The new Manic Miner remake has already got ZX Spectrum fans asking: “What happened?!”
(Image credit: BBG Entertainment) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 1 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter The new Manic Miner remake hasn't even launched yet, and already some ZX…
(Image credit: BBG Entertainment) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 1 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter The new Manic Miner remake hasn't even launched yet, and already some ZX Spectrum fans are wondering what on earth has happened to Miner Willy. If you're in the US, you may not have heard of this game, but in the 1980s, in the UK, it was bigger than some of the best retro games of the 1980s, including Space Invaders, Pac-Man and Donkey Kong – friendships were made in the schoolyard because of this game. So its return, with a modern visual makeover, was always going to pull at those nostalgia strings.BBG Entertainment's new version of Matthew Smith's 1983 platforming classic is coming to PC and consoles this 'Autumn' (Nintendo Store has it listed as 5 November), bringing all 20 original levels to current-gen consoles, alongside modern controls, a new soundtrack, online leaderboards and an interactive history of the game.And yes, you can still play it looking like Manic Miner did on the Spectrum, with the original pixel-art presentation with CRT filters available alongside the new HD version, which adds parallax scrolling, lighting, and a much more detailed environment. The new HD remake of Manic Miner, a classic 1983 platform game, has horrified some fans. (Image credit: BBG Entertainment)Manic Miner's modern updateIt's that HD version that's causing the fuss. The reaction on the Lemon64 forum, where retro gamers have strong opinions about this sort of modern remake, has been lively. One poster called the new visuals a "garish visual mess", complaining that the busier backgrounds make it harder to pick out the sprites and scenery. Another user couldn't hold back and was more direct, asking: "How can you ruin this game?!" and taking particular issue with the new version of Miner Willy.There are plenty of people who aren't quite as horrified, mind you. Some fans are happy to give the remake a chance, particularly because the original presentation hasn't been thrown away. Like BBG Entertainment's other retro remake – Boulder Dash 40th Anniversary – the original version of Manic Miner remains untouched. BBG isn't asking Spectrum fans to accept the HD version or nothing, which is enough for me.The remake includes the original pixel-art look I remember, so if you want your Miner Willy jumping around against those wonderfully crude, colour-clashing Spectrum backgrounds, you can still have that experience, and there's no need to jump down the retro gaming rabbit hole the likes of Sinclair GamerCard offer (though that is fun). On the left is Manic Miner as it appeared originally (included in this new edition), and on the right the new HD remake. (Image credit: BBG Entertainment)The new HD mode is essentially another way to play the same 20 levels, with more elaborate backgrounds, lighting, and scrolling effects, while the controls have been tweaked for modern controllers. Whether those changes actually improve Manic Miner is another question.Get the Creative Bloq NewsletterSign up to Creative Bloq's daily newsletter, which brings you the latest news and inspiration from the worlds of art, design and technology.The game's visual style was born out of necessity, of course, but after more than 40 years those limitations have become part of what people, including myself, love about it. There's a charm to the chunky colours, simple shapes and instantly readable platforms, and when you start layering effects, shadows and detailed backgrounds over everything, some fans clearly feel that readability and charm get lost.It's a familiar problem with remakes of old games, but Manic Miner is perhaps an especially tricky one because the original is so visually distinctive and managed to convey character in two or three pixel blocks. This makes redesigning Willy himself another sticking point. He's one of those videogame characters whose appearance is inseparable from the machine he came from, a tiny collection of pixels that became an icon, and giving him a more detailed modern makeover was always going to invite comparisons with the original. The original game can be played with new features added, including CRT filters. (Image credit: BBG Entertainment)Celebrates 1983's Manic MinerAs mentioned, the good news is that Matthew Smith's original game hasn't been forgotten in all of this, and the original version looks excellent. More so, BBG says the remake is officially authorised by Smith, with the developer involved in the project, and the game will include an interactive history of Manic Miner's creation. That gives the remake a little more credibility than yet another unofficial attempt to cash in on retro nostalgia.Still, the early reaction suggests BBG has picked a difficult game to modernise. Manic Miner doesn't need much explaining, and it certainly doesn't need much adding to it, which leaves the remake with a rather awkward challenge: how do you make a 43-year-old game feel new without making it look like something it was never supposed to be?We'll find out when Manic Miner launches later this year, but if the reaction from the retro crowd so far is anything to go by, the HD mode is going to be getting almost as much attention as the game's notoriously brutal platforming.Manic Miner launches on PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X/S and PC this Autumn. TOPICS Ian DeanEditor, Digital Arts & 3DIan Dean is Editor, Digital Arts & 3D at Creative Bloq, and the former editor of many leading magazines. These titles included ImagineFX, 3D World and video game titles Play and Official PlayStation Magazine. Ian launched Xbox magazine X360 and edited PlayStation World. For Creative Bloq, Ian combines his experiences to bring the latest news on digital art, VFX and video games and tech, and in his spare time he doodles in Procreate, ArtRage, and Rebelle while finding time to play Xbox and PS5. View More You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. Logout LATEST ARTICLES 1 Nope, the new Apple Mac mini ad isn't AI – and there's a delightful BTS video to prove it 2 Mega Man: Dual Override is everything I love about the retro series, and everything I fear 3 How Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen turns every beautiful vista into a potential disaster 4 The new Manic Miner remake has already got ZX Spectrum fans asking: “What happened?!” 5 How to create a video game world using Blender and PhotoshopSource: Creative Bloq AI Art — Published — Category: Image AI