Jet Set Willy Redux

Jet Set Willy Redux is a ground-up rewritten multiplayer reimagining of Matthew Smith's iconic 1984 classic, and today we are playing the current beta build on the Spectrum Next via MiSTER FPGA with full gameplay and commentary. If you are new to the channel, welcome. This is exactly what we focus on.

The original Jet Set Willy released in March 1984 and became the UK's best-selling home video game of that year. Matthew Smith's creation spent over three months at the top of the charts and defined a generation of platform gaming. Players guided Miner Willy through his mansion collecting scattered items while avoiding guardians and hazards, with classical music by Beethoven, Grieg, Bach, and Mozart playing throughout. The original featured 60 screens and 83 objects to collect.

Jet Set Willy Redux is developer MausTheKat's ambitious reimagining of that legacy. Rather than a straight port or remake, Redux is a complete ground-up rewrite that expands the scope dramatically. Where the original featured 60 rooms, Redux explores hundreds of uniquely designed rooms. The core mechanic remains true to the original, but the scale is transformed entirely. You still move left and right and jump to navigate the mansion, still avoid enemies and hazards, still collect items to progress, but now with multiplayer competitive elements that the 1984 original never had.

The single-player beta version is currently playable and approaching completion. Recent development videos show gameplay that is approximately 99 percent finalized, with only minor rough edges remaining. The game includes a comprehensive text terminal interface where players can enter debug commands and access cheat systems. This terminal was originally designed for online multiplayer coordination but currently supports additional features for testing and progression.

Debug mode enables commands like invulnerability and immortality modes, allowing players to explore the hundreds of rooms without constant punishment for mistakes. The teleportation system lets you jump to any room by coordinates, perfect for discovering the massive mansion layout without replaying sections. These tools acknowledge that Redux is significantly more challenging than the original, with room design philosophy that demands precision timing and pixel-perfect jumps.

MausTheKat has publicly stated that multiplayer functionality is being added incrementally, and the single-player experience is the priority for the initial release. The game runs on the ZX Spectrum Next, the advanced FPGA-based handheld console released in November 2023, as well as through MAME emulation. A web-based version is available at jetsetwilly.net for browser testing.

The original Jet Set Willy had a notorious bug called The Attic Bug that corrupted subsequent playthroughs by overwriting crucial game data. Redux eliminates this issue entirely, proof that modern development can improve upon even the most iconic games while preserving their soul.

If you love classic platformers, appreciate massive ambitious remakes that respect their source material, and want to see how the Spectrum Next enables developers to expand gaming legends beyond their 1980s constraints, hit subscribe and stick around. We explore this scene every single week.