The original Lode Runner is perceptibly one of the most influential, important games out there. In ‘83, the game was released on the Apple II to a crowded market that lead to the near-collapse of the industry as a whole. Lode Runner differentiated itself through its revelatory in-game level editor, one of the first of its kind. The franchise has since gone on to be released on nearly every major gaming platform, with some questionable tweaks to the formula and other “enhancements” made along the way. The Xbox Live Arcade version of Lode Runner, however, reconnects the aging series with its origins, offering up one of the better entries since its formative years.
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.
