This is my favorite game of all time. When I first bought my Commodore 64 in 1983, this was the game I played the most often. The goal of Lode Runner is simple, and can be learned in less than five minutes. Essentially, you try to maneuver your way through a series of levels without getting killed. The levels are designed like brick walkways, and there are ladders that allow you to climb from one walkway to the next. There are a variety of enemies in Lode Runner who will try to stop you, and you are constantly being chased, so the excitement level is always high.
Your only major weapon is the ability to freeze these enemies, by creating holes in the brick walkway (they fall in and get trapped) but that only stops them for a few moments. Eventually, they unfreeze and they start chasing you again. So there is rarely a dull moment with this game. This is quite a bit like the coin arcade games of the same time period, but I remember finding this game a lot more entertaining than most of those games. I also remember being glued to my seat for hours on end trying to get from one level to the next. Lode Runner is really addictive, and I can't think of too many games in the early 1980s that really matched
it in terms of sheer fun.
There are a large number of levels to go through in Lode Runner, and each one is designed differently. Each level has a special challenge that you usually have to figure out - a bit like figuring out a separate puzzle or a maze each time. So you have to use your wits as well as your reflexes. It's pretty clear that the game designers spent a lot of time designing each level and making them all very entertaining and increasingly complex. This keeps the game fresh and also enhances the replay value. In short, Lode Runner is a simple game, but hugely enjoyable.
I wish they still made games like Lode Runner -- fun games, but not overly complex and drawn out. This game doesn't need a 600-page manual to understand. So, in short, don't miss an opportunity to play this game. If you've never played it before, you're really in for a treat. In my opinion, it will provide you with hours upon hours of entertainment. It's a blast!
