Stone Age Recreation Assessment: Xmas Lemmings

There was once a time when corporations would take their present video games, slap a Vacation theme on them, and put a little bit one thing particular out on the planet for followers to take pleasure in. NiGHTS: into Desires did it with Christmas NiGHTS. I’m fairly positive there was even some Christmas-themed DLC for Mega Man: Powered Up on PSP. However for my cash, my absolute favourite recreation to play through the Christmas season is Lemmings. Or, ought to I say, Xmas Lemmings? 

Again in 1991, the wonderful of us over at DMA Design gave out a handful of free ranges, Shareware if you’ll, for Lemmings. They regarded and sounded nice, they usually continued making extra for a lot of years. Positive, you possibly can have a look at it as them simply selling their then-upcoming launch Oh No! Extra Lemmings, however I prefer to suppose this was simply the staff doing what they beloved, spreading vacation cheer by the use of exploding, suicidal rhodents. Or are Lemmings marsupials? I actually do not know. 

Origins apart, I’m particularly speaking concerning the authentic 1991 Xmas Lemmings as a result of effectively, that is the one I had. I first found Lemmings by way of the Tremendous NES, the place you needed to transfer a cursor round a display screen with a d-pad. Hardly the worst factor on the planet, however a far cry from the smoothness of a mouse. So once I fired up this Shareware disc I bought from… really I do not know how I got here into possession of this recreation. Bizarre. Anyway, I distinctly keep in mind firing it up and simply smiling from ear to ear. 

Let’s get the fundamentals out of the best way. In case you’re unfamiliar with Lemmings, which given how lengthy it’s been since they’d a correct new launch that I’m conscious of is a definite chance, the sport is all about not directly controlling a collection of lovable little creatures that do nothing however stroll ahead. If there’s a pit of spikes in entrance of them, they’ll stroll proper into it. It’s as much as you to offer them with jobs with a view to information them safely to a aim door. You can provide them umbrellas to allow them to survive falling from nice heights. You may make them Climbers to allow them to scale partitions. Diggers, miners, builders, there’s all kinds of stuff you may make these critters do. It’s a recreation all about planning and administration. And it’s actually enjoyable! 

One in every of my favourite issues about Lemmings was its visuals. The environments had been all superbly detailed, and the Lemmings themselves animated extraordinarily effectively. It is a recreation that’s positively brimming with persona, and Xmas Lemmings isn’t any exception. Levels are lined in snow, Christmas lights, and superbly animated background components like little toys swinging backwards and forwards, and these hilariously goofy snowmen that bounce up and down. Even the Lemmings themselves bought in on the vacation spirit, exchanging their conventional blue garb for pink santa outfits, full with wiggling hats! 

One other one in all my favourite issues within the authentic was its soundtrack. The unique compositions had been an absolute delight, however the remainder of the sport’s music was really enjoyable, high-energy takes on classical tunes. So once I booted up Xmas Lemmings for the primary time and a super-fun, VERY Lemmings-style rendition of Jingle Bells began taking part in, I used to be instantly hooked. 

At its core, Xmas Lemmings is simply extra Lemmings. It doesn’t introduce any new mechanics or do something revolutionary, it’s simply good quaint vacation enjoyable, and I like it. I play it yearly round this time, and it makes me comfortable each single time I do. I heartily advocate Xmas Lemmings. 

You possibly can play the sport on the Web Archive right here. 

Have a cheerful and secure vacation season, everybody!