My Lemmings Experiences

[sorceress]

#8096

Hey Dos Game Clubbers 🙂

I only ever played Lemmings on the Amiga. I received the game bundled with it’s sequel Oh No More Lemmings (in 1992?) as a gift.

My first impressions of this game were very high. It was quite exciting to have all these little critters on screen at once, each doing their own thing, and independently controllable. There was no other game like it at the time. It felt technically stunning.

I recall the game is broken into four blocks of 30 levels each, from “easy” through to “mayhem”, each block progressively harder than the previous.

However, despite my initial excitement, after playing through the first block for the first time, I found I had gotten as much pleasure from the game as i could, as it became pretty unrewarding to me after that.

The first block of “easy” levels were a bit too easy in hindsight, even for a child. They’re a bit too simple and long-winded even for learning the ropes. I got nothing out of playing through them a second time.

The second block was possibly better designed, but some levels were a bit too long, so if something goes wrong, it feels like a lot of work to do it all again.

The third and fourth blocks were all totally unpleasant to me, being either too hard or just too unforgiving. I’ve never succeeded at any of these harder levels! (I was able to try a few of them using jump codes from a magazine.)

The game is more of an exercise in precision, patience, frustration and disappointment, than anything resembling fun.

I found the sequel to be much the same as the original, such that I couldn’t tell you which levels belonged to which game. The difficulty of each block felt about the same to me.

So for what little joy this game gave me in the end, I kind of regretted asking my parents for it as a gift. There was only one other gift in my childhood that I regretted asking for: A Mr Frosty machine.

In fact, both it and Lemmings remain my biggest regrets in life, and I still remember both vividly.

[Mr Creosote]

#8111

Interesting take. I wonder if you’ve ever tried simultaneous two-player mode? Would that also not move it into “fun” territory?

For me, competitive play has been a great blast for years. Together in front of the TV in split-screen, playing cruel tricks on one another. This phase finally faded when these “LAN parties” became commonplace. Everyone just wanted to play shooters. Nobody left to play Lemmings with me.

The second one, I actually found to be a bit of a disappointment. On paper, it is indeed quite the same. Though I felt it lacked focus. Just “more, more, more”, without really thinking what to do with all that.

[evilcommiedictator]

#8112

For me, Lemmings was that game you never played for ages, then as Sorceress said, you get to the tedious levels where you only have like 2 spare items, then as a kid, you get stuck on one, have no idea how to do it, or do it but struggle, and give up.
As an adult, let’s see how mad I get!

[TigerQuoll]

#8114

I’ve always enjoyed lemmings, and I’ve given it many decent cracks on a semi-regular basis.
I don’t think I’ve ever beaten every level, but my problem usually wasn’t getting stuck and giving up, it was moreso that I just lost steam and played it less and less until I stopped altogether, usually somewhere in Mayhem difficulty.

I’ve always appreciated the beauty of the concept, and how well presented and handsome it is. More recently I’ve also found myself impressed by how the well the DOS port runs even on a toaster, especially given how many individual elements it has to keep track of at any given moment.

[Pix]

#8118

I remember buying Lemmings back in the day with a mate of my Dads. I think I chipped in a fiver and got the 3.5inch floppy while he paid the bulk and got the 5.25’s + the box itself. I lived and breathed it for the 5 days it took to beat it. As much as I liked it at the time, I can’t say it’s a game I went back to after particularly.

I’ve decided to try a few different versions this time around since the level codes seem to be interchangeable. I started on the CDi (a system I have a strange affection for). That version plays really well, has CD audio and more colourful icons. It handles 100 lemmings at a time unlike the PC but is a little on the slow side. Not a big deal on the easy levels but when you start having to replay later levels, the wait gets a bit much. The Amiga and DOS version are really very similar apart from the audio and the missing 2 player mode. The main thing the DOS port has going for it, is being able to use the function keys to swap your selected skills. This is fairly essential if you ask me but didn’t seem to work on the Amiga. Maybe I was trying the wrong keys? You would have to be very quick with that Amiga ball mouse if not.

I’ve made it through the first 60-ish levels now, and am onto the third difficulty. There are a lot of little tricks you need to figure out along the way. I remember getting stuck for ages as a kid when a level would require a new technique and you had to figure it out. I’m enjoying it so far anyway. The biggest issue I recall is the problem with selecting the correct lemming when you have a mass of them. I’m sure there were levels later on where you have to play through the whole thing then rely on dumb luck at the end when you release the horde as to which direction the lemming the game picks is pointing when you click on them. It could do with a filter for that sort of situation. So far, it’s not been all that frustrating anyway and I’m enjoying it but there is plenty of time yet.

[Mr Creosote]

#8129

“The biggest issue I recall is the problem with selecting the correct lemming when you have a mass of them.”

Oh, yes! I need a bridge a bit longer than this. I’m just going to make this one a bridge builder again when it stops… oh no!

[dr_st]

#8141

Precisely what sorceress had said.

It jumps from too easy to too hard so fast, that the fun ended right there.

[Dreamkid]

#8180

At first, I thought it was going to be a platformer, but was surprised (and didn’t understand) when I tried it. Today, I found a CD titled “250 Power Game Pack Vol. 1” that includes Holiday Lemmings ’94, Lemmings 3D, and I think Holiday Lemmings ’93. This must be how I (briefly) tried the game in the 90’s. It seems daunting how a mistake can force the player to restart the level.

[4r4m1s]

#8246

guys, found this website – super cool, not sure everyone knows
http://www.dosgamesworld.com