HSC16 Round 2: Lode Runner

[+therealbountybob]

Lode Runner

Play the Brøderbund Original or Colour Versions; they have more screens (150). Make sure your disk is R/W as it saves the high score table and may crash/not show your score if it can't save. If you only have the XE Cart ver then play that, I think it has 31 levels then they repeat on a faster speed.

 

Looking forward to this one, not played for a long while in the HSC.

If you get walled in press Control-A to abort the man. As the game can take a long time to play, Atari users may take a screen shot with 5+ men left, end their go, then in another session continue by pressing Control-U to level up to the screen you were on. (Emulator users can save a session). Combine the scores. No cheating using Control-F!
[Esc = Pause, Return shows Hi-Score Table]

 

Downloads ATR from Fandal , Atarimania has instructions and a nice review. Atarionline.pl have a quadzillion versions or here is the one we used last time:

HSC8Round18-DiskC-LodeRunner.atr

 

No Bonus game? I was going to put in Lode Runner's Rescue as it looks interesting but I think the main game will keep everyone occupied for 2 weeks.

 

Scoring Play for level reached then score

 

Round ends Sunday 24th Feb 2019 10PM UK time

 

If anyone missed the first round Space Fortress Omega just post a late score or join in here; there will be chances to catch up throughout the season

[McKong]

I played the version on the HSC atr and after the 5th level it reset

[+skr]

36.225 - Level 5

[+skr]

42.025 - Level 6

[+slx]

58325 Level 3 (Still a great game but I still hate it that a level has to be re-done completely upon losing a man.)

[+therealbountybob]

Any preferences for the round 3 poll? New Games, Old Games, Double poll and play 1 of each?

 

 

p.s. If anyone has any or wants to create any new Lode Runner levels using the editor (see instructions) then post them here for a bonus points

[Marius]

Thanks for letting me also play the XE cart. I love that non-functional artifacting hi-res graphics on PAL systems. I have very fond memories of the non-color version, so I will play that one.

 

Yesterday I did some loadrunner ... and oh I LOVE that game. It has been some time since I played it. The artificial intelligence of the 'other' guys on the platform is in some levels pretty good.

The game itself has also some neat tricks. Yes, Loadrunner is one of my alltime favourites. I must admit: I forgot about it a little. So thanks to this HSC I am playing it again.

 

When I have some scores to share I will do.

[McKong]

61925

[jaybird3rd]

If you only have the XE Cart ver then play that, I think it has 31 levels then they repeat on a faster speed.

The XE cartridge version does indeed have all 150 levels. When playing in ROM mode (the default), you can play the original 150 levels from the cartridge, or create level 151 in RAM with the board editor. In disk mode, you can edit and play levels 1 through 151 from a saves disk.

[Marius]

The XE cartridge version does indeed have all 150 levels.

 

So this means -except for color- there is no difference? Woohoo then I can concentrate on this version!

[RedThunder]

108,950

Level 17

[carlsson]

30250 pts, level 5 (almost cleared it, got a baddie stuck on the ladder to freedom)

[RedThunder]

My first ever Lode Runner level :-)

Hardly worth loading BTW.

 

loderunnerHSC16levels.atr

 

 

Edited February 10, 2019 by RedThunder

[Marius]

Play in progress... it goes very well ... my youth memories of this game do come back. I love it. Not dead yet, but it is time for bed. I will continue tomorrow.

 

So far:

37650

Level 08

 

I think it is incredible how much fun this game is. It does not look the best, and it has almost zero sound effects, no music. Gameplay is 10 out of 10 though.

 

I absolutely love this game.

 

 

@TRBB suggestions: what about 2600 ports collection. Midnight Magic, Stampede, Seaquest ... perhaps there is more to explore?

 

[Deteacher]

256,100. Got to level 32.

 

[graywest]

120,800

 

[pusakat]

Game in progress: 23,700 Level 6

 

I didn't know there was a color version. Always played the original with artifacting until now.

[McKong]

I just played the version from Fandal's site and it reset on me after level 15 or 16. 100k+

 

I think that's my last go on this game for the time being it takes too long to play and it's boring

[youxia]

Lode Runner, eh. One of these classics I've never really played despite having it on countless platforms...not sure why.

 

I played the Broderbund monochrome version today for a bit and loved it. Genius design concept, super fluid/freeform gameplay and above all lack of usual why-I-hate-platformers tropes such as ice skating jumps (in fact: no jumping at all!), dying on falling from tiniest of heights and so on.

 

There are a couple of warning signs though, such as the crashing soem folks already reported - it hang on me on Lvl 6 upon dying (but still had men).

 

Other thing is, seems like there is potential for points farming since there is no clock? (or is there?)

[carlsson]

I'm not sure, but I believe the bonus at the end of the level is related to how much time you spent solving it?

 

By the way for those interested in level designs later on, notice you have 28x16 cells to work with on each screen. I kind of expected it to be 40 wide but apparently this game runs in some odd graphic mode that outputs 280 pixels divided as 28 x 10... probably an Apple ][ ism.

Edited February 11, 2019 by carlsson

[+therealbountybob]

Lode Runner, eh. One of these classics I've never really played despite having it on countless platforms...not sure why.

 

I played the Broderbund monochrome version today for a bit and loved it. Genius design concept, super fluid/freeform gameplay and above all lack of usual why-I-hate-platformers tropes such as ice skating jumps (in fact: no jumping at all!), dying on falling from tiniest of heights and so on.

 

There are a couple of warning signs though, such as the crashing soem folks already reported - it hang on me on Lvl 6 upon dying (but still had men).

 

Other thing is, seems like there is potential for points farming since there is no clock? (or is there?)

I suppose we should play for level reached. From memory I think the end of level bonus might reflect time?

 

If anyone has found a reliable download please can you post to say which one

 

If anone does want to play Load Runners' Revenge Rescue as a bonus that is ok (see 1st post)

[youxia]

I see what you mean about the end of level bonus., it makes sense and maybe explains some of the scores already posted here. How do you get 12 men though?

I quite like playing for points, more than the levels, so perhaps we should agree on a NO CHEESING rule and just carry on.

 

Wow, there's 7 diffrent LRs in my Gamebase. 1, 2, 3, 4, Folly, Rescue, Returns. Popular game. Wait...Revenge?

Edited February 11, 2019 by youxia

[carlsson]

It would seem that you get 1 extra life for each level you complete without losing a life? It would seem to be the same mechanism as in Buried Buck$ / Chopper Hunt we played a while ago, though each of those levels may be harder to complete without losing a life than the levels in Lode Runner.

[Deteacher]

Thanks to an unexpected snow day, I got a whole day to play Lode Runner!

 

428,975! Level 49!

 

Edited February 11, 2019 by Deteacher

[Deteacher]

It would seem that you get 1 extra life for each level you complete without losing a life? It would seem to be the same mechanism as in Buried Buck$ / Chopper Hunt we played a while ago, though each of those levels may be harder to complete without losing a life than the levels in Lode Runner.

 

Almost...you get an extra life for completing a level, regardless of how many lives you lose trying to complete it. Stock up on those extra lives. You'll need them in the later levels when you get unexpectedly trapped. You'll burn through a few trying to figure out the levels.