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ColecoVision

Miner 2049er

ColecoVision

ColecoVision

As Bounty Bob, the player's goal is to inspect every section of each mine in search of the evil Yukon Yohan while avoiding the various radioactive creatures that inhabit the mine. As Bounty Bob walks over a section of flooring, it fills with color. To complete the level, every section of flooring...

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Developer
Big Five Software

Released on
1983

Size
1–2 Players

Version
ColecoVision

Requirements
ColecoVision

Downloads
Platform

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

As Bounty Bob, the player’s goal is to inspect every section of each mine in search of the evil Yukon Yohan while avoiding the various radioactive creatures that inhabit the mine. As Bounty Bob walks over a section of flooring, it fills with color. To complete the level, every section of flooring must be colored. There are ten mines in total (eleven in the ColecoVision port). Each level is timed and must be completed before the player runs out of oxygen.
Along the way, Bob encounters many objects left behind by past miners. By collecting these, bonus points are achieved and the radioactive creatures smile and turn green. While in this state, Bob can collect them and earn extra points.
Various obstacles in each mine aid and hinder Bob’s progress. Ladders allow him to climb up or down to the next platform, Matter transporters teleport him to other matter transporters in that mine, chutes slide Bob off a platform (often against his will), and pulverizers crush Bob if he gets in their way.
Most levels contain some custom element, which varies from level to level. Pressing the space bar for several seconds skips a level. On the Atari 800, the player can key in the phone number on the title screen, followed by a level number to skip to that level.

Miner 2049er

Overview & History

Released by Big Five Software and ported to the ColecoVision in 1983 by Parker Brothers, Miner 2049er stands as one of the most ambitious platforming achievements of the early 1980s. Following the adventures of Bounty Bob, a former Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer turned uranium miner, the game tasks players with securing the radioactive mines of the 2049er Mining Company from a sprawling infestation of mutant creatures and mechanical hazards. While the Atari 8-bit original was celebrated, the ColecoVision port delivered exceptionally vibrant arcade-quality graphics, crisp character sprites, and faithful renditions of the catchy, looping ragtime soundtrack that made exploring the subterranean shafts an absolute auditory and visual treat.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Unlike standard single-screen arcade games of its era, Miner 2049er features ten distinct, sprawling horizontal levels—far more than the mere two or three stages found in competing platformers like Donkey Kong. The core gameplay mechanic requires Bounty Bob to walk over every single floor segment in the mine to paint it a glowing white, signifying that the sector has been cleared. Players must carefully navigate moving elevators, perilous hydraulic lifts, deadly slides, and volatile radioactive waste while avoiding an assortment of scurrying mutants, bouncing radioactively charged blobs, and ticking time bombs. Along the way, Bob can collect high-scoring bonus items—such as pickaxes, flashlights, and sacks of uranium—or grab a temporal axe to temporarily turn the tables and smash through the mutant horde. Falling from too high a ledge or touching an enemy costs Bob a precious life, demanding precise calculation of momentum, ladder-climbing speed, and gravity across increasingly complex industrial mazes.