RetroAhoy: Lemmings

Hello, this is RetroAhoy - and this is Game Over. In this episode we're taking a look at Lemmings: a cutesy puzzler with a suicidal twist. It was published in 1991 by Psygnosis, known at the time for their distinctive owl-themed logo and well-polished games - one notable example being the graphically impressive Shadow of The Beast, with its gorgeous parallax scrolling and impressively sampled music soundtrack.

In 1988, Psygnosis signed new Dundee-based studio DMA Design, who initially produced side-scrolling shooters such as Menace and Blood Money - both received well, and generally praised by critics. Their next title was to be a little different. Freelance artist Scott Johnson was in the process of designing small, 16-by-16 pixel infantry sprites for a sequel to Blood Money - but DMA cofounder Mike Dailly insisted that 8 pixels was all that was needed to convey character - and within the space of one lunch hour, had put together a sample animation, with what would prove to be the basis for the Lemmings character design. In the words of DMA employee Russell Kay, 'there's a game in that!' Lemmings turned out to be a rather good game, in fact - clever use of small sprites aside, it truly was a well-designed puzzle game. Rather than directly controlling the lemmings, they meander about of their own volition - quite happily stumbling off ledges and into traps, and otherwise finding their doom as per the suicidal myth associated with the rodent since Disney's 'White Wilderness'. Dropping in from a trapdoor at a controllable rate, it was your goal to guide the horde into an exit, located elsewhere in the level - by use of abilities which you could grant to an individual lemming by simply clicking on them. Climbers ascend vertical surfaces, floaters can descend any height safely, bombers explode, blockers turn walkers away, builders assemble bridges, bashers tear horizontally through surfaces, miners diagonally down, and diggers produce vertical shafts. Each ability is limited, and the harder the level's difficulty - the scarcer the supply. Later levels were notable for being fiendishly difficult, the game becoming more dependent on pixel-perfect positioning and exact timing. The difficulty curve was such that any level of player could have fun, however - with levels divided into Fun, Tricky, Taxing - or Mayhem difficulty. Some levels were used more than once, with a variety of factors to increase difficulty - sometimes you would be forced to use bombers to break through walls instead of bashers, or you'd need to save a larger proportion of the lemmings within a stricter time limit. The levels themselves were largely destructable, with a few unbreakable portions - steel blocks, typically - reserved for enforcing a certain puzzle route. The game also included a 2-player mode, with splitscreen and alternate palette set for player 2's lemmings. These games typically degenerated into frantic squabbles - not to save one's own lemmings, but instead to destroy your opponents with underhanded schemes. Also of note is the music by Tim Wright, also known as 'CoLD SToRAGE' - jaunty retellings of classic songs, including 'She'll Be Coming Round The Mountain', and 'How Much Is That Doggie In The Window'. There were also a few special levels, featuring graphics and music from Psygnosis' earlier games - such as Shadow of The Beast, Awesome, and Menace. Success was determined by how many lemmings you were able to rescue - the minimum amount required set by the level parameters. Sometimes you'd have to rescue every last soul, but every so often the puzzles sould require a few lemmings to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. The game wouldn't end until all lemmings were accounted for - so should you lose a few too many, expend necessary abilities prematurely, or otherwise run into a dead-end - there was always the nuclear option. Double clicking the 'nuke' icon would bring about inevitable doom for any lemming still remaining on the playfield - with an ominous timer appearing above their heads, marking their imminent demise. Nuking a particularly dense horde of lemmings made for quite the impressive fireworks display! Lemmings reviewed fantastically; rave reviews across magazines, and the game went on to be a smash hit - being ported to over 30 different platforms and selling 15 million copies to date. Naturally, there were expansions and sequels - late 1991 saw the release of 'Oh No! More Lemmings', an expansion pack featuring new level types, music - and even more fiendish challenges, including a sped-up 'Super Lemming' stage. Christmas Lemmings was similar, with a festive theme - the lemmings dressed as Santa. The first true sequel was Lemmings 2: The Tribes, introducing 12 varieties of Lemmings, and over 60 abilities in an epic journey to reunite a broken talisman.

Lemmings 3, or The All New World Of Lemmings, focussed on 3 tribes featured in the previous game - the Shadow, Classic and Egyptian lemmings, and saw abilities change to pick-ups distributed across the level. Unlike its predecessors, the third sequel wasn't received as well as the others, and marked DMA's last Lemmings title, as they subsequently sold the rights to Psygnosis.

3d lemmings saw the transition to the third dimension in 1995, as with the last of its line, Lemmings Revolution in the year 2000, with its familiar puzzle mechanics wrapped around a 3 dimensional column. There were a couple of spin-offs, too - deviating from the familiar puzzle format. Lemmings Paintball was a fusion of traditional lemmings gameplay with something resembling a non-lethal Cannon Fodder, with your goal being the collection of flags strewn across a level. The Adventures of Lomax on the PS1 was another, taking a radically different tack as a lush 2d platformer. Psygnosis were acquired in 1993 by Sony, and would eventually merge with their parent company in 1999, forming SCE Studio Liverpool, who persist to this day. They're best known for the futuristic racer Wipeout, and its subsequent sequels and remakes. DMA Design went their own way after Psygnosis were acquired by Sony, and instead worked with Nintendo on titles such as Body Harvest, but it was their subsequent title that would earn their current reputation: Grand Theft Auto. Now known as Rockstar North, DMA Design have gone onto great things, a far cry from the well-polished puzzler that marks their first major success. Lemmings has had influence that few other games can match, with its effect clearly visible in puzzle games even today - such as Clones, with a central mechanic that should be familiar to anyone who has played Lemmings. Games that have such an effect on the industry are few and far between - long a paradigm in the gaming press for 'originality', it is truly a game that broke the mould - and remains as fresh today. From a simple concept, the game blossomed into a pioneering puzzler - and paired with a high degree of polish, it's little wonder these hapless green-haired rodents found an enduring success. This has been Lemmings, and this is Game Over. Thanks for watching - and be sure to join me next time, when I'll be covering leather-clad bike-'em-up: Road Rash.