Beanstalker
Roy Coates, who converted the classic platformers Manic Miner and Jet Set
Willy to the Dragon, went on to form his own company, and this was his first
stand-alone release.
Beanstalker , which takes its background story from the old tale of Jack
and the beanstalk, boils down to nothing more than a clone of Loderunner, but
still manages to take with it some of the spirit of the programmer’s earlier
works in the shape of the detailed animation of the small sprites, and the
different screens are also much more varied than the original Loderunner.
Still, it plays exactly like Loderunner, with a small man running around
ladders and platforms to pick up various items. Once all items are picked up a
ladder to the next level is introduced. The screen is guarded by nasties such
as mice, worms or spiders, which vary according to the level. They can be
stopped in their path by digging a hole in the ground for them to fall into.
The game features 60 screens, runs in monochrome high resolution and has a
(password-protected) level editor.
Beanstalker