Douglas E. Smith, creator of classic platformer Lode Runner, has died

The man responsible for one of gaming’s early hits has passed away.

Douglas E. Smith has departed, according to developer Tozai Games. Smith made a name for himself when he created the action title Lode Runner for the Apple II computer in 1983. The game had players controlling a stick figure that had to avoid enemies while collecting gold throughout various levels, and many players immediately fell in love with the title. Since its original debut, publishers Brøderbund Software and Ariolasoft have ported Lode Runner to dozens of different platforms including, most recently, Xbox Live Arcade and Windows Phone.