

Diamond Rush is certainly a lengthy game - gamers that dig this kind of play will find a lot of value from Gameloft's puzzle adventure. These extras do help boost Diamond Rush out of the realm of the familiar, and I was happy to see them present. Environmental hazards, like fire traps and giant spears, will also try to claim your life. Your explorer will find items in chests such as a compass and hammers that help you reach the goals and defeat enemy monsters. Especially when you're just trying to enjoy a three-minute break from real life.

Challenge is always good, but setting up a wicked puzzle with only one solution is almost mean. This is sometimes fun - but it's also borderline frustrating. By the time you reach Tibet, self-immolation can set you back several minutes of play. These checkpoints become rarer and rarer as you move through the game. Should you need to off yourself, you re-spawn at the most recent checkpoint. Sometimes, you can even "paint" yourself into a corner, leaving yourself no way out of a room, save for suicide. You must plot your course to minimize risk against cascading boulders, but maximize the number of gems you pluck from the ruins. Most rooms are set up like clockwork devices. Diamond Rush is actually more of a puzzler than the original Boulder Dash. However, as expected, gravity takes hold of precariously balanced boulders and sends them toppling down to smash any slow-moving creatures - yourself included. Instead of burrowing through dirt, you must cut through leaves, break industrial-strength cobwebs, and break stones to find the precious jewels. At the end of each map, you must defeat a boss monster to escape for the next treacherous locale. You must collect a series of gems before heading for an exit that leads to the next room on each world's snaking area map. You are an intrepid explorer, pressing deep into the jungles of Angkor Wat, the dungeons of Bavaria, and the icy Tibetan caves.
