Lemmings

THE BAD:
Some levels are mind numbingly hard
Used to be no walkthroughs for this version of the game online

SUMMARY:
This is the classic game that pretty much everyone has played at some point. What's unique about this version is the amount of levels it contains. You get the standard 4 difficulties with 30 levels each, but then 2 extra modes with 30 levels each there. Some of the extra levels are easy, some are hard but I'll cover that later.

For those that don't know, Lemmings has you guiding little green haired creatures to an exit by means of various abilities. They can climb, float down, block, self destruct, build a bridge, bash horizontally, mine diagonally or dig vertically. You only get a set number of abilities per level and the challenge is to save at least the minimum stated at the start of the level. The earlier levels are designed just to get you used to the game and what each ability does. The whole of the first difficulty is pretty easy to ease you into the game.

There are many basic strategies used in the game. A frequent one is that you will somehow contain every Lemming except one. That one Lemming will be the one you use to create a path to the exit. When it's completed you then release the other Lemmings. That isn't always possible though. Essentially this game is a platform/strategy game. You have to think how you're going to beat the level, often pausing to look. Sometimes you'll have more than one entrance and will need to multitask.

Even though Lemmings looks like a kids game, and to some extent it is, as you progress further on it becomes anything but. Some of the solutions to the later levels are remarkably complicated to even work out and even if you can work them out, actually executing them is another thing entirely. Some of the Sunsoft and Present (2 extra difficulties in this game) levels are dead simple but others will have you tearing your hair out in frustration. I'm not saying I disliked the challenge, just the dis-proportionality of one level compared to the next. You'll be going along quite fine and then WHAM! Suddenly you'll come to a level that you can't solve for days or weeks. It's taken me 8 years (though not solid) from the day I touched the game until I finally beat it earlier today. Some levels revolve around a single pixel of precision and one mistake will send you back to the beginning of a level. Also, there doesn't appear to be anyone who's done a walkthrough for this version of the game. (Besides me now) So if you get stuck on any levels that are different from the PC version (of which there are quite a few in Easy-Mayhem) and the 2 extra difficulties, check out the FAQ page linked from this page. I spent many hours trying to find a walkthrough to no avail, so in the end I wrote one myself so others wouldn't have to suffer the same.

There's also a 2 player mode which can be somewhat entertaining especially as you can interfere with your opponents strategy and they can do the same to you. More levels in 2 Player would have been better though to increase the lifespan of this aspect of the game. 15 levels isn't really too much and once you've played them a few times you're aware of what kind of tricks could be used against you.

Overall this game is stunning and well deserving of its status as a classic of gaming. The difficulty could put off some, but there are levels in here to suit all levels of ability, just you may not actually be able to beat them all.