It's probably going to wreck the image quality but this shows the the MC paths in the original 60 room JSW map.

This is a single room of JSW - The Bathroom - showing the MC paths generated by the simulator.

Some of the game modes in Jet Set Willy: Redux could be improved with route markers, so I've been working on Monte Carlo simulations to determine optimal routes. It may come in useful for other stuff down the road, too.

#JetSetWilly #Retro #Python #GameDev

The final image from Jet Set Willy after completing the game. Willy rushes from his bedroom to the bathroom and dives headfirst into the toilet.

The final image from Manic Miner after completing the game. Willy stands outside his new mansion and the level exit turns into an icon representing a swordfish for some bizarre reason.

I've been quiet on the #JetSetWilly front, but it's mostly been bug-fixing, refactoring and tidying, and a bit of polish.

I've been giving the single player modes a bit of love by implementing their game completion sequences.

Quirkafleeg - Single by Berka 1337 | Spotify Berka 1337 · single · 2026 · 1 songs

A song about how to get to the room 'We must perform a quirkafleeg' in Jet Set Willy (via Spotify)

open.spotify.com/intl-es/album/2m9e234aYo...

#zxspectrum #jetsetwilly #retrogaming

Throwback #WIPSnips today as there's a whole chapter in The Ballad of Matthew Smith entitled 'Library'. And I'd forgotten the book is actually quite good (though I say so myself).

So here's Matthew's first meeting with the Librarian.

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #ZXSpectrum #GameLit #JetSetWilly

A quick video of the WIP "gorgeous" tileset.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilK7...

#JetSetWilly #Python #GameDev #retro #ScreenShotSaturday

One of the rooms from the original Jet Set Willy rendered using a gorgeous tileset from an old mobile phone conversion of the game.

I spent some of today working on custom map/tileset support. This tileset was extracted from an old mobile phone version of the game.
#JetSetWilly #retro #Python #gamedev

A screenshot of a JSW:R "tag" game with 6 players. The game theoretically supports up to 16 players.

That was a cracking test session! Mostly minor glitches - nothing too serious or game breaking. Hopefully they will be easy to track down and fix.

Network performance was pretty good - some players saw a little bit of lag, but nothing too terrible.

#JetSetWilly #retro #python #gamedev

A zoomed in portion of the first Manic Miner level (The Central Cavern) showing some partially crumbled platforms.

I figured out a sensible way to handle the crumbling platforms in a multiplayer context for the multiplayer #ManicMiner map in #JetSetWilly #Redux: I have them "uncrumble" after a few seconds.

#Retro #Gamedev #Python

Jet Set Willy: Redux was briefly featured in the #RGDS podcast. You can see it here youtu.be/qgkeVYZ9Qto?... at about the 2m30s mark.

#JetSetWilly #Retro #Gamedev #Python

A screenshot of the Jet Set Willy: Redux web server, showing a game in progress.

Good test session today!

Most of the networking issues are fixed, and it's mostly just tweaks to gameplay modes needed.

#JetSetWilly #Retro #Gamedev #Python

Screenshot of Jet Set Willy Redux, a retro pixel-art platform game. The character MauS stands on the left side of a red-orange platform in a room titled “The Bathroom” (Room ID: 32). The level contains multiple platforms, a diagonal ramp leading upward, and vertical shafts made of patterned blocks. Three floor mines sit on the lower platform near MauS—two armed mines colored red and yellow, and one unarmed mine colored blue/cyan. A yellow collectible item appears on a platform to the right, above a cyan line. Interface panels surround the play area: a host information log at the top with connection messages, a player/lobby panel on the right showing MauS as the only player, and a status bar along the bottom displaying Items collected: 0 and the in-game time 7:02am, along with small colored character icons representing players.

Mines! Players can now drop mines in multiplayer mode.

#JetSetWilly #Retro #Gamedev #Python

Excuse the crappy phone video, but I put a bit of effort into solving the network drift problem today, ensuring guardians stay synced across different clients without bogging down the network with excessive traffic. This one's been running an hour or so.

#JetSetWilly #Retro #Gamedev #Python

Screenshot of a multiplayer “Jet Set Willy: Redux” server dashboard showing a large, zoomed-out map made of brightly colored 8-bit rooms on a black background. At the top, status text indicates the game is “In Game,” with two players connected and running a “First to collect – 30 items wins” mode. The central area displays the full platform layout with neon-style tiles, ladders, ropes, and enemies rendered in a ZX Spectrum–inspired palette. At the bottom center, a smaller game window titled “JSW Redux” shows live gameplay in a room called “The Bathroom,” with two player characters on platforms connected by a rope, a collectible item above them, and a sidebar leaderboard. A chat panel logs match events, and a client information panel lists connected platforms, including a Raspberry Pi 400 running Debian Linux (arm64). The image demonstrates the Raspberry Pi client successfully connected and running the game smoothly within the multiplayer environment.

Milestone reached! The Raspberry Pi 4 client is reaching acceptable levels of performance; a few dropped frames and network stutters to investigate, but it's getting there!

#JetSetWilly #Retro #Gamedev #Python

A numeric code entry screen based on the original Jet Set Willy/Jet Set Willy II piracy prevention screens. The display has a black background framed by a thick rectangular border made of brightly colored square tiles. The tiles cycle through vivid ZX Spectrum–style colors — red, blue, cyan, green, magenta, yellow, and white — arranged in a repeating pattern around all four edges. The overall aesthetic strongly mimics 8-bit microcomputer graphics. In the center of the screen: • Large pixelated white text reads: “ENTER CODE” • Beneath it are four dark grey square placeholders, indicating a four-digit entry. • Below the placeholders, a yellow “50” countdown timer appears. • Small cyan text underneath reads: “1-6 COLOUR BACKSPACE UNDO ESC CANCEL” At the bottom center are six colored square buttons labeled 1 through 6, each in a different color: • 1 – Blue • 2 – Red • 3 – Magenta • 4 – Green • 5 – Cyan • 6 – Yellow Each number sits inside a chunky pixel-art tile matching its color.

Aside from a bunch of optimisations for running on the Raspberry Pi 4 target, I decided to have a bit of fun with an alternative server authentication scheme. This should cause the nostalgia glands to start pumping for players of the originals.

#JetSetWilly #Retro #Gamedev #Python

Screenshot of a desktop web browser displaying the “Jet Set Willy: Redux” dedicated server status page with a live multiplayer game window overlaid. The visuals closely follow the original Jet Set Willy, using bright 8-bit pixel graphics on a black background. Gameplay is single-screen per room with no side scrolling, adapted for online multiplayer. At the top left, bold yellow pixel text reads “JET SET WILLY: REDUX,” with smaller text indicating Dedicated Server v0.45.0. A horizontal status bar shows: Status “In Game,” Game Mode “First to collect,” Game Type “30 items wins,” Players “1,” Uptime about 13 minutes, Map “main (255),” and Physics Tick “940.” The center shows a wide, static overview of the full map made up of many rectangular rooms placed side by side. Each room is confined to one screen and contains fixed platforms, ladders, ropes, hazards, and decorative pixel art. Some rooms include large pixel creatures and geometric structures. The layout resembles a connected network of distinct platforming rooms rather than a scrolling world. Overlapping the right side is a smaller window titled “JSW Redux,” showing the live game. The current room is labeled “The Bathroom.” It has blue brick-patterned walls, orange platforms, and a diagonal rope between two points. Small collectible items rest on platforms. The player character, labeled “MauS,” stands on a platform. A HUD along the bottom shows “Items collected” with small character icons and an in-game clock reading about 7:02am. A blue chat panel at the top displays welcome text, server details, and a player message. There is a green dot representing the character shown at the corresponding position on the map. At the bottom of the webpage, a server log shows “MauS has joined the game,” followed by “GAME STARTING: First to collect – 30 items wins” and “GAME STARTED,” plus a chat message from MauS. The page combines a retro single-screen platform game with a modern web-based multiplayer server dashboard.

Got the networking issues sorted. And I think I've pretty much wrapped up the web dashboard. More details are in the alt text.

#JetSetWilly #Retro #Gamedev #Python

A screenshot showing the JSWR client connected to a server overlaid over a web page showing live server stats, updated in realtime.

This evening continued the theme of doing the fun/easy bits... A built-in web page on the server showing live server state information, updated in real time.

Player info is redacted for games where revealing it location would give an unfair advantage.

#JetSetWilly #Retro #Gamedev #Python

The Willypedia. An in-game browser with information and instructions. It uses a subset of markdown so I can edit in a sensible editor. The text says: Jet Set Willy Redux is a remake of a remake of a remake, possibly with a few other remakes thrown in. In 1984, programmer Matthew Smith released Jet Set Willy for the ZX Spectrum, the long-awaited sequel to Manic Miner, through a new company called Software Projects. Jet Set Willy is a platform adventure set in Willy's enormous mansion, with 60 interconnected rooms to explore. After a wild party, Maria the housekeeper refuses to let Willy sleep until every item has been collected, so you must clear the house while avoiding guardians, deadly hazards, and famously unforgiving jumps. Shortly after, Matthew Smith disappeared from public view, and a sequel, Jet Set Willy II: The Final Frontier (1985), written by D.P. Rowson, was released, based on the expanded Amstrad CPC version.

I decided to rewrite the core audio systems in Rust today to eliminate some Python GIL issues affecting performance. After that, I decided to tackle something a little easier.

Behold... The in-game Willypedia!

#JetSetWilly #Retro #Gamedev #Python

Jet Set Willy Redux running on a Raspberry Pi 400, with the CRT shader active. It's a bit choppy and needs optimization, but that's a good thing. If I can get it running at speed on this, it will run on anything. Of course, I may not be able to keep the CRT shader on the Pi 4 as it's pretty GPU-thirsty. Getting it running on this also revealed some easy optimizations and improvements that will benefit all platforms, as well as a couple of deeply buried bugs, so it wasn't a procrastinating waste of time after all!

Someone asked about whether JSWR ran on the Raspberry Pi 4 the other day. I said no, because there were some GL compatibility issues, but then I got to thinking: If it ran on the RPi4, that would mean it would be pretty well optimized for other platforms. So...

#JetSetWilly #Retro #GameDev #Python

Software Projects C64 - The Oasis BBS Software Projects C64 returns in BastichB’s Golden Years, charting hits, flops, and late classics from 1983 to 1988.

Software Projects C64: BastichB’s Golden Years Tour of a UK Classic
#Commodore64 #C64 #RetroGaming #UKGaming #GameHistory #BastichB #ManicMiner #JetSetWilly #DragonsLair #RobHubbard

theoasisbbs.com/software-pro...

I added some useful diagnostic commands to help with the next testing session: "/sendlogs" sends all of the client log files up to the server :)

I managed to get the first "official" test session going today thanks to the #JSWO crew at the #RGDS Discord.

It went about as disastrously as expected, of course, but on the bright side I did gather lots of juicy diagnostics.

I still detest network code.

#JetSetWilly #Retro #GameDev #Python

The victory screen. The winner and two runners up stand in first, second, and third place on the winners podium. They're all me.

I still despise debugging network code, but at least I got the multiplayer victory screen working... (I managed to break a bunch of stuff related to teams, and I also found a weird bug where 3/4 players froze and forgot to have logging turned on. Sigh.)

#JetSetWilly #Retro #Gamedev #Python

Jet Set Willy - #8bitLimerick:

Back from his time underground,
he partied with folks all around.
But people were cold,
they'd spent all his gold
and come morning nowhere to be found.

#JetSetWilly #MinerWilly #SoftwareProjects #MatthewSmith #ZX48k #ZXSpectrum #RetroGaming #RetroGames

Title screen of “Jet Set Willy Redux” displayed in a desktop window labeled “JSW Redux.” A colorful 3D Penrose triangle logo sits centered on a black background with the stylized pink script “Jet Set Willy” over it and “Redux” beneath. Red pixel text reads “Press JUMP to start.” Yellow scrolling text below says “SET WILLY REDUX … BY MauS.” In a smaller font, version number “v0.37.0” appears in the lower left in cyan, and MauS appears in the lower right, also in cyan.

In-game lobby screen framed by a white border. A blue banner at the top reads “WELCOME! PRESS ENTER TO CHAT.” The center shows a small monochrome character standing on a red platform between four large colored panels labeled G (green), O (orange), R (red), and B (blue). At the bottom, yellow text reads “Select Your Team,” with “Room ID: 182,” “Items collected: 0,” and “Time 7:03am.” Small multicolored character icons line the bottom edge, representing the player's lives.

Game screen titled “The Podium,” showing a small character standing on a yellow first-place block labeled “1,” with second and third place blocks labeled “2” and “3” beside it. The podium sits on a pink platform with green patterned ground below. A blue banner at the top reads “WELCOME! PRESS ENTER TO CHAT.” Bottom text shows “Items collected: 0,” “Time 7:01am,” and “Room ID: 181,” with a row of small colored characters representing the player's lives.

Photograph of a handheld gaming device (Steam Deck) displaying the “Jet Set Willy Redux” title screen. The screen shows the colorful triangular logo and pink script title on a dark blue background with white text reading “Press SPACE to start.” Yellow pixel text below includes a humorous message beginning “Yes, I know this text sucks…” Version “v0.36.4” appears in the lower left. The device rests on a textured fabric surface, with control sticks visible on both sides.

So, I spent a lot of today writing a unified build script to build the game for multiple platforms (Windows, Linux, Mac and Steamdeck), but I did get to do some fun stuff too.

#JetSetWilly #Retro #Gamedev #Python

A screen from JSW with a bright red backend and magenta foreground with the CRT filter applies. It looks terrible, with lots of ghosting and color bleed - just like I remember from 1984.

This is the most extreme crt shaded room in the game. It looks just as awful as I remember from the original back in '84. #JetSetWilly #Retro #Gamedev #Python

The WIP title screen showing the stylized text "Jet Set Willy Redux" in pink over a cyan, green and blue Penrose triangle. Thanks to Andy Noble for permission to use his awesome graphics!

I've got the headless server fully on par with the in-process host server. The plan is to replace the host server with the headless in-process, eliminating a bunch of duplicate code.

In other news, I took a break today and started on the animated title screen.

#JetSetWilly #Gamedev #Python #Retro

ASCII Art logo for the server. The logo shows the text Jet Set Willy Redux over a Penrose triangle.

A screenshot of the standalone server (optional) showing the flashy ASCII art logo.

#JetSetWilly #Gamedev #Python

Two game clients side-by-side showing that the room guardians and ropes are synchronized in the Jet Set Willy room, "The Swimming Pool". The client on the right shows a ping of 50, and that the bandwidth used is currently 0.0kbps for RX and TX.

Testing headless sync via a transatlantic server. Multi-player part has two modes: "host" where a player hosts the server in-process and "headless" where a server runs separately. It's not as clean as I'd like, but can be tidied. #ScreenshotSaturday #JetSetWilly #GameDev #ZXSpectrum #Remake #Redux

A screenshot showing a white pixel based character surrounded by blue walls with a white lift and a green teacup like thing. The interesting thing about the images is that the colors bleed and discolor very similarly to computers and consoles from the 80s plugged into a TV via the RF cable.

After finishing the color clash shader, I got the shader bug and implemented an approximation of an old school TV display.

#JetSetWilly #gamedev #python

BEFORE: Willy's colors do not merge with the colored background, so he appears white over the red/yellow blocks.

AFTER: Willy's colors merge with the colored background where he overlaps, so his head appears yellow over the red/yellow blocks.

I added a ZX graphics mode with authentic(ish) colo(u)r clash shader. Only 2 colors permitted per 8x8 pixel block.

#JetSetWilly #gamedev #python

I'll bother with Twitch streaming when someone says they are going to do a complete play through of #JetSetWilly without any cheat modes switched on :)