# Manic Miner: ZX Spectrum

> Faithful recreation of the classic 1980s ZX Spectrum platform game. (iPhone/iPad app by Elite Systems Ltd.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/manic-miner-zx-spectrum/id406164735 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Elite Systems Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/339779247)
- Category: Games, Action, Casual
- Price: $2.99
- Rating: 2.68/5 from 25 App Store ratings · 65 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 9+
- Requires: iOS 8.1 · 68 MB
- Languages: English
- Released: 2010-12-20
- Data updated: 2026-08-31
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/manic-miner-zx-spectrum/id406164735/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
- Authentic ZX Spectrum sound
- Portrait and landscape modes
- User-definable controls
- 20 original rooms
- Auto-save on exit

## Recent user reviews (10 of 65)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/manic-miner-zx-spectrum/id406164735/reviews.md

### 1/5 — It just doesn’t work…..

*2025-05-24, version 1.8.2*

As simple as that really!

### 1/5 — Game does not load

*2024-11-21, version 1.8.2*

Really disappointed and a waste of money, the game gets to the start screen and stops. It does not load!!!

### 1/5 — Manic miner

*2024-01-02, version 1.8.2*

Doesn’t work on IPhone

### 1/5 — Doesn’t work iPhone 13 Pro

*2023-01-08, version 1.8.2*

Doesn’t work gets stuck on load screen

### 1/5 — Rubbish

*2022-01-20, version 1.8.2*

I paid £2.49 for this and can’t play it at all no
Buttons on the screen and even if u move them in the edit function u only get left n right so cat start the game!! 
Don’t waste your money learn from my experience and give this a miss!!

### 1/5 — 80’s classic fan

*2019-12-29*

Music not great relative to original & movement was clunky on the iPhone.

### 1/5 — Level 8 is errors and I cannot complete

*2019-10-28*

Glitches on mutant telephones. I save my progress, and almost completed and Willy dies. I reload, same again and again. No fun when the code is glitched. Wasted money.

### 3/5 — Good game poor controls

*2019-04-07, version 1.8.1*

Game is exactly like it was in the 80s but controls don’t work good at all sort them and its a 5* game all day

### 1/5 — Buttons don’t work properly!

*2019-01-16, version v1.7*

I was really looking forward to playing this, but it’s just not fit for purpose, because the fire/jump button keeps failing to work, and you really need an instant, reliable response, even on level 1.  The other buttons sometimes fail too.  Hopefully they can fix this; until then it’s basically unplayable.

### 5/5 — A classic

*2018-10-21, version v1.3*

Great game when I was 11/12. Let’s hope Matthew Smith updates the app as the game has not dated

## Frequently asked questions about Manic Miner

### What is Manic Miner: ZX Spectrum?

Manic Miner: ZX Spectrum is a perfectly formed replica of the much-loved home computer game from the 1980s. It features 3D voxel-style graphics and authentic ZX Spectrum sound, bringing the original 20 rooms and gameplay to modern devices.

### How do I save my game?

To save your game, you need to go 'Back' to the Main Menu before quitting the App. The game also features an 'auto save' function on exiting.

### What are the controls like?

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

### Is this a standalone app or part of another one?

Manic Miner: ZX Spectrum can be purchased as a standalone app. It is also offered as an in-app purchase within the Recreated ZX Spectrum app, which includes more ZX Spectrum games and Sinclair BASIC.

### What are the key features of this game?

Key features include 3D voxel-style graphics, authentic 'Spectrum' sound, portrait and landscape play modes, user-definable controls, and an auto-save function. It faithfully recreates the original 20 rooms of the classic platformer.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.8.2 — 2019-04-17

* Links (from the News tab within the app) to the re-launched Kickstarter appeal for the Manic Miner® Limited-Edition Collectors' Print Playing Cards and for the Jet Set Willy® Limited-Edition Collectors' Print Playing Cards.
* More links to the now available Manic Miner® app - a perfectly replica of the much-loved home computer game, with 3-D voxel-style graphics.
* Support for the Recreated ZX Spectrum device.
* Enhanced compatibility with both iPhone and iPad devices - 'Universal' app.

### 1.8.1 — 2019-02-13

* Links to the soon to the now available 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 re-launched Kickstarter appeal for the Manic Miner® Limited-Edition Collectors' Print Playing Cards and of the Jet Set Willy® Limited-Edition Collectors' Print Playing Cards.

### 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 for MatthewSmithIsHere.com

### v1.2 — 2013-01-11

Minor Fixes

Updated news pages to include Ltd Edition Artwork links

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## More apps by Elite Systems Ltd

- [Manic Miner: ZX Spectrum HD](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/manic-miner-zx-spectrum-hd/id407872635)
- [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 2026-08-31.*