Like most nerds without lives, I can reminisce endlessly about the computer games I used to play. Yet only a precious few are still fun in the '90s. One of those is Lode Runner, which, more than a decade after its début, is still a great action/strategy game. But Lode Runner: The Legend Returns is even better. This new release drags Lode Runner kicking and screaming into the era of SVGA graphics and MIDI sound while taking addictive play to new heights.
You play Jake Peril, adventuring fool, on a quest for treasure while avoiding the red-robed Mad Monks. Jake's only defenses are his wits and trusty laser, which blasts holes that the not-so-bright Monks fall into.
The game's 150 levels are made more difficult by the milling Monks, who become increasingly difficult to avoid, the placement of the treasures, and the levels, which seem designed by Beelzebub himself. And if the built-in levels aren't enough, The Legend Returns also has a construction mode so you can create your own hellish worlds.
Lode Runner: The Legend Returns for Mac, DOS, and Windows: US$45.95. Sierra On-Line: (800) 757 7707, (800) 743 7725, +1 (206) 649 9800.
STREET CRED
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