Developer: Spud
Genre: Prototype
Platform: Spectrum 48K
Language: BASIC

Woolton, Merseyside. October 1983.

Listen.. Um.. Can I call you Spud? It's about this game you've sent us; "Jet Set Willy."

A young programmer sits on the opposite side of the manager's desk at Software Projects* having recently finished his first game and responded to an advert in the Computer & Video Games classifieds.

Do you... (gulp...) like it?

Hey, it's a great start Spud! It just, erm... needs a bit of work?

Oh... Right... How do you mean?

Well, I love the idea of Maria - I imagine her as a sort of nagging old battle-axe - but the main character? He's just an O?

Um... I suppose I could look into some UDGs?

Yeah, yeah. And also, maybe, some backgrounds, enemies, you know different screens?

Oh. But. I-it's just I'm still in school... That sounds like a lot of work?

Hey, no problem. Listen. We've got this new guy on our books - Matt, I think - we could get you two working together?

But, er, I don't think... This was supposed to be my game?

Listen Spud... If you don't want to do it, we could just leave it there... I mean what's with the "2015" anyway?

It's, erm, set in the future?

As if anyone's still going to be interested in the ZX Spectrum in 2015!?

But...

Come on - you don't even need to collect all the objects to complete the game!? You can press Z whenever you like? As it is, Spud, it's just crap!

Well there's no need to be rude! I put a lot of effort into this, you know?

Really Spud? It really doesn't show! Matt could knock out a much better game than this... In half the time.

(sob) Go on then. I, I don't care anymore! F*ck Matt and f*ck you! [Door slams]

[Ring Ring] Matt. How are you? Listen. I've got this great idea for a new Manic Miner game.