Publisher: Kalypso Media
Developer: First Star Software, Catnip Games
Genre: Action/Puzzle
ESRB rating: Everyone
Release date: Available now
Review by: Michael Rabalais

I understand myself to be among the youngest, if not the youngest member of the Avault staff. I have never lived in a year where John Lennon was alive. And when the Twin Towers were bombed in 2001, I was in fifth grade. Even though I shoulder the incredible burden of my young age, I’ve supplemented my classic game knowledge to the best of my ability. I’ve beaten every Super Mario game, even the CDi exclusive Hotel Mario. I’m as versed in the origin of gaming as a scholar may be in Greek classics. So when I was assigned to review Boulder Dash-XL, and heard it described as the follow-up to a gaming classic, I found my knowledge lacking. While I hate to make assumptions, I think it’s safe to say I’m not the only gamer unfamiliar with Boulder Dash. Can a reimagining of a Commodore-era staple bring relevance to a franchise many might be unfamiliar with?

I’m nothing if not thorough, and familiarized myself with the original Boulder Dash before beginning my review, if only to better understand what XL builds on. Whereas games like Pac-Man Championship Edition added new rules and gameplay to its predecessor’s foundation, Boulder Dash-XL shoots for a more basic emulation of it’s past iteration. Players guide one of two characters through two-dimensional mazes and collect enough diamonds to unlock the level’s exit. Movement works in the same way as Dig Dug, in which dirt must be removed in order to travel through a square. Dotted among most levels are boulders, which react to the state of their surrounding dirt. Should a boulder find itself with no dirt below it or to either side, it will roll, potentially squashing the player or monsters. Further gameplay involves avoiding the aforementioned enemies within the mazes, as well as blowing up walls and the occasional teleportation between two points.

Boulder Dash-XL is broken up into several modes, all of which are available from the start. Arcade mode is Boulder Dash at its most pure, while each subsequent mode offers a variation on the arcade rule set. Puzzle mode sets the player in smaller caves where the quick pace of Arcade mode is replaced with caves that allow little room for trial and error, and reward fast completion times. A zen mode serves as a practice mode, and allows players to replay previously cleared levels without the pressure of a time limit. Score Attack stays true to its name, providing levels focused on acquiring the highest score possible. The final mode, Retro, is simply the original Boulder Dash, complete with graphics that emulate the original with 3D models.

It’s easy to see why Boulder Dash was labeled a classic in its time. Even though I hadn’t spent much time with the original, Boulder Dash-XL felt familiar and inviting, in the way that only classic arcade games can. Though the physics associated with falling boulders can take some time to understand, early levels are paced in a way to help you better comprehend how things operate, and are fairly forgiving. Though arcade mode seems positioned as the game’s flagship mode, I spent the majority of my time in puzzle mode, which I found far more satisfying. Arcade mode felt a little too loose and slapdash for my tastes. Too often I felt that my success was based solely on quick movement and trial and error, and an ever ticking time limit did nothing to assuage that concern. Puzzle mode, on the other hand, gave me the precise and well thought out puzzle game I had been hoping for. I feel safe in recommending Boulder Dash-XL solely based on the strength of its puzzle mode.

While the core gameplay of collecting gems and avoiding boulders has stood the test of time, I took issue with almost every single presentation element in the game. I felt that if I were to show someone video of Boulder Dash-XL, they could just have easily have thought I was playing a flash game. Sound effects are playing almost constantly and none of them match the action or aesthetic of the game. I might as well have played the game at MIDI trumpet recital. If Taps or Charge is the kind of music you get really psyched for, then Kalypso Media has made a product specifically tuned to your tastes. For everyone else, you’d do well to put the game on mute. The art and sound design elements are the title’s biggest folly. A close second is its knack for erasing any progress accrued in arcade mode. Resetting the game or reverting to the dashboard will erase both your high score and level progress in arcade mode. I get the idea. To make it more arcade realistic, you have to sit down and do actual work. The problem is that it’s 2011, and I have two jobs. I don’t have the time it takes to sit down and play an Xbox game through in one sitting. And I’m sure that I’m not the only one.

Though I had a good time with it, I found myself wanting more out of Boulder Dash-XL. Games like Pac-Man Championship Edition DX have raised the bar for remixes of classic games, and it’s easy to feel disappointed by a bland aesthetic and bad sound design.

Our Score:

Our Recommendation: