Rockford returns to the underground realm to dig for the hand of his beloved Crystal (not literally). In true remake style, we also get a rather eye-rolling narrative attached to your antics. Fair enough, but it still looks a bit charmless, and it takes a while before you stop whimpering and longing for the muddy old style (which, after all, is a bit more befitting of a guy exploring the dirty depths looking for diamonds). Old hands will wince a little at the rather cheap, Day-Glo makeover, as if designed to appeal to grinning youngsters more than discerning, scowling retro-heads. The first thing you'll notice is the presentation is far more.jolly. Ray guns and dynamite come standard issue. But all the while, the key 'gather the gems, get to the exit' premise remains at the heart. Somewhat embellishing the key concepts of the mid-'80s versions, Boulder Dash: Rocks adds a whole bunch of new ideas into the mix - magnetic guns which can yank boulders out of the way from a distance, one-way doors, dynamite, tentacled boss monsters, projectile firing weapons, and many more as you progress. It's an idea that really hasn't dated a great deal, so seeing a DS remake 24 years on is no surprise at all. Along the way you'll guide 'Rockford' (arf) around various traps, avoid baddies, and push boulders out of the way without trapping yourself in the process. The aim, essentially, is to explore caverns and gather a set amount of diamonds before the time (or air, if you like) runs out. Taking the side-on viewpoint and subterranean earth-digging concept of Dig Dug, Boulder Dash added the collect-'em-up element of numerous early '80s arcade classics, but with a puzzle twist and tons of fiendishly designed levels. The concept was (and still is) disarmingly engaging. It was, in fact, the first ever home computer game to be turned into an arcade game - something unheard of at the time. Although most of us didn't perhaps realise it at the time of Boulder Dash's original release on the Atari 800/C64 in 1984, its genius was rooted firmly in simple, addictive gameplay that made us look beyond the muddy, blocky (but charming) visuals. Boulder Dash: Part Two is a hard mode with level edits of the regular levels (more diamonds to collect, different enemy placement, etc.).Despite its self-congratulatory (and not very amusing) title, Boulder Dash: Rocks! is based on one of those crusty old relics that we genuinely don't mind coming back to once in a while.

This version features five worlds (four levels each) which can be freely chosen when beginning the game as well as a sixth which opens up when the others are beaten. Each level has to be solved within a time limit, but remaining seconds are credited to the next level. This can not only be used to open the path (or, when done incorrectly, permanently close it), but also to kill enemies by crushing them. The latter are subject to gravity and fall down when the player removes the dirt under them. Of course there are a number of obstacles in the form of enemies (deadly at touch) and stones. It features new levels and graphics, but keeps the traditional gameplay intact: The player characters digs through dirt and has to collect all diamonds before the exit opens up. Boulder Dash is an updated version of Boulder Dash.

Boulder dash iii