Manic Miner finishers

General software. From trouble with the Banyan Tree to OCP Art Studio, post any general software chat here. Could include game challenges...
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spider
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Re: Manic Miner finishers

Post by spider »

clebin wrote: Tue Sep 07, 2021 9:24 am That's the spirit! This is the version I used: JSW 2015 Bug-Fixed Version. Among other things, this applies the official Software Projects fix for the Banyan Tree. There's still a tricky little moment where you have to turn and slot yourself between two moving enemies. I like to get the fiddly stuff like this out of the way early so I can always restart and have a decent run against the easier bits.
I would say if I did it again, I'd do it slightly differently as I can code a (bit) better now. MJSW is probably nearer the "original" even if you ignore the MM component of it.

Was mention of Priest's Hole, its not that bad in JSW1 in JSWFF (JSW2) because Willy moves forward when you press direction+jump if you are on the very edge of tte platform, he will fall off. JSW2+ does not have this. There is a reason for this but its a bit boring.

I agree Under The Drive is very difficult its pixel perfect to get him to land on the platform. Nightmare Room is either very easy or very difficult depending on timing, its quite easy to make a mess of it, same as Forgotten Abbey (there's a very easy way to get the item here, took me years to figure it out) bottom row is hard but the trick I learned to help myself (no one told me this) watch the guardians on the bottom row and memorise how far they move, you can use the room name to do this, for instance the guardian might only move as far right as a letter "g" or such.

Back to MM , the automated version is quite fun given its two modes of operation, and it does have human play as well as block mode (interesting) , I think Warehouse is probably quite hard, followed by Solar Power but that screen its about having enough air left.
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Oloturia
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Re: Manic Miner finishers

Post by Oloturia »

R-Tape wrote: Fri Jun 02, 2023 10:26 am Just bumping this. Anyone yet to join the club? Come on you know you want to... :mrgreen:
Wow! Some years ago I tried to finish Ghost'n'Goblins without cheats to prove that they weren't harder than a contemporary game like Blasphemous. I managed to get to the end in a week, a couple of hours each day, using around 250 credits (something like 50 000 Lit in the mid '80s, around 70€ of today). I tried also Ghouls'n'Ghosts, which took me much more.
With Blasphemous on the other hand I had more or less 20 hours of play to get to the end, but the game is a lot much longer. The price is 26€ (without special offers) which makes the game cheaper than GnG in the end.

After Penitent One and Arthur, maybe now it's time for Miner Willy!
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R-Tape
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Re: Manic Miner finishers

Post by R-Tape »

Oloturia wrote: Fri Jun 02, 2023 11:46 am With Blasphemous on the other hand I had more or less 20 hours of play to get to the end, but the game is a lot much longer. The price is 26€ (without special offers) which makes the game cheaper than GnG in the end.
I can't imagine how many hours I've put into MM over the years, and my brother paid for it, so that's excellent value for money! To be fair, I did spent a fiver of my own cash on a tape at a retro fair. Once I'd decided to complete it, it probably took about twenty hours or less.
After Penitent One and Arthur, maybe now it's time for Miner Willy!
That's the spirit!
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Re: Manic Miner finishers

Post by Wall_Axe »

I tried it on unreal spectrum emulator. Willy just goes right and doesn't respond to left.
Tried it on jsspeccy he is quite unresponsive.

Trying another emulator now
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Re: Manic Miner finishers

Post by R-Tape »

No idea what's gone wrong there, but it works it SPIN, FUSE and Spectaculator. Check you don't have Kempston forced or something.
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Re: Manic Miner finishers

Post by Wall_Axe »

Ok it may have been cos it usually works.

I tried a different emulator and it worked.

Had to get used to a few pixel perfect jumps on level one.
Those two bushes in the top right are a nightmare.

Then eventually got to Eugene's lair. Seems like it needs coordination.

The menagerie isn't bad as long as you time the flamingos at the top correctly
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Re: Manic Miner finishers

Post by Oloturia »

OK on my first 12 runs I managed to get to The Vat.
On my first run I got to Eugene's Lair, then I got stuck until the 8th.
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Re: Manic Miner finishers

Post by R-Tape »

Oloturia wrote: Mon Jun 05, 2023 4:18 pm OK on my first 12 runs I managed to get to The Vat.
On my first run I got to Eugene's Lair, then I got stuck until the 8th.
Keep going - you're nearly halfway already. The only real dragons here are Skylab, The Warehouse and the Solar Power Generator.
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Re: Manic Miner finishers

Post by spider »

R-Tape wrote: Mon Jun 05, 2023 7:24 pm Keep going - you're nearly halfway already. The only real dragons here are Skylab, The Warehouse and the Solar Power Generator.
I agree although sometimes I occasionally get caught out on Menagerie too, but usually you can stand on the spot and jump before the crumbly cell finishes, to clear the right hand bird guardian.

Skylabs, there is as you know a pattern to it, its sort of learning that then its really easy. Warehouse, my route is quite different to the couple of playbacks I've seen, but each to their own and Solar Power is really about speed as you (well, I've never tried) can't easily avoid the beam.

:)

Don't know if its just me but this game and the original JSW, I do prefer Spin because unlike altering the CPU speed in large jumps, I can set it to 110% or 125% and its not really much harder to play.
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Oloturia
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Re: Manic Miner finishers

Post by Oloturia »

Day 1 (24 runs), reached level 12 "Return of the Alien Kong Beast".

This makes me think, if I didn't quit out of frustration after a few tries when I was a kid, probably I could have finished the game. I think my limit was level 3 "The Menagerie".
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Oloturia
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Re: Manic Miner finishers

Post by Oloturia »

OK I'm stuck at the Return of the Alien Kong Beast, I wonder if it would be cheating training with the level jump. I am trying to recreate the feeling of playing as it was on the real Spectrum, so I'm not using snapshots, but the level skip is coded in the game itself. Was it widely known? I remember that I read of it in a magazine, but it was several years after the release of the game.
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Re: Manic Miner finishers

Post by Jbizzel »

I have to confess I couldn't complete this game without saves.

Although I gave it my best and became very good.

The Warehouse and the solar generator are so rock hard.

Return of Kong beast is pretty straightforward, which bit is killing you?

The conveyor bottom right is probably hardest to time.

My proudest moment was the zen I achieved on sky labs. I could do that level without even thinking about the falling baddies.

I have lost most of my powers now. I can probably get to level 10/11 in one sitting.
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Mpk
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Re: Manic Miner finishers

Post by Mpk »

Oloturia wrote: Tue Jun 06, 2023 9:08 pm would it be cheating training with the level jump
No.

It was widely known at the time, and it's fine to practice with.
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Oloturia
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Re: Manic Miner finishers

Post by Oloturia »

Jbizzel wrote: Tue Jun 06, 2023 9:25 pm I have to confess I couldn't complete this game without saves.

Although I gave it my best and became very good.

The Warehouse and the solar generator are so rock hard.

Return of Kong beast is pretty straightforward, which bit is killing you?
One of the first jumps, but after 4 tries I was able to do it.
Now I'm at "The Bank", level 15, after two days and 42 runs.

I'm streaming my tries on twitch, but it seems that Manic Miner isn't very popular :D
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Re: Manic Miner finishers

Post by Morkin »

Oloturia wrote: Wed Jun 07, 2023 10:42 am I'm streaming my tries on twitch, but it seems that Manic Miner isn't very popular :D
We all know that one viewer on Twitch for a Speccy stream = 10,000 viewers for a Fortnite stream ;)

I can imagine a lot of swearing on the Solar Power Generator.

[Edit: OK, I'm going to try it again this week to see if I've still 'got it']
My Speccy site: thirdharmoniser.com
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Re: Manic Miner finishers

Post by Oloturia »

Morkin wrote: Wed Jun 07, 2023 11:09 am We all know that one viewer on Twitch for a Speccy stream = 10,000 viewers for a Fortnite stream ;)
Let's port Fortnite for Spectrum.
I can imagine a lot of swearing on the Solar Power Generator.

[Edit: OK, I'm going to try it again this week to see if I've still 'got it']
Fortunately (for my viewers) I keep the mic off. I play some fine Amiga Cracktros instead. I received some compliments like "this channel is also a good radio" (I presume they shut the video off after a few minutes).
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Re: Manic Miner finishers

Post by Oloturia »

Run 51, reached level 17 "The Warehouse".

I'm keeping track of my gameovers, the maximum level that I can reach on a single run. At the moment "Eugene's Lair" (level 5) is leading with 15 gameovers, then the "Attack of the Mutant Telephones" with 8 and "Skylab Landing Bay" with 5. After 2½ days I can get to level 12 without losing a life. That's amazing!

edit: I also reached 200+ posts so my status is now "Manic Miner"!
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Re: Manic Miner finishers

Post by Mpk »

Oloturia wrote: Wed Jun 07, 2023 4:15 pm level 17 "The Warehouse".
One of my favourites. Only 4 left, keep going. And one of those 4 is actually super-easy.
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Re: Manic Miner finishers

Post by Wall_Axe »

I'm on Eugene's lair
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Re: Manic Miner finishers

Post by Mpk »

Wall_Axe wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 9:21 pm I'm on Eugene's lair
One of my favourites. Only 16 left, keep going.
And one of those 16 is actually super-easy.
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Re: Manic Miner finishers

Post by mjwilson »

I finished MM sometime around... 1994 I guess? Maybe a little later?

Practiced for a long time on Skylab and Solar Power, then was fortunately able to put everything together into one run.
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Oloturia
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Re: Manic Miner finishers

Post by Oloturia »

OK I beat the Warehouse. Amoebatrons got me though.

Because of reasons, level skip isn't working for the Solar Generator and neither the Final Barrier, so I can't train on them. I can jump to the Revenge of the Amoebatrons anyway.

I'm wondering why you consider Skylab a hard level. I got past on my first try just by pure luck, then it took me a few tries to get the right path.
At the moment I'm at the 87th run (but I wasted 5 to 7 out of pure frustration). I'm starting to be confident on my enterprise.
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Re: Manic Miner finishers

Post by zeusdaz »

Couldn't get past screen 5 back in the day but now easy peasy and usually no lives lost, all levels are robotic in their movements, once you learn their patterns you'll find it a rather easy game.

Here's my little no-death run vid if interested, contains commentary so there may be a few little tips I give in it:
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Oloturia
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Re: Manic Miner finishers

Post by Oloturia »

I beat every single level now, using the level skipper, but I still can't finish the entire game in a single run.
Problem is: now, when I play, I am in a state of constant anger.
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Re: Manic Miner finishers

Post by R-Tape »

Oloturia wrote: Tue Jun 13, 2023 7:54 am Problem is: now, when I play, I am in a state of constant anger.
Heh.

Which level/s are you failing on when you try for real? It's worth repeating them on cheat until they become robotic.

It's also worth persevering. Once you've completed it, you will feel different about yourself and the world. You will exude an inner confidence. You will walk the streets an inch taller. People will look at you with increased respect. You will be able to stand atop a cliff and shout to the heavens "I COMPLETED MANIC MINER!".
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