Still riding high from Knight Lore from the day before we turn to today’s Your Sinclair Top 100 and cross our fingers hoping that we’re given something just as wonderful. Pulling our hand from the bag of ZX Spectrum gaming delights, it’s revealed that No.#32 hasn’t let us down as it’s the true classic Jet Set Willy from Software Projects.
Jet Set Willy, created in 1984, was the sequel to the other excellent game Manic Miner, both from the brain of Matthew Smith. Here Miner Willy has been spending the wealth he’s acquired since digging his way out of his last game, however his copious amount of partying and drunken debauchery hasn’t gone over to well. Willy is now nursing a rather tender head and wishes to return to his bed, however Maria – his housekeeper – is not too pleased with the mess and won’t let him anywhere near his fluffy pillows until the entire house – plus surrounding grounds – is cleared up of littered glasses and bottles. This is where you come in.
Matthew Smith created quite frankly a brilliant game to sing the praises of the ZX Spectrum; it’s colourful, tricky, it has bizarre enemies, and it screams, “Imagination!”. Gone are the basic black & white days of the ZX81, gone are the dull clunky, early ZX Spectrum sprites and here comes platforms, animations, levels that link into each other and a rather annoying ditty that brings back bucket loads of nostalgia when you hear it. Matthew Smith sold the ZX Spectrum to the UK in my humble opinion.
This all being said I am quite frankly rubbish at Jet Set Willy and always have been. I can barely get ten objects within the game – it’s embarrassing watching me play this classic! If you wanted to get a gamer – from the era – to sell Jet Set Willy to today’s crowd you must never ask me, as I bumble along with glee and stumble on the most simplest of traps; yet I love it to my core.
Jet Set Willy is a true ZX Spectrum classic and placing it a No.#32 is technically a crime, as it should be far higher than this.
Originally published July 27, 2016. Updated June 30, 2023.
