Boulder Dash
System: NES
Release Date: June 1990
Developer: Data East, Sakata SAS
Publisher: JVC Musical Industries
Genre: Puzzle
Find the Secret Jewels of the Six Worlds in Boulder Dash! Your father Stoneford hands you a map and says it’s up to you complete his quest. You are Rockford and you are going to dig through the ground collecting more diamonds than you can count through six worlds of puzzle action.
Really, you run round and dig through mud tiles. Your goal is to collect as many diamonds as you’re told in the corner in order to unlock the exit to clear the level. Boulders can get in your way, being undiggable. You can push them, as long as the space beyond is clear. They are used to kill enemies and block their paths. When enemies are involved, you can’t stop for a second and think, unless you want to die. If you touch them, it’s kaboom!
The second world introduces special walls that convert falling boulders into diamonds, which was fun to get working. It also introduces amoeba that turn into diamonds when encircled with boulders. I could not get to the diamonds because the boulders kept getting in the way of pushing them. I tried bringing out trapped enemies in an attempt to blow them up and take out the boulders, but to no avail. If you get trapped, you can seppuku by pressing and holding the A and B Buttons for a second. Alas, I got to the point where I couldn’t get those amoeba diamonds and I gave up.
Graphics: 1.5
The graphics look alright. That’s the best I can say.
Sound: 1.5
The music is kind of catchy and not unpleasant.
Gameplay: 1.0
Rockford and the enemies all move too quickly for my taste, causing me to overshoot my hastily scrawled together plan.
Difficulty: 2.0
There are strategies and I’m sure if I put several more hours in, I’d learn them.
Fun Factor: 1.0
Unfortunately, I wasn’t having much fun, so I didn’t want to put in several more hours.
Overall Grade: 1.4
Boulder Dash earns a D+. It’s okay, but I like puzzle games that I can relax to, not ones that get my anxiety up.