Read on Twitter
One of my favorite history blogs, Digital Antiquarian, has a new article about Lode Runner. I made a small contribution via a comment that he edited into the article proper, but here's a thread expanding on some thoughts.
https://www.filfre.net/2020/12/lode-runner/
https://www.filfre.net/2020/12/lode-runner/
A myth has developed around Lode Runner that the concept for the game was based on a bad description of Donkey Kong given to the programmer by a friend.
While it's true that the prototype was renamed "Kong" in college due to the popularity of DK, it originally began as a high school project called "Suicide." DK was released in the summer of 1981, but he started college in the fall of 1981 -- which means "Suicide" was before DK!
The arcade game described to the programmer by his friend was most likely Space Panic from 1980. It involved climbing ladders to platforms and digging holes to trap enemies. Suicide/Kong/Miner/Lode Runner's big innovation was adding gold to collect.
One of my favorite things to do with history is to assemble timelines of semi-related things to try to understand the wider context and what questions that might answer.
For example, Lode Runner was huge on Famicom in Japan, but only a moderate seller on NES in the US. Why?
For example, Lode Runner was huge on Famicom in Japan, but only a moderate seller on NES in the US. Why?
I've seen several theories, but here's mine:
As pointed out in the article, Lode Runner was one of the Famicom's first games, and became an early Killer App years before SMB.
But in the US, the NES *launched* with SMB. Everything else paled in comparison...even Lode Runner.
As pointed out in the article, Lode Runner was one of the Famicom's first games, and became an early Killer App years before SMB.
But in the US, the NES *launched* with SMB. Everything else paled in comparison...even Lode Runner.
A timeline can also help in better understanding why NOA would decide not to release Japan's SMB2 here.
Remember, when the NES was released in the US in October 1985, it was only available in New York. It slowly rolled out nationwide from March to September of 1986.
Remember, when the NES was released in the US in October 1985, it was only available in New York. It slowly rolled out nationwide from March to September of 1986.
This could explain why some people felt like they saw the arcade game before the home game. Outside of NYC, VS. SMB rolled out at around the same time as the NES.
The nationwide ad campaign didn't start until Sept, but SMB2 would've been released in June.
And when someone sees two installments in a series for a new console, which are they going to buy? The new hotness. Imagine people trying to play Lost Levels before ever playing SMB1!!
And when someone sees two installments in a series for a new console, which are they going to buy? The new hotness. Imagine people trying to play Lost Levels before ever playing SMB1!!
Also, notice that SMB2 (US) and SMB3 (JP) were released the same month. NOA *could've* simply renamed SMB3 to SMB2 (like the Final Fantasy series)...was keeping numbered continuity important to Nintendo at the time? Was that a factor in converted Doki Doki Panic?
The big mystery to me is why SMB3 wasn't released until Feb 1990 in the US, instead of during the Christmas season. Is it because NOA didn't want it to crush the NES Tetris game they licensed for that Christmas?
And a final question:
Did collecting piles of gold coins in Famicom Lode Runner inspire collecting gold coins in Super Mario...?
Did collecting piles of gold coins in Famicom Lode Runner inspire collecting gold coins in Super Mario...?
Another potential reason for Nintendo delaying SMB3 until after Christmas might be the big movie tie-in they had where the game was going to be "revealed" in THE WIZARD, but Universal Pictures scheduled the film for December 15, 1989 -- too close to Christmas.
