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Boulder Dash-XL Review for Xbox 360

Boulder Dash-XL Review for Xbox 360

Time To Go Spelunking—No Wait, That’s Another Game

Boulder Dash-XL is a remake of a game that first released in 1984 for the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum. A lot of things have changed since 1984. Our game consoles are now able to produce visuals we couldn’t even imagine back then. Our game designers have gotten a grasp of what makes a game hard and fun as opposed to hard and frustrating. Our old-school stand-up joysticks have been replaced with D-pads that for the life of me won’t ever input the direction I want them to.

“Right! Right! Go right, you stupid robot! Gaaaah!”

My little hissy fit there is basically Boulder Dash-XL in a nutshell. You control mining robots Rockford and Crystal, the replacements for the innocent miner that was the star in Boulder Dash’s original release. Your only real abilities are digging and pushing or pulling boulders. That’s it. So all you have to do is dig carefully to avoid getting smashed by unsupported boulders or running into patrolling Bomberman-style enemies with simple A.I.

Boulder Dash-XL Screenshot

Throughout each level, diamonds are scattered about, and collecting a certain amount of these opens up the exit to the next level. At the beginning, diamonds will be simple to get. All you have to do is walk over them. However, as time goes on and you climb your way up the game’s 150 levels, diamonds start to show up in hard-to-reach places. It becomes a bit of puzzle work to figure out how to get to the diamonds you need without dying or running into enemies. Luckily, you have an array of power-ups such as health packs and speed boosts to help you along your way.

There’s really not much more to say about the core gameplay than that, but that doesn’t mean the gameplay is shallow. The many different stage hazards that you will come across are where the real strategic value of the game lies. For example, there are multiplying amoebas that either turn into boulders or diamonds depending on how you deal with them. There are explosives that can set off chain reactions and even form new diamonds for you. There are enemies that will always turn left or always turn right, and you can get them stuck in an infinite loop by digging expertly around them. The gameplay mechanics are all rather interesting, but the game itself is still frustrating for two important reasons.

Boulder Dash-XL Screenshot

First of all, every stage is timed. There is an additional Zen Mode that allows you to play through stages you have already beaten without a time limit, but at that point you’ve already gotten over the frustrating part. Some of these maps you have to play on are multiple screens tall and wide, and it will take you a long enough time just to find the diamonds, let alone pick them all up without getting yourself squashed. The final levels end up being difficult not because they make you think hard, but because the time limit is so strict. Eventually, you’ll be throwing your controller against the wall in frustration because it seems like there is no way to shave extra seconds off your time, even when using a walkthrough, repeatedly pausing the game, and making sure you take every turn exactly right.

Boulder Dash-XL Screenshot

The second element of frustration is one you simply can’t get away from. This is a game of speed and accuracy, and if there is any one thing the Xbox 360 D-pad is bad at, it’s inputting directions quickly and accurately. Eventually, you will come to stages where you have to dig through very narrow passages in very specific ways or else boulders will fall from the ceiling, crushing you dead. You really feel controller woes when you get to this point. Neither the analog stick nor the D-pad allows you to play this game reliably. I eventually got used to it, but there were still points when I tried to go down and turned right instead, only to fall into a firey death trap.

Boulder Dash-XL Screenshot

Once you get bored of the Arcade Mode, Boulder Dash-XL has a few other modes to toss your way. Retro Mode puts you into an 8-bit (or fewer, in this case) world, in order to play the game the way you did in the original C64 version. These retro levels are actually quite fun, if only because they are simpler than the Arcade Mode levels. Retro Mode really gets you thinking like an old-school gamer, considering simple options like direction and distance, while Arcade Mode will have you struggling with one-way gates, telescopic robot arms, and enemies that are much smarter than ones who simply turn right and left.

My favorite mode in the game, however, is Puzzle Mode. It’s unfortunately the shortest mode in the game, but it’s the one that makes you think the hardest. Puzzle Mode levels are extremely tiny and require a very specific set of moves to complete. You basically need to collect all of the diamonds in these modes to unlock the exit, and the stages are so closely packed that getting each diamond is more of a matter of closely planning the route you will travel rather than speed. It lets you cope with the Xbox D-pad by slowly and pointedly pressing every direction, although I still screwed up once in a while.

Boulder Dash-XL has its ups and downs. Sometimes you’ll have these awesome “Eureka!” moments where you figure out just what you have to do to get your next diamond, while other times you will feel as if the game is mocking you with its poor controls and unfair time limits. Still, this is a ten-dollar game, and you’ll easily get more than ten dollars’ worth of puzzling out of Boulder Dash-XL. Just know what you are getting into before you buy it and you won’t be disappointed. However, if old school directional puzzles aren’t your thing, or if you are easily frustrated by the Xbox controller, feel free to pass it up.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 3.4 Graphics
The new graphics are kind of awesome, but the screen can get a little too busy when you aren’t playing Retro Mode. 2.0 Control
The Xbox D-pad is just not equipped to handle intricate directional inputs. It has to be something in the programming, because not every Xbox game handles this poorly. 2.8 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Honestly, the sound isn’t all that impressive. But the retro SFX are kind of neat. 4.2 Play Value
If there is anywhere that the game shines, it’s in play value. 150 levels is nothing to scoff at. 3.6 Overall Rating – Good
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 – 1.9 = Avoid 2.5 – 2.9 = Average 3.5 – 3.9 = Good 4.5 – 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 – 2.4 = Poor 3.0 – 3.4 = Fair 4.0 – 4.4 = Great 5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

  • This tricky, action-puzzle and dexterity game made its debut in the early 80s and has continued to fascinate its enormous fan base and new players for decades.
  • Today the game is recognized as one of the best-loved retro games in the history of computer and video gaming.
  • Now Boulder Dash is back with a hot new look to take the Xbox Live Arcade platform by storm.
  • The multimillion units-selling hit game’s core remains unchanged.
  • In a race against time, players must collect sparkling diamonds while besting hordes of enemies and avoiding numerous traps and, of course, falling boulders.

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