Please Wait, Now ‘Lode-ing’

If a museum is ever built that honors the history of gaming, there is little doubt that classics like Space Invaders, Pac-Man, and Pong would be predominantly featured. Each of these titles has had numerous sequels, and has influenced a myriad of additional games- from thinly-veiled clones, to diversions that advance each game’s unique mechanic. After playing Lode Runner, a remake of the twenty-five year old classic, a curator would be forced to highlight this influential title.

Although the game drew heavily from arcade game Space Panic (and its home interpretation, Apple Panic), it was one of the first titles to include a level editor that allowed players to design their own creations. As a child, I spent hours constructing screens filled with ladders, hanging bars, and brickwork; being able to design a level proved even more compelling than playing one.  Tozai Games and Southend Interactive’s skillful interpretation of Lode Runner, now available on the Xbox Live Arcade, managed to bring me back to the enjoyment of the main campaign.

With four screens of play statistics, twelve achievements, cooperative and competitive multiplayer (both online and local), along with a puzzle, journey and endurance mode, the developers crammed as much content into their creation as possible. Although some players may initially balk at the game’s fifteen dollar cost, Lode Runner feels much more complete that most Live Arcade offerings. I appreciate a title that offers a comprehensive package upfront, instead of using a piece-meal approach that leaves gamers with an abbreviated experience.

For the initiated, Lode Runner’s rules are delightfully condensed. Players use the left stick to maneuver the protagonist around a 2D environment filled with platforms, ladders, and high beams that the player traverses in an effort to amass all the level’s gold collectables. Unlike most games in the genre, there is no jumping. However, players can fall downward from lofty heights without penalty. The sole instrument at the player’s disposal is a laser shovel which can excavate a hole on either side of their on-screen avatar. Whereas most games embrace direct conflict, Lode Runner offers a distinctly defensive experience. The player cannot attack enemies directly with their apparatus, but dig holes that foes can blindly fall into. By eliminating jumping and skirmishes with the enemies, the player is forced to carefully survey the environment, looking for points of opportunity and potential threat.  As the enemy is wonderfully predictable, each level becomes a dynamic puzzle.

Once the player tires from the extensive single player offerings, the level creation tool introduces a new area of exploration. Thanks to the simplicity of the in-game toolset, creating a custom stage in remarkable easy. With the ability to swap levels through the Xbox Live community, this element of Lode Runner earnestly adds to the game’s value.  Currently, the amount of user output is minimal, but hopefully, that will change soon.

Lode Runner is wonderfully faithful to its source material, deviating in two fundamental ways. Whereas the original game offered a series of independent levels, once players complete the screen, a pathway opens that offers a bridge to the next section. It’s a small, but clever addition which adds to the game’s sense of continuity. Secondly, the speed of the game has been increased, obviously for modern appeal. While most players will likely be oblivious, the Lode Runner purist in me longed for way to adjust the pace of the game.