Interviews
Matthew Smith is famously reclusive. He has given fewer than a dozen substantial interviews in four decades. The clips below represent most of what exists on record. Each is contextualised with what was happening at the time and what Smith said that has since been widely quoted.
On the experience of developing Jet Set Willy, from various sources covering the 2007 and later interview appearances:
seven shades of hell
Matthew Smith, describing writing Jet Set Willy - Wikipedia: Matthew Smith
This phrase has been widely quoted in retrospective coverage of Jet Set Willy, appearing in sources including the Wikipedia article on Matthew Smith. The brevity and specificity of the phrase - not "difficult" or "stressful" but a very particular English idiom - is consistent with the impression that Smith, when he does speak, tends towards directness.
On the experience of developing Manic Miner, in contrast to its successor:
Smith described Manic Miner as his most enjoyable game to make.
Wikipedia - Matthew Smith
The contrast with his description of Jet Set Willy is instructive. Manic Miner was created without commercial pressure, without a company structure to maintain, and without the weight of an audience expecting it to surpass what had come before. The enjoyment may be less about the game and more about the circumstances.
On the financial arrangements with Bug-Byte Software for his first contract game:
Smith received £3,000 for Styx, his first Bug-Byte contract game.
Wikipedia - Matthew Smith, citing original interview sources
The flat fee of £3,000 for Styx (1983) was the commercial foundation of Smith's career. It proved that he could produce commercial software on a schedule and that publishers were willing to pay for it. The subsequent arrangement for Manic Miner - where royalties rather than a flat fee applied, and where the oversight in the contract left Smith with IP rights he was not intended to have - was significantly more consequential.
2007: The First Interview in Twenty Years
Smith's 2007 interview - his first on record in over two decades - was a significant moment for the retro community. He discussed Manic Miner, its development, and its impact on the home computer market.
From Bedrooms to Billions (2014 and 2016)
The "From Bedrooms to Billions" documentary series by Anthony and Nicola Caulfield became the most thorough filmed account of the early British games industry. Smith appeared in the series, speaking about both Manic Miner and his later work.
These interviews are the most extensive on-camera footage of Smith discussing his career. His account of the Bug-Byte arrangement, the ZX Spectrum loan, and the process of writing both games provides context that adds significantly to what can be gleaned from contemporary sources.
On Manic Miner (2014)
Context: From Bedrooms To Billions conducted extensive interviews across the British games industry. Smith's participation was notable given his general avoidance of media appearances. The film was produced over several years and drew on primary interviews with many programmers from the 1980s era.
On Creating Manic Miner
A separate clip from the From Bedrooms To Billions documentary, focusing specifically on Smith discussing the creation of Manic Miner. This earlier cut (from 2014, before the final film's 2016 release) covers the development process in more detail. Smith discusses his working methods, the Bug-Byte arrangement, and the technical decisions that shaped the game.
Context: This clip was released ahead of the full documentary as promotional material. It gives the clearest available on-camera account of how Manic Miner was actually made - the timeline, the tools, and the contract situation with Bug-Byte.
From the Beginning: Before Bug-Byte
A 2013 interview conducted by Steve Wilcox - himself a veteran of the British 1980s games industry, as co-founder of Elite Systems. The "How I Got Started" format asked subjects to discuss the early period of their careers before their first major success. Smith discusses his background, how he came to programming, and the context that produced Manic Miner.
Context: 2013 saw increasing activity around retro gaming retrospectives. Smith was beginning to make occasional appearances at events. This interview represents one of the earlier instances of his re-engagement with the public record of his career. Steve Wilcox was a known figure in the 1980s British games scene, which likely made the conversation easier to arrange.
2007: The First Major Video Interview
An interview from 2007 in which Matthew Smith discusses Manic Miner and his 1980s career. This is one of the earliest substantial video interviews he gave after his long public absence, and it provides a relatively unguarded account of the period. Smith discusses the game's creation, its success, and aspects of what followed.
Context: By 2007, the retro gaming community had grown substantially online. The ZX Spectrum's 25th anniversary in 2007 prompted renewed interest in the machine and its programmers. Smith's appearance in this interview followed years of near-total absence from media. It was widely circulated in the retro gaming community as one of the first times he had spoken on camera about the 1983-84 period.
Key Documented Quotes
Outside the video interviews, a number of Matthew Smith quotes have been recorded in text form through print and online sources. These are the most widely cited.
"Seven shades of hell."
Matthew Smith, on the development of Jet Set Willy - cited in Wikipedia (Jet Set Willy) and multiple retrospective interviews
"I've been recommended by my therapist that I don't talk about that period of my life."
Matthew Smith, at PLAY Expo 2019, in response to questions about certain years of his life - reported by livpost.co.uk and other attendee accounts
The 80snostalgia.com site published a text interview with Smith that covers his career and his views on the Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy period. It is one of the more detailed text-based primary sources available. See Resources for the link.