The classic puzzle games heads to 3D

Original N64europe Review

The days in which video game graphics were measured in two to four bits are long gone, but the games spawned from this era have not died, but have merely made a reappearance on game systems to come. With no surprise another game fan classic has taken its 2-D gameplay style and has moved on into the 64-bit, 3-Dimensional world of N64..........but with a few new moves up its sleeve. The 1983 beloved classic created by Doug Smith, "Lode Runner," hit the world and proved to be a shinning success amongst gamers. The game has then since ported it's way over to the Nintendo 64 with a big face lift, but still holding true to the style of game play that made the game such a success in the past. The game has gone from a two dimensional puzzler to a 3-D, 64-bit, story/puzzler, meaning that along with the infinite and challenging puzzles there is an actual story that puts a bearing on the whole game.

The game revolves around the dark and sinister Emperor Monk of Pandora, who is raiding the Out-sector Colonies. The emperor has been hijacking gold that is vital to the free systems. As the effects of the loss of gold become a serious threat the Federated Hegemonies look to the Lode Runners. The lode runners devise a plan to send on volunteer to penetrate the Emperor's System disguised as a rogue trade ship, once in will begin retrieving as much gold as possible, and if any luck is with the hero, given the chance he will corner the emperor and kill him immediatly. And thus begins the game "Lode Runner."

The graphics in this title by "Big-Bang Software" are sure to keep this puzzler's replay value at a low but perhaps average number. The levels have descent detail, yet besides tons of blocks and a background---there really ain't much more detail you can put, and colors are bright and vivid. The overall appearance of this game stays close to the original, except for the extremely large color pallete used next to the 4-bit color pallette found on the atari, which was in the original.

The sound is overall ok...........yup........just ok. The music is very minb numbing but as the game progresses you begin to appreciate that it's tone doesn't stick out so that all your concentration can be on the puzzle at hand. The sound effects just as the graphics in Lode Runner 3-D, dont make any kind of statement. They are there to make sure the game is not silent, other than that there purpose is unclear, there just isn't anything there that draws you to the game.

The gameplay is ok, the original game had you running around with a gun which you could only shoot holes in the ground to trap your persuers, you then ran around grabbing gold and climbing ladders........but now its a lot different, and for the better. The game has completely illiminated the ladders altogether, and now there are little boby traps and power-ups littering the ground making the game little more interesting, just a little more. Things such as Bomb, Cable Disk, Brunswick, and Ice lift just to name a few.

Overall as a puzzle genre of game Lode Runner 3-D delivers a strong punch, but its graphics would suggest it be a more first-gen title, which makes all of us spoiled action game players unable to appreciate this title to its fullest. All and all this is a very good puzzle title but it perhaps came just a bit late, the graphics keep the game going and the sound just is "there", I suggest you rent before you buy.

- by Josh Crockett