Plot: What’s it about?
In the world of video games, sometimes the simplest concepts can offer the most interesting experiences. This is certainly true of Boulder Dash XL, which simply asks you to collect diamonds. You move around, dig through dirt patches, avoid enemies, and collect diamonds. Of course, those simple tasks prove to be quite a challenge. As you move around the levels, you have to plan ahead, as you can box diamonds in and yes, even block yourself in. You can use boulders to crush or trap enemies as well, but one poor decision can leave diamonds out of your reach. You don’t always have to collect all of a level’s diamonds, but you’ll probably want to. So while Boulder Dash XL has a simple premise, the depth offered is impressive and the puzzles can get quickly pretty damn tough. But you if you stop, think, and plan ahead, even the hardest levels will yield their diamonds to you. Even so, be prepared to want to throw your controller a few times.
Boulder Dash XL is a revamp of the 80s classic Boulder Dash, with shiny new visuals and tons of new content. Arcade mode is the main section, with numerous levels to explore and conquer. The process of seeing which levels you’ve beaten, your best times, and your diamond totals is easy to browse, making return visits to improve your efforts a smooth task. As packed with fun as Arcade mode is, there are also several other roads to walk down. You can work on levels in a non-timed fashion, shoot just for the highest score possible in Score Attack, and finally, Retro mode. This is the original Boulder Dash experience, with old school visuals and the hard as nails levels. While some of the original audio isn’t present, Retro mode is a great addition and serves as a not so subtle reminder of how brutal things used to be. Boulder Dash XL is a fun game if you have good critical thinking skills and some patience, as it asks you to do more than point and shoot. But if you’re looking for a puzzle game that requires quick reflexes and a sharp mind, Boulder Dash XL is highly recommended.
Video: How does it look?
This game of course looks better than the Retro mode version, with HD graphics and all. But it still doesn’t compete on the same level as most Live Arcade titles. At the same time, its hard to be overly critical in this case, as the visuals are such a non focus in the experience. Yes it is nice to have shinier robots and all that, but you won’t even notice this stuff while you’re in the game. You can see everything fine, so you’ll never die because of a visual issue. Not one for the graphic whores, but this is a very good visual update of a classic experience.
Audio: How does it sound?
The sound design isn’t flashy, but it captures the spirit of the game well. The music is fun, the sound effects are good, so not much else we want in this case. The only complaint I have is that some of the audio in Retro mode isn’t original, but that is a minor quibble at best.
Supplements: What are the extras?
N/A
