Lode Runner

 

Here's another example of a game defeated by its time of arrival: Lode Runner is a classic action-puzzler, and it's a game design worth checking out... except its own superior sequel has also since been released and is a much better investment. Battle Lode Runner, while not a spectacular title on its own has enhanced graphics, sound and array of gameplay options look quite a bit more attractive when compared to this NES original.

Lode's all about the gold -- he loves the stuff. He collects it by the pile, running through a darkened world of bricks and ladders to find it. He can't jump, which complicates matters a bit as he sprints around each maze, but he can dig holes.

It’s rare that a platformer on the App Store will take you by surprise. They usually follow a simple pattern – a couple of buttons, a decent level of challenge, and levels that are designed to test your reactions rather than your intelligence.

Which is what makes Lode Runner 1 such an enticing prospect. Sure it’s based on a game that’s more than 30 years old, but the mechanics of the original haven’t really been exploited in any way since. And that means coming to it with a modern head on your shoulders makes for a really engaging experience.

The timing could have been a bit better for this as the far superior Battle Lode Runner for the TurboGrafx became available on the Virtual Console only two months ago. Is there a reason to bother with the NES original when for just 100 more points you could be enjoying better graphics, music and a whole host of new gameplay options? As this game is a big of an old classic we might as well try to give it a fair hearing; here goes!

For those not in the know, our pal Lode is a greedy sort. He loves nothing more than collecting gold wherever he goes. Sadly he hasn’t acquired the much-needed ability to jump, so we’re reliant on his excellent digging abilities to find our way around. Things couldn’t be much simpler; one button lets you dig to your left, the other to your right. Digging the land below you allows you to access parts of the maze beneath, or cleverly create a hole for your adversaries to get trapped in! If you so much as touch a bad guy then its curtains for you, so you’ll need to keep on your toes at all times.

When Lode Runner first debuted on home computers in 1983, its compelling mix of fast-paced action and puzzling level design made it an addictive hit that was unlike anything that had come before. More than 25 years later, there's still nothing else quite like Lode Runner, and the new version on the Xbox Live Arcade proves that the unique gameplay is every bit as engaging today as it was then. This release also tosses in some terrific co-op content that makes this gold-hunting adventure as enjoyable for a twosome as it is for solo runners.

 Your one and only method of interaction with the environment is to dig -- the B Button digs on your left, the A Button on your right. It's not so much digging, though, as it is just pointing at a brick and making it disappear. Removing the masonry serves two purposes: it allows you access to levels of the labyrinth buried underneath, and it allows you to create pitfalls to capture assaulting enemies. Old-school Hudson fans will recognize the foes as none other than Bomberman. Or Bombermen, rather, the faceless, multiple clones of the Hudson hero. They won't attack with explosives, though, just themselves -- one touch is all it takes to rid you of your life.

So Lode Runner's a fairly basic action-puzzler overall. You avoid the enemies, collect the gold, and climb the ladder to the next stage to rinse and repeat the whole process. It can be an addictive design, and was remarkably popular back in the '80s. This NES edition was just one of several ports the game had at the time, most of the others going to various home computer platforms of the day.
This is the sort of game you’re going to accidentally lose a couple of nights to. It’s fun, it’s flash, and while it derives its challenge from places other than the speed of your fingers, it’s still going to push your gaming talents to a decent degree.
The controls here are pretty simple. You’ve got a four-button dpad on the left of the screen, and two buttons on the right. You move around with the dpad, navigating levels made up of floors, ladders, and bars that you can swing across.

It’s with the other two buttons that things get interesting. These fire a laser beam down and to the left or right. You can use these to dissolve certain patches of the levels. This isn’t just a way of getting around, it’s your only weapon against the scuttling robots that patrol the game.

The gameplay is as basic as it comes. You just avoid the enemies, collect all the gold and use the ladder to get to the next stage – simple! It’s all good fun for a while, but like many games of this era it could use some extra game modes to spice things up. So we end up coming back full circle to the superior Battle Lode Runner gloating over its NES counterpart safe in the knowledge that its five player battle mode makes it streets ahead of the competition.

There is a two player mode in the NES version, but it is not simultaneous. You take turns to challenge each other for the high score. There is also a mode which allows you to creates your own stages which is a nice touch, but predictably the TurboGrafx version outshines in this department as well.

 As the eponymous hero, you're on a quest for gold, and the game's main Journey mode has 80 increasingly challenging two-dimensional levels that you run around while attempting to collect the precious metal, all the while avoiding the rapid, relentless pursuit of robots, monks, abominable snowmen, and other villains. You can run left or right, climb ladders, and move hand over hand along ropes and other overhead objects. You can't jump, but you do have one trick up your sleeve, which, more than anything else, defines Lode Runner and sets it apart from other platformers.

That's the blasting mechanic. You have a handy blaster that lets you destroy certain types of blocks, provided that they're beneath you to your left or right. The tricky level designs require you to make smart use of your blaster to access all the gold, and you can also use it to create traps for any pursuing enemies. Your enemies move along predictable patterns, but that doesn't mean they're stupid. On the contrary, they're very good at cornering you, and their patterns are tough to outsmart, so you'll rarely feel safe. Indeed, their relentless pursuit can be nerve-wracking, and one touch from an enemy means instant death. But if you blast a block and then an enemy runs into that spot, he'll fall into it, letting you safely run across his head and collect any gold he may have been carrying. You'll need to be careful and plan ahead, though, because it's easy for you to end up trapping yourself. The combination of platforming, which requires you to think fast and move fast to stay ahead of your pursuers, and puzzling level design makes Lode Runner that rare game that's as mentally engaging as it is thrilling. And while the nuances of Lode Runner's unique gameplay carry with them a learning curve, the tutorials do a fine job of bringing newcomers up to speed on the fundamentals.

It’s hard to knock this game too hard because there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the gameplay on offer. Our recommendation would be to skip this and get Battle Lode Runner instead; only the most hardened NES gamer should be nostalgic enough to invest in this version.
Your aim is to collect all the gold pieces on a level. Once you’ve grabbed them all the exit opens. Get there and you’ll move on to the next challenge. It’s easier said than done though, and while the first few levels walk you through everything you need to know about the game, the deeper you get into things the more complex it all becomes.
 The question, then, goes back to one of value: as Lode Runner now sits opposed that other ported version, Battle Lode Runner. It's no contest, unfortunately. Battle Lode Runner's much more robust. It looks better, it sounds better, and it even supports up to five players at once in simultaneous multiplayer battle matches. This NES Lode Runner doesn't have all that. Sure it has a multiplayer mode, but it's just an alternating, back-and-forth competition between two people that challenge for a high score. Not simultaneous play. There's an Edit Mode that lets you create your own stages, which was novel for an NES title, but again, the TurboGrafx Battle edition did that better, too.

The one thing Lode Runner purists may prefer about this version is its sense of speed. NES Lode Runner is faster and more frantic than the more-forgiving Battle edition, and represents a greater challenge in that way. But then, again, true Lode Runner purists would also know that there's a superior version for that aspect too, in the form of Championship Lode Runner: a later NES release that took the design to its most intense extreme.
The robots will pick up any gold they wander past, and there are different kinds of androids out to get you. Some patrol specific areas, but others will chase you once you’ve grabbed the first coin. Things get pretty frantic when there’s a couple of bots chasing you and a third that’s about to join in.

But the game gives you more than enough to make it out of even the stickiest situations. You need to learn how things work, and understand that there are times when you’re going to have to outthink your robotic foes rather than just trying to scramble past them.

It makes for an experience that’s closer to a puzzler than a platformer. There’s action here, don’t get me wrong, but a good plan will more often than not trump the speed that your fingers can dart across the controls. And that’s a trend that I’d definitely like to see more of on mobile.
Lode Runner 1 might have 30 year old DNA in its make up, but there’s something about the game that makes it feel like it’s always belonged on mobile. The panic is inherent in the things that are happening, rather than in the ineffectiveness of the controls you’re given to deal with them.

This is a smart and engaging platformer that does things differently. It might not offer the thrills and spills of a hardcore leaper, but there’s something much more interesting going on here, something that’s likely to get its claws into you pretty quickly.

If you’re a fan of the original, or if you’ve never even heard of Lode Runner before, this is a brilliant and intelligent platformer that deserves to be played by as many people as possible.