Lode Runner

by: Brøderbund Software, Inc.

Publication date: 1983

Also For
Amstrad CPC, Android, Apple II, Arcade, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, BBC Micro, Commodore 64, DOS, FM-7, iPhone, J2ME, Macintosh, MSX, NES, PC-6001, PC-8000, PC-88, PC-98, Sharp X1, SG-1000, VIC-20, Wii, Wii U, Windows Phone, WonderSwan, ZX Spectrum
Developed by
Brøderbund Software, Inc.
Published by
Brøderbund Software, Inc.
Released
1983

Genre
Action, Puzzle
Gameplay
Platform
Perspective
Side view
Interface
Direct Control
Visual
Fixed / Flip-screen

Description

The Bungeling Empire has stolen a huge cache of gold from its rightful owners, and your mission is to infiltrate its treasury and recapture it. This entails progressing through 150 screens of platforms, ladders and ropes.

The Empire has sent robotic guards down to protect the gold, and contact with any of these will cost you a life. Your method of escaping them is to press fire to dig a hole in their line of movement, thus causing them to fall in briefly, allowing you to move across the gap safely. Once all the gold has been collected, a ladder allowing you to move onto the next screen is added. Completing these screens often requires forward planning and precision.

This was one of the earliest games to include a level editor, allowing the creation of new level designs with no programming skill.

From Mobygames.com. Original Entry

Notes

Regarding keyboard controls in the game: Lode Runner for the IBM PC used an unusual key setup, which is not changeable: The F1 (function 1) key is used for digging to the left of the character, and the F2 (function 1) key is used for digging to the right. In some browsers (Chrome, for example), the F1 key will open a help page. In others (Firefox), it will not. Unfortunately, there is no way to change keys, so this game is only playable by either turning off keyboard shortcuts (not recommended) or playing in Firefox.

Access-restricted-item: true

Addeddate: 2014-12-28 11:20:23

Emulator: dosbox

Emulator_ext: zip

Emulator_start: LodeRu83/LODERUN.COM

Identifier: msdos_Lode_Runner_1983_1983

Mobygames: http://www.mobygames.com/game/pc-booter/lode-runner

Mobygames_also_for: Amstrad CPC, Android, Apple II, Arcade, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, BBC Micro, Commodore 64, DOS, FM-7, iPhone, J2ME, Macintosh, MSX, NES, PC-6001, PC-8000, PC-88, PC-98, Sharp X1, SG-1000, VIC-20, Wii, Wii U, Windows Phone, WonderSwan, ZX Spectrum

Mobygames_developed_by: Brøderbund Software, Inc.

Mobygames_gameplay: Platform

Mobygames_genre: Action, Puzzle

Mobygames_interface: Direct Control

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Reviews

Reviewer: omoikane - - February 21, 2015
Subject: Config menu

To reconfigure keys such that function keys are not used:
1. Press ] (close bracket) for menu.
2. Type K to configure keys.
3. Press enter.
4. For each of the actions, type the new key to be used for that action, press enter.
5. Type ESC twice to exit the two menus when done.

Reviewer: Niall Little - - January 22, 2015
Subject: Getting Close

Able to play and dig right with F2, but can't dig left with F1 due to help page loading. I'm excited to actually be able to play this game. Had given up on the speed and randomly checked back. Thanks for fixing that part!
(Chrome on W8.1)

Reviewer: Jason Scott - - January 14, 2015
Subject: Speed Problem has been Fixed

The speed problem with this program has been fixed; it should be running at a better and more realistic speed. Thanks for your patience, everyone.

Reviewer: er3733 - - January 10, 2015
Subject: Controls

So, with the use of Eric's CTRL-F11, I've made the game playable. The controls are not so obvious

Arrows do what you'd think.
space stops you
8
456 also works for direction on numpad.

79 do not dig.
O/U do not dig.
f1 and f2 do seem to dig left and right, but also trigger my browser's help feature for F1.

esc opens the in-game control panel allowing you to increase or decrease the number of lives you get, game level, game speed, and a few other things.

If anyone can figure out how to dig properly, or remap the controls let me know, I loved this game!!!

Reviewer: eric_hh - - January 10, 2015
Subject: slow down DOSBox

you can slow down the DOSBox by hitting CTRL-F11. The it runs as slow as you want.

Have fun !

Reviewer: Lenwood - - January 8, 2015
Subject: Runs too fast

Unplayable. Character needs to adjust speed for level.

Reviewer: chacham - - January 8, 2015
Subject: Great game!

Played this on the Apple ][e in the mid 80s. My younger brother made some hundred custom levels too. The enemies have predictable moves, but that's all part of the game.

As Richard Heider pointed out, the game is too fast to play. Maybe we need to apply "slowdown" which ran the processor through null instructions to slow down the faster computers. :)

Reviewer: Richard Heider - - January 8, 2015
Subject: This was one of my favorites ...

... unfortunately it is unplayable, like in most emulators. It just runs to fast.

Theoretically there was a way to slow down the game, but you can only apply it while the game is running, which gives you about 2 sec.

Original Control was:
Up, Down, Left, Right - I, K, J, L
Dig left, Dig right - U, O
Stop moving - Space

However this version seems to use:
Up, Down, Left, Right - 8, 5, 4, 6
Dig left, Dig right - 7, 9

Other Controls:
Switch to keyboard controls Ctrl-K
Switch to joystick controls Ctrl-J
Suicide Ctrl-A
End game Ctrl-R
Pause game Esc or Stop or Ctrl-M
Skip to next level Ctrl-U or Ctrl-6
Sound effects on/off Ctrl-S
Increase game speed -
Decrease game speed =
Run editor Ctrl-E

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