Bluppo is an MS-DOS based game that was developed by Webfoot Technologies that was released for play in the middle nineties. It is a tile-based puzzle strategy game, similar to a board game, that can be played by one or two players. It was plainly inspired by the very popular game Boulder Dash, but is actually a much improved version with more gaming ideas, some very well-designed levels (and more of them) and also improved graphics and sound.
Bluppo, as alluded to above, offers the user a total of eighty unique and interesting levels.
There are also eighty different levels created only for play with another person, making a grand total of one-hundred-and-sixty levels in the game. The theme of the game is the first difference that the user will see between Bluppo and Boulder Dash. Bluppo is centered around life in the ocean. The goal of each level is to collect a certain number of fish on each level in order to move on to the next one. There is a lot of strategy involved in this. The gamer must conserve his oxygen while running around below the surface to grab up his fish. This concept serves as a sort of timer to keep the pace of the game
fast-paced and frantic. There will also be the effervescent falling boulders, similar to play in the original game. Finally, the main enemy in the game will be a particularly nasty sturgeon who floats around trying to nab the little diver guy. As the levels progress, they get considerably more difficult, and the gamer is going to have to think and act fast in order to get through each one without being nabbed by the sturgeon or simply drowning from lack of oxygen.
Bluppo features some very nicely done graphics, cute animations, and some very colorful characters. The VGA graphics were very nice for the time. The music is upbeat, catchy, and will actually worm its way into your head and stay there after you shut the game off. This feat, in itself, will be tricky. Bluppo is highly addictive, made even more fun by the fact that it offered the possibility of simultaneous play with a friend.
In short, this is one of the best Boulder Dash knock-offs that you are probably going to find. Its fresh theme and exciting new levels make it a true joy to play, and playing with a friend adds some friendly competition not available just anywhere.
