Game Revolution writes: "Lode Runner can be considered one of the first puzzle games from the third generation (many consider it the second) of popular home consoles (a.k.a., the NES era) that has spawned ports on just about every other console during its time and, well, now (Nintendo DS, iPod). Solidly based on past arcade classics, Lode Runner propelled itself as a seminal puzzle game, with smart levels and hectic action that set itself apart from the slower-paced, more strategic puzzlers of its time. So when SouthEnd Interactive, the studio behind Commanders: Attack of the Genos and R-Type Dimensions, decided to bring Lode Runner to Xbox 360's Live Arcade, they had their work cut out for them."
+ Retains classic Lode Runner feel
+ Tight controls
+ Challenging to the bone
+/- Hit-or-miss graphics
- 1200 points might be pushing it
- Level editor not user-friendly
- Short-lived online multiplayer
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.
