# Manic Miner: ZX Spectrum HD

> Classic 1980s platformer recreated with 3D voxel graphics and modern controls. (iPhone/iPad app by Elite Systems Ltd.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/manic-miner-zx-spectrum-hd/id407872635 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Elite Systems Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/339779247)
- Category: Games, Action, Casual
- Price: $2.99
- Rating: 2.54/5 from 37 App Store ratings · 34 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 9+
- Requires: iOS 8.1 · 68 MB
- Languages: English
- Released: 2010-12-20
- Data updated: 2026-09-02
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/manic-miner-zx-spectrum-hd/id407872635/reviews.md

## What is Manic Miner?

NEWS FLASH! - the Manic Miner® app - a perfectly formed replica of the much-loved home computer game, with 3D voxel-style graphics - AVAILABLE NOW

Search the App Store for “the Manic Miner® app”.

IMPORTANT: To 'Save' the game go 'Back' to the Main Menu before quitting the App.

Manic Miner for the ZX Spectrum (an 8-bit personal home computer released in the UK in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd, which sold in excess of 5 million units worldwide) is one of THE defining games of the 1980s.

Manic Miner: ZX Spectrum is offered as an in-app purchase from within the Recreated ZX Spectrum app. (The in-app is priced at £2.99. The Recreated ZX Spectrum app includes more ZX Spectrum games plus Sinclair BASIC). 

Manic Miner: ZX Spectrum is also available in this stand-alone form but does not include any other ZX Spectrum games.

Manic Miner: ZX Spectrum is the 100% original ZX Spectrum game, written in 1983 and is brought to you - as an officially licenced product - utilizing our ZX Spectrum: Elite Collection technology. 
Featuring:

- portrait and landscape play / display modes
- iDaptive (user-definable, game-specific joystick, keypad & canvass) Controls
- (Google: "Tiny URL 22qh8hl") for more info
- ‘auto save’, on exiting the game
- authentic 'Spectrum' sound

Manic Miner is a platform game originally written for the ZX Spectrum and released by Bug-Byte in 1983 (later re-released by Software Projects). It is the first game in the Miner Willy series and among the pioneers of the platform game genre. The game itself was inspired by the Atari 800 game Miner 2049er. It has since been ported to numerous home computers and video game consoles. At the time, its stand-out features included in-game music and sound effects, excellent playability, and colourful graphics, which were well designed for the graphical limitations of the ZX Spectrum. On the Spectrum this was the first game with in-game music, the playing of which required constant CPU attention and was thought impossible. It was cleverly achieved by constantly alternating CPU time between the music and the game (which accounts for the music's stuttery rhythm). The in-game music is In the Hall of the Mountain King from Edvard Grieg's music to Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt. The music that plays during the title screen is an arrangement of An der schönen blauen Donau (popularly known as The Blue Danube), a waltz by Johann Strauß.

Manic Miner for the ZX Spectrum contains the following 20 rooms:

1. Central Cavern
2. The Cold Room
3. The Menagerie
4. Abandoned Uranium Workings
5. Eugene's Lair
6. Processing Plant
7. The Vat
8. Miner Willy meets the Kong Beast
9. Wacky Amoebatrons
10. The Endorian Forest
11. Attack of the Mutant Telephones
12. Return of the Alien Kong Beast
13. Ore Refinery
14. Skylab Landing Bay
15. The Bank
16. The Sixteenth Cavern
17. The Warehouse
18. Amoebatrons' Revenge
19. Solar Power Generator
20. The Final Barrier

In each of the twenty caverns are several flashing objects, which the player must collect before Willy's oxygen supply runs out. Once the player has collected the objects in one cavern, they must then go to the now-flashing portal, which will take them to the next cavern. The player must avoid enemies (listed in the cassette inlay) as Poisonous Pansies, Spiders, Slime, and Manic Mining Robots, which move backwards and forwards along a predefined length at constant speeds. Willy can also be killed by falling too far, so players must time the precision of jumps and other movements to prevent such falls or collisions with the enemies. The game ends when the player has no lives left; extra lives are gained every 10000 points.

About Elite®: Elite Systems Ltd was incorporated in England in 1984.

## Key features

- 3D voxel-style graphics
- 20 original rooms
- Portrait and landscape modes
- Customizable controls (iDaptive)
- Authentic Spectrum sound
- Official license

## Recent user reviews (10 of 34)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/manic-miner-zx-spectrum-hd/id407872635/reviews.md

### 1/5 — Does not work

*2025-02-01*

Do not download and waste your money, game does not work! Total waste of money

### 1/5 — Absolute rubbish

*2023-12-11*

Do yourself a favour and don’t bother spending any money on this load of rubbish

### 1/5 — Controls don’t appear on iPhone

*2023-05-06*

No matter what I do or set in settings it’s just a grey box at the bottom of the screen and you have to guess where the buttons are. £2.99 wasted. 

Shame. Don’t buy.

### 1/5 — Broken

*2023-03-02*

Controls don’t work. Impossible to play since an iOS update a while back. Don’t bother with Elite games as they’re broken and the dev doesn’t care. What a waste and such a shame as Elite were legendary in the 80s and now look. A joke

### 1/5 — Manic miner

*2022-06-27*

AVOID the game doesn’t work, nothing happens when i click ‘play’ i contacted the company but zero response.

### 1/5 — Do not pay for this

*2022-01-06*

I downloaded it and it won’t play or work
I tried multiple times

### 1/5 — Does not work, avoid

*2021-09-18*

This app does not work on my iphone, at least not easy to find out how it works and is not worth $3.

### 1/5 — Scam!!! App does not work do not buy this app

*2020-12-12*

Waste of money does not work. Should not be allowed for sale!

### 1/5 — Avoid.

*2020-10-03*

Find myself randomly tapping all over the screen waiting for it to do something as the buttons are invisible - even trying to edit them makes no difference. Load of crap and waste of £2.99 - feel conned

### 3/5 — works on iPad but no music

*2020-08-22*

Works on iPad but no music playing. Wouldn’t expect much for under £3 however :-)

## Frequently asked questions about Manic Miner

### What is Manic Miner: ZX Spectrum HD?

Manic Miner: ZX Spectrum HD is a digital recreation of the iconic 1980s platform game originally released for the ZX Spectrum home computer. It features 3D voxel-style graphics while remaining true to the original gameplay and 20 rooms.

### How do I save my game?

To save your progress, you need to navigate back to the Main Menu before quitting the application. The game features an 'auto save' function upon exiting, but explicitly returning to the menu ensures your progress is secured.

### What are the controls like?

The app offers iDaptive controls, which are user-definable and game-specific. This allows you to customize the joystick, keypad, and canvas to your preference for playing the game.

### Is this the full original game?

Yes, this is a 100% original ZX Spectrum game, officially licensed and brought to you using ZX Spectrum: Elite Collection technology. It faithfully recreates the 1983 version of Manic Miner, including its 20 rooms and authentic sound.

### What devices is this app compatible with?

The app description does not specify exact device compatibility. However, as it is available on the App Store, it is designed for iOS devices. It supports both portrait and landscape play modes.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### v1.7 — 2018-11-16

* Links to the soon to be released Manic Miner® app - a perfectly formed replica of the much-loved home computer game, with 3D voxel-style graphics.
* Support for the Recreated ZX Spectrum.
* Universal app - compatible with iPhone and iPad.
* News of the soon to be offered Manic Miner® Limited-Edition Collectors' Print Playing Cards and of the Jet Set Willy® Limited-Edition Collectors' Print Playing Cards.

### v1.3 — 2013-03-29

Updated links to MatthewSmithIsHere.com

### v1.2 — 2013-01-11

Minor fixes.
Updated to include Ltd Edition Artwork links

### v1.1 — 2011-02-22

Minor bug fixes. 
Added 'Get more great Spectrum games' feature on the game select screen.

### v1.0 — 2010-12-14

No release notes.

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## More apps by Elite Systems Ltd

- [Manic Miner: ZX Spectrum](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/manic-miner-zx-spectrum/id406164735)
- [Jet Set Willy: ZX Spectrum](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jet-set-willy-zx-spectrum/id418193849)
- [Jet Set Willy: ZX Spectrum HD](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jet-set-willy-zx-spectrum-hd/id418720728)
- [Pyjamarama: ZX Spectrum HD](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pyjamarama-zx-spectrum-hd/id446221420)
- [Cybernoid: ZX Spectrum HD](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cybernoid-zx-spectrum-hd/id446351308)

All apps by Elite Systems Ltd: https://appshunter.io/developer/339779247

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-02.*
