Profi Boulderdash
| Developer: S.S.P. | Graphics: |
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| Publisher: The Blockheads | Sound: |
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| Year: N/A | Difficulty: |
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| Genre: Boulder Dash | Lastability: |
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| Number of players: 2 simultaneous | Rating: |
9/10 | |
After breezing through Baby Dusty Mini Mine in three days, I set out to find a more demanding title with traditional mechanics (devoid of the “modern” elements of a Forgotten Mine but more elaborate and diverse than Eat Mine). My first attempt with Expert Mine proved disappointing. Boulder Dash clones share this characteristic with chess openings: it is unwise to choose them solely for their name.
It was upon noticing the mention of Profi Boulderdash 2 on the startup screen of Baby Dusty Mini Mine that I became interested in this duology. I had the good idea to begin with the first opus. It seems that the second is an almost identical reproduction of another game, Boulderdash Professionnal, which itself includes three levels borrowed from Emerald Mine (32, 33 and 34). This practice of appropriating others’ work was unfortunately common at the time, with some creators using existing games as a base and sometimes inadvertently leaving levels unchanged.
Beyond the unverifiable parentage, I prefer to judge a game on its intrinsic qualities: the level design and the pleasure it provides. Profi Boulderdash is pure die and retry which evoked in me the same sensations as Cuphead. The process is methodical: scout the area, devise a strategy, train on each section individually, then tirelessly try again until achieving the perfect run. It’s about traversing the five to ten “rooms” that generally make up the levels whilst collecting the required number of diamonds before reaching the exit.
If I were to establish a difficulty scale based on the average number of attempts per level, Emerald Mine 3 would serve as the benchmark, at around 10. Profi Boulderdash demands at least three times as many! The difficulty is therefore severe, but fair (barring one exception). The game generally offers a margin for error in the allotted time or the quota of diamonds to collect. It also leaves enough latitude to imagine different approaches and incorporates an element of randomness that stimulates improvisation. Level 12 perfectly illustrates this principle: it initially seems very dependent on luck, with butterflies that turn in place and block the passage. After several failures, I understood that it was possible to “manage the flow” by capturing then releasing other butterflies at the opportune moment, creating interferences that clear the path. Devising a plan thus significantly reduces the element of chance.
For me, the balance is perfect; it’s exactly the design I love. I can restart a difficult level 50 times while savouring every minute. In fact, I shattered my record on Eat Mine: it took me 178 tries to overcome level 22!
I cannot emphasise this point enough: all the gratification comes from mastery through repetition. Using quick saves would deprive you of the very essence of the game. Accept the idea of dedicating several days to a difficult cave, for the reward is proportional to the effort invested. We find exactly the same springs of satisfaction in Cuphead, Dark Souls or even Rain World. At the risk of repeating myself, Profi Boulderdash would constitute an original and relevant recommendation for speedrunners…
I must admit that its difficulty is such that I did not manage to finish it before the planned publication date, despite the three weeks I had scheduled! I will edit this page once the second half is completed, and why not, after having explored its pseudo-sequel. In the meantime, if you are curious (or a lottery player), my favourite levels so far are numbers: 1, 2, 3, 8, 11, 14, 33, 40 and 41.
I pointed out an exception: level 29, a long and tedious rock-sorting exercise (a classic Boulder Dash theme) that ends in a round of Russian roulette. You need to retrieve a key at the end of a corridor occupied by a yam, then try to make it back to the door. Since the yam’s movement is random, there’s a fifty-fifty chance you’ll die right in front of the exit! I’m tempted to knock off a point just for this grotesque design blunder.
Conversely, I initially thought levels 5 and 37 were unbeatable. After some persistence and head-scratching, the lightbulb finally went on. Those “Eureka” moments easily deserve a 9/10.
Just one minor downside, attributable to the “second generation” game engine: the variable delay when pushing boulders, particularly penalising in this title. I would have so appreciated a modernised version, transposing these levels to a next-generation engine (Ruppleware), as was the case for Eat Mine Update…
This is one of those games that makes you wait indefinitely at the title screen without any indication of which key to press to start. Here, it’s the joystick button, followed by a 30-second wait.
In any case, I rather recommend going through Rocks ‘n’ Diamonds, which starts immediately and allows you to skip levels. Accompany your sessions with an old rock or metal album, and the experience will be complete (in my case, Mando Diao).
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