GT INTERACTIVE PRESS RELEASE
7.8.98

Lode Runner 2

Format: PC
SRP: £TBA
Release: 11th of September

It’s back!  It’s manic and the mad monks are up for it again!

Based on the original Broderbund '80s PC title wherein the player collects gold bars while outwitting Mad Monks in level after level of desolate future Earth. The Monks are also after the gold but can only carry one bar at a time. To win, the player must knock the bars loose from the characters, and hopefully seal them in the ground where they can no longer be a nuisance.

It began life as a game for the Apple II system in 1983, then quickly spread to console and other computer platforms and now it’s back with 75 new levels spanning five 3D worlds and will come complete with its own level editor. 

Players will be able to compete as male or female "runners." As in past editions of the game, players make their way through (in this case) 3D game worlds collecting gold, solving puzzles, and evading mad monks and other assorted nasties. Lode Runner 2 will sport a multiplayer mode with support for up to eight players.

Presage Software is developing the title, while Lode Runner's creator, Doug Smith, is serving as a consultant on its development.  However with the new level editor and builder included the devoted fan will now finally be able to get creative and design their own new levels.

“Lode Runner is one of those rare games whose incredibly broad audience transcends the lines of age, gender, and genres,” said Holly Newman, vice president of Marketing for GT Interactive.  “With the addition of 3D technology, multi-player functionality, and a user supported level editor to the highly addictive puzzle-action style of game play, we hope to extend further the reach of this gaming classic.”

As either a male or female Lode Runner, players must travel through isometric 3D game worlds collecting gold, solving puzzles and evading evil creatures.  A keen sense of timing, resourcefulness and pure logic all combine to make Lode Runner 2 a completely unique gaming experience.  Dynamic artificial intelligence allows enemies to react and move according to players’ movements, allowing for unlimited replayability.  In addition to its single-player mode, Lode Runner 2 supports multi-play for up to eight players simultaneously. 

Lavish worlds including “Industrial,” “Jungle,” “Gear,” “Mona” and “Wacky” are being designed to challenge players of any skill level, and to maintain the nerve-wracking game play that originally established Lode Runner as a benchmark in gaming.  Each of the 75 levels includes a scrolling six directions of freedom, allowing the player movement in any direction (NW, SW, SE, NE, up and down).

Get back in touch with the Mad Monks….

Contact Matt Broughton, Lee Kirton or Paul Fox at GT Interactive for further information.