Lemmings

"The Most Rewarding Part Was Watching Them Blow Up!"

Lemmings is a standard in puzzle games. The fun game of leading a group of green-haired people to safety is something that we al remember. From climbing to digging and yes, even exploding, Lemmings was as rewarding as puzzle games get. The game starts off by choosing a degree of difficulty. Ranging from Fun to Taxing, Lemmings offers challenges to anyone. But don't expect to jump in the game too soon. It can get difficult no matter what degree your on. Once you get started, a level description comes on the screen. It tells you what percentage of Lemmings you need to save. The level beings and a hatch opens. Lemmings start pouring out from the top. Now you need to give each Lemming a job to help the entire group get to safety. Their are many jobs to choose from. You have Diggers, Builders (who build stair-like structures), Punchers (who punch through walls), Pick Ax'ers (Who pick ax through the floor at an angle), Blockers (who keep other Lemmings from going a certain way), and my personal favorite, the Exploder. Once you activated an Exploder, a countdown (of 5 seconds) appears over that Lemming's head. Once time is up, the Lemming shakes his head and pops. Not only is this fun to watch, but it does create holes that can help Lemmings get through walls. The trick to each level is that they only give you a certain amount of each job. Sometimes they don't even give you certain jobs. Once you elected certain Lemmings to certain jobs, you sit back and make sure everything goes according to plan. Just because you finish one job doesn't mean another problem lies farther in the course. When there is a high cliff, make sure you use a Blocker to keep each Lemming from falling to their death. The answer to cliffs is Umbrella Lemmings. Its a certain job, but what happens if there is only 10 jobs. You better find another solution. This is the fun part of Lemmings. Its challenging and you may find yourself staying up late at night to figure it out. What happens when you mess up? Do you just exit the stage? Nope. On the job menu, there is a picture of a bomb. Just click it a couple of times and everyone of your Lemmings will have that famous countdown over their head. After 5 seconds (more or less for some), you will be treated to a fireworks show of Lemmings. You many find yourself messing up on purpose just to see this display of splattered Lemmings. The graphics of Lemmings are okay. It is never really hard to see your Lemmings and the levels are clearly displayed. It's just nothing really special. The sound is extremely well done because its fun. The death sounds are great. If a Lemming explodes, it will yell "Oh No!". If a Lemming gets BBQ'ed by a flamethrower, here the Lemming burn up in flames. If the Lemming falls to his death (or gets squished by a falling ceiling), you hear the pleasant squish sound. It's really cool.

The music is a mixed bag, it can be good or cute. If you like both, then you may want to buy the soundtrack! The gameplay can get confusing at times. Sometimes its hard to find the right Lemming to give a job too, but thats part of the challenge. The replay value is great! Their are so many levels ranging in so many degrees of difficulty. You will have sleepless nights on this one. This a great puzzle game! It's really fun and extremely challenging! Try it out, and watch out for exploding Lemmings!

Graphics - 7 (Nothing special, but they are clear and easy to see)
Sound - 10 (Love the sound of Lemmings getting killed. The music is not bad either)
Gameplay - 8 (It can be hard at first, but you will get use to it.)
Replay Value - 10 (So many levels! This game may cause sleepless nights!)

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 11/01/99