| Boulder Dash |
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Boulder Dash on the Commodore 64 is probably the best known and most modded game of its genre, even though the original is Boulder Dash (A8).
Designer Peter Liepa answered in an ANTIC podcast that he was not involved in the C64 port, but knows that it turned out very faithful and is thought to be the original. In June 1984, Computer Gaming World reported that MicroLab paid to produce and distribute Boulder Dash (C64). Their back covers credit "Commodore version" to Jeff Schneider.
Due to the different hardware, colors and sounds were remade, for blander or lighter. Both caves with amoeba got an atmospheric green. Less inexplicably, a few bugs were introduced: Chris Gray is misspelled as "Chris Grey"; when a boulder falls into the enchanted wall, the bottom cave slows down, and jewels that don't make it appear to stay on the wall.
Screenshots
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British tape loader.
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Super BoulderDash title screen. Press F1.
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Original main menu.
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How it started for many.
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As a kid, I never thought they were circling. They are dancing.
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Amoeba'n'butterfly caves used to be called eat.
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Music
All original audio has been converted, with slightly varying results. Square waves have been replaced by the softer triangle waves. Volume envelopes are refined in hardware, except that jewels and boulders keep their echo effect.
The amoeba sounds naturally bubbly rather than electronically sizzling. Upon growing a tile, it does not echo Rockford's step anymore. Before Rockford enters, and while the screen flashes, it pauses. That white flash also does not drown the last jewel anymore. Most importantly, the time warning is drowned only by explosions and itself drowns Rockford's step. At the end of time bonus, the time warning is fully heard, which sounds upbeat.
Due to glitches in the C64 port, the cave cover and enchanted wall click, and when boulders and jewels fall, jewels sometimes sound amusingly low, like a gulp. Rockford's steps through air and earth are hardly distinguishable, but otherwise may be matter of taste, along with the other higher-pitched noises from boulders and explosions.
Recording
To record two loops plus 10 seconds, the game was started:
- in VICE 3.2 with C64 old NTSC. C64 NTSC is assumed too similar for an extra recording.
- on a real PAL C64C with an 8580 R5 4091.
Credits
(Source for composer: Boulder Dash (A8). Game lacks audio credits.)
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Source verification is needed.
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Game Rip
Audio Devices
This game uses the computer's built-in SID chip and sounds the same on every one of them.
On very early NTSC C64s, all audio is 2% faster. On PAL, it is 16% slower and 4% lower.
Releases
Electronic Arts and Prism Leisure Corporation released an early version with one more bug: After selecting difficulty level 4 or 5, you can still select caves E, I and M.
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| Title: |
Rockfords Riot! & Boulder Dash |
| Platform: |
Commodore 64 |
| Released: |
1985-0?-?? |
| Publisher: |
Monolith |
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