Boulder Dash-XL Preview

The original ’80s hit gets a modern upgrade for iOS

When the original Boulder Dash action-puzzle game hit computers and consoles in the early ’80s, it was a smash hit. That’s the good kind of “smash,” mind you—not the kind that caves in an explorer’s head. Boulder Dashstill challenges and fascinates retro puzzle fans, but even the classics need a bit of a spit-shine after a few decades. That’s why HeroCraft is working on Boulder Dash-XL, an upgrade of the original for iOS.

If change gives you nervous gas, don’t worry: HeroCraft has included lots of elements from the first game in Boulder Dash-XL. You dig through soil to grab diamonds, but as you might expect, said diamons aren’t simply sitting around waiting for an eager adopter. They’re surrounded by enemies and traps, and one false sweep of your “shovel” will earn you a six-hundred pound hat.

Needless to say, Boulder Dash-XL has additional new features to delight, terrify, and squish you. There are five game modes to get through across four worlds, and over 100 caves to potentially die in. Rockford, the strange-looking protagonist for the first game, makes his return in Boulder Dash-XL, but you can also choose to play as a new character named Crystal (let’s hope that Rockford doesn’t automatically think that Crystal is sellable because of her name).

Boulder Dash-XL lets you manipulate object remotely via telescopic arms, and you can even make use of teleporters because walking is for suckers.

Boulder Dash-XL is coming to the App Store soon. You should make a clear, determined path towards it, preferably while exuding some cute Commodore 64 blips and bloops. Just watch out for falling rocks.

Nadia Oxford

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In the early aughts, Nadia fell into writing with the grace of a brain-dead bison stumbling into a chasm. Over the years, she's written for Nerve, GamePro, 1UP.com, USGamer, Pocket Gamer, Just Labs Magazine, and many other sites and magazines of fine repute. She's currently About.com's Guide to the Nintendo 3DS at ds.about.com.