Lode Runner
Lode Runner | |
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Single-player |
Lode Runner is a
After the original game, a number of remakes, spin-offs and sequels were published in the Lode Runner series for different computers and consoles by different developers and publishers. Tozai Games holds the copyright and trademark rights.[6][7]
Gameplay
This section needs additional citations for verification. (November 2017) |
The player controls a stick figure who must collect all the gold in a level while avoiding guards who try to catch the player. After collecting all the gold, the player must reach the top of the screen to reach the next level. There are 150 levels in the game, which progressively challenge players' problem-solving abilities or reaction times.[8]
Levels have a multi-story, brick platform motif, with
The player can dig a hole only to either side of his position and may not dig directly beneath his own feet. In order to dig through multiple layers of bricks, the player must create a gap whose width is at least equal to the number of layers. However, exceptions to this rule arise when the player digs from the position of standing on a ladder, or hanging from a hand-to-hand bar, which allows the player to repeatedly dig and descend one row. This kind of digging is involved in solving many of the levels.
The player starts with five
Enemy AI
The guards do not always take the shortest path to the player and can move in counterintuitive ways. Sometimes, when the player and a guard are on the same ladder, for instance, the guard will move away from the player. In general, depending on their exact positioning relative to Lode Runner, the guards sometimes appear to be repelled. Mastering the game involves developing the intuition to predict the movement of the guards.
Permitted contact
The player may come into contact with a guard directly from above, with the stick figure's feet touching the guard's head. This is what enables the player to walk over guards who are temporarily stuck in a hole that has been dug. It is also possible to make this contact while both the guard and the player are in free fall, since the player not only runs faster than the guards, but also falls faster; moreover, it is possible to survive the feet-to-head contact while a guard is standing on a platform and begins to move. Both forms of contact are necessary to solve some levels. Sometimes it is necessary to liberate a trapped guard by digging while standing on his head but then moving rapidly in the opposite direction when the guard begins marching to freedom. In a few levels, it is necessary to use a falling guard as a bridge to reach an otherwise unreachable area. One subtlety is that if a down movement is initiated while standing on a guard's head, or briefly touching the guard's head during free fall, the consequences are fatal.
Trapping and using guards
In some levels, guards can be deliberately trapped in various ways. For instance, they can be lured into entering a part of the level from which there is no escape. In some situations, the player can liberate trapped guards by digging them out. In some levels, the player must exploit the guards by having them collect gold pieces which are positioned such that whoever collects them will become trapped. When the guard collects the piece and becomes trapped, the player can release the guard and then later steal the gold when the guard drops it or falls into a hole.
In some levels, there are gold pieces which can be collected only by killing guards by digging holes to trap them. Deceased guards come back to life from locations near the top of the screen, which may allow them to reach parts of the level that cannot be reached by the player.
Traversal orders
Some levels require careful ordering of traversal, because they are divided into zones connected by passages which are impossible to traverse in the reverse direction. If a gold piece remains in an unreachable zone, the player may have to abort the level to start again, losing a life, unless there is a way to coax a guard into bringing the gold.
Timing
Some of the game's puzzles in the advanced levels are time-sensitive. The player must dig in order to penetrate the interior of some cavern to collect gold, and quickly return the same way before the digging repairs itself, enclosing Lode Runner in that cavern with no means of escape.
Some puzzles require deliberate timing among the digging actions because Lode Runner must run over previously dug-out tiles that have just repaired themselves, while having enough time to pass through ones which have not yet repaired.
Development
Around late 1980, high school student James Bratsanos heard from a friend about a new arcade video game, Space Panic by Universal, which involves climbing platforms and ladders while digging holes to trap monsters. Bratsanos was intrigued by his friend's description of the concept, and he wanted to develop it further. He began writing a Commodore PET program, called Suicide, using simple text-based graphics. Due to his lack of programming experience, there were no pre-programmed levels, but he instead built "an engine that could interpret a game level and then run a processing loop on the monsters". This novel design later evolved into the concept of a level editor.[9][10]
At the
Over one weekend in 1982, Smith recreated a crude, playable version in 6502 assembly language on an Apple II+ and renamed the game Miner. Through the end of the year, he refined that version, which was black-and-white with no joystick support. He submitted a rough version to Broderbund around October 1982 and received a one-line rejection letter in response to the effect of "Thank you for submitting your game concept. Unfortunately, it does not fit within our product line."[11]
Miner, like its text-based Kong predecessors, had only simple animation where characters move across the screen in block increments. It was too primitive for an acceptable commercial product as Broderbund wanted detailed pixel-level movement.
Release and ports
This section needs additional citations for verification. (November 2017) |
Lode Runner was originally released on June 23, 1983.
The
An arcade version of Lode Runner was produced by Irem in 1984. It was notably the first time an American computer game was adapted into a Japanese arcade game.[16] It had some added features like the ability to hang off the ends of ladders and an improved enemy AI.
A port for the
Broderbund released an enhanced version, Championship Lode Runner, in 1985, with 50 levels and a higher difficulty. The company offered a commemorative certificate to anyone who could submit proof of having beaten the game (and submitted proof of purchase to show that their copy of the game was not pirated). It was ported to the Apple, Atari, C64, MSX, and IBM PC, as well as the NES (although that version did not reach North America).
The Atari 8-bit version of Lode Runner was converted to cartridge and re-released by Atari Corporation in 1987, as one of the series of releases for the Atari XEGS console. This version contains all 150 levels and the level editor, which requires a disk drive.
Reception
Lode Runner was very successful. It was Broderbund's second best-selling Commodore game as of late 1987,[18] and sales had surpassed 300,000 copies by August 1984.[19] It was the top-selling computer game in the United States during 1983. By 1985, the game had sold just as many copies in Japan.[16] As of 1999[update], Hudson Soft's Famicom (NES) version had sold about 1.5 million cartridges in Japan and all versions of the game had sold over 3 million units worldwide, including more than 2 million sales in Japan alone.[20]
By 1985, the game was still selling well, with Video magazine reporting that it was the 6th best-selling recreational title in March[28]: 35 and April of that year.[29]: 43 Zzap!64 called the Commodore 64 version "not one of the most recent games but certainly one of the best ... a classic for a long time to come ... graphically minuscule and aurally crude, the game's sheer addiction kept my eyes propped open until the owls went to bed".[30]
In 1984, Lode Runner was awarded "1984 Computer
Orson Scott Card wrote in Compute! in 1989 that its editor was the first game that let him and his family express their creativity through gaming.[38] Tetris designer Alexey Pajitnov stated in 2008 that Lode Runner was his favorite puzzle game for many years.[39]
Legacy
Title | Year released | Platforms | Developer(s) | Publisher(s) | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lode Runner | 1983 | Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, VIC-20, PC | Douglas E. Smith | Broderbund | The original game published by Broderbund, developed for Apple II, contained 150 levels and level editor. |
Lode Runner | 1984 | Macintosh | Glenn Axworthy | Broderbund | Macintosh port |
Lode Runner | 1984 | Famicom (1984), NES (1986) | Hudson Soft | Hudson Soft | 50 levels, scrolling screens, added music, graphics redone in a more cartoon-like style, fruits and vegetables randomly appear which may be grabbed for additional points, level editor. |
Championship Lode Runner | 1984 | Apple II, Commodore 64, VIC-20, ZX Spectrum, Atari 8-bit, SG-1000, MSX, Famicom, NEC PC Series | Broderbund, Compile Corporation (SG-1000 and MSX versions) | Broderbund, Hudson Soft (for Famicom), SEGA (for SG-1000), Sony (for MSX) | A direct sequel with 50 levels edited by fans and intended for expert play. This game was also scheduled to be released in Japan on October 27, 2009 on the Virtual Console. |
Lode Runner | 1984 | Arcade (Coin-operated JAMMA board)
|
Irem | Irem | 24 remixed levels from the 150 original 1983 levels but reduced to fit a smaller grid of 24x15. This was also the first time a game had transitioned from a home entertainment console to coin-operated arcade cabinet. |
Lode Runner: The Bungeling Strikes Back | 1984 | Arcade (Coin-operated Jamma board) | Irem | Irem | Consisted of 30 levels, with 10 of these based on the original set. |
Lode Runner II | 1985 | MSX | Douglas E. Smith | Broderbund | MSX version released in 1985 with 50 levels (22 original levels & 28 new levels) |
Lode Runner: The Golden Labyrinth (Majin No Fukkatsu) | 1985 | Arcade (Coin-operated Jamma board) | Irem | Irem | As with the other Irem arcade versions contained 30 levels inspired on the original set. |
Lode Runner's Rescue | 1985 | Atari 8-bit,[41] Commodore 64 | Joshua Scholar | Synapse Software | 3-D sequel with dozens of 3-D perspective levels and screen design editor. Computer Gaming World praised the Atari version's graphics but asked "How likely is it that a game with girls, mice, cats, and magic mushrooms should be called 'Lode Runner's Rescue'?" It speculated that the publisher put the series name on an unrelated game.[42] |
Lode Runner: Teikoku Karano Dasshutsu | 1986 | Arcade (Coin-operated Jamma board) | Irem | Irem | As with the other Irem arcade versions contained 30 levels inspired on the original set. |
Lode Runner Board Game[43] | 1986 | Board game | Don Carlston, Broderbund | Tsukuda Original | |
Super Lode Runner | 1987 | Famicom Disk System, MSX | Irem | Irem | |
Super Lode Runner II | 1987 | Famicom Disk System, MSX | Irem | Irem | |
Hyper Lode Runner | 1989 | Game Boy | Bandai | Bandai | |
Lode Runner: The Lost Labyrinth | 1990 | PC Engine | Pack-In-Video | Broderbund | |
Battle Lode Runner | 1993 | PC Engine (Japan only) | Hudson Soft | Hudson Soft | |
Lode Runner: The Legend Returns | 1994 | Windows, DOS, Mac OS, Saturn & PSX | Presage | Sierra Online | |
Lode Runner Twin | 1994 | SNES (Japan only) | T&E Soft | T&E Soft | |
Lode Runner Online: The Mad Monks' Revenge | 1995 | Windows, Mac OS | Presage | Sierra Online | |
Lode Runner | 1997 | Handheld dedicated keychain game | XING Entertainment | XING Entertainment | |
Lode Runner Extra | 1997 | Sega Saturn (Japan only) 1997, PSX 1998 | Game Arts Co. Ltd | PATRA (Sega), Natsume (PSX) | |
Lode Runner 2 | 1998 | Windows, Mac OS | Presage | GT Interactive & MacSoft | |
Lode Runner 3-D | 1999 | Nintendo 64 | Big Bang Software | Infogrames (U.S./Europe), Banpresto (Japan) | |
Power Lode Runner | 1999 | SNES (Japan only) | Atelier Double, Eye On, T&E Soft | Nintendo | |
Lode Runner: The Dig Fight | 2000 | Coin-operated Arcade (Japan only) | Psikyo | Psikyo | |
Lode Runner: The Dig Fight Version B | 2000 | Coin-operated Arcade (Japan only) | Psikyo | Psikyo | |
Lode Runner: WonderSwan | 2000 | WonderSwan (Japan only) | Banpresto | Banpresto | |
Lode Runner: Domudomu Dan no Yabou | 2000 | Game Boy Color | XING Entertainment | XING Entertainment | |
Lode Runner: Game Boy Advance | 2002 | Game Boy Advance | Success | Success | |
Cubic Lode Runner | 2003 | GameCube, PS2 (Japan only) | Hudson Soft | Hudson Soft | |
Lode Runner Mobile | 2004 | Mobile phone | FT Mobile | Hudson Soft | |
Lode Runner: Hudson Best Collection, Vol. 2 | 2005 | Game Boy Advance | Hudson Soft | Hudson Soft | |
Lode Runner DS | 2006 | Nintendo DS | Hudson Soft | Hudson Soft | |
Lode Runner Deluxe | 2006 | Mobile phone | Hudson Soft | Hudson Soft | |
Lode Runner | 2007 | Wii VC | Hudson Soft | Hudson Soft | Re-release of Lode Runner NES original & Battle Lode Runner originally for PC Engine. |
Lode Runner Mobile | 2008 | Mobile phone (Java) | Hudson Soft | Living Mobile | |
Lode Runner iPod | 2008 | iPod | Hudson Soft | Hudson Soft | Lode Runner was made available for the click-wheel version of Apple's iPod in mid-December 2008 with enhanced, scrolling graphics. It was released by HudsonSoft. It contains 130 levels and several tutorial videos.[44] |
Championship Lode Runner | 2009 | Wii VC | Hudson Soft | Hudson Soft | Re-release of Championship Lode Runner NES original (Japan only) |
Lode Runner | 2009 | Xbox 360 LIVE Arcade | Tozai Games/Southend Interactive | Tozai Games/Microsoft | |
Lode Runner X | 2012 | Xperia mobile devices, Android | Tozai Games/Southend Interactive | Tozai Games/Sony Ericsson | |
Lode Runner Classic | 2012 | Windows Phone 7, Android, iOS | Tozai Games/Studio Voltz | Tozai Games/Microsoft | |
Lode Runner Legacy | 2017 | Windows, MacOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PS4 | Tozai Games | Tozai Games | |
Lode Runner | 2022 | Atari 2600 | Dion Olsthoorn | Tozai Games | |
Untitled Lode Runner game | TBA[needs update] | Intellivision Amico | Made in partnership with Intellivision Entertainment.[45] |
Arcade
In 1984,
- Lode Runner: The Bungeling Strikes Back (1984), selecting 30 levels based on the original game developed for the arcade. The gameplay is almost exactly the same (save the addition of a two-player mode) and the only heavy modification was the graphics and advancement to a 512-color palette. In Japan, Game Machine listed Lode Runner: The Bungeling Strikes Back on their March 1, 1985 issue as the seventh most successful table arcade unit of the month.[48]
- Lode Runner: Majin No Fukkatsu (1985), also known as Lode Runner: The Golden Labyrinth, developed by Irem. In Japan, Game Machine listed it on their December 15, 1985 issue as the top-grossing table arcade unit during that month.[49] It went on to be Japan's ninth highest-grossing table arcade game during the first half of 1986.[50]
- Lode Runner: Teikoku Karano Dasshutsu (1986)
- Lode Runner: The Dig Fight (2000)
1990s
- Lode Runner: The Lost Labyrinth, 1990 updated version for the TurboGrafx-16featuring all 150 levels of the 1983 set.
- Lode Runner: The Legend Returns, a 1994 Sierra incarnation of the original game with enhanced graphics and tools.
- Lode Runner Online: The Mad Monks' Revenge, the 1995 remake which replaced all the elements of the previous plus new online play.
- Lode Runner 2 (1998), a game with isometric 3D gameplay.
- Lode Runner (1998), a compilation game for PlayStation, which includes Lode Runner: The Legend Returns and Lode Runner Extra.
- Lode Runner 3-D (1999) for the Nintendo 64.
Several versions of Lode Runner were not released in the U.S., such as Lode Runner Twin and Power Lode Runner (1999,
The NES version, developed by Hudson Soft, marked the first appearance of Bombermen as the opposing robots.[53] The end screen to Bomberman for the NES notes that the original White Bomberman has turned human and hints at his appearance in another game, with the Lode Runner behind him. In the Japanese version, the reference is more direct: "Congratulations - Bomber Man becomes Runner - See you again in Lode Runner".
In Japan, the Famicom version of Lode Runner allows editing and creating levels to share with friends using a Famicom Data Recorder.[54]
Hudson Soft released a version of Lode Runner for Nintendo DS in 2006.[55]
An unreleased version of the game for the Atari Lynx was discovered in 2008 on an old Atari Corp. hard drive.[56]
2000s
A remake of Lode Runner, developed by Tozai and Southend Interactive, was released on April 22, 2009. The game features revamped 3D graphics, additional game modes, cooperative and competitive multiplayer support, six new block types and a level editor, as well as live leaderboards and a timeline of the game's history.[57][58]
2010s
Lode Runner Classic was made available as an Xbox Live enhanced game for Windows Phone 7 series of phones on July 18, 2012. It features the graphics, gameplay, and 150 levels from the original Lode Runner game.[59] Lode Runner Classic was released for iOS and Android phones on January 17, 2013.[60]
2020s
A new Lode Runner game was announced for the Intellivision Amico. It is being made in partnership between Intellivision Entertainment and Tozai Games.[61]
Dion Olsthoorn licensed the original Lode Runner from Tozai to create a version for the Atari 2600.[62] The ZeroPage Homebrew channel featured the gameplay and an interview with the programmer on their Twitch Livestream on October 8, 2022.[63]
See also
- Mr. Robot and His Robot Factory (1984)
- Ultimate Wizard(1984)
- Ladder (video game) (1982)
References
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- ^ Mike Fahey (21 August 2012). "Nearly Thirty Years Old, and Lode Runner Is Still Kicking My [Butt]". Kotaku. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
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- ^ Thomas Schulenberg (13 September 2014). "Lode Runner Creator Douglas E. Smith Passes Away". Engadget. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
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External links
- Lode Runner series at MobyGames
- Lode Runner at the Killer List of Videogames
- Lode Runner can be played for free in the browser at the Internet Archive
- Lode Runner can be played for free in the browser
- The Lode Runner Museum
- The Lode Runner PC-98Version Museum