Jet Set Willy II
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 1980s |
| Founder | Matthew Smith |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Jet Set Willy II: The Final Frontier |
Jet Set Willy II: The Final Frontier is a platform title launched in 1985 by Software Projects, initially as the Amstrad CPC adaptation of Jet Set Willy. Marketed as a sequel, it was subsequently adapted for multiple home computer platforms. Unlike the original programmer Matthew Smith, this version was created by Derrick P. Rowson and Steve Wetherill, focusing on expanding the original gameplay rather than delivering an entirely new game.
Gameplay
Building upon the original Jet Set Willy mansion layout, the map in this version introduces several fresh components, some inspired by rumored but previously unimplemented features—such as launching a ship from "The Yacht" to visit an island. In versions for ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, and MSX, the character Willy is propelled from the Rocket Room into outer space, equipped with a spacesuit as he navigates through 33 additional rooms.
To counteract prevalent hacking and cheating issues found in the first game, Jet Set Willy II incorporates a special Cheat screen that can only be accessed through cheating itself.
Notable control adjustments include:
- The capability to jump immediately in the reverse direction upon landing without releasing the jump button.
- Willy takes a step forward before initiating a jump from a stationary position.
- Certain previously safe locations, like the tall candle in "The Chapel," have been turned into hazards.
Moreover, the conclusion of this installment differs from that of its predecessor.
Development
The project began as an Amstrad conversion of Jet Set Willy undertaken by Derrick P. Rowson and Steve Wetherill. Rowson employed an algorithm to compress screen data efficiently, freeing up sufficient memory to incorporate additional rooms.
This edition introduced improved copy protection named Padlock II, which utilized seven code pages instead of the single page used in the original Jet Set Willy, aiming to prevent unauthorized duplication via felt-tip copying methods.
Subsequently, Software Projects instructed Rowson to strip all enhancements from the Amstrad version to produce a faithful conversion of the ZX Spectrum Jet Set Willy. This stripped-down variant was included in Ocean Software's compilation They Sold A Million, released in November 1985.
Ports
Ports were developed for ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Commodore 16, BBC Micro, Acorn Electron, and MSX platforms.
After Steve Wetherill departed for Odin Computer Graphics, Rowson completed the Spectrum port independently. This version lost some of the coloured backgrounds present in the CPC’s four-colour display mode. Due to variations in memory usage caused by room compression, creating a room editor was considered virtually unfeasible.
The BBC Micro cassette release contains two rooms not found in the ZX Spectrum edition but excludes 60 rooms; unlike the CPC and Spectrum versions, which are subsets of each other.
For the Commodore 64 version, differences in screen formats compared to the Amstrad necessitated reworking screens and sprites layouts. Nonetheless, Rowson was able to reuse much of the data directly from the Amstrad version, allowing for an earlier launch.
Reception
The initial Amstrad release, titled Jet Set Willy, secured the number 2 spot on the Amstrad games chart for a duration of four weeks until 16 April 1985. It was highly regarded by Amstrad Computer User, which described it as "one of the finest CPC titles available".
Conversely, the launch under the name Jet Set Willy II garnered a range of opinions; Clare Edgeley from Sinclair User labeled it the "largest rip-off to date", whereas Home Computing Weekly criticized Software Projects for "attempting to market it as an entirely new game". While Crash recognized the quality of the game, it pointed out that there was minimal advancement compared to its predecessor.
Versions for Spectrum and Commodore 64 appeared in the Gallup Top 20 chart in July 1985, initially ranking at number 8 and subsequently climbing to number 7.
In late 1988, Mastertronic reissued the title under its Ricochet label. Although reviewers noted that the graphics appeared outdated and "stick-like", they still acknowledged that the gameplay remained "quite impressive". This £1.99 edition attained the seventh position on the ZX Spectrum budget games chart.
Legacy
Unofficial adaptations have been created for various systems such as the Acorn Archimedes, Microsoft Windows, MS-DOS, and the X Window System.
An enhanced edition named JSW2+ was released by Derrick P. Rowson in November 2016. This version introduced technical enhancements allowing for more intricate rooms, incorporated cheat features including unlimited lives and teleportation, added new rooms, and offered easier gameplay by reducing or slowing down sprites.
References
External links
- Template:WoS game
- Jet Set Willy II at World Of Spectrum
- Map of the Spectrum version
- Room format description