Boulder Dash is an action puzzle game. The object of each level is to collect a diamond quota and step onto the exit square without having something crush you, touching a bug, getting trapped, or running out of time.
Used FCEU 0.98.12
Uses the password 724045 to warp to the hardest difficulty
No deaths
Aims for fastest time
Uses tricks: Catching falling boulders/diamonds on head, running past bugs, manipulating luck to make amebas reproduce faster
Notes:
This game consists of 4 quests. Each quest has 6 themed worlds, each with 4 levels. The 4th quest is made up of the most difficult incarnations of each level. The first level played in the movie is 19-1.
Levels 20-3 and 24-3 have amebas. Amebas turn into diamonds when they completely fill their space. However, due to the horribly random nature of their reproduction, it usually takes a long time for them to find their last gap and fill it. Luck manipulation helps a little in these cases, but doesn't work huge miracles due to the overwhelming odds.
Level 24-3 is a bit boring. On a normal playthrough of this level, on average the amebas wait until about 40 seconds remaining to convert. Many times they will even refuse to become diamonds altogether, causing the player to run out of time. Here, I managed to get the amebas to convert at 130 seconds remaining- although it's still not very exciting to watch. (I faked a movie desynch on this level while I waited)
Sometimes the order in which piles of diamonds are collected will seem questionable, but collapsing piles of diamonds take longer to collect than still piles. Falling diamonds cannot be collected.
Joined: 10/27/2004
Posts: 1978
Location: Making an escape
I am quite impressed with this. You've demnsrated an intimate knowledge with the game and kept things very smooth. The way you moved around amongst falling objects, weaving in an out between them, was superb. The planning was excellent, top-notch. I always love it when things are set into action as you go and do something else.
In short: Me likes. :P
A hundred years from now, they will gaze upon my work and marvel at my skills but never know my name. And that will be good enough for me.
I agree with earlier posters; I liked it.
This run demonstrates same kind of quality as the earlier bomberman -run. Tricks done during the levels keep it interesting and twenty minutes isn't too long for it to get too repetitive.
Enemies are evaded or disposed of very quickly and in very stylish manner. Only small complaint I have, is that you stand still when waiting for the amebas to "fill up". Couldn't you have done something during that time? It breaks the otherwise very speedy atmosphere a bit.
Anyway, YES.
"Kids! Bringing about Armageddon can be dangerous. Do not attempt it in your home."
( Pratchett & Gaiman: Good Omens )
Only small complaint I have, is that you stand still when waiting for the amebas to "fill up". Couldn't you have done something during that time?
Unfortunately no. For one thing, the character acts as the final rock that traps the amebas in, it has to be there for them to convert. Moving the character would have probably allowed for the amebas to escape (plus, in the case of 20-3, I didn't really have much to do anyway the last two diamonds were along my path to the exit)
Also, in the case of 24-3, it probably would have affected the random number generator for the worse. The "dance" done there was by far the best out of many random motion patters in an effort to speed up the amebas. (Yeah, I could just stand in one place and press buttons, but isn't pretending the movie is desynching more fun? :P)
I actually had a series of attempts on 24-3 where I went down and sqashed bugs for fun while waiting for the amebas. But that whole concept seemed to slow them down by about 40 seconds. Go figure.
Joined: 11/22/2004
Posts: 1468
Location: Rotterdam, The Netherlands
I used to play Rockford on my 286, which was a (actually very good) Boulderdash clone, and also one of the last. I'm gonna watch this movie now, and since I know how difficult that game was, I'm expecting something insanely impressive. :)
EDIT: OH WOW. Some of the levels were almost exact duplicates of some of the Rockford levels! I guess they're common Boulderdash levels. You made them look so easy. This is a definitive yes, though the movie file is ended strangely early.
This... was great. I like how you sneak in and between the falling objects and keep going in full speed as if they weren't there.
I also played the Rockford clone, but I never got anywhere in it. That game was silly hard in some places. Maybe that's why I only recognized 2 something levels which were copied.
Well, you guessed it: yes.
