Phil Searching for Mort Brings a Classic Spanish Comic Adventure to the ZX Spectrum Next

MJB Software releases Phil Searching for Mort on ZX Spectrum Next, reviving 1980s Spanish isometric adventure En Busca de Mortadelo with 190+ screens and Next audio.

The ZX Spectrum Next has received a colourful new isometric adventure courtesy of MJB Software. Phil Searching for Mort is an enhanced conversion of the Spanish game En Busca de Mortadelo, originally developed by Alfonso Fernández for the ZX Spectrum in the late 1980s. The new version received specialist coverage on October 12 and introduces improved presentation alongside the expanded capabilities of the Spectrum Next. Inspired by the famous Spanish comic characters Mortadelo and Filemón, the adventure follows Phil as he attempts to rescue his unfortunate partner Mort, who has been transformed into a stone statue. Reversing the curse requires locating Professor Bacterio, whose scientific abilities apparently extend to solving magical problems that conventional medicine would probably decline to investigate. The game contains more than 190 isometric screens filled with enemies, traps, movable objects and puzzles. Players can choose between directional and rotational movement controls, redefine keys and use compatible Kempston or Sinclair joysticks. The developer has also included Spanish, English and Portuguese versions, making the adventure considerably more accessible internationally. The enhanced soundtrack changes as players approach important objectives, while a large final encounter provides an appropriately dramatic conclusion. The game is available through itch.io using a name-your-own-price distribution model. A recent package update also addressed difficulties some players experienced when extracting the password-protected download. Phil Searching for Mort demonstrates how the Spectrum Next can revive lesser-known European computer games without abandoning their original design. Its comic-book origins are particularly appropriate because the entire adventure sounds like something that could only happen to two extremely unlucky cartoon detectives.