Changing the Formula with Boulder Dash 40th Anniversary

There’s a strong possibility that Boulder Dash 40th Anniversary might not make a positive first impression on longtime series fans. Sure, the game still revolves around guiding lanky protagonist Rockford through a maze of tunnels filled with boulders, gems, and enemies. But the 40th Anniversary makes some noteworthy shifts from to the source material. After more than a dozen hours with the title, it feels more like a lateral shift than an improvement to the formula. But hey, even a deviation from the usual mechanics can be engrossing.

At present, there’s no option to use the directional pad, forcing players to use their controller’s analog stick. Rockford still moves in discrete steps, but here transitional animation to smooth movement. The alteration doesn’t change the responsiveness, and the controls can feel a bit awkward at first. But before long, I was able to adapt to it digging through the soil without misstep.

Another significant modification is that 40^th Anniversary feels more like a puzzler now. In most previous entries, Rockford could collect falling gems. But here, he’ll be crushed under the weight of the jewels, forcing a level restart. Four decades on, the protagonist has learned to grab adjacent diamonds. Now with a button press and directional input he can reach toward neighboring spaces. Unsurprisingly, stages feel tighter. The ‘grab and run’ thrills of the original are scarcer, as you methodically navigate stages.

Enemy behavior has also changed. 40th Anniversary introduces faster, more aggressive AI patterns influenced by the player’s actions. Instead of just robotically following a set path, some enemies might interact with the environment to trap poor Rockford. New features like enemy generators and expanding walls inject new variety and increase the difficulty. These inclusions force players to adapt, injecting tension into each stage while still retaining the kind of strategy that fans of the original game appreciate.

In its current Early Access state, there’s aren’t many supplementals celebrating Boulder Dash’s legacy. But there is a pleasing amount of substance in the package. Beyond 180 new levels stretched across five worlds (one crafted by original developer, Peter Liepa) there is also the presence of all the original stages from Boulder Dash I, II, and III as well as a construction set. These inclusions should make 40th Anniversary an enticing package when it arrives later this year.