I’m such a staunch console gamer now that you might be surprised to learn that when I was a kid, I started out playing home games on computer.  Our first PC was an Apple ][+, and outside of arcades, that’s where I played most of my games until I got an Atari 5200.  One of the games I remember playing on that old computer was Boulder Dash.  It was an action puzzle game that was kind of like Dig Dug in that you dug through the earth, collecting gems while trying not to get squished by falling boulders.  I can’t believe it’s been 40 years, but here’s Boulder Dash 40^th Anniversary.  It’s available on all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.

The first thing you’ll do is pick the version of Rockford, the hero, you want to play as.  You can than choose from more than 100 new levels, or play ones from the first three games, complete with original graphics.  The new levels have modern graphics, though.  You can even design your own courses, which is cool.  You can also read the history of Boulder Dash and even watch a video.  The cool thing about the video is that the same guy who made it also made a Pac-Man history video, and I helped with that one!

In the game you move Rockford around caves in four directions as he tries to collect gems.  Collect enough gems and you can open the exit and finish the level.  But it’s not that easy!  If you dig under a boulder, it’ll fall on you and you’ll have to start the level over.  Gems will also fall if you dig under them, and while they won’t kill you, they can cause a chain reaction to fall depending on what’s above.  You also have to deal with enemies that will make you lose a life if you touch one.  Sometimes they’ll react in different ways, like turning into gems or exploding if you crush them under a rock.

The thing that threw me off here is that you use the control stick to move, but the control pad to dig in one direction without moving.  I can understand why they did that, but it took me some getting used to.  Also, while this game is puzzle oriented, there is a time limit so fast action is key.  But if you like classic PC puzzle games, you may want to check this one out.

Kid Factor:

You can squish enemies with boulders and get hit yourself.  But if you do, your character just explodes and says, “Uh oh!” and that’s as violent as it gets.  Reading skill is helpful for some of the text, and younger gamers may find it a bit too difficult. Boulder Dash 40^th Anniversary is rated E for Everyone.

PS: Check out my other Boulder Dash reviews!

Boulder Dash 30^th Anniversary

Boulder Dash Deluxe

Tags: Game Reviews