NES Lemmings

[Proxima]

As part of the ongoing project to restore, and fix any lingering issues, in the NL conversions of official Lemmings games, I am looking at Ron Stard's conversions of the unique levels from NES Lemmings. Since I'm not familiar with this port at all, I decided that the best thing to do was to play through it from start to finish.

The NES version has quite a few unique levels, and also a lot of changes to familiar levels. So in many cases it's a judgement call as to whether a particular level is different enough from the Amiga/DOS version to be worth including as a separate level in the level pack. So I'm going to look at every level and compare it to the original. This will also serve as an overview of which levels were included and what changes were made, which might be of interest to anyone who doesn't have time to play through the game for themselves

NES Lemmings, level by level

All levels have a maximum of 14 lemmings, so I won't note this in individual cases. Similarly, if levels with 20 of each skill are reduced to 14 of each, I won't note this individually.

From Fun 1 to Tricky 3, the music rotates between tracks 1, 3, 6 and 9 (using the Amiga numbering). Tricky 4 has track 11.

Fun

1 - Just dig. Same as original.
2 - Only floaters can survive this. Same as original.
3 - Tailor-made for blockers. Mostly the same, but the 3-blocker solution doesn't work because the last drop is a splat fall.
4 - Use some miners and climbers. Same level, slightly different title
5 - You need bashers this time. Same as original.
6 - Now for blockers and bombers. Same as original.
7 - Have you tried a builder? Equivalent to "Builders will help you here", but skillset is 5-5-0-0-5-1-1-1. Ron didn't include this level even though the skillset is very different; I guess that's fair enough as the solution is pretty much the same.
8 - As long as you try your best. Similar to the original; requirement is 8/14 and skillset is 5 of each.
9 - Smile if you love lemmings. Same as original.
10 - Keep your hair on, Mr Lemming. Similar to the original; 6 of each; the top 2/5 of the wall is not one-way.
11 - Patience. Skillset is 7-7-2-2-2-2-2-2 and the gap on the other side of the central wall is very narrow.
12 - We all fall down (included in Ron's remake pack). Skillset is 14 of each!
13 - Origins and Lemmings (included). Skillset is 5 of each and there is a crack in the terrain and a rope trap.
14 - Danger, the bridge is out (included). Similar to "Don't let your eyes deceive you"; skillset is 5-5-6-6-6-6-0-0 and the middle gap can be crossed by one builder.
15 - Do not do anything too hasty (included). Similar to the original; there are small mid-air platforms above the terrain spikes.
16 - It looks very easy. This is "Easy when you know how", 5 of each, and the compression method solution is impossible because the trap breaks through the floor and kills everyone!
17 - Block and blow. Original layout; skillset is 5 of each.
18 - You live and Lem. Level is actually "This should be a doddle"!
19 - I get that lemming feeling. Truncated version of the original without the right-hand wall and hidden exit.
20 - Konbanwa Lemming-san. Similar to the original; trap is replaced with a terrain block.
21 - Lemmings lemmings everywhere (included). Similar, but the mesh terrain has gaps and the web has become a spiral.
22 - Two for Lemmington Spa. This is "Nightmare on Lem Street".
23 - Be careful out there. Similar but only gives one minute! Skillset is 6 of each and 6/10 required to save.
24 - Norra lorra lemmings. Similar, but building up the shaft to the exit is infuriatingly hard with NES controls!
25 - Lemming and Lime (included). A version of "Speed Trap" from ZX Spectrum Lemmings (Quirky 28 in Redux). The block under the trapdoor is steel, and there are zapper traps at the top of the mesh; skillset is 6 of each.

Tricky

1 - This one is a doddle. Similar but skillset is 0-0-1-1-3-1-0-0 (the gap can be crossed with 2 builders).
2 - A bag of lemming drops (included). "We all fall down" with skillset 8-8-0-8-8-8-0-8. With NES physics, it is not possible to dig partway through the platform, bash, and dig again to make a step; the solution is for some lemmings to float and others dig.
3 - A ladder would be nice. Similar but skillset is 0-0-2-2-8-0-0-0 (it takes 4 builders to get up the cliff).
4 - One I prepared earlier. Skillset is 8 of each and there is a terrain gap in between the first mountain and the one-way wall.
5 - Lemming I Scream (included). "Careless clicking costs lives" but as well as the typical gaps in the mesh terrain, there is a splat start! Fortunately only 1 lemming is required to be saved....

(to be continued...)

[Gronkling]

Following this thread with interest

[ericderkovits]

yes, alot of the nes levels are quite different. I also played (in the past) the nes lemmings using the fceux 2.2.3 emulator and the nes lemmings rom. I really don't care for the nes version mainly because while paused I couldn't change skills, so alot of the levels were very hard to solve this way. Also the builder steps being built were at a higher slope.

probably my favorite lemmings game using emulators is PSP lemmings using PPSSPP. Also the PSP music is random in the levels. so in your PSP neolemmix levels I would use the music that suites the level the best.

[Ron_Stard]

Thank you for revisiting these recreations I made some years ago.

NES Lemmings is an awful port, but there are some interesting levels intriguing enough to consider them true classics. The undisputable best of them is Hello John Got A New Lemming, a brilliant puzzle whose title is a pun on a famous british pop song. Other fine levels are A Spot Of Bother, its sequel Is That Lemming Licensed?, and Lemming And Lime (although I prefer Speed Trap from ZX Spectrum Lemmings, because it shows that there is no need to add traps to make a level difficult). Iced Lemming is an interesting 1 Lemming level, which may be hard for the newbies, whereas its sequel Come To Lemming County is somewhat easier, but implies precision. There's also another unique level called Arctic Lemming, but it's easy. There are another one or two levels with diamonds as stepping stones, à la Hunt The Nessy, which also exist on the ZX Spectrum, but they are also quite easy.

Maybe you would like to revisit also the ZX Spectrum Lemmings, I think I did conversions of almost every different enough level, except the last one (Enviromentally Friendly, I think, a sequel to Watch Out, There's Traps About, but without traps).