Digger Dan DX

Genre: Top-Down Arcade / Puzzle

Players: 1

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Review:

Digger Dan DX, released on Nintendo 3DS in 2016, is a Top-Down Arcade-style game with Puzzle elements and the follow-up to the Nintendo DSi title Digger Dan & Kaboom, and like that game… this is Boulder Dash. In fact, it’s so clear that this game’s designer was trying to create a game like Boulder Dash that in the opening credits they make note that they sought permission from the creators of Boulder Dash to make this game.

The presentation here is okay, using 2D visuals that seem at least partly pre-rendered. They have good animation though, and enough color to be visually appealing, though not especially noteworthy. This is backed by a relaxed soundtrack that’s not particularly catchy, but it’s not distracting either.

As for the gameplay, if you’ve never played Boulder Dash, the idea is that you’re exploring through a cave from a semi Top-Down view, but where objects in the cave other than you still have gravity. You are tasked with collecting all of the gemstones in each level and reaching the exit without falling prey to a monster, getting your head bashed in by falling rocks, or accidentally blocking off the gemstones you need to collect.

It’s a classic, tried-and-true formula, and it’s done well enough here, with some good level design. There’s nothing truly shocking or surprisingly new here, but what’s here works well enough.

If you’re a fan of old-school Arcade games, particularly the Boulder Dash series, Digger Dan DX will be right up your alley. Otherwise, this may seem a bit quaint and slow-paced. Not great, not bad, but nothing special.

tl;dr – Digger Dan DX is a Top-Down Arcade-style game with Puzzle elements that’s clearly trying to be a spiritual successor to the classic game Boulder Dash, and it largely succeeds, though it doesn’t do anything particularly new or extraordinary. If you liked that classic game, you’ll probably like this too.

Grade: C

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