Manic Miner, the classic 1983 ZX Spectrum platformer by the enigmatic Matthrew Smith has been ported to Windows several times before in both official and homebrew guises, so you may wonder what the point would be of a new homebrew Manic Miner PC port in 2025. However, unlike the 1990s Britpop group Dubstar, who asserted that they were “not so manic now” on their hit single of the same name, Manic Miner is even more manic now, boasting 20 new screens in addition to the game’s original 20 screens.
In this new version of Manic Miner, you can play all 20 original caverns from the original ZX Spectrum version, or select to just play the 20 brand new ones – or mix it up a bit and let the game decide what screens you’re going to play! And a modern enhancement to the game also allows you to choose to play with subdued lighting, darkening the caverns and using the light from Willy’s hardhat.
This new and expanded PC port of Manic Miner has been created by Langford Productions, who specialize in remakes of ZX Spectrum games. The game is available to download now on a name your own price basis via itch.io. So whether you’ve somehow never experienced Manic Miner at some point in the last 42 years, or you just fancy playing 20 all new screens of the game, what have you got to lose?
