- Release Date: 1990 06
- Genre: Puzzle
- Style: Maze Puzzle
Game Description
Best described as an involved Dig Dug, Bouder Dash has players exploring massive, scrolling mines, while encountering challenges such as magic walls, hungry amoebas, and butterflies that must be turned into jewels. The goal is to crush your foes with falling boulders and collect enough diamonds and advance to the next level.~ Christopher Michael Baker, All Game Guide
Review: Overall
If nothing else, Boulder Dash should be commended for its near-perfect balance of action and strategy. If you don't have an appetite for both, however, expect to fail in this exceptionally difficult NES game.Boulder Dash is probably best described as a very involved Dig Dug. There is earth to be excavated and boulders to be dropped on enemies, but Boulder Dash goes beyond this simple premise with massive scrolling levels, treacherous amounts of boulders, and a different prime directive: rather than killing your enemies, you must collect diamonds; crushing your foes with falling boulders is an ancillary task to accomplishing your main objective.
The difficulty curve climbs rapidly in Boulder Dash, and while experienced players will appreciate having to deal with only a single "training" level, novices may become overly confounded by the game's intricate boulder-falling physics and complex stratagems. Once one achieves a level of understanding of the strategies involved, however, the game becomes immensely enjoyable from both an intellectual and action point of view.
And just when you think you understand the game, it keeps upping the challenge by throwing in new elements to provoke you. After you've mastered the basic art of collecting diamonds (while avoiding crushing yourself to death with falling boulders), you must then contend with fast-moving enemies, which call upon your Dig Dug skills. Master this task and you'll face multiplying amoebas that must be trapped before they will mutate into the diamonds you seek. If this sort of intellectual gameplay sounds fun, you won't be disappointed in later levels. You will be challenged.
The bottom line on Boulder Dash is that it is a well-crafted, well-executed, thinking man's action game. Strategy is important, but if you don't have the reflexes to back it up, you will be doomed to failure. You must act quickly and think even faster. If this sentence describes you, then Boulder Dash is your perfect game.
~ Michael Schwartz/Joan Dykman, All Game Guide
Review: Enjoyment
The game is exhilarating and frustrating at the same time. A great challenge that is fun to beat.~ Michael Schwartz/Joan Dykman, All Game Guide
Review: Graphics
The visuals are colorful and clean.~ Michael Schwartz/Joan Dykman, All Game Guide
Review: Sound
The music gnaws on you a bit, but it isn't terrible. Sound effects are appropriate.~ Michael Schwartz/Joan Dykman, All Game Guide
Review: Replay Value
Thank heavens for the password system, otherwise the game would overstay its welcome.~ Michael Schwartz/Joan Dykman, All Game Guide
Review: Documentation
The included manual describes the complex gameplay very well.~ Michael Schwartz/Joan Dykman, All Game Guide
