Release Date: 1984
Platforms: Pretty much all of them
Developer: First Star Software

Boulder Dash is a classic arcade game in the vein of Lode Runner. Going around collecting diamonds, you must dig up rocks while running away before they fall on top of you, hoping they fall on enemies. When that happens--diamonds!!  The levels get progressively more difficult as you go along. Thankfully, you usually don't have to get all available diamonds on each level, so you can pick and choose strategy. There are other obstacles that will pull your hair out (expanding walls!), but if I remember correctly, some versions of the game had unlimited lives so you could experiment until you passed each level.

It's not that great of a game, but it brings back a wave of nostalgia for me, sitting in front of the IBM XT with a huge joystick and endless patience, mastering a game I can't bother with for more than fifteen minutes today.

Whatcha playing?

Over at DbT, we're now entering the top 10 for the best adventure games of all time.  Today's offering stars everyone's favorite whip-wielding, snake-fearing, fortune and glory seeker.

Release Date: 1993
Platform: Sega Genesis
Developer: Mutant Productions

I never owned any Sega system and I'm sure I've missed out on many great games. However, I did rent a Genesis a few times and Mutant League Football was one of the games we frequented.  It's a silly little game, where one can often win the game by killing or dismembering so many of your opponents they can no longer field a team. You can bribe officials, plant mines, and various other evil things that have little to do with football. In other words, a good idea!

I honestly don't know if I can recommend it because it's been years, but if you do boot it up, you'll hopefully laugh a few times.  What I want to know is what other Sega games, for the Master System or the Genesis, did I miss and should feel bad about?  My best friend talks up the Phantasy Star series of RPGs.  I hear the sports games tend to be better than their SNES counterparts.  And yes, I've played Sonic.  What else should I look at?

And, of course, whatcha playin' these days?

My last column before my life changes forever, I won't be reviewing an actual game today.  My blog is still churning out reviews.  If you have an interest in adventures games, check out the current countdown, where I have already detailed a game where you play characters in Edgar Allen Poe stories, another where you play a transgendered character, and not to mention the always lovable bunny and canine detectives.

While I suspect I'll have much less time to play games than I used to, I imagine over the course of the next fifteen years the ones I do play I'll enjoy more.  I also imagine I'll be way more efficient with my free time than I am now.  My goal to get a PS3 is now shot, but I may make more use of my DS.

For those in the nation that are fathers and still find time for games, how do you fit them in?  Do you enjoy playing more than you used to?  Do you involve the family more?  What did you give up?

Whatcha' playing?

The Top 100 NES Countdown will be over before the next PPM column.  Today's game at #22 is R.C. Pro-Am.

Release Date: September, 1987
Platform: NES
Developer: TRY

I think my parents fell for the marketing ploy that the power pad would give us a reason to exercise while playing the Nintendo.  We got one game for the terribly expensive pad, and that was World Class Track Meet.  It's not a terribly good game, and it did not make my list of best one-hundred NES games.  But we played it quite a bit, especially when we wanted to get our "exercise" in without going outside.

The game has several track events which start off fairly easy and get increasingly difficult as you face tougher opponents.  The idea is that you basically run on the pad, and jump if the game calls for it (e.g. with the long jump or triple jump).  It didn't take us very long that there were ways to easily cheat the game.  One could jump off the pad, then jump back on after insanely long jumps.  And getting on your knees and hitting the pad with your hands could speed things up.  Of course, if the game were awesome in its own right, finding ways to cheat it wouldn't have been at the forefront.  But the game is so limited, as are the uses for the power pad, that there's little reason to use it for exercise or any other reason.

I still haven't played any new games of note recently.  What's keeping you busy this past month or so?

Today begins the Top 50 of my NES countdown.  Today's featured game is Dragon Warrior.

Release Date: 1988
Platform: LCD Handheld
Developer: Tiger

Yeah, the entire Tiger system is painfully outdated, with it's blippity bloop sounds and constantly flashing graphics.  But I spent way too much time playing it.  How about you?  There's really no need to review the game, but here's a picture to refresh your memory.

This month's questions is as follows: What were your favorite Tiger handheld games?