Steven
06-03-2005, 10:09 PM
LODE RUNNER: THE LEGEND RETURNS and LODE RUNNER EXTRA
No, this isn't the SUPER old school Lode Runner, these games are based upon the revamped mid-90s PC versions of Lode Runner. They feature new gameplay kinks and better graphics, but the characters are still that small Command & Conquer size.
http://www.maniac.de/oldhome/reviews/ps/lode/c64b.jpg
wow... talk about old skool!
Lode Runner is a classic game and is represented well on Saturn. For anyone who never played LR before, it's basically a never-ending series of levels, maze-like levels with ladders and such, where you aim to collect all the gold and get to the exit before the evils can get you. Classic stuff, and gets ROCK hard later on.
Going deep beneath the Earth to find piles and piles of gold may sound exciting (and profitable), but when you throw in a bunch of mad cannibal monks chasing after you trying to protect these riches, the scenario changes.
Here's the story...
You are Jack Peril, an adventurous chap who tries his darnest to take back the gold that the keepers of the underground stole from above. But to do so, you must avoid dozens of traps, deadly gaping holes and of course, those crazy monks. But Jake is able to set traps of his own and use various items like the jackhammer to get away from the evil-doers.
The 1st level is simple with no monks. The 2nd introduces monks, the 3rd even more monks and so forth. Before you know it, levels will seem IMPOSSIBLE to beat. Toward the end most mortal gamers want to pull their hair out from how hectic it is. But for puzzle action games, this is a good thing.
These games also has a level editor option where you can fill your own levels with whatever you want and make them as easy or difficult as you wish. When you're done you can save the levels to the memory card.
http://www.maniac.de/oldhome/reviews/ps/lode/lode2b.jpg
It may look dated, but plays well and the classic 2D thinking man's feel will attract to die hard gamers and gamers who miss the days of ole.
In these two games you will go through 10 "stages" with each "stage" having PLENTY of levels. They are:
1. Moss Caverns
2. Fungus Delvings
3. Lost City of Ur
4. Crystal Hoard
5. Winter's Dungeon (you guessed it, an icy world)
6. Skeleton's Keep
7. Inferno's Playground
8. Shimmering Caverns
9. The Shadowlands (insanely unfair)
10. Meltdown Metropolis
Those monks are fast and relentless! Even when you kill them, they respawn immediately and continue hunting you. Poor Jack... we hardly knew ya!
Here's the difference between Saturn LR and PSX LR:
PlayStation: Lode Runner
Pros:
-- Includes both Lode Runner: The Legend Returns and Lode Runner Extra.
-- Includes the same ten music and backgrounds used in the two Saturn games; the construction mode is the same, and all the levels are there.
-- Includes a nice, brief video introduction from Douglas E. Smith, the creator of Lode Runner.
Cons:
-- Doesn't have all the options available in the Saturn games.
-- The speed seems stuck somewhere between "normal" and "slow." It only bothers me when I play it after the Saturn ones.
The Saturn games:
Pros:
-- You can jump to any level in both versions. If you're stumped on a particular stage, skip it and try later.
-- Infinite lives! Note that a Japanese warning pops up when you do this -- I believe it simply won't save any record created with infinite lives on.
-- You can choose from three speed settings: Slow, Normal, and Fast. This can be a life saver sometimes on Slow, or a time saver on Fast when having to repeat stages a lot.
-- I don't believe the PSX game lets you switch between mono and stereo. The Saturn games do.
-- Each include the construction kit, and both appear to be identical. I don't know if the save files are compatible between versions, but I'd imagine they must be.
-- Only 10 memory blocks to save.
Cons:
-- No video introduction by Doug Smith.
-- You have to buy two games. Then again, it won't cost that much more than the single PSX disc. I've seen Legend Returns go for $12-$18 and same for Extra.
Note that Lode Runner: The Legend Returns was released first. It has 150 levels and is a good bit easier than the follow-up. Lode Runner Extra contains 110 all new levels and is more difficult than the first release. INSANELY difficult. The 32-bit Lode Runner games introduce new weapons to use to avoid enemies and collect gold, all of which work well though it may take a bit to get used to them. There is a pick axes to dig up into the ceiling, a jack hammer to dig straight down (including through material you can't dig through), an "ice gas" gun to stun enemies, bombs to blow up parts of levels, booby traps to permanently eliminate one enemy (or yourself if you're not careful), sticky paint cans to slow down walking speed along a small strip, and some others like keys, teleports, and so forth.
Overall, if you gotta get one, I recommend Saturn Lode Runner The Legend Returns. It has some slick production values (back of manual and front of disc is much more aesthically pleasing than EXTRA) and the game is VERY hard but not as CRAZY HARD as Lode Runner Extra.
But hell, get both and spend the rest of your lifetime JUST trying to get to Skeleton's Keep. ;)
I recommend them both, but if you're kinda iffy, I'd just recommend The Legend Returns. Keep in mind, I'm not lying or exaggerating when I say these games are ROCK HARD. But the level jumping feature and whatnot, it's worth trying your hand at each level at least once. Good stuff.
http://www.maniac.de/oldhome/reviews/ps/lode/lode3b.jpg
and so it begins... run Jack run! Those savage monks move fast! 1 more level down... only 142 to go....
No, this isn't the SUPER old school Lode Runner, these games are based upon the revamped mid-90s PC versions of Lode Runner. They feature new gameplay kinks and better graphics, but the characters are still that small Command & Conquer size.
http://www.maniac.de/oldhome/reviews/ps/lode/c64b.jpg
wow... talk about old skool!
Lode Runner is a classic game and is represented well on Saturn. For anyone who never played LR before, it's basically a never-ending series of levels, maze-like levels with ladders and such, where you aim to collect all the gold and get to the exit before the evils can get you. Classic stuff, and gets ROCK hard later on.
Going deep beneath the Earth to find piles and piles of gold may sound exciting (and profitable), but when you throw in a bunch of mad cannibal monks chasing after you trying to protect these riches, the scenario changes.
Here's the story...
You are Jack Peril, an adventurous chap who tries his darnest to take back the gold that the keepers of the underground stole from above. But to do so, you must avoid dozens of traps, deadly gaping holes and of course, those crazy monks. But Jake is able to set traps of his own and use various items like the jackhammer to get away from the evil-doers.
The 1st level is simple with no monks. The 2nd introduces monks, the 3rd even more monks and so forth. Before you know it, levels will seem IMPOSSIBLE to beat. Toward the end most mortal gamers want to pull their hair out from how hectic it is. But for puzzle action games, this is a good thing.
These games also has a level editor option where you can fill your own levels with whatever you want and make them as easy or difficult as you wish. When you're done you can save the levels to the memory card.
http://www.maniac.de/oldhome/reviews/ps/lode/lode2b.jpg
It may look dated, but plays well and the classic 2D thinking man's feel will attract to die hard gamers and gamers who miss the days of ole.
In these two games you will go through 10 "stages" with each "stage" having PLENTY of levels. They are:
1. Moss Caverns
2. Fungus Delvings
3. Lost City of Ur
4. Crystal Hoard
5. Winter's Dungeon (you guessed it, an icy world)
6. Skeleton's Keep
7. Inferno's Playground
8. Shimmering Caverns
9. The Shadowlands (insanely unfair)
10. Meltdown Metropolis
Those monks are fast and relentless! Even when you kill them, they respawn immediately and continue hunting you. Poor Jack... we hardly knew ya!
Here's the difference between Saturn LR and PSX LR:
PlayStation: Lode Runner
Pros:
-- Includes both Lode Runner: The Legend Returns and Lode Runner Extra.
-- Includes the same ten music and backgrounds used in the two Saturn games; the construction mode is the same, and all the levels are there.
-- Includes a nice, brief video introduction from Douglas E. Smith, the creator of Lode Runner.
Cons:
-- Doesn't have all the options available in the Saturn games.
-- The speed seems stuck somewhere between "normal" and "slow." It only bothers me when I play it after the Saturn ones.
The Saturn games:
Pros:
-- You can jump to any level in both versions. If you're stumped on a particular stage, skip it and try later.
-- Infinite lives! Note that a Japanese warning pops up when you do this -- I believe it simply won't save any record created with infinite lives on.
-- You can choose from three speed settings: Slow, Normal, and Fast. This can be a life saver sometimes on Slow, or a time saver on Fast when having to repeat stages a lot.
-- I don't believe the PSX game lets you switch between mono and stereo. The Saturn games do.
-- Each include the construction kit, and both appear to be identical. I don't know if the save files are compatible between versions, but I'd imagine they must be.
-- Only 10 memory blocks to save.
Cons:
-- No video introduction by Doug Smith.
-- You have to buy two games. Then again, it won't cost that much more than the single PSX disc. I've seen Legend Returns go for $12-$18 and same for Extra.
Note that Lode Runner: The Legend Returns was released first. It has 150 levels and is a good bit easier than the follow-up. Lode Runner Extra contains 110 all new levels and is more difficult than the first release. INSANELY difficult. The 32-bit Lode Runner games introduce new weapons to use to avoid enemies and collect gold, all of which work well though it may take a bit to get used to them. There is a pick axes to dig up into the ceiling, a jack hammer to dig straight down (including through material you can't dig through), an "ice gas" gun to stun enemies, bombs to blow up parts of levels, booby traps to permanently eliminate one enemy (or yourself if you're not careful), sticky paint cans to slow down walking speed along a small strip, and some others like keys, teleports, and so forth.
Overall, if you gotta get one, I recommend Saturn Lode Runner The Legend Returns. It has some slick production values (back of manual and front of disc is much more aesthically pleasing than EXTRA) and the game is VERY hard but not as CRAZY HARD as Lode Runner Extra.
But hell, get both and spend the rest of your lifetime JUST trying to get to Skeleton's Keep. ;)
I recommend them both, but if you're kinda iffy, I'd just recommend The Legend Returns. Keep in mind, I'm not lying or exaggerating when I say these games are ROCK HARD. But the level jumping feature and whatnot, it's worth trying your hand at each level at least once. Good stuff.
http://www.maniac.de/oldhome/reviews/ps/lode/lode3b.jpg
and so it begins... run Jack run! Those savage monks move fast! 1 more level down... only 142 to go....