Digging into the Depths of Bolder Dash with Stephan Berendsen and Chris Hülsbeck

As Boulder Dash celebrates its 40th anniversary, we sit down with two central figures shaping the legacy of this iconic video game franchise: Stephan Berendsen, CEO of BBG Entertainment, and renowned video game composer Chris Hülsbeck.

From its 1984 debut to its evolution across generations of hardware platforms, Boulder Dash remains a treasured fixture in the gaming world. Speaking with Stephan and Chris, we delve into the franchise’s past and explore some the creative and technical decisions behind the upcoming 40th Anniversary Edition.

Tech-Gaming: Many games are forgotten four decades after their original release. What is it about Boulder Dash that has helped the franchise ensure?

In my opinion, it is the unusual combination of platform game and puzzle game that still makes Boulder Dash so appealing today. You have to skillfully steer Rockford through the levels and at the same time use your brain to solve the puzzles. Boulder Dash never gets boring, the game concept is timeless. We had an early version of Boulder Dash 40th Anniversary at our stand at Gamescom in August 2024 to try out and found that Boulder Dash appeals to all target groups: children, young people and parents. The older gamers were of course delighted to play the original games from back then, while their kids worked their way through the new levels. The response at our Gamescom stand showed that the Boulder Dash game concept still appeals to young and old today

T-G: This game has such a rich history—how important was it to you to preserve the legacy of the original Boulder Dash in this Anniversary Edition?

Taking into account, how many fans are having fun with various Boulder Dash games for many decades, it is was clear to us, that we are committed to upholding the key values and pillars of the game. And because of the focus is on playability and functionality. This must not be disturbed by unnecessary graphic effects and gimmicks and risky changes of the concept. Accordingly, we have tried to carefully restage the classic look – and now even have three different Rockford characters to choose from, which is certainly the most important new feature.

T-G: Fans all know that Rockford is the game’s icon lead. Has he been given a canonical backstory? Is he a robot, a miner? What’s the reason for his gem obsession?

There is no real background story to Rockford. What is interesting is that “Rockford” plays a different role for gamers. Some always saw an ant in the character designed with just a few pixels, but this was not actually the intention. For others, the character depicted on the packaging was the real Rockford. In the new version, we now offer an ant and a blond boy to choose from. And as a bonus, a kind of robot, which is very popular with the target group.

T-G: In our preview, we noted how the 40th Anniversary put a stronger emphasis on  puzzling. What motivated the development team to pursue this approach?

There has never been any discussion here that the “puzzling” is not the main focus. That’s what Boulder Dash has been about for 40 years.

T-0G: Boulder Dash is known for its tricky levels. How did you approach difficulty balancing to satisfy both longtime fans and first-time players?

From day one, we have involved the best Boulder Dash players in the world in the development in order to maintain the strengths of the original game concept. The actual basic structure of the new levels and elements was created quickly, but by far the most time was spent fine-tuning the difficulty of each level, so that beginners and core gamers can have fun with the game.

T-G: 40th Anniversary also adds a number of interesting mechanics, like reaching into neighboring spaces to grab gems. Were there any gameplay elements or features that you considered adding but ultimately decided against?

We decided against a lot more new features than we would have included at all. All of these new ideas would have significantly changed the character of the game – because they were too focused on violence instead of brains.

T-G: The 40^th Anniversary’s visuals and audio have been given an upgrade, yet they still reference the game’s history. Can you walk us through your creative approach to balancing old and new?

It’s a very complicated process, because while we’re doing this interview, we’re still busy reworking the graphics – to make them modern, but still attractive for Boulder Dash fans. The remix of the title music was the easiest part, because Chris Hülsbeck combines great, state of the art score with 80s charm.

T-G: Were there any ‘sacred’ elements of Boulder Dash, aesthetically or mechanically that you felt had to remain unchanged at all costs?

Die-hard Boulder Dash fans are extremely picky when it comes to remakes of the old originals. Not only does everything have to look exactly the same, but everything also has to play exactly the same – the speed, the scrolling, the physics. So would never dare to change any of these elements.

T-G: How do you incorporate community or player feedback into your post-launch updates or future plans for the game?

We are constantly collecting feedback from all over the world. And we worked closely with the world’s greatest Boulder Dash experts including Peter Liepa, the developer of the original game, when it comes to updating any part of the game. Boulder Dash also has a very large fan base that has created numerous clones and many, many levels. Some of these fans have made their excellent levels available for Bouder Dash 40th Anniversary – and we have already a bunch of new levels for the next iteration.

T-G: 40th Anniversary has a stage creation suite. Will players be able to upload, share, and rank stages? 

Yes, they will be able to create, upload and share new levels. I think that the editor can do anything you set your mind to, as long as it’s “Boulder Dash”. We are very excited to see what the fans do with it!