Lode Runner

The Good
This is the first game I can remember playing that successfully combined action and puzzle solving into a compelling experience. Some levels took seconds to solve, later ones minutes. Some I never solved more than once.

But most importantly, this game allowed users--kids like me--to create their own levels. Never before was such a facility included with a computer game before. It included the first true level editor, so players could create and play their own experiences. With the exception of Pinball Construction Set, I can remember no early home computer era game that allowed such a feature.

But even without the level editor, the game provided an addictive challenge despite the limitations of the early home computers.

The Bad
Some of the levels I thought were just too darn hard, especially so early on. The Apple II controls were a bit tricky to get the hang of, but they really couldn't have been implemented better. The Apple II joysticks just weren't great.

The Bottom Line
An addictive rush of treasure grabbing! Puzzle solving and action combined in an early game with lots of polish.

The Good
Lode Runner was a platform game created by Doug E. Smith in 1983. Whereas most platform games at the time relied on precision jumps and movement, Lode Runner was puzzle-oriented. It was also one of the first games to be ported to the arcade after having received numerous home computer ports, courtesy of Irem who licensed the game from Brøderbund Software. This version of the game features 24 remixed levels out of the original game’s 150 levels.

If you are not familiar with the game’s concept, the objective is to get a certain number of gold nuggets while trying to avoid enemies that chase you around the screen. You are equipped with a laser that is used to vaporize any brick walls adjacent to the player, creating holes for anyone to fall through, including yourself.

This is much similar to what the player has to do in Apple Panic, another Brøderbund game; except in that game you have to dig the hole back up. In fact, vaporizing brick walls is essential considering that some enemies will steal gold and you have to get it back to complete the level. One of the enemies will flash to let you know who stole it. You have to complete a level in a certain amount of time, and a warning beep will sound if you are running out.

There are 255 levels you can play through, but once you have finished 24 levels, the game loops back to level one, but at this point the game’s level is still 25. If you manage to complete all 255 levels, the game will crash after that. This is similar to what happens in Pac-Man, but that game glitches out instead. You may be thinking that this information should have been placed in “The Bad” section, but why would you want to play the same levels over and over again?

The enemies come in various forms such as cavemen, spiders, slinkies, and even the robot from Drol. A cut-scene is triggered every three levels and shows the player entering what looks like a huge safe. The game also lets you know what kind of enemies you’ll be up against. The graphics and animations are good. The same transitions that occur between levels make a return, and the enemies behave the same way. I liked watching you climb across the rungs like a monkey, as well as the dance both characters perform when they fall down holes.

Unlike the majority of computer ports, there is background music while you play, and it is the same no matter what level you’re on. It is memorable, and it blends with the overall theme of the game. Apart from that, another piece is heard while the cut-scene plays.

The Bad
There is nothing bad about this game.

The Bottom Line
Lode Runner is one of the few games out there that made its debut on home systems before making its way into the arcades. As a result, this version of the game is much better in terms of quality. The game mechanics are still intact, but the 24 levels of the original game are remixed, background music has been added, and cut-scenes are introduced. In my opinion, this is a version worth playing. It must have been a success, because there are three arcade sequels.

The Good
Action was at the center of this game. While Big Top had a slow and dull pace, this one was more satisfying as you were able to fool the bad guys at will by trapping them in the holes you burned in the ground. Thus, instead of simply fleeing them, you were able to trap them. The action was fast enough considering the speed the good old 4.77 Mhz PC was able to offer.

Although a "ladder" game was nothing original back then, there was one special thing this game had: customizable levels. If you ever found that the 150 standard levels were not good enough, you were able to edit your own levels and save them on disk. This might not sound so hot today, but it was the first graphic game that I've personnaly been able to edit myself. This added a lot of pleasure and value.

The Bad
Alhough the game was not bad, it was yet another one based on ladders and small men running everywhere. As it has been the case with 3D shooters for many years now, this style of game have been used ad nauseam in the early 80s and it was harder and harder to be original. No wonder Pac-Man has been such a hit not long afterwards.

The Bottom Line
A traditionnal ladder-and-layer game where you must flee or trap bad guys coming to get you while collecting items that will let you enter the next level. What is particular with this one is the ability to "modify" the layers by burning holes through them (thus avoiding the ladders) and creating your own levels.

Sierra published a remake a few years ago which had full-blown graphics and music. I tried the demo and it was not bad, although I would have waited for the game to be in a bargain bin before buying it.