Lode Runner began as a 1983 computer game created by Doug Smith and published by Broderbund, and Hudson Soft brought it to the Famicom in 1984, with the NES version reaching North America in 1987. The player controls a runner who must collect every pile of gold on the screen while avoiding robotic guards. The runner cannot jump or attack directly; instead, he can dig holes in the brick floor to either side, creating temporary traps for pursuing guards or paths down to lower floors. Holes refill after a few seconds, so any guard caught inside is crushed, while the runner must escape before the same thing happens to him. Once all the gold is collected, a ladder appears leading to the next level. Every stage is a puzzle of routes and timing, and the game’s design helped establish the puzzle-platformer genre.