Console Monster writes: "It's common knowledge that the Xbox LIVE Arcade is full of titles, and that a number of them are re-makes of true classics. This includes the likes of Pac-Man: Championship Edition, Galaga Legions and R-Type Dimensions, well you can now add Lode Runner to the ever-growing list. Originally releasing in 1983, Lode Runner was ahead of its time, by being one of the first games to contain a level editor. Sixteen years on and the game has released on the Xbox LIVE Arcade as part of the 'Days of Arcade' campaign.
The goal in Lode Runner is simple: Collect all the gold without making contact with the enemy robots or getting yourself killed, using a floor-destroying gun. The gun can only destroy weaker floors to the left and right of the game's unnamed character, and not directly underneath him. Destroying the floor offers new pathways to gold, but can also prevent the enemy from moving for a few seconds if they happen to fall into it. If an enemy happens to make contact with the player, a life is lost and the level is restarted; losing all your lives results in Game Over. More lives can be obtained through a bonus level at the end of each level, in which clever thinking is required..."
Before Super Mario Maker, there was this 1983 personal computer classic.
I remember playing this on the VIC-20. Fun game but I never did finish it though.
A great game. There was a cool remake by Sierra in 1994 for Windows and Macs (also released on PS1 and Saturn) which had nicely detailed animation and environmental sounds. I remember being sucked into that one for hours as a kid, creating fiendish levels my friends didn't want to play.
NLife:
"Broderbund's Lode Runner is a challenging puzzler that, unfortunately, hasn't aged particularly gracefully. Originally released in 1983 on computers like the Apple II and the Commodore 64, Lode Runner feels dated, even for an NES game. It's easy to see the reason Lode Runner was released on so many different platforms over the years — there's a wealth of gameplay with clever level design and a level editor — but there's nothing here that offers anything that today's gamers haven't seen before. Games like Spelunky have expanded greatly on Lode Runner's gameplay; as such, this is only recommended for gamers who want to take a trip back in time to see what we've learned from the classics."
Douglas E. Smith, creator of Lode Runner, has regrettably passed away.
