Games From Yesteryear: Lode Runner: The Legend Returns
By maryvarn on July 29th, 2010Posted In: NPC Blog,Video Games
There are a few games from my Windows 95/98 college days that I’m hoping I can play again. Easily, that is, and on modern machinery. One of them is Lode Runner: The Legend Returns.
This was one the of the first games I played with my little brother. I was 17, and he was 4 or 5. He’d sit on my lap as we thwarted monks, climbed ladders, and solved puzzles on my Dad’s laptop.
I particularly remember playing it while visiting my Dad in Bratislava, Slovakia. He was assigned there on a remote tour for the Air Force, the same year I packed off to college. It was a sad year for my mom and little bro. We all visited my dad for a month the summer before college, and we filled that month with tours of central European cities, explorations of Bratislava, Dexter’s Laboratory on the international Cartoon Network, and Lode Runner.
This iteration was my first experience with the classic series, and it was a good one. I think the graphics would hold up today, and the music was fun and hypnotic. It’s a classic “solve the room” game. There were 150 rooms, or levels, broken up into 10 different environments. You were one man, Jake Peril, and your job in each level was to collect coins and get to the exit, while avoiding the dangerous red monk men. You had several devices at your disposal, depending on the level, and I think they were used to alter the ground and sometimes the ceilings around you. You could also make your own levels, which I think my brother explored more than I did.
I see Wikipedia lists it as having been available for the Playstation. Maybe I should hunt that down. It also looks like the lead programmer for the game has some versions available for download, although they all look like they’re the sequel, Lode Runner Online. (sounds like an MMO!) Or hey, I could buy it for $78.99 from Amazon!
Does anyone else remember this game?
If do remember that game? I have it and played it recently!
The whole game is under 10MB, and it run nicely on XP/Vista, no installation required. I forgot where I got it from, but it seems complete. I can send it to you if you want.
However, I’d give a try to Lode Runner Online, which look like more of a patched “The Legend Return” then anything else (I will).
My memories of that games are always about me and my brothers playing, cheating to get tons of life and trying to kill the other while doing the level! =)
Yes, please, I’d love a copy! If you don’t mind, you can email it to me at mary@npccomic.com. Since the lead programmer has some posted, I’m assuming that it’s legal to share these.
I may try Lode Runner Online too…though on that site he says there’s no music in his downloads.
Hey if u dun mind can u email it to me oso? Have been searching everywhere for it… Thx in advance =)
heres my mail btw: sakgeres@hotmail.com
I would love this file as well!
oh sorry I guess you need my email
here it is: purpft543@hotmail.com
Thank you!
I played a lot with the original Lode Runner on NES.
In that, your only tool was your shovel to dig a hole next to you, but it was fun, and often challenging.
Also, I’m from Budapest, Hungary, not too far southeast from Bratislava. Did You stayed only in Bratislava, or traveled around? It is a nice area.
Cool! Yep, we went to Budapest. I forget which half we stayed in. I’m sure my parents know. Unfortunately we only had one full day to explore, which I think we spent mostly on the….is it called Castle Hill? It was beautiful! I’ll always remember that day fondly.
We also traveled to Prague and Vienna. Yes, it’s a great area! And we enjoyed that everything in Bratislava at that time was very inexpensive, something I’m sure has changed by now.
oh yes used to play it alot… on the Sega platform?? dont remember, maybe it was on the comp…
Fun, entertaining and challenging (to a degree but not too hard)
I do! I remember having lots of fun with the level editor, and the sprite art and music was really good. I think it even had a two-player-share-the-keyboard mode, if I remember right.
I’ve tried to get it working again but it’s one of those temperamental windows games.
Some of us remember playing it, obsessively, on the Apple II+…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7JY5nEOUGA
Thanks for sharing! I never played the original as far as I recall. Though we did have an Apple II C.
Jamie beat me to it – I was seeing people saying “original version” on NES or other console, and thinking, “Ummm… I played the /original/ original version on an Apple //e in my high school library in 1983/84!”
@ Jamie – Huzzah! We’re old! :p
Heh, I remember playing that on Dad’s Atari 800. It was a great game. The original was the first video game to sell more than a million copies. (:
I’ve played Lode Runner. Had it since I was little. I don’t remember what version it is, though. I can’t ever clearly remember if it was in color, black-and-white, or if you could choose which way to play. (I seem to remember playing it in both B/W and color.)
At any rate, we should have it sitting around on one or more of our computers. I’m getting the want to play it, partly for nostalgia’s sake. I’d also like to take another look at all the custom levels we did.
i played this one obsessively as a child as well – god i loved that game. it was the first game i was hell-bent on finishing.
my experience was quite different though, as i was playing it on our Macintosh – yeah, the old ‘box’, the first mac. here’s a good video of it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3qiCfJcQjc
it was b/w and i’ll never forget the sound the monks made when they fell, nor when they got swallowed by the earth.
classic love for this one -thanks for reminding me.
My wife and I used to run a fan site, with walkthroughs and such for Lode Runner: Online…great game…I have it as an ISO, if you’re interested…
If anyone has this that will work on Vista, I’d love it! : D
Could someone send me it via email? My email is misty_day@juno.com
Thanks. (:
PLz i would like a copy of that game, i have been searching for it for ever and couldn’t find a copy that works :S plz email me at luciano.k@live.com