Arcade Archives: Labyrinth Runner
Jan. 23rd, 2026 08:45 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tepidsnakeThis week's Arcade Archives release is... Labyrinth Runner (Konami, 1988)
Arcade Archives (previous-gen consoles)
PSN
Switch
Arcade Archives 2 (current-gen consoles)
PSN
Switch 2
EU
Xbox
Only two ROMs are here for this one, the Japanese and World ROMs both called Labyrinth Runner. There's another set out there called Trick Trap (possibly Trick Trap -1771- as that's what the title screen has) which MAME lists as a 'World?' version, and this was also the version included in the Microsoft Game Room, but it's not included here. No special Preference Settings either (and yes, this means you have a hard limit of 5 continues! Good luck)
The land of Vegetaria is in crisis! The wicked Devil has been terrorising the land, and even kidnapped the beloved Princess Papaya from another kingdom, who's been taken to his castle! Only one knight is brave enough to make the perilous journey to rescue her. Scaling the castle wall, running through the labyrinth (get it?) and even riding the treacherous mine carts are some of the obstacles in the hero's way, but he will prevail. Not only is he strong and brave, but he also can pick up strong armaments along the way, including upgrading his normal shot, obtaining bombs thrown in a rising arc and lasers that bounce off the walls and even magic spells to damage everything on screen. With compass in hand to make sure he's going the right way, and courage in his heart, he swears to defeat the evil Devil and bring peace back to the land!
OK, I won't lie, this is one of my favourites, Labyrinth Runner is a neat little top-down shooter with an identity of its own. the aesthetic is a strange fusion of fantasy and sci-fi (you have a laser for one thing, and robot-like enemies and environments start showing up right at the end), almost a bit like Battlantis but a lot better. The controls are a little awkward at first, as you have to manually switch between weapons with a Select button, and if you happen to highlight a weapon you haven't picked up yet, bully for you, you'll just fire nothing. Still, you get used to it, and the different weapons are different enough from each other that you'll want to use them in specific situations and you usually get replacements nearby when you die. The game is also extremely fast-paced- your walking speed starts off at a brisk pace and only gets faster with power-ups, and each scene lasts between 1:30-2:00 minutes. There's variety too, with a few maze sequences (use your compass to find the right way) and a minecart chase where you need to pick the right path (you can just barely see far enough ahead of you to make the right call). If anything, it's a bit similar to the arcade Contra in that it feels like it's a little undercooked, mostly in length, it's not very long at all and maybe some of these ideas could've been fleshed out more. To compensate, the game is tough with lots of bullets and enemies heading your way at all times, and with the limited continues (thanks, Konami), you won't conquer it straight away. Konami's off to a good start in 2026 on Arcade Archives with this one, I definitely recommend it!