Remember the days when Bomberman was a bad guy? No? Then you aren’t thinking back to the NES days of Lode Runner. But don’t fret, your secret Nintendo-fu weakness is safe with me, and I’m here to help. A new version of Lode Runner has been announced by Hudson Soft in Japan. This type of game doesn’t appear on its face to be too heavily dependent on dialogue, so the region free DS Lite could help bring this title to North American shores if it ends up not being in the cards for a U.S. release.

From Hudson: “Lode Runner will feature the classic NES Lode Runner game (where Bomberman is the enemy!) and the newer Championship version! There’s also different modes of play like “Arranged” and “Pop Style” for your gaming tastes. There’s even a game sharing feature! So, nostalgic and new fans: we’ve got you covered! Stay tuned for more details and visit the official Japanese Lode Runner DS site for more screens and info! Taking advantage of the Dual Screen technology, the top screen features the entire map while the lower screen zooms closer into the action.”

Now, if they could just start work on Mighty Bomber Jack, I’d be all set.