NODE RUNNER by Winged Yak Productions

Ever notice how new shareware press releases have a 'Monster Truck Rally-- Sunday, Sunday, SUNDAY!' feel? "MondoPlay Software presents a game that will BLOW you off your FEET! Sesame Street Mega Truck Follies on Ice uses SUPERIOR graphics technology AS USED IN AMERICA'S SPACE PROGRAM to provide QUAD-POWERED 4-d gouraud-shaded TURBO-Surround FURY that'll keep you on the EDGE of your SEAT! TRUCK-DRIVIN', HIGH-STICKIN' MUPPET-MASHIN' ACTION!!"

Node Runner is not such a game.

Since the old days of the Apple II, Lode Runner by Broderbund software has remained a classic game of logic and thinking only recently revived in much of its original form by Dynamix. As a complement to the fairly rigid revitalization of the game, Winged Yak Productions is proud to present a much looser interpretation of the original.

The goal is simply stated: guide the Node Runner through a maze of various tiles to gather all the jewels scattered about the level, opening the gate to the next. Stopping you are various killers who, though slower, always know your location and always take the shortest path to your present position. Armed only with your wits and the ability to dig away sections of the screen, gathering the jewels and reaching the exit can be a difficult, often near-impossible task.

Yet rather than limit this to the fixed-size static playfields of the original Lode Runner and its successor, Node Runner uses large sprites and a smoothly scrolling playfield of variable size to add a fresh new perspective to the game; ranging from long, flat levels to tall chimneys to huge playfields over four times the size of the original Lode Runner, Node Runner's levels can drive you to the brink of frustration and back. The animation is quite fluid, with several frames of motion for each direction of travel. The result is a fast-moving action-packed game requiring fast reflexes, rapid transfers of attention from the local area to the all- important full-playfield radar and back, and a claustrohpobic, panicky feel.

Further additions include:

• Killer lures! When activated, these spinning beacons redirect the killers' attention giving the player just enough time to give them the slip -- or trap them.
• Doors! Three different types of doors operated by any number of switches create logical puzzles of fiendish difficulty. Even without killers, some levels are darn tough-- and darn rewarding.
• Armor! Find a suit and actually take the offensive for a few sweet seconds of killer-bashing.
• Speedups! Already fast, Node Runner doubles his movement rate for a short time, vastly outspeeding the killers and covering serious acreage in record time.
• Kill Squares! Destroying any living thing that enters them, kill squares can end your life with little notice-- or save your bacon as you throw the right switch, dropping the killers to a sudden death.
• Repellent! Located in small vials, its vile stench reverses the killers' movement, allowing you to chase them for a change.
• Transporters! Zapping the player from portal to portal, transporters can be used in combination with doors and switches to truly evil ends.
• Healing stations! Gone are the days of "one hit, one kill"-- take damage and you'll survive, especially if you can get to a red cross and regain some lost health.
• Digital Sound and Music! Sampled sounds and digital music pieces graciously donated by various Internet artists provide a good backdrop for many sound cards ( pas-16 and GUS supported through Otto Chrons' DSMI interface ).
• The Editor! Registered users will recieve the Node Runner level editor/packager, enabling them to create their own fiendish levels and terrorize their friends!

But don't take my word for it. Here's what the playtesters had to say:

   Node Runner remains true to the original--expanding on it logically
   without destroying the old Lode Runner's distinctive charm and style
   of play.  This is the long-awaited return of a much-loved game...
   [ it ] captures virtually all of the delightful subtleties of
   the original--but in a fresh new context...[ Winged Yak has ] done the
   LR fans of the world a great service, and it was a pleasure and an
   honor being one of the level developers.

  --Gordon Hogenson, playtester and level designer.

   Ooo!  Yow-- Hey!  Hang on a sec... um... yeah... ARGH!  I HATE THIS!
   Hang on though... one more try...

  --Robert Fulkerson, playtester.

   They're really two very different games; [ Node Runner ] has a much
   more claustrophobic and action-game feel, and I think it will not
   only appeal to Lode Runner fans but also bring in platform-game
   aficionados.

  --Hank Leukart, playtester and level designer.

   Hang on, Vic; you can have the computer right after this.. I'm pretty
   sure I can get this level with one more try...

  --Jo Carter, wife of NR's programmer, three minutes into her frst game.

Node Runner, from Winged Yak Productions, will be available in a few short weeks as an independent release ( the sound routines are being problematic, so a firm release date will not be set... )

( ...yet ).