Lode Runner

[Regus]

Synopsis, stolen from some web site:

Lode Runner is one of the longest running (no pun intended), and most popular, video games of all time. The object of the game is for you, Jake Peril, to win back treasures stolen by the Evil Empire. The treasures are guarded by Mad Monks with bad attitudes. Originally titled "Kong" (because of similarities to Donkey Kong) Lode Runner was developed by Doug Smith in 1983. He wrote the code in Fortran at the University of Washington in Seattle and it ran on ASCII terminals. The bricks were solid block characters, the player was a dollar sign, and the bad guys were paragraph symbols, basically a backwards capitol P with a double vertical line. Everyone thought they looked like cobras, and referred to them as snakes. The next version was called Miner. It was written by Doug on an Apple II+. He originally wanted to keep the bad guys as snakes, slithering around the screen, but we're glad we ended up with Monks... Doug submitted Miner to four video game marketing companies, including Brøderbund, and was given an advance to complete the game. Brøderbund asked for 150 levels, and a new title page for a new name: Lode Runner.

Games:

Apple II - Lode Runner
Arcade - Lode Runner
Atari - 5200 Lode Runner
Atari - 7800 Lode Runner
Commodore 64 - Lode Runner
GameBoy Color - Lode Runner
Macintosh - Lode Runner
NES - Lode Runner
PlayStation - Lode Runner
SG-1000 - Lode Runner
TurboGrafx - 16 Lode Runner
WonderSwan - Lode Runner

Apple II - Championship Lode Runner

Arcade Lode Runner - Golden Labyrinth
Lode Runner - Majin No Fukkatsu
Lode Runner - Teikoku Karano Dasshutsu
Lode Runner - The Bungeling Strikes Back
Lode Runner: The Dig Fight

Famicom Disc System - Super Lode Runner
Super Lode Runner II

GameBoy - Hyper Lode Runner
NES Championship - Lode Runner
Nintendo 64 - Lode Runner 3D

PC (DOS/Windows) - Lode Runner 2
Lode Runner: The Legend Continues

PlayStation - Lode Runner 2
Lode Runner Extra
Lode Runner: The Legend Returns

Saturn - Lode Runner Extra
Lode Runner: The Legend Returns

SG-1000 - Championship Lode Runner

Super Nintendo - Lode Runner Twin
Power Lode Runner

TurboGrafx 16 - Battle Lode Runner

Truely an amazing peice of software. My only experience with the series is with the PC version of The Legend Returns, which came free with my PC back in 1995. To this day I am amazed at how great this game is. Easily, one of the best puzzle games I have ever played. One of these days I'm going to actually buy the PSX version, its been sitting in my local funco for ages.


If you've never played the game, don't fret, you can download both the legend returns, and the online version here:

http://www.frag1.com/~loderunner


And no, these are not warez, Seirra has declared the programs to be abandonware, which are free for all.



Any fans?

[DacaZ]

I got my start with the Commodore 64 version and later graduated to the PC version. I never owned it on a console.

The game itself was incredible enough, but the level editor kept me busy for countless nights, seeing what kind of devious situations I can come up with... designing, testing, tweaking, oh... what fun!

It's worthy of a place among the highest echelons of gamedom.

[sleeve]

I owned the Atari 400/800, PC, Apple II, and NES versions. The NES rev is actually quite good and has the level editor and some nice graphics.

Broderbund is one of the few American game publishers that managed to achieve major success in Japan. Both Raid on Bungling Bay and Lode Runner sold extremely well on several platforms.

[NeoZeedeater]

I haven't played it in years but I always liked it. You know a game is on virtually every format imaginable when there are SG-1000 versions.

[Teddman]

I played the Commodore version a bit, but loved Lode Runner: The Legend Returns on PC circa 1994. Played it to the very end and enjoyed it thoroughly.

But my favorite yet might be Lode Runner 3D on the N64. What a great translation to 3D the game made in that title. I've only played about a third of the game, but I was having a blast so far.

[Tain]

I love Lode Runner. In every way, shape, and form.

But, my favorite might be Lode Runner 2 for the PC. I suggest you try it out, Regus. Yeah, it's isometric, and can get kinda confusing, but it's still great fun.

Legend Returns is probably right behind that.

I want to try Lode Runner 3D...

[The Ampersand]

Oh god, what did I do with that game?

I think I still have it on a few 1.4" floppies around here somewhere. I just got a craving to play some more.