Boulder Dash II (A8)

Boulder Dash

Platform: Atari 8-bit Year: 1986 Developer: Peter Liepa

Boulder Dash II is Peter Liepa's second and last completely designed game in its genre.

Liepa likens Boulder Dash II to a new episode in a sitcom or comic strip, where existing characters are put into new situations. Indeed, with the gameplay established in his original Boulder Dash (A8), Liepa must have had more liberty to make caves more humorous, or at least lifelike, portraying rain, merry-go-round, storming, and playing tag in a polonaise.

Actual new elements are slime (through which boulders and jewels pass slowly) and walls that grow horizontally (through air, not earth, now known as dirt).

Screenshots

Urgh. Downgraded colors from Boulder Dash II (C64)? Squeezed main menu. Remember how to play? Well played, amoeba. New problem in level 3. Looks like a garden.

Music

The game designer composed 256 new notes. After 2 loops with no selection, only the title picture goes to the attract mode, whereas the main menu now goes back to the picture.

There are no new sound effects. The growing wall, upon growing a tile, reuses the boulder noise. The slime is mute.

On the contrary, two sound effects are less reused: The amoeba, upon growing a tile, does not echo Rockford's step anymore. Uniquely to Boulder Dash II (A8), the time bonus mutes abruptly, without the extra "bell".

Recording

The only song was recorded from the main menu:

1. in Altirra 3.90 with NTSC.
2. in Altirra 3.90 with PAL.

#	Title	Composer	Length	Listen	Download
101	Theme	Peter Liepa	0:44		Download

#	Title	Composer	Length	Listen	Download
201	Theme	Peter Liepa	0:51		Download

Credits

• Ripper: ASMA, Professor Chaos
• Recorder: Professor Chaos
• Game Credits:
  • Not Credited Composer: Peter Liepa
  • Not Credited Arranger: Peter Liepa
  • Not Credited Foley Artist: Peter Liepa
  • Not Credited Programmer: Peter Liepa

(Source: Liepa in interviews. Game lacks audio credits.)

Game Rip

Format	Download
	Download (Info)

Audio Devices

This game uses the computer's built-in POKEY chip. On PAL, all audio is 17% slower.

Releases

Judging from wordings on found reviews and covers, Boulder Dash II (A8) was released in North America as part of Super BoulderDash only.

USA Title: Super BoulderDash Platform: Atari 8-bit Released: 1986-0?-?? Publisher: Electronic Arts     UK Title: Boulder Dash II - Rockford's Revenge Platform: Atari 8-bit Released: 1986-0?-?? Publisher: Databyte     Unknown Title: Boulder Dash II - Rockford's Revenge Platform: Atari 8-bit Released: 19??-??-?? Publisher: Prism Leisure Corporation P.L.C.

Links

• mobygames.com/game/atari-8-bit/boulder-dash-ii-rockfords-revenge - MobyGames.
• mobygames.com/game/atari-8-bit/super-boulder-dash - MobyGames.
• gamefaqs.gamespot.com/atari8bit/944006-boulder-dash-ii-rockfords-revenge - GameFAQs.
• gamefaqs.gamespot.com/atari8bit/278349-super-boulder-dash - GameFAQs.

View Boulder Dash
Boulder Dash	•  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •
Boulder Dash II	•  •  •  •  •
Rockford	•  •  •  •  •  •
Notable Songs	Theme
Notable Personnel	Peter Liepa
Notable Companies	First Star Software