Lode Runner Classic Dashes onto Mobile Phones

Game developer Tozai Games has officially released their latest game Lode Runner Classic for iOS and Android smartphone devices.

The release comes thirty years after the release of the groundbreaking puzzle platformer Lode Runner that was first released for Apple II computers in 1983 by Brøderbund.

Lode Runner Classic is a completely remastered version of the original game which mixed both puzzle and platforming elements. Playing as a hapless and nameless spelunker, players must navigate across 150 maze like stages with the goal being to collect all the gold pieces on the stage.

Players must be both cunning and quick as they navigate ladders and platforms while also dodging enemies who actively pursue them. To add to the challenge, players cannot jump or directly attack foes with the only offense allowed being to blast blocks beneath their feet trapping them in the ground.

The original gameplay, control scheme, challenge, look and feel of the hit game are retained in this version but with a number of improvements and additions.  There are enhanced graphics, two new game modes (Expedition and Time Attack), a level select, the ability to magnify the screen around your character and the option to set the game’s play speed from fast to slow. Players can also post their top scores from their adventures on worldwide leaderboards to showcase their skills and challenge others.

Lode Runner Classic’s release on smartphones also coincides with the 30th anniversary of the original release of the game which has acquired a strong following and has served as the foundation of a franchise of many ports, sequels and remakes that have been made by many publishers and developers across numerous consoles and computer systems. Lode Runner Classic will be the latest game in the franchise.

“When the first Lode Runner came out on the Apple II, the last thing I expected was that the game would be alive and kicking on a platform as advanced as today’s smartphones more than 30 years later,” Game Creator Douglas E. Smith said on the game’s anniversary and the latest game. “It’s really gratifying to me that so many people are still interested in the game.”

Fans of Lode Runner or those who have never played the game and long for a challenge should definitely consider adding this title to their smartphones.