Play Manic Miner online

Manic Miner is Matthew Smith's 1983 platformer for the ZX Spectrum. One look at Miner Willy in the first cavern, with that tune playing nonstop, and you knew this little rubber-keyed computer could do things nobody had seen at home before.

In UsuArcade's ZX Spectrum Room you play it online, free, right in your browser: grab a desk, pick the tape off the shelf and, once the loading ritual is done, you're in.

History

Matthew Smith wrote it as a teenager and Bug-Byte published it in 1983; Software Projects reissued it shortly after. It took its cue from Miner 2049er, but its absurd humor and brutal difficulty made it one of a kind.

It was one of the first Spectrum games with music during play: Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King," looping while Willy jumped. The sequel, Jet Set Willy, followed in 1984.

How to play

You move Willy left and right and jump. In each cavern you have to grab every flashing key and reach the exit before the air runs out, without touching enemies or falling too far. Watch for crumbling floors, conveyor belts and poisonous plants. There are twenty caverns in a row and you don't get many lives.

Fun facts

• It has twenty caverns, each with its own name, like "Eugene's Lair" and "The Final Barrier."
• Its music is Edvard Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King."
• Its creator, Matthew Smith, also made Jet Set Willy.

In the ZX Room

In the ZX Room you play and your friends watch your game live, with picture and sound, while you all chat by voice or text, just like when they came over to watch you play.

No coins here: walk in, pick the tape and play. If you still own the original, official mode lets you load your own tape.

FAQ