Lemmings - In-depth Written Amiga Review With Pics

Lemmings

DMA Design/Psygnosis

Amiga, 1991

$44.99

*My video review for Lemmings
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*Full soundtrack recorded from my Amiga
*Game designed in PAL mode, is NTSC compatible

If somehow you're coming to this one for the first time, prepare yourself for cries of "Oh no!" invading your sleep. Lemmings is an absolute classic, recognized as such from day one and still rightly holding to a claim as one of the greatest games of all time. Computer Gaming World recognized it as such, naming it the twelfth best game in a field of one hundred and fifty, as well as the fourteenth funniest game of all time. Quite high standing for a game where the original goal was simply to make the smallest and most realistic walking animation that was possible. Our heroes are but eight by eight pixels of realistic walking animation, small shoes that few other games could ever fill.

^Games introduction takes up most of the 1st disk, some of that animation in action

Created by DMA Design, now known as Rockstar North, I've always found the connection to make absolute sense. A company that has long been creating the most unique and funny ways to die. Psygnosis would publish the game, and they were not a silent partner by any means. They were responsible for creating the games introduction, which spans nearly the entirety of the first floppy disk. Over one hundred levels are in the game, the art having been made inside of the Amiga's own Deluxe Paint. It was this interface which allowed several of the team members to easily design their own levels, or alter the levels of others. On occasion you'll see levels that have come before, but now with different skill sets required, necessitating completely different strategies.

^Early levels introducing concepts, the same levels revisited later on

You can't get much more intuitive when it comes to those early levels. They're the slow introduction to the basic concepts you'll need throughout the game. Level names such as "Blockers Required" or "Bashers Needed This Time" couldn't be more blatant in what they're expecting from us. It is this hand holding which really makes Lemmings a hit for all ages and skill levels. I owe this design to my original love of the game as a kid. There are no shortage of levels in this original game which might be considered far too easy from adult gamers, but there will also be no shortage of levels which will have you pulling your hair out. Which, by the way, according to the games main menu, they will not be held responsible for. Expansions and sequels to this game would much more quickly throw the player into those more difficult situations, perhaps a reason why none ever could quite live up to this first game.
^This game is the devil! - Oh so many deaths

So much death of such cute creatures in this game. Thankfully it is that very cuteness involved in the numerous ways you can fail that will keep you from becoming too infuriated. As a kid I can vividly remember getting to a couple of the special Psygnosis advertising levels, namely the ones for Shadow of the Beast and Menace. You instantly knew something was different with those levels, if just in the change in art direction, but especially if you had been familiar with that work. Getting that far as a kid meant that I was able to figure out a good half of the game. While I would like to think I was not exactly your average kid gamer, I also believe quite a few people, even adults which may not have been wanting to waste too much time, I believe they were able to get to a point where they felt the game was worth the time, where it was worth the money.

^Smile - This game does not take itself too seriously

Now the final half of the game is really for those select few who wish to keep pounding at it. For those that do, I feel they will get an incredible internal reward for it all. Figuring out a level you've nuked twenty times in a row will bring an immense sigh of relief to your face. With much of the game, you can go about defeating the levels in several unique ways, don't be surprised if when looking up another playthrough if you find someone going about the same levels you've already conquered in a totally fresh way. It's actually a part of the fun in returning to some of the easier levels, testing out some new unique ways yourself. Later on, with a few exceptions, the game will be expecting precise action from you. Twitch reflexes, perfect time management, what you end up figuring out will be the exact same thing others had to figure out.
^Getting harder

Really the only truly infuriating aspect of Lemmings for me were those later level time constraints. It's one thing to know you don't know how to win a level. You haven't quite figured out how to do the things you need to do in one levels particular terrain with the skills the developers gave you. For me, that's fine. If you're going to get mad about that, you're only getting mad at yourself. You know it can be done, and if you keep at it, eventually you're going to figure it out. It's another thing all together when you do know exactly what the level is wanting from you. You know how to win with the skills given to you, but it turns out that level wants all of the Lemmings to be saved, and it wants you to do it in two minutes or less. You've figured it out, the Lemmings are hopping into their new home, but then the clock runs out, five seconds too late.

^One way or another, you can't afford to make mistakes in the later levels

If we get to the same answers in the end, what should it matter if it took someone ten minutes or one? Does this world only have two minutes worth of air inside of it? I've always looked at time limits as developer flaws. No part of me ever feels accomplished after defeating some ridiculous time limit. While the game is good enough to make you want to defeat those levels and I'm good enough to defeat those levels, there simply is no part of me that feels better upon defeating those levels. If that's the feeling you get upon success, then I genuinely wish games would simply not include those kinds of timing aspects.

Thankfully most levels give you plenty of time to defeat them. The challenge is in using the Lemmings to their best abilities, and using your mind to yours. Some of those last levels are really going to have you frustrated, but some won't. The game does not necessarily get harder with each passing level. You could have one or two hard levels at the end, only to be blessed with one or two in which you'll have no problem with. For me this a perfect balance that helps the drive to want to defeat the entire game. Knowing the next level might turn out to be easier than the one I'm currently working on helps to keep the attempts coming on my end.

^Two friends, to massive multitasking, then all by your lonesome

Lemmings is a game that personally drives me to want to defeat it. At the same time I understand not everyone is going to be able to defeat it due to the later levels difficulty. But having not defeated it as a kid when I could only get so far, didn't stop me from loving it any less back then. It's a game for all ages, for all skill levels, and was also one of the few games from that time period to bridge the sexes as well. Who doesn't love blowing up a bunch of cute rodents? Those with a sense of a humor won't, that's for sure. ^Winning!

Playing Lemmings reinforced stereotypes inside of me, that these creatures were dumb and suicidal. Playing it also made me more curious about those rodents, enough to look them up and figure out the truth behind it all. During population rises they may be tempted to travel long distances across the sea and elsewhere, where they then might die, but they're not stupid, and they don't kill themselves. Smile, laugh, and then learn. Most importantly, have fun playing one of my favorites, originally designed and best on the Commodore Amiga, but also ported to everything then and quite a bit since. Always a blast to play. You'll laugh, smile, you'll have fun. I hope you'll check out my video review where I show off all kinds of extras, including quite a few magazine reviews from the time period. They knew this was a classic from day one.

I don't want to end without mentioning the music. It might amuse some to know that originally the entire Lemmings soundtrack had been completed with various copyrighted music. Mostly it consisted of popular television theme songs including Scooby Doo and the A-Team, amongst many others. It also featured several Beatles tracks as well. It would appear that quite late into the development of the game it was decided to abandon these tracks in favor or classical or original tunes, presumably to avoid litigation. I recorded the games final soundtrack in full directly from my Amiga here, if you haven't checked it out already. Nothing amazing, but perfect for this particular game, it's simply the perfect kind of elevator music that makes these types of levels more of a joy to play.

*My video review for Lemmings
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*Previous article

*Alphabetical list of writings

^Remember