More browsing paths
Play Boulder Dash (US edition · English) Online
Boulder Dash
Play Boulder Dash online on NES. Dig for diamond quotas, control falling boulders and escape timed caves using the world map and password system.
Browser play
Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) / Famicom — EmulatorJS controls
Default Player 1 keyboard mapping. Change keys in Controller Settings.
| Console button | Keyboard |
|---|---|
| ↑ / ↓ / ← / → | ↑ / ↓ / ← / → |
| A / B | Z / X |
| START / SELECT | Enter / V |
Open Controller Settings to configure your keyboard or gamepad. Touch controls are available on mobile.
How to Play Boulder Dash
Quick start
Check the tile above Rockford before every dig and preserve a sideways escape route. Gather the required quota, then prioritize the exit over optional diamonds. Hold A or B with a direction to dig, take a diamond or push a boulder in an adjacent tile without entering it. If the cave is irrecoverably blocked, hold A+B for more than a second to return to the world entrance at the cost of one life.
Controls
D-pad moves Rockford. Hold A or B and press a direction to dig adjacent dirt, collect a neighboring diamond or push a boulder without moving. Hold A+B for over one second to abandon the town and lose one life. START starts and pauses. SELECT chooses one or two players. D-pad edits password digits and A confirms the password or town.
Boulder Dash — About this game
The US NES Boulder Dash combines arcade movement with deterministic cave puzzles. Rockford tunnels through dirt and collects the displayed number of diamonds to unlock an exit before time runs out. Unsupported boulders and gems fall immediately, so a single dig can crush an enemy, open a route or trap Rockford. Four selectable towns form each world and all four must be cleared. The console adaptation also supplies a world map, six-digit passwords, player-color selection and alternating two-player play.
Cheats
No cheats have been added for this edition.
Player verification and sources
Browser play was reviewed before this edition was published in the catalogue. The date below is the catalogue publication date, not the game’s original release date.
- Browser test and catalogue publication date
- Browsers and devices
- PC: Chrome, Edge and Firefox. Mobile: Chrome on Android and Safari on iPhone and iPad.
- Player engine and core
- EmulatorJS 4.3.0-pre · nes
- Tested by
- rwEmulator
Sources and editorial basis
rwEmulator reviews edition metadata, release information, game manuals and first-hand browser-play notes. Available manuals are linked below; the editorial policy explains how facts are checked and corrections are handled.