Crystal Mines II is a 1992 puzzle video game developed by Color Dreams and published by Atari Corporation for the Atari Lynx console. The game is a sequel to Crystal Mines for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Both releases are similar to Boulder Dash, a genre which has since become known as "rocks and diamonds" games. Gameplay
The player guides a robot down a series of mines to collect crystals of different colors (and worth different point values). Along the way, the robot encounters wooden blocks, which can be blown up or sawed through, boulders of different types, dirt, which can be shot away with the robot's blaster, and a variety of monsters. The robot can also discover shields, radioactivity protection, deposits of copper, silver and gold, and caches of TNT. The metal deposits become bonuses to the player's score, while the other items can be used to complete various levels of the game.
Release
In 2000, Songbird Productions produced a sequel, Crystal Mines II: Buried Treasure on CD-ROM for Microsoft Windows. This CD-ROM requires the original game and a Lynx-to-PC serial cable to run, allowing the editing and creation of all new levels. This was followed in 2003 by a cartridge release of Crystal Mines II: Buried Treasure with the original 181 levels and 125 new levels.
In 2010, Home Entertainment Suppliers released ports of Crystal Mines II for the Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable and iPhone under the title Crystal Mines.
In 2020, Crystal Mines II was re-released for the Evercade as part of the Atari Lynx Collection 1 cartridge. It features extra levels which were not part of the original Lynx cartridge.
Reception
Crystal Mines II garnered generally favorable reviews from critics.
References
External links Atari Times review of Crystal Mines II AtariAge page for Crystal Mines II Songbird Productions page for Crystal Mines II: Buried Treasure Interview with Ken Beckett, Crystal Mines and Crystal Mines II designer Crystal Mines DS info page Crystal Mines for iPhone info page Atari Lynx Collection 1 for the Evercade