Boulder Dash
| Boulder Dash | |
|---|---|
| Studio | Peter Liepa, Chris Gray |
| Publisher | First Star Software |
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
1984 |
| platform | Atari 8-bit home computer , Commodore 64 |
| genre | Puzzle, skill |
| Game mode | Single player |
| control | Computer keyboard |
| medium | Plug-in module, compact cassette |
| language | English |
Boulder Dash is a computer game by Peter Liepa and Chris Gray, which was published in 1984 for Atari's 8-bit home computers ( 400 , 800 , XL ) by the US publisher First Star Software. Porting for almost all contemporary home computer systems took place a little later; From 1990 onwards, a large number of licensed implementations were added, including for more modern computer systems and game consoles.
The game quickly developed into a great sales success and, in retrospect, is often seen as a classic in video game history. In addition to the successors authorized by First Star Software, there is a large number of unofficial imitations (clones) and further developments.
History and Development
In the early 1980s, the game manufacturer In-Home Software brokered a collaboration between the experienced programmer Peter Liepa and the game designer Chris Gray. The aim of the undertaking was to improve a variant of the arcade game The Pit developed by Gray , a collecting and skill game. Liepa's intended task was to move away from the slow BASIC scripting language to a fast and lean version in machine language .
During the programming work and the tests on his Atari 800, however, Liepa revealed various technical weaknesses. In order to make the game events, which he perceived as too predictable, more varied, Liepa devised additional interactions between the play objects suggested by Gray. A gravitation-based and coupled movement between these boulders and jewels should bring into play the dynamic that Liepa had previously missed. First, he implemented the core component of his new concept, the "physics engine", in the form of an easily modified Forth program. Then Liepa expanded this basic framework step by step with new ideas and thus created a game that was largely independent of Gray's design within six months. Corresponding graphics and sound effects were also created by Liepa, so that Gray's creative share in the game steadily decreased as the game progressed. According to Liepas, Gray's contribution towards the end of the work was limited to little things such as the appearance of the start screen.
Shortly before the game was finished, Liepa decided to get another Canadian publisher, In-Home Software, for distribution. After a six-month search, his choice fell on the US publisher First Star Software. At his insistence, Liepa added bonus material to the game, which was around 90 percent complete, and improved various details. Then he completely converted the program, which was previously only available in Forth, into machine language for Atari's 8-bit home computers. So nothing stood in the way of publishing the game on different data carriers such as floppy disks and cartridge. The game was released after his on the English word balderdash (German nonsense , balderdash , baloney ) ajar naming finally in the summer of 1984, initially only for Atari 400, 800 and XL series.
Just a little later in the same year, ports for many other contemporary home computer systems appeared, including exotic ones like the Japanese PC-88 from NEC . Except for the version for the IBM PCjr , Liepa and Gray were not involved in its implementation. At the same time, First Star Software was already working with Liepa on the official successor, Boulder Dash 2 . In the second quarter of 1985, the registration of the term occurred Boulder Dash as a protected trademark (English registered trademark ).
In July 2017, the rights to Boulder Dash were transferred from First Star Software to the German BBG Entertainment GmbH .
Gameplay
The game takes place in a cave filled with earth, boulders and diamonds. This is shown - strongly abstracted and only in part - in a side cut on the screen. The aim is to collect a predetermined number of diamonds and pass the entrance to the next cave. To do this, the character Rockford, to be controlled by the player, has to dig his way through the earth, for example to reach the positions of the diamonds. If the limit of the section shown is reached, it is shifted until its limit is reached again, etc. etc. up to the outer limits of the cave.
Digging is made more difficult by impenetrable boulders, which, like diamonds, also fall into the ditch directly below and can kill the character. When falling, avalanches are possible if the cavities are large enough and there are many adjoining boulders and diamonds over them. A falling boulder or an avalanche-like rockfall can block a path that was previously passable. Collecting remaining diamonds or reaching the exit may then no longer be possible and the game may end. The targeted undermining of a boulder and the resulting rockfalls can also be used to uncover previously blocked paths or diamonds enclosed by stones.
Further influences on the game environment are possible by horizontally moving the boulders in ditches and another form of the ditch by the play figure. The more and more demanding 20 caves (including four bonus caves) have up to twelve different game elements. This includes, for example, moving monsters that have to be hit by falling boulders in order to turn them into diamonds. Crossing each of the caves therefore requires a special approach, which must also be completed within a given time. The foresighted digging of the corridors and thus the puzzle-like movement of objects is of crucial importance in addition to skillful evasive maneuvers of the game character.
Before starting a game, different levels of difficulty can also be selected. As the level increases, the movements of all mobile elements become faster, which requires a shorter reaction time on the part of the player.
successor
Boulder Dash II "Rockford's Revenge" (1985)
Known bugs have been fixed. The new elements slime and waxing wall were added. In contrast to the BD1 engine , the amoeba does not stop here if you drop a boulder into the magic wall, which is also due to the fact that this strange magic wall timing does not apply.
Released along with the first part as Super Boulder Dash in 1986 by Electronic Arts.
Boulder Dash III (1986)
This game was put together by a different team of programmers. It uses the old BD1 engine again , but with new graphics. The caves have some construction flaws that make playing through levels 4 and 5 impossible. In addition, many animation bits are set incorrectly, which is why the monoliths (new name for the amoeba) in most caves are not animated.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Randy Kindig, Kevin Savetz, Brad Arnold Transcript of an audio interview with Peter Liepa. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
- ^ A b Heinrich Lenhardt: Lenhardt's game year 1984: 50 computer and video game classics - Boulder Dash. Ebook, 2016.
- ↑ Scott Mace: First Star Rocks and Rolls. InfoWorld, June 1984, p. 50.
- ↑ John B. Purcaru: Games vs. Hardware - The History of PC Gaming. Ebook, pp. 226, 242-248.
- ^ Boulder Dash - Trademark Details. Trademarks.justia.com, accessed September 19, 2016.
- ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original dated February 9, 2004 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ John B. Purcaru: Games vs. Hardware - The History of PC Gaming. Ebook, p. 226.
- ↑ Jerry Drake: Boulder Dash Construction Set. Current Notes, July / August 1988, p. 58.
