LYNX: Lemmings










From: Barry W. Cantin (aa852@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)

Date: 10/15/93-01:24:52 AM Z









From: aa852@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Barry W. Cantin)
Subject: LYNX: Lemmings
Date: Fri Oct 15 01:24:52 1993


LEMMINGS
1 player, horizontal game
Atari Corp., for the Atari Lynx
$34.95
Stereo? No


OVERVIEW:
    Just for the record, real lemmings do not mindlessly jump off
cliffs to their doom.  This is a myth first staged in a Walt Disney
nature film, and has now become a popular misconception.  Nonetheless,
Psygnosis released a famous computer puzzle game on this idea, and 
now LEMMINGS has reached the Atari Lynx.  The premise is simple:
You have a flock of green-haired lemmings that you must guide to an
exit.
The little critters walk forward mindlessly, regardless of obstacles
and dangers in their way.  By giving them skills like digging,
climbing, and floating, you can help them avoid disaster.  There are
120 stages all together, and a password is provided for each.


GAMEPLAY:
    Gladly, LEMMINGS on the Lynx loses none of its appeal nor 
challenge in the conversion from the original.  You select an ability,
point the cursor on a lemming, then click to change his behavior.  On
the Lynx, two screens are used -- one for the side-scrolling map, and
another for the menu of the lemmings' skills.  The cursor moves a 
little slow, but it's not a problem, since it can still be moved
while the game is paused, and allows for accurate positioning.  Other
options are to adjust the flow of lemmings, speed up the lemmings,
and to restart the level.

    There are 30 levels for each of the four difficulty settings.
Naturally, the earliest stages are very easy, to get beginners up to
speed, but the difficulty builds at a steady pace.  Those who have
conquered LEMMINGS on the home computers will find that this con-
version uses the same levels, the same names, and the same passwords.
While this means there is nothing new for the masters, is also means
us novices can transplant our lemming-rescue skills easily.  Purists
will be upset to hear that the two-player competition from the
original is gone, but most folks should not mind.


GRAPHICS/SOUND:
    As with the game itself, the sights and sounds of the original
LEMMINGS are transplanted almost identically on the Lynx.  The lemmings s
themselves are a pleasant surprise; though only a few pixels tall, they remain very expressive 
they remain very expressive and animated.  Backgrounds are detailed,
important information is always visible, and there's a little gratuitous
scaling as well.  In the audio department, the cries and sound effects
from the source are nicely digitized, and a wide variety of background tunes play throughout the
tunes play throughout the game.  Owners of the new Lynxes which support
stereo headphones will notice one oddity, though -- the music is
played in both ears, but the sound effects come only through the
right speaker.


SUMMARY:
    The popularity and charm of LEMMINGS remains intact on the Lynx,
and is still enjoyable even after all this time.  With cute graphics
and fun sounds to spice up the appeal, this game satisfies all but the
most finicky players, while begging for an adaptation of the sequel.


                GAMEPLAY:       9
                GRAPHICS        9
                SOUND           8.5
                OVERALL         9

This review was written by Robert Jung.









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