There has been a real increase lately in remakes of classic gaming icons - perhaps games really were better back in the old days. Regardless, Rockford (the neon-blue hero of the series) has been resurrected; last seen... well, long before my time. So let's see if his latest adventure does a good job of mining retro gaming and dragging it back to the present-day surface.

Rockford apparently needs to obtain a lot of diamonds for his girlfriend (she must be a stunner). So underground and around the world he goes, and fun and games ensue.

Each level revolves around a very simple premise, Rockford starts at one point in the maze and needs to obtain enough gems to open the door to the next. There is also a time limit to add a bit more tension to proceedings. Rockford must zip around the maze as quickly as possible, as well as avoiding any hazards that might come his way.

These hazards can be enemies or traps dotted around, or in the more abstract form of the environment itself. There is a nice mix of puzzling with a bit of thrown in there. Basically, as Rockford walks around, he may undermine rocks which have been resting on dirt or diamonds. These can end up falling down and rolling around - sometimes if you take the dirt out from under a large number of rocks, a real chain reaction starts.

These boulders may fall on Rockford, squashing him fairly efficiently, unless you dodge away in time. Of course, that may not solve Rockford's problems - you may find yourself trapped by the boulders and unable to exit the level. In that case, an entire replay of the level is demanded - there are no checkpoints or save points in the world of Boulder Dash Rocks. Next time you might try dodging in the opposite direction, or leaving those boulders be until a more opportune time.

Various monsters in each world can also be painful to come in contact with - just remember that not many beings can survive a boulder to the head! Rockford is quite pleased to roll a boulder forward and down a tunnel, and timed well can crush his enemies with ease.

Rockford also has his trusty gun, unfortunately, he seems to have forgotten any ammunition. No matter - there are a few crates lying around to rectify the situation. Depending on the ammo found, Rockford can do different things; he can pull boulders towards him, unblocking passages. Other types of shot can kill enemies, put out fires, or create targeted explosions to clear the way ahead.

Other items scattered around the place include static blocks of dynamite that explode shortly after you touch them - destroying nearby rocks and even any enemies on your tail - warp portals that zip Rockford between set points in the level, and gates which require Rockford to first locate the matching key in order to unlock them.

All of this sounds fairly standard stuff so far - a nice concept with a few bits and pieces thrown in there. But it adds up to pretty challenging stuff. This in fact harks back to the classic games of yore: eye-gouging-out difficulty wrapped up in a cutesy kid-friendly package. Don't let Rockford's big pretty eyes or the sickeningly sweet fool you. It's a toughie. I'm not sure I would recommend anyone to buy this for their younger kids. I think it would be too frustrating for any but the most persistent of whipper-snappers.

As well as the main game, there is also the "Route Race" version. In this mode, you have to set out Rockford's route and then press play. Rockford follows the route you have chosen (hopefully you remembered to get all the diamonds and get him to the exit) and makes his way around the level. Once he gets to the end of the route, that's it. If he's at the exit, well done - you win. Of course, things are never that simple - you have to remember when you have moved Rockford's path over a diamond that the boulders above are going to fall down and perhaps block the rest of the route you have laid out, or even fall on our hero. This thinking-ahead mode is in a way more relaxing due to the lack of time constraints, but definitely more frustrating.

In short, if you like your games with a bit of challenge and a bit of thought involved, I can greatly recommend Boulder Dash. Just don't say I didn't warn you about the difficulty.