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Boulder Dash

 
Frommer's 500 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up:

Boulder Dash

Home > Library > Travel & Places > Places for Kids

An Instant Wooden Classic
Location: Bristol, Connecticut, USA
Ages 8 & up
Places for Kids > Rides & Thrills > Roller Coasters
Information: 822 Lake Ave. ☎ 860/583-3300; www.lakecompounce.com
Airport: Bradley International Airport, 30 miles.
Lodging: Hannibal Travelodge 1 star 500 Mark Twain Ave. ☎ 800/578-7878 or 573/221-4100; Hotel Clemens 2 stars 401 Third St. ☎ 573/248-1150; www.hotelclemens.us
Best time: Mid-May to early Sept.
Why they'll thank you: Going over the cliff.

The nation's oldest continuously operated amusement park (opened in 1846), Lake Compounce has tidy New England–y landscaping and a traditional sort of family-friendly wholesomeness, but the rides are completely up-to-date. For fans of wooden roller coasters—a breed unto themselves—it's hard to choose between the two at Lake Compounce. Sure, the Wildcat is a vintage wooden coaster, built in 1927, an exciting double out-and-back with that jittery jolted-out-of-your-seat effect that wooden coasters are famous for. But the park's other wooden coaster is the one that's been winning all the awards, even though it's only been around since 2000: Boulder Dash, the only roller coaster that's actually built into the side of a mountain.

Boulder Dash hurtles along at speeds up to 62 mph, rising up a wooded slope to its first dramatic drop of 115 feet—a drop you can't anticipate because you can't look through the mountain to see what's coming ahead. From here on, the coaster whips over a course nearly a mile long, diving in and out of woods, crashing over and around a series of boulders, down to the nearby lake and back; the ride takes 21/2 minutes. The height requirement is only 48 inches, which means this is an excellent ride for younger thrill-seekers who still need to work up to the nerve rattlers I cover below.

As you'd expect from an outdoor New England site, Lake Compounce is open only seasonally, mid-May through early September (check schedule on the website before you go). Just as the name implies, it's set on a clear little lake, nestled into the wooded hills west of Hartford. The park also has a fairly extensive water park area, all part of the same admission. There's a good-sized kiddieland to occupy younger brothers and sisters, and a vintage 1911 carousel with hand-carved wooden horses and the original Wurlitzer band organ. A half-hour cable car ride glides gently to the top of a mountain—the same mountain that you dive down from at top speed when you ride Boulder Dash.

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AMG AllGame Guide:

Boulder Dash

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Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Games Guide
Boulder Dash
Buy Now
  • 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
Wikipedia on Answers.com:

Boulder Dash

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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
This article is about the video game series. For the amusement park ride, see Boulder Dash (roller coaster). For the similarly named board game, see Balderdash.
 This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2008)
Boulder Dash
Boulder Dash NES.jpg
NES box art
Developer(s) First Star Software
Designer(s) Peter Liepa, Chris Gray
Platform(s) Arcade, Atari 8-bit computers, Apple II, MSX, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, ColecoVision, NES, BBC Micro, Acorn Electron, PC, Amstrad CPC, Amiga, iOS
Release date(s) 1984
Genre(s) Arcade
Mode(s) Single-player

Boulder Dash, originally released in 1984 for Atari 8-bit computers[1], is a series of computer games released for the Apple II, MSX, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, and ColecoVision home computers, and later ported to the NES, BBC Micro and Acorn Electron, PC, Amstrad CPC, Amiga and many other platforms. It was created by Peter Liepa and Chris Gray, and on October 28, 1983, acquired and later published by First Star Software, which still owns the rights to the game. Boulder Dash inherits numerous gameplay similarities from the earlier 1982 arcade game The Pit, by Japanese developer Taito.

The game's protagonist is called "Rockford". He must dig through caves collecting gems and diamonds and reach the exit within a time limit, while avoiding various types of dangerous creatures as well as obstacles like falling rocks and the constant danger of being crushed or trapped by an avalanche, or killed by an underground explosion.

The Commodore 64 version of the first game was also re-released on the Virtual Console in Europe on September 19, 2008, and in North America on June 1, 2009.

Contents

Game objects

Rockford, left, drops a series of boulders on a series of butterflies. The butterflies explode into diamonds, which fall down the shafts. Commodore 64 version.
  • Rockford is the hero of the game, the character controlled by the player. His goal is to collect diamonds and avoid contact with monsters and falling rocks.
  • Dirt and Space are the two basic components of the playfield. Dirt can serve for blocking and/or suspending objects, while space allows them to move freely. Rockford clears dirt as he moves, creating space.
  • Walls are the delimiters of the level. Two basic types exist, destructible (which looks like brick, and can be removed with explosions) and indestructible (made of titanium and from which the edge of the level is usually made).
  • The exit is the final goal Rockford must reach after collecting enough diamonds. It is disguised as an indestructible wall, and reveals itself after the required number of diamonds is collected.
  • Rocks are probably the most commonly encountered elements of the game. Upon removing the dirt from beneath them, they fall until they reach solid ground again. A falling rock can not only crush enemies, but also Rockford as well. Rocks can also "roll off" of other rocks and indestructible walls if there is space beside them, and Rockford can also push single rocks sideways if there is nothing else in the way.
  • Diamonds are the items Rockford must collect in order to open the exit of a level. They otherwise act like boulders.
  • Fireflies are one of the common enemies in the game. When next to a wall, they follow it to their left (clockwise); otherwise they circle around a point in a 2x2 area. When a rock or diamond is dropped on them, they explode in a 3x3 square, destroying anything in that area except indestructible walls and leaving empty space behind. They also explode when Rockford touches them, killing both themselves and Rockford.
  • Butterflies are similar to fireflies, with two important differences. They follow the wall to their right (anti-clockwise) and when they explode, they leave behind nine diamonds arranged in a 3x3 square (unless one of these spaces happens to contain an indestructible wall).
  • Amoeba is one of the most unpredictable elements of the game. It grows at a random rate, by expanding into adjacent space and dirt. The level settings include a duration after which the amoeba's growth rate will dramatically increase. The amoeba is not directly dangerous to Rockford, although it is capable of enclosing and trapping him, or blocking him from reaching the exit. If the amoeba grows too large, it will solidify into boulders, and if it is stopped from growing any more, it will crystallize into diamonds.
  • Slime looks similar to the amoeba (colored blue instead of green), but it works completely differently. Slime does not grow, and does not cause enemies to explode on contact. Its functionality is revealed when dropping a rock or a diamond on top of it; slime has a permeability rate which defines how long the item will remain sitting on top of it before falling through. This happens in quite a sudden and random manner, making the game rely on improvising even more.
  • Expanding walls look and act just like destructible walls, with one difference: when possible, they expand horizontally, often trapping the player or enemies. Expanding walls are made out of themselves - blowing a hole in the middle of a row causes it to close in again almost immediately.
  • Magic Walls look and act just like destructible walls except that when a boulder is dropped on a magic wall, it falls through and turns into a diamond. Conversely a diamond dropped on a magic wall turns into a boulder. If there is no empty space underneath the magic wall, a boulder or diamond dropped onto it will simply disappear. The level settings specify the amount of time that magic walls will "mill", i.e. turn rocks into diamonds and vice versa; after which they deactivate, and any more rocks or diamonds that fall onto them will simply disappear.

Boulder Dash series

The official Boulder Dash games started in 1984 with the original home computer title, and continue to be published by First Star.

  • Boulder Dash (1984) – The original Boulder Dash was published on multiple home computer and consoles.
  • Boulder Dash (1984) – It was then released on arcade console by Exidy. This version was almost identical, but with coins buying 30 seconds of game time.[2] Historically, this was the first home computer title to be converted to an arcade console.[2]
  • Boulder Dash (1985 – Arcade) – In 1985 Comptiq released another arcade version on Data East's "DECO Cassette System", with improved graphics but a reduced display grid on a vertical monitor.[2]
  • Boulder Dash II (1985) – The second home format was published under several different titles; Rockford's Riot on the MSX, Rockford's Revenge on the C64 (with the former used with the ZX Spectrum's marketing, but the latter used on the cassette inlay, originally the game was going to be called pebbles, Reg Wilkins, Allan McInlay, Martin Brown and David Kivlin were on the design team). The second release in Japan was titled Champion Boulder Dash.,[2] but it's not a port of the western game.[3]
  • Boulder Dash 3 (1986 – Apple II, C64, Spectrum, PC) – Monochrome space-themed graphics and poorly designed levels made this a critical failure.[2]
  • Boulder Dash Construction Kit (1986 – Apple II, C64, Spectrum, Atari 8-bit computers, Atari ST) – This release included a small number of levels, but was titled Boulder Dash IV – The Game for the Spectrum re-release.[2]
  • Rockford (1988 – Arcade, Amiga, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Arcade, Spectrum,[4] Amstrad, C64)[2] - Rockford was originally a licensed arcade game produced by Arcadia Systems, and later converted to various home computer formats
  • Boulder Dash Part 2 (1990 – Arcade)[2]
  • Boulder Dash (1990 - Game Boy)[2]
  • Boulder Dash (1990 - NES)[2]
  • Boulder Dash EX (2002 – Game Boy Advance) - This one has a new "EX mode" and "Classic mode" which is a direct port of the 1984 PC version.[2]
  • Boulder Dash Xmas 2002 Edition (2002 – PC)[2]
  • GemJam Gold (2003 – PC) – The game's credits claim this is based on Boulder Dash, and is licensed by First Star.[2]
  • Boulder Dash – Treasure Pleasure (2003 – PC)[2]
  • Boulder Dash: Rocks! (2007 – PSP, DS, iOS)[2]
  • Boulder DAs Vol 1 (2009 – iOS)[2]
  • Boulder Dash XL (2011 - Xbox Live Arcade, PC)[5]
  • Boulder Dash - The Collection! (2011 – Android) "Boulder Dash - The Collection for Android Announced". http://bdtc.instantcom.net/. 
  • Boulder Dash (2011 – Atari 2600) - Limited edition of 250 copies.

Reception

 Reception
Review scores
Publication Score
Computer and Video Games 34/40[6]
CRASH 93%[7]
Sinclair User 5/10[8]
Your Sinclair 8/10[9]
Zzap!64 97%[10]
Home Computing Weekly 5/5[11]
Awards
Entity Award
Zzap!64 Gold Medal

The ZX Spectrum version was voted number 9 in the Your Sinclair Official Top 100 Games of All Time.[12]

Mean Machines gave the Game Boy port of Boulder Dash a score of 90%, praising it as "one of the finest video games ever written", describing the game as "one to buy as soon as possible" and noting its faithfulness to the original Commodore 64 version.[13]

Clones and similar games

References

  1. ^ "Interview with author Peter Liepa"
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Campbell, Stuart (2008). "The Definitive Boulder Dash". Retro Gamer (53): 32–41. 
  3. ^ Oh! FM-7 Museum
  4. ^ "Rockford". World of Spectrum. http://www.worldofspectrum.org/infoseekid.cgi?id=0004214. Retrieved 2008-11-23. 
  5. ^ "Boulder Dash XL Announced". Bluesnews. 2010-11-09. http://www.bluesnews.com/s/115836/boulder-dash-xl-announced. 
  6. ^ http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=C+VG/Issue040/Pages/CVG04000042.jpg
  7. ^ http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=Crash/Issue12/Pages/Crash1200075.jpg
  8. ^ http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=SinclairUser/Issue035/Pages/SinclairUser03500023.jpg
  9. ^ http://www.ysrnry.co.uk/articles/boulderdash-22.htm
  10. ^ http://www.zzap64.co.uk/zzap100/100thspec5.html
  11. ^ http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=HomeComputingWeekly/Issue099/Pages/HomeComputingWeekly09900014.jpg
  12. ^ "YS Top 100 Games of All Time". Your Sinclair. September 1993. 
  13. ^ Rignall, Julian; Richard Leadbetter (June 1991). "Boulderdash review". Mean Machines (9). http://www.meanmachinesmag.co.uk/review/147/boulderdash.php. Retrieved 2009-06-04. 

External links


This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

 

Copyrights:

Frommers Frommer's 500 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up. Copyright © 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
AMG AllGame Guide. Copyright © 2012 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Game Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia on Answers.com. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Boulder Dash.  Read more

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