Hyper Lode Runner Review by: leod - 8/10
Hyper Lode RunnerMan I used to play this game as a kid all day.
I didn't expect to actually find it here, but will you look at that.
The thing that made this game so addicting and fun to me back in the day wasn't the deep gameplay or the awesome graphics, which, admittedly, this game both lacks, no, it was the level editor.
It's probably the first game I've ever played that had a built-in level editor, making it possible to build my own levels and have my brother play them.
I'll stop rambling on about that now though and just review this thing.
Gameplay:
The game is simple.
You spawn in a large, square box and have to collect all the "gold" by using your laser gun to burn holes into the floor; by which I mean the bricks melt into thin air, only to fill up a little later again, killing everything inside it, whether it's you or the enemy.
Unlike you, the enemies respawn at a random spot high up in the air, though, making up for unfair ambush situations if you do not position yourself carefully.
Reaching the gold can prove itself difficult at times, from climbing ladders and crawling along tightropes to digging tunnels with your gun, or even using your enemies as stepping stones. This sounds spectacular. It's a GameBoy game, though, so it looks kind of like a bunch of toy soldiers chasing and eating dust across a landscape that resembles ant tunnels more than anything.
Oh, did I mention that the enemy collects the gold, too?
Whenever an enemy passes over a gold pile accidentally (they don't aim for it, they really just stumble into it as they're trying to get you), it'll pick it up and only drop it when you trap it inside a vaporized brick, after which you'll have to walk across it and collect the gold.
Once you have collected all the gold available in the level, you'll hear a little jingle and previously invisible ladders start popping up, that lead to the top of the level; once you reach that top, you'll get to see a little animation, with confetti popping out of a Super Smash Bros. Party Ball and everything.
Sound:
The in-level music is a simple little audio loop akin to the old Donkey Kong games, which would create a rather poor audio scene, if it weren't for the sound effects for literally every little thing the player does, from footsteps to falling sounds.
They make the game seem a little more lively, enough for an okay-ish score of 6 in the sound department.
Graphics:
Eh.
They fulfill their purpose of making everything look distinct, but they're nothing to write home about.
Two different typed, a ladder, tightrope, door, key and two human characters - for the player and the enemies - are all it offers, along with the really non-descriptive graphics for the collectible.
Does it look like sand? Is it a really strangely textured jelly? Who the hell knows.
4/10
Difficulty:
9/10.
Sounds hard? It is.
The pre-made levels are all really, really challenging and very punishing.
Every single mistake is penalized by death, either caused by the enemy recklessly chasing you down or by suffocating in a hole that you created yourself just seconds ago.
Whoops, there goes that life. And lives aren't something you have a lot of in this game, you start out with 3 and have no way of gaining them.
However, this is not important unless you are aiming for the high score board, since you can choose which of the 50 levels you want to play from the very start by simply tapping the A button a few times.
Addictiveness:
This game. 9/10.
It stole many hours from my young life, trying to finish all the levels - and the ones my brother made me.
A lot of the collectibles require a lot of thinking, which often ends up in rather frustrating situations where the player will have to commit laser-cide and star all over.
Once you figure out all of the solutions to a level, the feeling of finally completing it is great, though, and keeps you coming for more.
Depth:
50 levels out of the box, some of which double the size due to the key-door that leads to a second, completely new room, and infinite levels to make and play yourself.
It's like you're playing with Legos, just on a GameBoy and there's no Lego anywhere.
All in all, I'd give it 8 points out of 10, although that is VERY LIKELY just the nostalgia speaking out of me here, the game probably won't be any good for most other people, but wouldn't complain if this game was more popular, even if just among few people.
Graphics
4 Sound
6 Addictive
9 Depth
10 Difficulty
9
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