The 3-D Battles of World Runner (AKA: "3D Worldrunner" or "The Adventures of 3D Worldrunner")
Square (1987)
Nintendo Entertainment System
August 18, 2005
Posted on: bumcorner.com
I don't really like getting ripped off. I can't imagine anyone does. So, imagine my surprise when I bought my used NES off of eBay a few years when the person threw in an extra game that she couldn't get to work. When I got the box I looked at it, thought, "Hrm… '3-D Worldrunner.' Never heard of it," and moved on to play Mario 2.
Well, a few days later as a friend and I were cleaning up our newly acquired NES stuff (let me tell you, a few Qtips, rubbing alcohol, and a new 72 pin connector in an NES makes the system and games run like new!), I started cleaning 3-D WorldRunner. "Ugh," I said, "no wonder this didn't work. It's filthy!" Well a lot of cleaning later I finally got it working and discovered that the actual title of the game was not 3-D WorldRunner (as the label states) but "The 3-D Battles of World Runner." Just a random story… now about the game.
3DWR (for short) is a very simple game. Basically, you're this guy running across a chess-board world who is unable to stop running forward. I've never quite figured out why he's running, maybe the cops are chasing him. Or maybe he's been told there's a hotdog at the end of the game and he's hungry. Regardless, he's running and just won't stop. For some reason there's all sorts of strange things trying to kill this poor running man, from orbs with eyes to these big, pulsating bluish-white things. Oh yeah, and many dragons want to end his quest for non-stop running too.
Considering that this game is running on the NES, the graphics are actually very impressive. (Interesting side note: if you press Select during the game, it will go into a "3D Mode," designed for those wicked-cool Red/Blue glasses. I've gotten it to work with marginal success, but it’s still an interesting concept.) The music, while bleepy and goofy like most NES games, is pretty good and doesn't really grate on the nerves.
So, is this quirky little game fun? Immensely! This game is the epitome of the type of game I look for as a semi-casual gamer. It's fun to just sit down with for just 15 or 20 minutes; it's fun to play for an hour or more. In fact, I've started referring to it as "video game crack," because there's just this weird addictive quality to it. All too often, paper writing loses out to a round or three of some 3DWR.
How is jumping over pits of nothingness and dodging other creepy things and blowing up dragons fun? How is it not? Honestly, you owe it to yourself to pick up this gem. I've never really played a game like it—almost akin to the original Super Mario Brothers in its fun simplicity. Incidentally, there are a few digs against Mario in this game. For example, getting mushroom kills you. Its good-natured ribbing of a fellow video game company is just one of the many things that make this game unique, fun, and a very much unknown classic.
In case you're wondering, 3DWR is made by the same Square who would develop the Final Fantasy series as well as numerous other successful game franchises. As with a lot of successful video game companies (such as Bungie or Blizzard), they did make games (and darn good ones!) before they had their "ultra successful" title(s).
Final Score: 4.0/5.0
Square (1987)
Nintendo Entertainment System
August 18, 2005
Posted on: bumcorner.com
I don't really like getting ripped off. I can't imagine anyone does. So, imagine my surprise when I bought my used NES off of eBay a few years when the person threw in an extra game that she couldn't get to work. When I got the box I looked at it, thought, "Hrm… '3-D Worldrunner.' Never heard of it," and moved on to play Mario 2.
Well, a few days later as a friend and I were cleaning up our newly acquired NES stuff (let me tell you, a few Qtips, rubbing alcohol, and a new 72 pin connector in an NES makes the system and games run like new!), I started cleaning 3-D WorldRunner. "Ugh," I said, "no wonder this didn't work. It's filthy!" Well a lot of cleaning later I finally got it working and discovered that the actual title of the game was not 3-D WorldRunner (as the label states) but "The 3-D Battles of World Runner." Just a random story… now about the game.
3DWR (for short) is a very simple game. Basically, you're this guy running across a chess-board world who is unable to stop running forward. I've never quite figured out why he's running, maybe the cops are chasing him. Or maybe he's been told there's a hotdog at the end of the game and he's hungry. Regardless, he's running and just won't stop. For some reason there's all sorts of strange things trying to kill this poor running man, from orbs with eyes to these big, pulsating bluish-white things. Oh yeah, and many dragons want to end his quest for non-stop running too.
Considering that this game is running on the NES, the graphics are actually very impressive. (Interesting side note: if you press Select during the game, it will go into a "3D Mode," designed for those wicked-cool Red/Blue glasses. I've gotten it to work with marginal success, but it’s still an interesting concept.) The music, while bleepy and goofy like most NES games, is pretty good and doesn't really grate on the nerves.
So, is this quirky little game fun? Immensely! This game is the epitome of the type of game I look for as a semi-casual gamer. It's fun to just sit down with for just 15 or 20 minutes; it's fun to play for an hour or more. In fact, I've started referring to it as "video game crack," because there's just this weird addictive quality to it. All too often, paper writing loses out to a round or three of some 3DWR.
How is jumping over pits of nothingness and dodging other creepy things and blowing up dragons fun? How is it not? Honestly, you owe it to yourself to pick up this gem. I've never really played a game like it—almost akin to the original Super Mario Brothers in its fun simplicity. Incidentally, there are a few digs against Mario in this game. For example, getting mushroom kills you. Its good-natured ribbing of a fellow video game company is just one of the many things that make this game unique, fun, and a very much unknown classic.
In case you're wondering, 3DWR is made by the same Square who would develop the Final Fantasy series as well as numerous other successful game franchises. As with a lot of successful video game companies (such as Bungie or Blizzard), they did make games (and darn good ones!) before they had their "ultra successful" title(s).
Final Score: 4.0/5.0
