124. Cubic Lode Runner (Hudson Soft, Playstation 2, 2003)

Though there have been a handful of sequels to game #92 Lode Runner, Cubic Lode Runner is one of two (the other being Nintendo 64 enrty Lode Runner 3D) sequels to have attempted a fully 3D game. This was a title released in the Hudson Selection series of reimagined classic games. Gameplay in Cubic Lode Runner is basically the same as the original from 20 years prior: you climb ladders and dig holes, collecting gold and trapping Bomberman-looking enemies.

This time, though, you can use the 4 face buttons to dig in any of the 4 cardinal directions. The L2 and R2 buttons are used to rotate the level 90 degrees at a time so that you can always see what you are doing. It kind of feels like a prototype of Captain Toad. Rotating the camera also briefly pauses the action as the controls switch so that you don't get too disoriented. Lode Runner has always been a basic game that relied on the fun of its level designs, and thank fully most levels here are varied and interesting.

While Cubic Lode Runner does not add anything new to the formula other than the 3D perspective, this was enough to make it the most fun I've had playing a Lode Runner title. I think the game is made easier by being able to runaway from enemies in 4 directions instead of just 2. That said, the rest of the game is pretty lacking. The graphics have almost no style and barely look better than a PlayStation 1 game, and the music is repetitive and boring.

4/5, The addition of 3D makes this the best time I've had with Lode Runner