Videos

Ten verified embeddable videos covering Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy: longplays, developer interviews, documentaries, retrospectives, and a speedrunning tutorial. All use YouTube's privacy-enhanced embed.

Manic Miner ZX Spectrum gameplay screenshot
Manic Miner on the ZX Spectrum — still recognisable forty years on.

Documentary

From Manic Miner to Jet Set Willy

Kim Justice - 2019

The most comprehensive video account of Matthew Smith's career. Covers both games in depth, including the Bug-Byte dispute, the Allow bug, and Smith's disappearance. Essential viewing for anyone wanting the full picture.

Longplays

Manic Miner - ZX Spectrum (4K UHD 50fps)

The complete Manic Miner longplay at 4K UHD resolution, 50 frames per second. The highest quality available longplay for the ZX Spectrum version. 2022 upload. All twenty caverns completed.

Jet Set Willy - ZX Spectrum Walkthrough

A full walkthrough of Jet Set Willy on the ZX Spectrum, completed with only three lives lost. Covers all sixty rooms. Essential viewing for understanding the game's scope and room-to-room navigation.

Manic Miner - ZX Spectrum with Commentary

A commentary longplay of Manic Miner providing context and explanation for modern viewers. Covers the game's design decisions, the cavern names, and the technical constraints visible in the gameplay.

Developer Interviews

Matthew Smith Interview - From Bedrooms To Billions (2016)

One of the most substantial on-camera interviews Smith has given. From the documentary film about the British home computer games industry. Direct and detailed account of the Manic Miner period.

Matthew Smith on Creating Manic Miner (2014)

Earlier clip from From Bedrooms To Billions focusing specifically on the Manic Miner creation process. Covers the Bug-Byte arrangement, the development timeline, and the technical decisions.

How I Got Started - Matthew Smith (2013)

Interviewed by Steve Wilcox (co-founder of Elite Systems) in 2013. Covers Smith's background and the early period before Manic Miner. One of the first substantial public appearances after years of absence.

Matthew Smith Interview - Manic Miner (2007)

A 2007 interview discussing Manic Miner and Smith's 1980s career. One of the earliest video interviews he gave after his long public absence. Widely circulated in the retro gaming community.

Retrospectives and Documentaries

From Manic Miner to Jet Set Willy - Kim Justice (2019)

The definitive documentary on Matthew Smith's career. Kim Justice's 2019 production covers the full arc from early programming through Manic Miner, Software Projects, Jet Set Willy, the disappearance, and the later interviews. Essential viewing for anyone wanting to understand Smith's place in British gaming history.

How Manic Miner Changed Gaming Forever (2025)

A 2025 retrospective on Manic Miner's lasting influence on platform game design. Covers the game's mechanics, its technical achievements for the ZX Spectrum, and its influence on subsequent British home computer games.

Speedruns

Jet Set Willy Speedrunning Tutorial - Part 1 (JSW Community)

A speedrunning tutorial from the Jet Set Willy community. Demonstrates optimal routing through the mansion's sixty rooms and the movement techniques required for competitive play. Evidence of an active speedrunning scene around a forty-year-old game.