Lode Runner

50 Levels of Pixilated Robots, Bricks, Ladders, Ropes, and...uh... Bricks is More Fun Than Previously Assumed

User Rating: 7.5 | Lode Runner NES

By DogLion | Review Date: April 25, 2008

I recently purchased Lode Runner on the virtual console. I first heard of the game some 10 years ago, but never had any interest in playing it. If you like action-puzzle games, I definitely would pick this one up.

While the older version of the game supports 150 levels, the NES version shortened it to 50. The concept is simple collect all the gold in a level while avoiding the Robots (who look like Bomberman ) to advance to the next.

You can fall from anywhere in the screen without dying a Donkey Kong death. (It's happened to all of you out there.) You can't jump, (boo) but you can climb ladders and ropes like Superman on speed. Your only defense from the robots is a weird power to make bricks disappear, thus creating a trap to either slow down the robots, or crush them Death Star trash compacter style. The clever/dumb as the "friend code system" enemies (it seems to vary level to level) will follow you anywhere. One touch from them and your dead. In the panic of running you may slip into one of your own traps. As said before, you can't jump. At this point, you have 2 options. Die, or press select to start the level over.

The VC's support of a save system is nice but not necessary with this game. When you start a level, you can press select then A or B to cycle through all of the 50 stages.

All in all this game is wonderful. I know that there are dozens of other versions of this game on multiple platforms. So far, this is the only version I've played. But give it a chance, it's defiantly worth $5.


~Sqdl

Other Helpful Reviews for Lode Runner

• Rating:7.6

  I played this game when I visited my cousin in Japan back about 15 years ago now... and this is what i remember...

  By mushroomer | Review Date: Jun 11, 2007 | NES

  I remember the game being very difficult. You must quickly collect gold piles to unlock the exit from each room. But there were these guys that chased you around and you had to dig holes for them to fall into. If you ... Read Full Review

  7 of 13 users found the following review helpful
• Rating:7

  For a game with extremely simplistic graphics, "Lode Runner" was a fun game, which was a joy to play hour afte

  By Defender_502 | Review Date: Dec 10, 2006 | NES

  “Lode Runner” was a simple game from 1987 in which the player controlled a pixilated character that made his way around a play area that bore more than a passing resemblance to the original “Donkey Kong” screens, lots of... Read Full Review

  1 of 1 users found the following review helpful