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Herocraft bringing XBLA hit Boulder Dash XL to Android, iPhone, Windows Phone

Dashed on the rocks

Herocraft bringing XBLA hit Boulder Dash XL to Android, iPhone, Windows Phone

Given how many hours I put into Boulder Dash on the ZX Spectrum (a lot, if you were wondering), the upcoming appearance of Boulder Dash XL on pretty much all the major smartphone and tablet formats has sent me into one of those wavy montage moments of nostalgia.

The game, this time based on the Xbox Live Arcade re-imagining, is relatively unchanged from the ancient original in terms of the basic principles. You’re placed in a maze of tunnels and dirt, and tasked with finding jewels and reaching the exit.

Alas, it’s not quite as easy as it sounds, thanks to the presence of boulders that can fall and crush you - should you burrow under them - and patrolling monsters that can make life a whole lot more difficult.

This latest version of the classic sees main character Rockford also having to contend with teleports and one-way doors on top (or below) of the usual foes, and features much-improved graphics over the 1984 arcade version.

The game is due out on Android, iOS, and Windows Phone “in time for the Holiday season” this year. Using my American-to-English conversion chart, that means a November or December 2011 release date.

Xbox version pictured above.
Will Wilson
Will Wilson
Will's obsession with gaming started off with sketching Laser Squad levels on pads of paper, but recently grew into violently shouting "Tango Down!" at random strangers on the street. He now directs that positive energy into his writing (due in no small part to a binding court order).