These later games are harder to find in playable form nowadays, but well worth the effort. From the unoriginally titled “Lode Runner 2” to the slightly overdramatized, but probably superior, “Lode Runner: The Legend Returns,” there has never been a “Lode Runner” game that has fallen short. But it was successful enough to spawn a series of equally fun, but increasingly complex, sequels. “Lode Runner” is quite primitive, as every game was in 1983. Building the most difficult-but-possible level imaginable, then watching friends suffer through it, keeps “Lode Runner” entertaining far longer than the single-player mode alone allows. Even with only seven or so parts to choose from and a small space in which to build, there are endless possibilities. But with “Lode Runner,” it’s a refreshingly seamless and intuitive process. Level editors are extremely hit-or-miss these days, and the programming of many games is too complicated to allow players to make anything of their own. Secondly, and much more importantly, “Lode Runner” was one of the first games to let players design their own levels. First of all, the game offers a two-player mode, which lets you compete against a friend, though not at the same time. Still, the experience doesn’t have to end once all the levels are complete. With only 50 levels and no noticeable increase in difficulty between them, the single-player game is short and sweet. While the tiny color spectrum doesn’t make for a visually stimulating experience, there’s never any confusion about what’s going on, which can’t be said for most other games from the early ’80s. They come in an amazing spectrum of colors, namely orange and gray. The levels are laid out on an invisible grid and feature brick floors, indestructible metal floors, ladders and poles for climbing on monkey bars-style. This is game strategy in its most simple form. The blaster must also be used to access new areas of the level. He carries a drill and/or blaster and/or magical powers (it’s hard to tell with 1983 graphics) which he can use to delete the floor tile on either side of him, creating a pit into which his strange pursuers blindly fall. The mysterious man does not come unarmed. Once a player collects all the gold, he must navigate his way to a ladder that appears at the top of the level and make his escape. In “Lode Runner,” the player controls a man in what appear to be 8-bit overalls, guiding him through levels to collect gold while avoiding evil men in white spacesuits. At least that’s one possible story, as the game offers no explanation or plot of any kind. “Lode Runner” is the tale of a gold hunter who made a lot of enemies in his days on the prowl. Mario did it, Zelda did it and, though not as many people may recognize its name, “Lode Runner” did it. I haven’t try the local multiplayer mode, the online multiplayer found no random games for me to join, and, like in the original game, the level editor doesn’t appeal to me.Every so often a game comes along that’s so wonderfully simple, intuitive and entertaining that it sparks a franchise. I’ve so far played Mad Monks’ Revenge for only a handful of minutes, but I’ll be exploring it further. Later levels feature bombs and other unique tools and mechanics. There were some new mechanics as well, such as a red key to unlock a corresponding red door, though I couldn’t figure out how to actually collect the key, despite having gotten all the level’s gold. Before long, I was dashing up ladders, burying monks, and capturing gold. But the controls default to a numerical keypad, so I connected an extended keyboard and was up and running - and digging! Mad Monks’ Revenge starts off with some enemy-free levels as an opportunity to get to know the miner’s abilities. Alas, I was quickly stymied: none of the keyboard inputs worked at all, even after I\ remapping them. There’s even a turbo mode that emulates my childhood experience of playing Lode Runner on an accelerated Apple IIe.Īfter Stavros and I said our goodbyes, I downloaded the Mac version of the Definitive Edition to my laptop. It is actively supported, with the latest version having been released just this month, yet it features full compatibility with any custom levels released for the the original Mad Monks’ Revenge. It runs on Mac, Windows, and Linux, uses the same graphics and sounds as the 1995 original, and optionally features the same bugs. Fortunately, Stavros pointed me to a modern alternative to emulating these classics: an unofficial modern port of Mad Monks’ Revenge, dubbed the Definitive Edition.
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