My Played Video Games Review: Lode Runner for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
Lode Runner is a 2D type puzzle platform video game, published by Broderbund in 1983. It was released by Hudson Soft for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1984 (USA release in 1986) and became one of the early games made for the system.
I have played this game through Chinese-pirated compilation games cartridges sold regularly in stores during the early 1990s in my country.
The Story
You are a well-trained Galactic Commando, shit-deep in enemy territory. Your mission is to recover the gold, stolen from the people by their corrupt leaders.
You will be running, jumping, climbing, and solving puzzles. With your laser blaster, you will drill passageways through floors and barriers. To get through this mission, you will need more than quickness and brains. You will need a little luck.
The Graphics and Sound
The graphics of Lode Runner looks kind of cartoony and were considered pretty above average at the time of release. It does not seem to be bad at all.
I like the game sound effects. But the music was pretty bad. The level songs were just the same tune in variety of pitches, but then go over again. Not much to complain about there.
The Gameplay
Every level's objective is to collect all the gold. It looks easy but the cute graphics can fool you. The only thing that you can do is dig holes in front of you. This is to trap enemies who are chasing you or to fall down to collect the gold.
You are gonna have to use your damn brain if you wanna have a chance of getting through in this game. Everything in a level is smartly placed, so that you'll only be able to get some gold by digging in the right place.
The game is going to be slowly challenging as you get through levels, and sometimes kinda frustrating when you can not figure out how to finish a level. However, if you scrape your brain well, you are sure to discover the way through.
My Verdict
If you're tired of playing the modern games, you should damn give Lode Runner a try. It is a pretty unique game, but quite challenging. It is addicting as well.
If you can get past this game without cheating, then you're a puzzle game genius. Overall, the game is pretty fun, especially if you like older arcade-style games.
Go play this game on the NES or on emulators to ease some boredom off your life.