Loads Of Challenges

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At first sight, this game doesn't offer much for its above-average price tag. Your character ambles around platforms and ladders, but there are no moving escalators or conveyor belts to make his journey more exciting. There are no useful or belligerent things for him to pick up, only a few gold bars to collect. There are no damsels to rescue and only one sort of nasty to avoid. But don't stop reading here.

For once you get into it, this is a very challenging game indeed. The animation is smooth and fast, and for once our hero and his antagonists actually look and move like human beings instead of cartoon mutants. Moreover, the blue meanies interact with the hero in a semi-intelligent way.

Apart from moving left and right and climbing up and down, you can't do anything except drill holes in the brickwork with your laser - but this turns out to be a vital tactic, both to reach gold hidden in cellars and to dig traps for your adversaries.

Finally, there's no end of variety. The game comes complete with a staggering 160 screens and some are decidedly devious (number 16 is a humdinger!). What's more, you can build your own screens with a simple editing routine and save them for future use.

Lode Runner may appear to be just another variation on a well-worn theme, but in fact it's a superb example of the platform game, with no gimmicky extras; just fast and frustrating fun, with scope for infinite expansion.

Jeffery Pike