Do you think everything is Balderdash? No, it’s Dash rockAnd he will soon celebrate his 40th birthday. Originally released in the 80s, this franchise developed a Incredibly passionate fans base. BBG Entertainment hopes to keep them just as fascinated by a new entry. I had the opportunity to chat with Stephan Berendsen, CEO of BBG Entertainment, on changes to the last iteration of Dash rockAnd what fans at the same time old and new can expect from this entry.
While the world of video games continues to evolve, we cannot help but look at the past for inspiration again. “Boulder Dash”, a title originally from Atari consoles in the 80s, returns. How did it happen?
There are few games that keep their appeal for decades, thanks to their fascinating
Gameplay, and continue to appear on all new consoles. Such a game is Dash rock,,
Who now has dozens of official consequences and hundreds of unofficial versions. Dash rock
has always been one of the most important video games for me. I played it when I was a child for hours
And the days on my old domestic computer. And when I was asked in 2017 by the rights holder,
Who wanted to retire, if I would like to take up this brand and develop it more, I jumped on
luck.
Can fans of the original game look forward to being able to jump right away? Or are there any new features that they might need to learn?
It’s a very good point. Unconditional Dash rock Fans are extremely difficult when it comes to
Remakes of the old originals. Not only should everything have the same appearance, but but
Everything must also play exactly the same thing – speed, scrolling, physics. So, we
would never dare to change any of these elements. It was clear to us that we are committed
to maintain the key values and the pillars of the game. And because the accent is on
playability and functionality. This should not be disturbed by unnecessary graphic effects and
Gimmicks and risky changes in the concept. So yes, they can come back right away.
Is this a completely new entry into the “Boulder Dash” franchise, or is it more a reimagination of the original game? If so, what did you do to keep the charm and joy of the original game alive in this version?
We continued two goals. First of all, we wanted to bring the first three parts of BOULDER Dash I, IIAnd
III to life as faithfully as possible on current machines. Second, we wanted to spice up
Classic gameplay with contemporary visuals and appropriate new ideas such as growing walls,
Slime, an enemy generator, eggs and other things. In all, 40th anniversary boulder dash
is certainly the most complete game of the series of all time; The first three games of
The look of Commodore and Atari Original, hundreds of new levels in a new look, and everything
tested and approved by the best Dash rock Players from around the world, and with music from Chris
Huelsbeck.
Some people may not have been realized, but “Boulder Dash” has obtained new games as recently as 2021. What can players, old and new, can wait in this redesigned version of the classic game?
We have implemented many new ideas in new levels. The growing walls, the enemy generator and the mud are the new elements that I like the most. And of course, our new level editor, which
Allows users to create, play and share their own levels. We decided not to get newer
characteristics that we would have included at all. All these new ideas would have considerably
changed the character of the game – because they were too focused on violence instead of
brain.
Can fans expect to see more varied sockets on the franchise “boulder dash” in the future? Seeing that it is a 2D collection game, do you think that you could never translate the puzzle game to the fast rhythm to a fully 3D space, for example?
40th anniversary boulder dash Mark a new start for the franchise and its characters.
We have a lot of new products in our pipeline that are well known. A game is even
With Rockford, our beloved Boulder-Dash-Hero. We also work on several ports
popular tubes from the 80s. Stay listening!
Looking at the previous “Boulder Dash” games on Steam, I was really surprised to see the number of hours that the players put happily in these titles. What do you think gives them the long-term appeal they have?
In my opinion, it is the unusual combination of platform and puzzle game game that
brand Dash rock So attractive today. You must skillfully direct Rockford through the
The levels and at the same time use your brain to solve puzzles. Dash rock Never
Boring, the concept of play is timeless.
The team behind the 40th anniversary of “Boulder Dash” is surprisingly stacked. Peter Liepa created the original idea and game and always works on this version, which is incredible to see. How did the original concept of “Boulder Dash” become?
The story of Dash rock started with Chris Gray, a young Canadian who, at the age of 14,
started working on a game called “Pit-Fall”, inspired by the 1982 arcade game “The Pit”,
which had great similarities with the classic “Dig Dug” which was published in
at the same time. Chris wrote “Pit-Fall” in Basic, so it was quite slow. He showed the game to the owner of the “Electronic Playworld” stores in the Toronto region. Which also sold Atari games to
Time.
They saw the potential in the game, but knew that it should be technically improved if they wanted to publish it under their own label, home software. Meanwhile, Peter Liepa, an experienced developer, approached them to discuss the creation of a game. They asked him if he could translate “the fall of the Pit-Gardians” in the language of the machine. He started the conversation but quickly abandoned him to restart from scratch. Peter Liepa resumed complete development from this point. They agreed that Chris Gray would be mentioned on the title screen and would receive a share of sales.
It is difficult to make a 40 -year -old franchise feel fresh and innovative. What does the team do to make sure that this is fun and exciting for players of all types?
We always want to take Dash rock further and create a game for the old Dash rock
Fans and the new young generation. But you must be very careful, because true
Dash rock Fans are very special. Therefore, we have involved the best Dash rock players
worldwide in the development process. And also took into account the comments of all age groups. For example, we showed a first version in Gamescom 2024 in Cologne. Where not only parents but also their children spent a lot of time in our computers.
Where can impatient fans jump in pleasure with the edition of the 40th anniversary of “Boulder Dash”? Are there special plans to celebrate a series running for as long as this one?
We have indeed prepared a lot at the exit of 40th anniversary boulder dashwho is
Already attracts a lot of attention from around the world. A culmination will be the first Dash rock World Championship, which we organize on August 23, 2025 in Gamescom. There will be
Various qualification tournaments in advance, such as the Master Challenge Warsaw at Pixel Heaven Festival in June. We also want to allow users to easily share their own levels, bring Rockford back to another game, and much more …
Are there fun or memorable stories, either the creation of the original or this new iteration, which you would like to share with our readers? 40 years of memories must lead to something exciting!
The story of Dash rock is full of exciting anecdotes. I have already told how Peter
Liepa was involved in the game, which was initially launched by Chris Gray. How
BOULDER DASH III Shouted is also quite remarkable. A Dash rock Clone was created by
“American action”, a Swedish outfit, which they called BOULDER DASH III. In a poorly advised agreement, First Star Software, Inc. granted American Action an official license after being paid in advance.
Things have become bitter when the visuals “on the theme of space” action American planned for a multitude of bugs. Make certain levels impossible to complete; The short -term commercial objectives seem to have precipitated the developers. The game is not very popular with fans. In my opinion, in my opinion. We also believe that it is particularly cool that Peter Liepa himself supports the promotion of 40th anniversary boulder dash With a few videos. More than 40 years after working on the first match in the series.
I would like to thank Stephan Berendsen, CEO of BBG Entertainment, for having taken the time of his busy schedule to chat with me 40th anniversary boulder dash.