Boulder Dash 1984

Is it still worth playing?

Rockford tunnels through dirt in a series of caves to collect diamonds before the time runs out, in this 1984 puzzle game that first appeared on Atari 8 bit computers. Boulders and other objects stay fixed until the dirt under them is removed, and then they fall and become a hazard. They also roll and bounce rather than dropping straight down, and you can use that to shape the level. Fireflies and butterflies roam the caves, a butterfly hit by a falling rock turns into diamonds, and a crushed firefly explodes and can clear parts of the level you cannot reach directly. Once enough diamonds are collected the exit door opens, and going through it completes the cave. Many later games copied it, creating the rocks and diamonds sub genre. Every move loosens rocks and frees creatures, so a cave still changes while you work it out.