can be download and "JSW" cannot, since both games were originally released by Software Projects. I understand, however, that there may be things about their copyright history I just don't know...
Hi. We were asked to remove some titles by Elite Systems.

Re: JSW Central - a website dedicated to Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy games for the ZX Spectrum

Posted: Wed May 29, 2019 12:42 pm
by spider
PeterJ wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 11:40 am Hi. We were asked to remove some titles by Elite Systems.
:o :(

Re: JSW Central - a website dedicated to Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy games for the ZX Spectrum

Posted: Wed May 29, 2019 12:44 pm
by Bizzley
jetsetdanny wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 4:55 am Let me just add that the details of the latest JSW Central update are available here.
Since many of the games you list were created by both commercial and non-commercial MM/JSW editor programs have you thought about adding info and links to these editors as well? Perhaps even a basic How-To guide so that anyone who feels they have it in them can at least make a start on designing their own levels? You might even end up with more submissions to your website :)

Re: JSW Central - a website dedicated to Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy games for the ZX Spectrum

Posted: Wed May 29, 2019 12:48 pm
by spider
Bizzley wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 12:44 pm
jetsetdanny wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 4:55 am Let me just add that the details of the latest JSW Central update are available here.
Since many of the games you list were created by both commercial and non-commercial MM/JSW editor programs have you thought about adding info and links to these editors as well? Perhaps even a basic How-To guide so that anyone who feels they have it in them can at least make a start on designing their own levels? You might even end up with more submissions to your website :)
That is a good idea and (myself at least, Danny will no doubt have his own thoughts on this for his site) I did plan on eventually writing a few guides or suchlike but general 'how to' topics are welcome wherever I see them, be it here/mine/wos etc , if I can answer and help I will. :)

Re: JSW Central - a website dedicated to Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy games for the ZX Spectrum

Posted: Wed May 29, 2019 1:47 pm
by jetsetdanny
Yes, I have thought about adding info about editors as well. I think it's a very good idea.

At some point I will create a separate list of editors, perhaps with individual sub-pages (or perhaps not) and links to their download pages, so that everyone interested can try them. No ETA for this at the moment; I'll just do it in the future when time permits.

Having said that, I think there is only one editor which is the obvious choice if anyone wants to do any MM or JSW editing, and it is John Elliott's JSWED. So easy to use, so versatile, and free. Frankly, I can't imagine why anyone would want to use any of the other ones these days, unless they have some specific function that JSWED doesn't.

Re: JSW Central - a website dedicated to Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy games for the ZX Spectrum

Posted: Wed May 29, 2019 1:52 pm
by jetsetdanny
spider wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 12:42 pm
PeterJ wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 11:40 am Hi. We were asked to remove some titles by Elite Systems.
:o :(
Hi. Thanks for the info!

They are still over on WoS, I believe. It would be interesting to know if WoS hasn't been asked to take them down, or has been asked but refused. Just wondering...

Re: JSW Central - a website dedicated to Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy games for the ZX Spectrum

Posted: Wed May 29, 2019 2:22 pm
by PeterJ
jetsetdanny wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 1:52 pm
spider wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 12:42 pm :o :(
Hi. Thanks for the info!

They are still over on WoS, I believe. It would be interesting to know if WoS hasn't been asked to take them down, or has been asked but refused. Just wondering...
Having had experience of Elite Systems I prefer just to comply. I don't have the time or energy to deal with one of their letters. I don't have any insight into WoS.

Re: JSW Central - a website dedicated to Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy games for the ZX Spectrum

Posted: Wed May 29, 2019 5:59 pm
by Ralf
Having had experience of Elite Systems I prefer just to comply. I don't have the time or energy to deal with one of their letters. I don't have any insight into WoS.
Good choice. I wouldn't lose any minimal amount of my energy to fight with them too. Anybody will be able to get these games in dozens of other places anywhere. And for their actions they'll get some karma back sooner or later :twisted:

Re: JSW Central - a website dedicated to Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy games for the ZX Spectrum

Posted: Wed May 29, 2019 6:41 pm
by PeterJ
Thanks [mention]Ralf[/mention]

Re: JSW Central - a website dedicated to Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy games for the ZX Spectrum

Posted: Fri May 31, 2019 6:55 am
by spider
I guess this means my future plans (eventual, very eventual) for a Kokotoni Wilf editor are scuppered if there's going to be any uncertainty in the near future.

Re: JSW Central - a website dedicated to Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy games for the ZX Spectrum

Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2019 9:19 pm
by jetsetdanny
jetsetdanny wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 1:22 am
Einar Saukas wrote: Fri May 03, 2019 2:37 pm
Would it be easy for you to send me a list of all your game page links with the corresponding ID (in WoS/SC/ZXDB) for each one? It can be a text file, spreadsheet, or whatever you like. I would like to import this list into ZXDB, so sites like Spectrum Computing can provide links to your site.
As a next step, I will prepare the list you've mentioned, Einar, of all game page links with the corresponding ID SC/ZXDB for each one. However, I want to do more than that. I will prepare and send you all the files which are not hosted here but could or perhaps should be, and various other comments and suggestions where appropriate (e.g. about games which are missing from here, or about cases where there is an RZX recording of a game on the RZX Archive but no link to it on the game's page on Spectrum Computing, etc.).

It will take me a little while to do it, and due to some extreme work-related real life distractions I don't think I'll be able to start this work in earnest until about a month from now. So the ETA will probably be around the end of July, or even later. I'll do my best not to take too long, but I also want to do a thorough job of it.
Real life has been relatively kind in that I have been able to start work on the list already, and, hopefully, it will be ready by the end of the month.

One question though:

On WoS several games by The DrUnKeN mAsTeR!!! have an adult status. "Allow adult search results (opt-in)" must be turned on through the Infoseek Config facility to view the game or find it using Sinclair Infoseek. An example of such a game is Jet Set Willy: The DrUnKeN mAsTeR!!!, which is here on WoS and here on SC.

Its SC page is missing the downloads which WoS is offering (as well as e.g. title-screen and in-game screenshots). I am pretty sure that this doesn't have anything to do with someone asking for the files to be taken down, but rather with the game's adult status on WoS. IIRC, it's the same with the other games by The DrUnKeN mAsTeR!!! which have this particular status on WoS.

My question is: Is there any equivalent of 'Adult status' on SC? Is it that I'm not seeing the download files because of some setting I don't have turned on, or is it just that the files are really missing from SC?

Re: JSW Central - a website dedicated to Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy games for the ZX Spectrum

Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2019 9:32 pm
by R-Tape
jetsetdanny wrote: Sun Jun 16, 2019 9:19 pm My question is: Is there any equivalent of 'Adult status' on SC? Is it that I'm not seeing the download files because of some setting I don't have turned on, or is it just that the files are really missing from SC?
Any games that are listed as adult in ZXDB are not shown in an SC search (there is no setting to turn on/off), if you know the ID directly you can work out what the webaddress will be and type that in - but you only see info and possibly screenshots here. You would have to go elsewhere for files. Just to be clear - SC doesn't have any objection to adult games, but some of us work in education and we need to be extra careful :)

Having said that - isn't there a good case to reappraise the status of some of The DrUnKeN mAsTeR!!!'s games? Some of them are a bit sweary, but it generally takes more than that to get an adult rating.