O'Riley's Mine (J1) Commodore 64 game

O'Riley's Mine

O'Riley's Mine is an action game developed by Mark Riley and published in 1983 by Datasoft for the Atari 8-bit home computer. It was later ported to the Apple II by Larry Lewis and to the Commodore 64 by Al Rubin, with both versions released in the same year.

Gameplay

In O'Riley's Mine, players guide the protagonist, O'Riley, as he navigates through a treacherous mine to collect buried treasure and safely ascend to the mine shaft's top. The game introduces challenges such as avoiding onrushing water that can drown O'Riley and evading river monsters that can devour him. Players can strategically use dynamite charges to block the monsters' path, but the rushing water will eventually clear the blockage. Expertly timed explosions can eliminate monsters and yield extra points. The quantity of dynamite available varies with the chosen difficulty level.

While there is no imposed time limit, the water's speed increases in higher levels. As the moon rises, the monsters' movements quicken within the mine shafts. The water level rises to the player's deepest dig point, potentially hindering O'Riley's return home. The game features six types of collectible treasures, including both small and large versions of four types.

Reception

In a review from the September–October 1983 issue of Softline, O'Riley's Mine received a positive appraisal: "The graphics are rich in color, particularly the mountains and multicolored mine shaft. The gameplay, within its intended scope, is excellent." The Addison-Wesley Book of Atari Software 1984 assigned the game a relatively weak overall rating (D+) and expressed reservations about its price: "While it may merit some consideration due to its simplicity, the asking price of $29.95 seems steep."

A review of the Commodore 64 version in Computer and Video Games praised the graphics and commended the realistic water sounds. Although the game was deemed "highly playable" and "enjoyable," it was critiqued for lacking a substantial challenge. The early levels were characterized as "fairly easy," leading to speculation that completing the game might not require an extensive amount of time. In an InfoWorld article, Joaquin Boaz drew parallels between O'Riley's Mine and the Atari arcade game Dig Dug, highlighting the effective utilization of water dynamics and the element of fear. Boaz also lauded the inclusion of both a floppy disk and a cassette tape in the game package as a thoughtful touch.