Championship Lode Runner

• Title — Championship Lode Runner • Developer — Broderbund Compile (SG-1000, MSX) • Publisher — Broderbund Hudson Soft (Famicom) Sega (SG-1000) Sony (MSX) • Programmer — IBM PC Doug Greene Famicom Shinichi Nakamoto • Designer — Doug Smith • Composer — Isamu Hirano (Famicom) • Series — Lode Runner • Released — 1984: Apple, C64, IBM PC 1985: Atari 8-bit, Famicom, SG-1000 1986: MSX • Genre — Puzzle-platform • Modes — Single-player • Platforms — Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, IBM PC, Famicom, MSX, SG-1000

• Illustration — Gameplay screenshot The object of the game is to pick up all the gold pieces (which appear as piles of gold) and get them to the top. Enemies must be overcome using non-violent methods. Bumping into enemies costs the player a life and all of their gold pieces. The game includes 50 levels which must be completed in proper sequential order. While games can be saved, the player automatically loses a life for restoring the game. Unlike the original Lode Runner game, Championship Lode Runner did not come with a level editor. Many of the levels made for this game were designed using the built-in level editor from the original game.

The game was first released for the Apple II. The Famicom port of the game was published by Hudson Soft. Famicom players can start at any of the first ten levels while needing passwords to skip to the next levels. The Apple II version and Famicom offered players a certificate for completing the game. The IBM PC self-booting disk version was written by Doug Greene. In 1985, Sega published the game for the SG-1000 in Japan and it was released on the My Card format. A port was also released for the MSX. Both versions were developed by Compile.