Boulder Dash- XL Review

**KillerOfCereal** · July 31st, 2011

Ahh Boulder Dash, an NES classic that I never played or even heard about. I don’t see how I missed out on a puzzle game that is actually very entertaining, but that’s probably because I wasn’t even born when it first released back in 1984. When I heard about Boulder Dash- XL and how it was a redone version of the original, I thought to myself “A remake of a NES that I’ve never played? How is this even possible?” I’m not saying that I have played every NES but if they remake one, it had to be a pretty well known game.

Like I said before, I didn’t know what to expect when playing Boulder Dash-XL so when I saw it was a puzzle game, I was in shock. I mean, with a title like Boulder Dash- XL I expected something along the lines of a side-scroller. Nonetheless I had a great experience while playing. The entire game is you playing as Rockford or his female counterpart, Crystal, in grabbing enough gems so the exit can open and you can progress to the next level. With over 100 levels in arcade mode alone, which are really entertaining, you can spend more than a couple of hours playing the game.

The controls in the game are pretty easy since you only need to use Left Stick to move, and occasionally Right Trigger to clear some of the debris in your way. My only problem is with the movement when you play as Rockford or Crystal because you can easily over move and end up one spot ahead of where you wanted to, and when there are boulders falling from where you moved, this can easily crush you. I spent most of the time rushing through some levels because if I tried to get 100% completion on all of the levels, I would still be stuck on the 5^th level and that because you have a time limit, you sort of need to be quick at what you do. Thankfully, the game introduces a mode named Zen Mode where you play all the arcade missions, but without the time limit. This mode was more for me because I am sort of a completionist and I’m no longer in too much pressure. The game also comes with a Puzzle Mode so you’re not binded to getting to the end of the level all of the time with no initial strategy. This really gives Boulder Dash the replayability that it’s lacking.

If you don’t feel like trying out all of the new game modes, you can play Retro Mode which allows you to relive the good ole days in the NES version of the game but with revamped graphics. I found playing this gametype quite a lot because it has a nicer appeal to me compared to the normal arcade. It’s just something about going through diamonds that look like fiberglass that gets me all itchy and weird feeling.

Boulder Dash- XL isn’t a terrible game, but it gets rather dull in a short amount of time. I would recommend purchasing the game if you enjoyed playing the original on the NES, or if you are really fond of puzzle games. One thing I think they should’ve added though is a Multiplayer mode where you can race against your friends to get to the end. It would add something more than just a leaderboard so you can beat your friend’s score.

Overall Score:

8/10