Boulderdash (remake)

The arcade action video game Boulder Dash was originally released in 1984, yet this version is a remake. It is first in a long series of computer games that were published by First Star Software. And a bit of interesting trivia...this game is one of the very few games that started out on the computer, and then became an arcade game. Your character’s name is Rockford. You are a prospector who will need to dig through caves so you can collect diamonds. You will encounter dangerous creatures along with having to avoid falling boulders and explosions.

There are two main types of walls on the levels: destructible—it can be destroyed by explosions; indestructible—what the level’s border is and it’s made from titanium so it can’t be destroyed. In order to get to some diamonds, you will have to blow up walls. A special expanding wall can expand horizontally which often traps Rockford or enemies. If you blow a hole in the middle of this wall it closes back almost immediately. There is also a magic wall. When a boulder is dropped on it, the boulder falls through the wall and becomes a diamond. This wall can only be activated for a limited amount of time, so hurry and drop those boulders.
Each level is mostly made up of two components: dirt and space. The space is “blank” areas on the screen where you can free move around in, and can also freely move objects. When you dig through the dirt and clear the dirt, you create space. Diamonds are what you have to collect in order to complete a cave. You can pick up the diamonds by moving them. Diamonds can act like rock in how they can crush fireflies, butterflies, and even Rockford. Boulders are the most common element in the game. When you remove the dirt below the boulder, they will fall until they hit ground. If a boulder falls, it can kill enemies and you. Boulders will roll off another boulder or diamond if it lands on top of either one. Explosions can destroy boulders. Fireflies are one of your enemies. If they are against a wall, they will travel along the wall clockwise. If not against a wall, they will circle a 2x2 area. If a boulder or diamond is dropped on them, they will explode, wiping out anything in a 3x3 area (except indestructible walls). Don’t touch a firefly, as both of you will explode. They can be used strategically by destroying walls or boulders so you can reach diamonds.
The butterflies are the same as fireflies, except for two differences. First, they travel along the walls counterclockwise. Second—the big difference—is that when they explode, they will leave nine diamonds in that 3x3 area (unless any of those spaces is taken up by an indestructible wall). And then there is the green amoeba. As it grows it moves into nearby space and dirt. It can’t directly hurt Rockford, but it can trap him and even block the exit. If you can enclose the amoeba into a confined space by using boulders it will turn into diamonds. Yet, if it grows larger than 200 squares, it will turn into boulders. If fireflies and butterflies hit the amoeba, they will explode.
Slime looks like the amoeba, but it is blue. The slime doesn’t grow and enemies won’t explode on contact. Instead, if you drop a boulder or diamond on top of it, they will slowly move through the slime, eventually falling through the slime. Once you have collected the required number of diamonds for a level, the exit, which is normally hidden, will reveal itself by blinking. But be careful, because the exit can be destroyed by explosions. Luckily, there can be multiple exits on a level. If you like maze games with some action thrown in, then Boulder Dash should bring you hours of fun. After you play this game and find that you enjoy it, check out the other version on this website.