From one classic to another today in the Your Sinclair Top 100. We lay down our chosen weapon and drag ourselves out from the dungeons of Gauntlet to climb the many ladders littered within No.#37 as we are hunted within bricked realm of Lode Runner, from Software Projects Ltd.
Lode Runner was originally conceived way back on the Apple II – in 1982 – by the late Douglas E. Smith. Originally titled Kong, then Miner until it received its real name of Lode Runner, it was first published by Brøderbund before the vast number of conversions started appearing all across the globe, arriving on the ZX Spectrum in 1984, programmed by David J. Anderson, Ian Morrison.
In Lode Runner you play a highly trained Galactic Commando dropped deep within enemy territory, as power hungry swines from an evil empire have stolen all of the gold from the peace loving people and you’re going to get it back. Using all of your training you’ll be climbing, shimmying across wires, dodging oncoming soldiers as they attempt to corner you and drilling holes with you laser pistol to make a quick escape. You need to be both full of smarts and quick of wits in Lode Runner as the Empire will be sending their best.
Lode Runner on initial glance may look like a bunch of stick figures and a few dodgy brick platforms, but within a mere few minutes of playing you’ll soon see that Doug Smith’s classic is truly way more that this. Here is a cat and mouse game that constantly keeps you on your toes, as the Empire’s AI within the Soldiers is surprisingly scary for the year of release. We all know that there is no real AI within this machine, however watching them split up to corner you, you could almost believe they’ve whispered amongst themselves before they’ve set off. It is such a simple game to pick up that anyone can play it. The levels have got a perfect learning curve to them also; there is truly nothing difficult with Lode Runner – expect of course trying to turn it off.
Lode Runner is a simple game in concept, but comes with so much gameplay you are hooked by the time the first Game Over appears.
Originally published July 22, 2016. Updated June 30, 2023.
