there is something interesting I noticed about this game (later confirmed via an emulator) - everything is done in 12x12 pixel blocks, which is very rare for an 8-bit console game. as the GB and NES and most other contemporary systems' graphics are all based on 8x8 tiles, everything usually works in 8x8 or a multiple of 8 - eg Super Mario Land's Goombas and blocks are 8x8 while Mario and bigger enemies are 16x16. So a grid-based game like Lode Runner would ordinarily have to be 8x8 or 16x16; the original C64 version was 8x8 while Hudson's NES version bumped it up to 16x16. Tose here have gone with this unusual 12x12 compromise, to allow for some of the detail found in the NES version but not cramp the field of vision *too* much - but they can't force the Game Boy to work with non-8x8 tiles so they had to create multiple "half and half" 8x8 tiles of each background element (eg the bottom half of a pile of gold with the top half of a brick block), which they can then piece together into what looks like a 12x12 grid. I guess this is really only possible with a game as simple as Lode Runner where there are only a few possible elements in the levels and they have enough memory to define each possible combination, but it's still an interesting trick you don't see very often.
As a kid, me and my friend actually used that level editor a lot. I'd make a level and then have my friend try to beat it, and when he did, he'd make one for me. We had quite a bit of fun with that
Oooh boy, Hyper Lode Runner, the memories...which weren't that good, because this games was effin' HARD. Waaaay to hard. (You can press start to pause and then select to pan and see all the level and enemy werebouts and where they are going, if I recall well). Strange thing, me and my brother had this game in those xx in 1 cartridges, 2 different cartridges, it was strange because my version was different from his (in his version the enemies stalked you from anywhere they had direct acess to you and my version those sob's waited until they "could see you" - basically my version was harder). This, Pitman (US's Cat trap) and Bouken! Puzzle Road (US's Daedalian Opus) were some of the harder games I ever played. All puzzle games, All had an insane number of levels and all seemed to be made for kids. That Hyper part basically means how hard this is, it's like hard with steroids, harder than diamond. At least the level design tool was nice. Looks decent for 1989 and for the GB, plays well, nice response, long game but the difficulty wasted it. Graphics 7/10, Gameplay 7/10, Sound: 5/10 (2 songs only) Lastability 9/10 (many levels but you won't be playing for long) Fun: 1/10, 10/10 if you're a masochist, a 5/10 game at best that just isn't fun.
I picked up this game as a kid with no knowledge of the lode runner series. It just looked fun. I enjoyed the game. I played around with the level editor. I was into it.
Yeah! The enemy robots in Hudson's Lode Runner seemed to be practically identical to Bomberman's sprites in his first game. I always thought that was odd when I was a kid, but I found out a few years ago that it was apparently an intentional reference. Bomberman's ending shows him becoming "Runner": th-cam.com/video/GoLUzlZgei8/w-d-xo.html So are we to understand that both series are canon with each other, and that "Runner" is really being pursued by Bombers? Gotta love that early game weirdness.
"and therein the tragedy lies" - I notice that you use a Princess Peach portrait here. Do you happen to know that Super Princess Peach was developed by Tose also? :D
I actually really like this game for some reason. I somehow never really could properly get other versions of Lode Runner but this is a good one in my case. I'm getting better at Lode Runner through this fun time-consumer during the car. Hard to believe TOSE did this, they got better since M.U.S.C.L.E. & Chubby Cherub.
I'm really enjoying the new Lode Runner game, the one with 2.5D graphics (though you can change them to classic graphics if you want). There's such a nice simplicity to the puzzles of this game. Easy to learn, hard to master
TOSE co-developed this? They helped make the Game & Watch games, and developed The Legendary Starfy games as well! Also, I don't recall Bandai making good games, just digital pets and stuff like that...
there is something interesting I noticed about this game (later confirmed via an emulator) - everything is done in 12x12 pixel blocks, which is very rare for an 8-bit console game.
as the GB and NES and most other contemporary systems' graphics are all based on 8x8 tiles, everything usually works in 8x8 or a multiple of 8 - eg Super Mario Land's Goombas and blocks are 8x8 while Mario and bigger enemies are 16x16. So a grid-based game like Lode Runner would ordinarily have to be 8x8 or 16x16; the original C64 version was 8x8 while Hudson's NES version bumped it up to 16x16.
Tose here have gone with this unusual 12x12 compromise, to allow for some of the detail found in the NES version but not cramp the field of vision *too* much - but they can't force the Game Boy to work with non-8x8 tiles so they had to create multiple "half and half" 8x8 tiles of each background element (eg the bottom half of a pile of gold with the top half of a brick block), which they can then piece together into what looks like a 12x12 grid.
I guess this is really only possible with a game as simple as Lode Runner where there are only a few possible elements in the levels and they have enough memory to define each possible combination, but it's still an interesting trick you don't see very often.
Lode Runner
As a kid, me and my friend actually used that level editor a lot. I'd make a level and then have my friend try to beat it, and when he did, he'd make one for me. We had quite a bit of fun with that
Oooh boy, Hyper Lode Runner, the memories...which weren't that good, because this games was effin' HARD. Waaaay to hard. (You can press start to pause and then select to pan and see all the level and enemy werebouts and where they are going, if I recall well).
Strange thing, me and my brother had this game in those xx in 1 cartridges, 2 different cartridges, it was strange because my version was different from his (in his version the enemies stalked you from anywhere they had direct acess to you and my version those sob's waited until they "could see you" - basically my version was harder).
This, Pitman (US's Cat trap) and Bouken! Puzzle Road (US's Daedalian Opus) were some of the harder games I ever played. All puzzle games, All had an insane number of levels and all seemed to be made for kids.
That Hyper part basically means how hard this is, it's like hard with steroids, harder than diamond. At least the level design tool was nice.
Looks decent for 1989 and for the GB, plays well, nice response, long game but the difficulty wasted it.
Graphics 7/10, Gameplay 7/10, Sound: 5/10 (2 songs only) Lastability 9/10 (many levels but you won't be playing for long) Fun: 1/10, 10/10 if you're a masochist, a 5/10 game at best that just isn't fun.
I picked up this game as a kid with no knowledge of the lode runner series. It just looked fun. I enjoyed the game. I played around with the level editor. I was into it.
I liked your insight on 'Hyper' suffering due to multiple scrolling directions. I hadn't thought of that while playing.
Also, Hudson made the NES Lode Runner? I thought those robots looked familiar; they look like Bombermen!
Yeah! The enemy robots in Hudson's Lode Runner seemed to be practically identical to Bomberman's sprites in his first game. I always thought that was odd when I was a kid, but I found out a few years ago that it was apparently an intentional reference. Bomberman's ending shows him becoming "Runner": th-cam.com/video/GoLUzlZgei8/w-d-xo.html
So are we to understand that both series are canon with each other, and that "Runner" is really being pursued by Bombers? Gotta love that early game weirdness.
"and therein the tragedy lies" - I notice that you use a Princess Peach portrait here. Do you happen to know that Super Princess Peach was developed by Tose also? :D
Oh wow seriously? You sir/ma'am, have made my day with that little factoid.
Fun, I played this in the original GB as a kid, when it was new, and I liked it - but I was already a lode runner master from playing the FC version.
Today is Hyper Lode Runner 30th Anniversary!
I actually really like this game for some reason. I somehow never really could properly get other versions of Lode Runner but this is a good one in my case. I'm getting better at Lode Runner through this fun time-consumer during the car. Hard to believe TOSE did this, they got better since M.U.S.C.L.E. & Chubby Cherub.
I'm really enjoying the new Lode Runner game, the one with 2.5D graphics (though you can change them to classic graphics if you want). There's such a nice simplicity to the puzzles of this game. Easy to learn, hard to master
Oops. I just picked this up from the store.
Picked this up and holy hell it was hard for someone who has never played this game before
TOSE co-developed this? They helped make the Game & Watch games, and developed The Legendary Starfy games as well! Also, I don't recall Bandai making good games, just digital pets and stuff like that...
Man this game is crazy hard...right from the start. Its a huge achievement when you beat a level though, so that keeps me going.
Jeremy, great video! Pressing Start and then Select let’s you see the full stage at once.
i cain't hardly help watching in marathon mode. it's too good.
I'm surprised you went with a joke game and not SMB Lost Levels as an example of this style of game, but I'm chuckling nonetheless.
I owned this game. I sucked at it and gave up fast. It wasn't very fun.
I got this when I was 5
Is there any GOOD version of Lode Runner?
5 years too late but, yes, there very much is.
One of the lowest scoring Game Boy games in EGM history: 3/3/4/3
I will skip this game.