Lemmings (computer game)

If you are looking for the warm-blooded rodent, view Lemming.

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Lemmings, a 1991 Amiga computer game developed by DMA Design and published by Psygnosis, was one of the most popular computer games of its time. Several games magazines of the time awarded the game maximum review scores.

Psygnosis, traditionally known for producing games with good graphics but with poor gameplay, had its greatest success in Lemmings. The game was unique and based around concepts previously untried. The player had to guide a group of up to 100 lemmings home by telling individual lemmings to climb, explode, build, block, dig, bash, and mine. (The "lemmings" of the game — small, green-haired beings that mindlessly walk en masse into any danger in their path — are not the same as real-life lemmings, although they were named for the popular myth that real lemmings behave in a similar fashion.)

The popularity of the game on the Amiga led to its rapid porting to other platforms including, Acorn, Amstrad CPC, Atari Lynx, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, Gameboy, Macintosh, NES, OS/2, SAM Coupé, Sinclair Spectrum, Sega Genesis, SNES, Windows, Game Boy Color, 3DO and Sony Playstation.

Of the numerous sequels the only one to achieve the success of the first was Lemmings 2: The Tribes, which added twelve specialist tribes of lemmings, each with their own type of level and specialist workers. Other sequels include Lemmings Paintball, 3D Lemmings, and Lemmings Revolution.

Despite its innovations and popularity at the time, the game did not give rise to a new genre.

Pingus is an open-source game inspired by Lemmings.

Gameplay

Lemmings is so unique because the gameplay was radically new for its time. Rather than controlling the actions of the tribe of lemmings, the player must choose from a list of preset options. True to Newton's laws, lemmings continue to do whatever they are doing until something begins to act on them. That is, a walker will continue to walk until he is assigned an order (or dies).

The main difficulty in surmounting the puzzles of Lemmings is not solving the puzzles, but more executing them in an efficient way. Some levels are easy to see and plan but when actually attempted become more formidable than first expected.

There are 8 orders to give to lemmings:

• Climber:: For the remainder of the level, the lemming will climb up walls it encounters.
• Floater:: For the remainder of the level, the lemming will parachute down falls (without splatting).
• Bomber:: After five seconds, the lemming will explode and carve a small chunk from the surrounding terrain.
• Blocker: For the remainder of the level, the lemming will hold his position and act as a wall.
• Builder: The lemming will build a 12-step long bridge upward and sideways.
• Basher: The lemming will dig horizontally through the wall he is touching.
• Miner: The lemming will dig diagonally down through the floor he is on.
• Digger: The lemming will dig down through the floor he is on.

Lemmings have extremely short life spans and will die when any of the following occur:

1. Fall down from too great a height.
2. Fall off of the map.
3. Walk into water, lava, or goo.
4. Step into a trap, such as a spring-loaded trap, compressor, etc.

Each level has a certain quota to be achieved in terms of lemming percentage. If the player can save the required number of lemmings, he wins and moves on to the next level.