Boulder Dash (video game)

Boulder Dash
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)
Designer(s)
  • Peter Liepa
  • Chris Gray
Programmer(s)
  • Kazunori Ishiguri
  • Toshiyuki Sakai
  • Hisatada Ohta (1990 arcade)
Composer(s)
  • Azusa Hara
  • Fuse (1990 arcade)
Platform(s)
Atari 8-bit
Release
March 1984
  • Atari 8-bit
  • C64
    • NA: April 1984
    • UK: 1984
  • Apple II
  • PC-88
    • JP: October 1984
  • FM-7
    • JP: November 1984
  • ColecoVision
    • NA: December 1984
  • Arcade
    • NA: 1984
    • JP: August 1985
    • JP: May 1990 (1990 arcade)
  • IBM PC
  • 1984
  • ZX Spectrum
  • CPC
    • UK: August 1985
  • MSX
  • 1985
  • Super Cassette Vision
  • BBC, Electron
  • NES
    • JP: March 23, 1990
    • NA: June 1990
    • EU: 1990
  • Game Boy
    • JP: September 21, 1990
    • EU: 1990
  • Atari 2600
  • June 2012
  • Intellivision
    • NA: March 18, 2015
Genre(s)Puzzle, maze[3]
Mode(s)Single-player

Boulder Dash is a 2D maze-puzzle video game released in 1984 by First Star Software for Atari 8-bit computers.[4] It was created by Canadian developers Peter Liepa and Chris Gray. The player controls Rockford, who collects treasures while evading hazards.[5]

Boulder Dash was ported to many 8-bit and 16-bit systems and turned into a coin-operated arcade video game. It was followed by multiple sequels and re-releases and influenced games such as Repton and direct clones such as Emerald Mine.

As of September 2017, BBG Entertainment owns the intellectual property rights to Boulder Dash.[6]

The game's name is a pun on balderdash.[4]

  1. ^ a b "Year-End Index" (PDF). Computer Entertainer. Vol. 3, no. 10. January 1985. p. 156.
  2. ^ "Boulder Dash". First Star Software.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference CG1985 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Weber, Arno (November 2005). "Interview: Peter Liepa". Boulder-dash.nl. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  5. ^ "Boulder Dash". The International Arcade Museum. Retrieved October 6, 2013.
  6. ^ "Boulder Dash is now owned by BBG Entertainment". BBG Entertainment. Munich. September 19, 2017. Retrieved July 7, 2024.