2025-01-20
Another patch release is required to fix some nasty bugs in the last two versions:
- fixed adding extra life when playing BD games with multiple lives
- fixed clearing touch buttons in off-screen areas on Android
- fixed getting file size of BD caveset file inside Android APK file
- fixed bad use of function pointers that was breaking Emscripten port
Get the new version from the download page!
2025-01-18
A new patch release version is available which contains the following changes:
- added support for playing BD games with multiple lives and global score
- added support for showing multiple lives for BD games in game panel
- added support for showing level set name in game panel
- added setup option to save tape without asking
- added support for animated BD player with bomb or rocket launcher
- added showing color settings in editor also for non-BD engine levels
- added support for color gradients for level specific colors
- improved (un)covering screen when using BD game engine (GDash style)
- fixed black screen flickering when using Metal render driver on Mac
- fixed bug with looping death sound when killed by voodoo in BD engine
- fixed drawing crumbled graphics when moving diagonally in BD engine
- fixed playing sounds for levels with small playfield in BD engine
- fixed showing level story when playing without hall of fame after game
- fixed bug with sounds not being played in native BD sound engine
- fixed multi-line request text overlapping with request buttons
- fixed bug with saving BD style snap element in level file
- fixed bugs with random level specific colors when loading level
- fixed bugs with potentially using off-playfield position
- fixed various other errors
The new version is available from the download page!
2024-12-24
Finally! 40 years after the first release of
The Game That Started It All,
nearly 30 years after the
first release
of my own little clone of this game, around 20 years after I first planned to add
native BD support to it, 10 years after something like a
vague announcement
in the Boulder Dash forum,
and after more than one year of hard work,
it is finally done: Rocks’n’Diamonds has a new native game engine that is compatible
with levels for the classic game Boulder Dash!
The new game engine is based on the famous BD clone
GDash by Czirkos Zoltan,
which most probably has the best freely available BD compatible game engine.
This game engine will make it possible to play all those thousands of BD games
created since the Atari and C64 era, up to the present day! The new game release
comes with a large collection of BD level sets, available from the
Levels & Artwork page.
Besides the new BD game engine, there are some other new features:
- added support for opening level set zip files in Android version
- added support for updating level sets installed by drag’n’drop
- added support for level specific colors by using specially crafted images
- added support for level specific information text messages from main menu
- added support for optional level info (“story”) before starting the game
Now available from the download page!
And I wish you all happy christmas holidays! :-)
2024-12-15
As another (and hopefully last) release candidate for the final version,
the 6th pre-release of the upcoming new version of Rocks’n’Diamonds
is available for testing.
It contains the following additions, changes and fixes:
- added support for crumbled sand for native BD graphics engine
- added sound for opening exit (outbox) in native BD game engine
- added the classic BD level set using the native BD game engine
- moved EMC style game elements to correct editor palette section
- removed unused BD screen border color in level editor
- fixed playing BD engine levels if preferred network player was changed
- fixed playing sounds at wrap-around BD cave positions
- fixed problem causing strange garbage on screen when it is snowing
- fixed graphical bug with covering screen when loading next level
- fixed playing loop sounds when using native BD game engine
This should be the last pre-release version before releasing the final new version
4.4.0.0 with the native BD game engine!
Now available from the download page!
2024-12-08
The 5th pre-release of version 4.4.0.0 is available for testing, and it can be seen
as a release candidate of the final new version, which should be ready for release
soon.
It mainly contains the following additions, changes and fixes:
- added editor graphics definitions for BD style firefly and butterfly
- added support for (configurable) suicide key for BD game engine
- added delayed game over if BD player can be re-created from effect
- added color template bitmap functions to support color ranges
- added sounds for BD style bubble when moving/pushing
- added support for player dying sound for native BD engine
- changed graphics for magic wall for native BD engine
- changed graphics for BD style waiting rock when moving/pushing
- fixed changing level colors before fading out game screen
- fixed sound for BD style bubble changing to clock
- fixed moving and pushing elements on conveyor belts in BD engine
- fixed two crash bugs
Again, make sure to also update the BD level collection to the latest version
(see the BD forum annoucement).
Now available from the download page!
