I know I’m getting old when a game I used to play as a kid celebrates being four decades old! Boulder Dash, I had the trilogy on my Commodore 64 back in the day and would play them a lot. So when this Boulder Dash 40th Anniversary collection came up for review from developer/publisher BBG Entertainment, I jumped on the chance to get a copy.

“Immerse yourself in 40 years of video game history and experience the classic BOULDER DASH® in an epic anniversary edition! Join Rockford on his hunt for diamonds in dangerous caves – more faithful to the original than ever before, yet more modern than ever!”

If you have never played Boulder Dash, then please do allow me to very quickly explain the gameplay. You play as Rockford and you have to get to the exit on each level. Simple. Of course, there is the odd hazard along the way. First, you have to collect enough gems for the exit to open. There are also various enemies that you’ll have to avoid or drop a boulder on to. The boulders do become a key gameplay mechanic as they also have a habit of dropping on your head or blocking your path. So you have to use a bit of strategic thought as you carve a passage though the underground levels and try to lure enemies into the path of a falling boulder.

This is what pure, old-school gameplay is all about. Uncomplicated and with a very simple pick up ‘n play feel. If you have watched the trailer, or glanced the pics used in this review, then you’ll notice that the game looks very shiny and HD for a 40 year old title. This is where I need to get into what you get for your money in this collection. Essentially, you get four Boulder Dash games. There is the original trilogy and all three are presented in their early 8-bit glory. You can choose to play this Boulder Dash trilogy with either C64 or Atari graphics and all of the original 60 levels that the games had. Yep, you can even have a CRT overlay to add to the retro goodness. Then, there is a new and updated game with glorious HD graphics with 180 all-new levels and several other new features. So that is four Boulder Dash titles to lose yourself in.

Well, technically, I guess that there are five games here. Boulder Dash Construction Kit was released in 1986 and just as the title suggests, it allowed you to create your own Boulder Dash levels. There is a version of that here too, but it’s not Boulder Dash Construction Kit, it’s a modern level editor. No only can you create your own levels, you can now upload them for others to play and even download other people’s levels. The wonders of the modern age, eh?

But that is not all. Outside of the games and all of those custom made levels, you get a really nice and very interesting history into the creation and making of Boulder Dash. You see, I love this kind of stuff as a massive gaming history fan/writer. I always want to learn more about the games that I played as a kid. I have reviewed several retro collections and very few of them ever feature any real history. You usually just get the games and a few screen filter options. Boulder Dash 40th Anniversary delivers on the history bit, though I still would’ve liked to have seen more.

Boulder Dash 40th Anniversary will mean parting with around £16 and it is available now on PC and all the consoles. I think that’s a pretty sensible price point given the age of these games and what you get as an overall package. This is certainly a generous collection as you get the original trilogy (in full 8-bit glory), the new updated Boulder Dash, complete with 180 levels and new features. Let’s not forget that level editor and unlimited levels to create and play. All for £16. Yeah, I guess the real question is going to be, is Boulder Dash still with playing 40 years later? For me, it certainly was. That’s the thing about classic gameplay, it never really ages and Boulder Dash is just as much fun for me aged 49 as it was when I was 9.

If you are an old-school gamer and really enjoyed playing these games back in the day, then this is a must buy and I definitely recommend it for fans. Look at that, I got all the way through this review without pointing out that it has been 41 years since Boulder Dash was first released 1984 and not 40…