Lode Runner (Atari ST)
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- čas přidán 8. 09. 2024
- I waffle on a bit at the beginning of this video, so if you want to hear me talk about the game, skip to 4:40, but if you are just here for the gameplay, you can skip to 8:57.
Here's the Movember mental health info: uk.movember.co...
And here's my Mo Space if you'd like to support this great cause: uk.movember.co...
Follow my twitter for updates on my mo and running progress: / thejoyofsticks
Intro music by midierror: / midierror
Background music by Xyce: xyce.bandcamp.com
A huge thank you to everyone at Atarimania and Atari Legend for their amazing work:
www.atarimania.com
www.atarilegend...
Recorded at 50fps using a real Atari 1040 STe (4mb, TOS v1.62, PAL), RGB SCART, a Micomsoft X-Sync1 and a Startech PexHDcap capture card.
You're a legend Marc. Great cause and good luck with the running...my lungs will quietly implode in sympathy for you. Thankyou for doing what you do, and letting me/us relive some childhood memories. Cheers from Australia
Thank you so much for your kind words! I will remember them and allow them to propel me on my next run! Take care, buddy.
Thanks for all the great words on mental health! It's really important.
Thanks for the kind words, buddy. Really appreciated.
It is truly a difficult thing to talk about. So much we are told not to cry and to "be a man". I hate that shit. It takes courage to push back against that, and every time someone does, it makes it a little easier for the next person to do so. Thank you for doing that.
Cheers, Jim. I've learned over the years that it's best just to talk. Find someone you trust and let it out. Sometimes I revert to my old ways and bottle it up, but I'm getting much better at communicating. The combination of 'be a man' and 'British stiff upper lip' (both of which I used to believe in) is a real killer.
I can't believe it! The Golden Hair has been trimmed! As always, it's a great video too
All good things must come to an end, Bob! However, you can console yourself with images of my future 'tache! Thanks for the kind words, buddy!
Good to see you back, mate. Your vids always put a smile on my face :-)
Thanks buddy. That's great to hear.
Welcome back! - Working at getting Robocop on the ST accepted on Speedrun.com - Pretty fun game to blast through!
Cheers, Mike! If you do get it accepted, give me a nudge. I'd love to watch someone who is actually good at that game! It probably takes me longer to get past Ed 209 than it takes you to finish the whole thing! :D
@@thejoyofsticks It's surprisingly more complicated than I expected. The elevator platforms are actually sprites so if you rush past enemies you can get to points in which you can't progress.
@@PigeonPlucker Huh. I've not watched many speedruns, but I've been watching Arcus a bit on Twitch and it's just incredible how he combines skill and knowledge of the game, all while interacting with his community. So cool. There are times in games where he will do something inexplicable, and I'm guessing that it's to manipulate the game's hidden timer. Like he'll stop for a single slash in one of the Ninja Gaiden games for example.
@@thejoyofsticks I've managed Robocop in 11:43 and it's about 18 seconds faster than my prior PB, so an amazingly tight run. I could be wrong, but I think with a super lucky run it could possibly go sub-11:40. I'm actually going through some of my recordings now and I'll drop you the link when it's uploaded if you want to check it out.
@@PigeonPlucker Woah! Nice one, Mike! Have you got it uploaded somewhere? Or are you waiting on speedrun.com? That would be something to see. Do you speedrun any other ST games?
Another one I totally missed back then on the ST. Thanks for that video
You are welcome. This is one not too be missed, too! Probably overlooked by many because it was a faithful conversion of an 8-bit game (and we were the 16-bit big boys back then!) so I wonder how many ST fans missed out on it.
Welcome back Marc! Ah, an alltime classic. Played this for ages on my 800XL! Have really forgotten that there's also a late 16-bit version. I really should give that a try. 👍
I watched somebody playing the Atari 800 version yesterday! It's pretty much the same game minus the colours and the sultry "you win" sound effects! :D If you do give it a go, let me know if you notice any difference in the controls.
I think I started playing this game after checking your old gameplay video. I love the sense of urgency in this game. I'm regretting missing out on it when it came out. I can probably pin this on this grumpy dude's rating, since I was reading Generation 4 like the bible back then. Good job on the translation BTW! Since you were wondering about the first line, the meaning of this figure of speech is "Look, a blast from the past!" or something like that... Good luck on your Movember! 5 more 10ks that's going to be a piece of cake without your mane's weight on your head, which also makes you more aerodynamic:P
It's one of those games where you don't realise it at the time, but once you stop playing you realise how wired you are: heart pumping, adrenaline sky high, wide eyed. :D I'm so glad I didn't butcher the translation! I guess those years studying French at high school weren't wasted after all! :D Thanks for the clarification about "Tiens, du revanent!" I mistook 'tiens' to mean 'hold' which I think it might in certain contexts, but in this context is more of an exclamation. We had a similar expression in English, but we don't tend to use it any more. In the 1950s, people might have said "Here!" Language is fun sometimes. Thanks for the kind words!
Look who's back, just in time for Halloween! Good to see you again, Marc!
Thanks, buddy! It's good to be back! I did wonder about doing a Halloween special, but I was a day late! :D
This looks great! I have the Atari 800 version on cartridge. That is one of my all time favorite 8bit computer games. I do like how they updated the graphics but didn't ruin the game!
Seems like a rarity, doesn't it? That may be because so many modern remakes lose the essence of the game they are updating, but I think Loriciels did a great job here. I'm going to check out the Atari 800 version now!
Good to see you back mate. Classic game, I remember the Speccy version mostly, but I always liked it wherever I played.
Cheers stunthumb! How does the Speccy version compare?
@@thejoyofsticks Pretty well, the core gameplay is all there. The speccy is character based and kinda just white with red bricks on a black background, but it plays quite swiftly. I remember my dad spending hours making levels for it back in the day, he liked to challenge us to solve his creations. Great fun no matter what platform you play on.
@@stunthumb I've just watched a video of the Speccy version and it looks really cool. Nice and smooth, nice and responsive, which is definitely a quality you want in a Lode Runner conversion.
That's what's great about games with level editors, right? They extend the fun you can get from a game almost infinitely. Right, I'm going to make some Oids levels this weekend! :D
Going to play this on my Atari 800XL this afternoon. Looking forward to it, and very much appreciate the nostalgia nudge.
That's awesome. Love that I've influenced your afternoon nostalgia trip. Have fun! Let me know if you get past that nightmare of a level!
Never knew this had an ST version, but shouldn't be surprised given how widely ported this had been over the years! My familiarity is mostly with the Atari 8-bit version, which is pretty similar to the Apple II version. If you can't track down the latter the Atari version is a great choice.
It seems that the Apple II, Atari 8 bit and ST versions all share the same DNA. It does make you wonder why the NES and PC Engine versions were changed so much. I guess they thought that those stick man graphics just couldn't appeal to the Japanese market. After all, they updated Eric and the Floaters in a similar way and that was a runaway success.
Great initiative, Marc! and so good to have you back. I was pretty certain I had Lode Runner for the ST although my memory was it looked even more primitive than this. I do remember a level editor though, back then I’d be ecstatic whenever a game came with an editor.
Level editors were the bomb. My first was for Championship Sprint on the Amstrad CPC. So cool that you could make your own tracks, added hours to the fun you got from your game, as most level editors do! I think my favourite level editor might be Oids though.
Some more good stuff for a Sunday evening, thanks buddy ❤️
You are most welcome, shafeq! I hope you are doing well!
@@thejoyofsticks all good in the hood thanks buddy. Stay safe and keep the videos coming ❤️
Nice to see you back, Marc......and we know what a new upload means.......a few more would have been (or will be) recorded in/around the same time so woo-hoo, more vids to come soon! haha
Yeah, really like the look of this game. I had a cheeky look on ebay and whilst I couldn't see a copy I did find out that a PS1 version exists (might be US only) so I'll check that out in the future.
Good on you with the Movember challenge and as for hearing your mental health issues then 100%, the response you will receive will be great and it could certainly encourage others to speak up, that there is nothing to be ashamed of and that help is always there.
Thanks for the kind words, Alex. Most appreciated!
Lode Runner not a game that pops up very frequently on eBay afaik, but your mention of a PS1 version has me intrigued. Is it a wonky 3D update like so many remakes/reboots of that period, I wonder?
I think your washing machine has the same "Finished" beep as mine, Marc - towards the end of the video I was very confused thinking "I don't remember putting any washing in!"
XD I have a very insistent washing machine. It's a bossy little git. Every time I'm like "Alright, alright, I'll get the stuff out when I'm good and ready thanks." :D
The art style is certainly rather unique, and certainly adds a lot of distinctiveness to the 8-bit releases on a visual front.
Most of my experience is with the C64 port, which was a darn solid one, though it suffers from the same affliction I assume the ST one has, and that's the single button on the joystick. On the original Apple release, having a separate button to dig to the left and the right is quite handy, especially with some of those trickier moments.
Of course, I can't say I ever relied on that feature: I can get about as far as you did here, so I've not seen any of the later levels which I'm sure get brutal in comparison. But it been quite a long time since I sat down to raid the Bungeling Empire's cache of stolen Gold ;)
Ah! I didn't realise the Apple version had that extra button. That would make it much nicer to control for sure. On the ST version you can choose your starting level, so I have seen some more of the game and it has to be said that many of the levels after that one are nowhere near as difficult! Maybe I should use the level editor just to change the order of levels! :D
absolutely love LR. seriously, you need to look at CHAMPIONSHIP LODE RUNNER! i was really excited to try it. played for hours and couldn't finish the first level! not even that, i wasn't close to pulling off the _initial exploit_ on the first level! the famicom port warns "not for beginners!" on the box. truly jaw-dropping what they ask of the player in that game...
:D Wow! Sounds ridiculous! Count me in.
Great to see another video with another classic! Has the hidden gems idea been shelved for now?
Shelved, but not forgotten. That kind of video takes a bit longer to put together, so it might have to wait until the Christmas holiday.
@@thejoyofsticks Another reason to look forward to that holiday! Hope you and your family and heading towards that one in good health :)
Funnily enough I played that game A LOT on my Apple 2C but never knew about an ATARI ST port when I had mine back in 1990. Guess I was too busy with the too many hacked games around. I wish I could play Lode Runner again though as I have fond memories of it.
Such a good game. Which is why I was flabbergasted by the 35% score in Gen 4! Unbelievable.
Fair play mate.....and a bit if loderunner fun. Excellent vid around.
Thanks Kev! Any chance of some Atari-STaffroom vids over lockdown?
@@thejoyofsticks Maybe. Been working.on something a bit fun over the last week or so. Having to stop and start ( bloody real life here). Hopefully have it out before Christmas 🤣🤣
Didn't know this game existed for the ST. I played the Apple II version like crazy when it first came out!
It would be interesting to get your opinion on this ST port. To my untrained eye it looks like a really faithful interpretation of the gameplay. What do you think?
@@thejoyofsticks At first the visual differences made me think it was a totally different game but then I noticed the player movement and AI are similar to the original. Another difference is that on the Apple II and PC (IIRC) had a two button mouse so each button shot the gun in a different direction.
It must of been a dilemma for the software companies. If they made the game exactly like the original then people may not be interested in getting an 8bit game for a 16 bit computer. If they change it too much then people will say it's not like the original! I think this game falls in the middle.
That two button control scheme sounds great. On the ST, you hold the button and press a direction to fire the laser. It doesn't sound like much, but that extra frame of hesitation can make a difference in a tight spot.
It's hard to sympathise with the anti-8-bit sentiments looking back now, but people tend to want something brand new and previously impossible when they buy the next-gen gaming machine, don't they?
Man, that Lode Runner box art, though! I had no idea he was so sexy.
:D Maybe that's why they are chasing him?
@@thejoyofsticks Yeah, there's a funny retheme to be made, I think! Anyway, gameplay note - the big thing I always remembered is that it's possible to run over two enemies. You dig two blocks, and you can safely run over both.
But not if there are three of them.
So, that's the big key to making your way through ... if there's a clump of 3+, definitely avoid them or try to trap them or try to split them up. If there's a clump of 2, you can "fight" your way through them.
The official Amiga version is not good, however a shareware version called Minerunner is decent. This looks like a really good version I will have to take a closer look.
The Amiga version is a bit of an oddity, isn't it? It seems like they've tried to make a straight port of the 8 bit versions, but somehow managed to bork the control and animation of the sprites. Weird. I haven't seen Minerunner, so I'll check that out now.
When you come to level 5-10 it becomes a very stressful game in my opinion. I like to have time to ponder a bit from time to time, so i never liked this game. But at least it doesnt have time limit, which i dont like in platformers, and most of them have! I also was confused that there were no jump button, i was so used to that from Giana and R. Dangerous, Terrys Big Adventure etc.
Yes, there is a bit too much of a difficulty spike. It would have been nicer to introduce some difficulty in a steadier way. There are ways to get respite - the chasers sometimes stay still if you are still in just the right spots.
Never knew there was an official ST port... I've always played a German clone called Going Up which used the monochrome mode. Had to use Sebra to play it on my color monitor.
I remember using that Sebra high resolution emulator! I felt so grown up using a monochrome hi-res display for my word processing! :D I would have loved to get my hands on a real monochrome monitor then. Thanks for the recommendation, I'll go and search for Going Up now.
Stick head where you at mate we need more vids 😂👍
Same level I always got stuck on
Right? Now there's a difficulty spike and a half. Did you ever get past it? There seem to be some impossible pickups there...
Super joy
Why is it all in french? Was there no english version? ETA: Oh i see its Brödebound software, so thats a british company. Should be an english version then..
I think there's a chance it was only released in France. The only entry for the game on Atarimania is the French version anyway. Broderbund was an American company from California, but Lode Runner was coded by Loriciels, a French company. There are certainly a ton of other Lode Runner conversions that were released all over the globe, but the ST version seems to be a bit of an oddity.
Great to see you back here! Great video! Never knew this was ported to the ST. If you like "Lode Runner" and the 8-Bit versions, then check out "Shadow Switcher" on the C64! A brilliant new variation on the Lode Runner concept by Dr. Wuro czcams.com/video/_WDDR6-Yfe8/video.html
That looks like a great game! I love that switching game mechanic. Very interesting. It kind of reminds me of Ikaruga on the Dreamcast. That had a black/white switching mechanic too. Thanks for the recommendation and thanks for the kind words!
60 men every hour?? Can that be correct??
I mean, I haven't counted, but I'm trusting the charity and their sources. To be honest, mate, 1 is too many. Completely avoidable, tragically sad deaths.