Lode Runner

ロードランナー (Rōdo Rannā)NES, Other, Commodore 64, Arcade +31983

  1. JP1984
  2. NA1983
  3. EU—
  4. RUDendy

Lode Runner kept its English name in every region; in Japan Hudson Soft's Famicom version was titled ロードランナー (Rōdo Rannā), and Doug Smith's prototype was earlier known as Kong and then Miner. The NES version was re-released on the Wii Virtual Console in North America in June 2007, but no current store release is recorded.

Lode Runner is a puzzle platformer created by Doug Smith and first released by Broderbund for the Apple II on 23 June 1983. Smith's prototype started life as a Commodore PET program called Suicide before being renamed Kong and then Miner. It was one of the first games with a built-in level editor, and Commodore 64, Atari 8-bit and VIC-20 versions followed the same year.

The game took an unusual route to Japan. Hudson Soft's Famicom version, released on 20 July 1984, was one of the first third-party Famicom games, and its enemy robots were the first appearance of the Bomberman robots. That same year Irem turned it into an arcade game with 24 remixed levels, the first American computer game adapted for Japanese arcades.

In Japan the Famicom version shipped about 1.1 million copies. Hudson later returned to it with a Game Boy Advance collection in 2003 and a DS version with 130 stages in 2006.12

Names and releases

RegionTitle on the boxPlatformDatePublisherSrc
NA Lode RunnerApple II original Other Jun 23, 1983 Broderbund 1
NA Lode RunnerAtari 8-bit version the same month; VIC-20 in November 1983 Commodore 64 October 1983 Broderbund 1
NA Lode RunnerWikipedia's infobox gives September 1987 while its text says 1986 NES 1987 Broderbund 1
NA Lode RunnerVirtual Console (NES version) Wii June 2007 — 1
JP ロードランナーRōdo RannāFamicom; one of the first third-party Famicom games NES Jul 20, 1984 Hudson Soft 2
JP Lode Runner24 remixed levels; Europe October 1984, North America November 1984 Arcade July 1984 Irem 1
JP ロードランナーコレクションCollection with the Famicom Lode Runner and Championship Lode Runner Game Boy Advance Feb 21, 2003 Hudson Soft 2
JP ロードランナーDS version including the Famicom stages, 130 stages in total Nintendo DS Oct 26, 2006 Hudson Soft 2

Also known as: ロードランナー JP2Rōdo Rannā JP2Kong NA1Miner NA1

Box art by region

  • Lode Runner box art, North America release
    NA Lode Runner
  • ロードランナー box art, Japan release
    JP ロードランナー

Box art © its publishers, shown to identify each release. Scans: libretro-thumbnails.

Version differences

  • GraphicsNES/Famicom

    Hudson's Famicom/NES version adds scrolling screens, music, cartoon-style graphics and random fruit and vegetable bonus items.1

  • GameplayFamicom (JP)

    The Famicom version includes a level editor, and stages made with it could be saved to cassette with the Famicom Data Recorder.1

  • ContentArcade

    Irem's arcade version has its own 24 remixed levels on a smaller 24x15 grid, lets you hang from the ends of ladders and has smarter enemies.1

All differences (4)

Reception

Lode Runner was the best-selling computer game in the United States in 1983 and had passed 300,000 copies by August 1984. By 1999 the Famicom/NES version had sold about 1.5 million cartridges in Japan, and all versions together more than 3 million worldwide.1

Sources

  1. 1en.wikipedia.org
  2. 2ja.wikipedia.org
  3. 3stopgame.ru

Checked: 2026-10-13Text reviewed: 2026-10-13

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