Finally completed Lomax; Some thoughts.

[Prob Lem]

Sixteen years ago, I saw a release-date listing in Computer & Video Games magazine for "Lemmings Platform Game". Fourteen years ago, a relative found a copy of that game - Lomax - to buy. A year later, they traded it for something else. Two years ago, I finally found a copy of my own. And, a few hours ago, after having made a bunch of non-serious attempts at completing it several times before over the years, I finally completed Lomax for the first time. Some thoughts and observations follow;

Firstly, did anyone notice that the title theme from Lomax, is a loose rearrangement of track 22 from the MS-DOS CD-ROM for Lemmings 3D? It may also be the same track in the PSX version, but I don't have that (yet), so I couldn't say for sure (EDIT Oct-16th-2012: It's not. In the PSX version, it's track 5). The same theme is loosely remixed further, or otherwise expanded upon, in the first three tracks from the medieval area, too. (It took me far too long to consciously notice this, especially considering that the track from Lemmings 3D that the Lomax title theme is based upon is one of my favourites from that game.)

Secondly, as I briefly mentioned http://www.lemmingsforums.com/index.php?topic=144.msg14974#msg14974" class="bbc_link" target="_blank">in another thread, the removal of the animation frames where Evil Ed is smoking a cigarette (which, by my understanding, actually are used in the version for Microsoft Windows 95) was not quite as thorough as it could have been. If you look at Ed when he has his arms folded on the map screen, you can see him still holding his cigarette, though he never actually smokes it. That said, chances are that this got through the usual checks because, on the intended type of display from the time of the game's release, it doesn't show too much, and can easily be dismissed as a magic wand or something of that nature (especially considering that part of the point of the game is breaking the spells cast by Ed). Still, it *is* there. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/tongue.gif" alt=":P" title="Tongue" class="smiley" />

Last of all, am I the only one who didn't really feel that the game was "unfinished"? (I *was* a little disappointed that it was over so soon, but that's a different thing.) The game is no more or less unfinished than a lot of platformers for the Commodore 64 or Amiga, which happen to be the systems where the team responsible got their start. More tellingly, The Misadventures of Flink (the game that Lomax is often considered to be a spiritual sequel to) has an endgame that is quite similar to that of Lomax, with a not-especially-dire final boss (which happens to be defeated in a fairly similar fashion, at that), an equally insubstantial ending, and a relatively short credits sequence that's overlaid over demonstrations of in-game activity. I've seen fan-written speculation in a couple of places, claiming that the game is incomplete and was rushed towards the end of production (and, in some cases, imagining game content that isn't there on the basis of the box-art, which typically tends to be created by people not even involved with a game's production) - notably, in an older post that I saw here during my lurking time, and also on someone's personal website (which, unusually, I seem to remember, also speculated about record players being region-locked, in relation to that awesome Lemmings single by SFX http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/tongue.gif" alt=":P" title="Tongue" class="smiley" />) - but I have not seen any such claims from those who were actually responsible for the game. Is there really anything on record from an authoritative source about the game being incomplete, or is that whole notion something actually born of speculation from a generation who aren't aware of the games that went before, and of the influences on (and previous games behind) Lomax? I would really love to know about this, either way.

Anyhow, those rambles aside, I'd have to say that I had great fun with the game, and I'm only sad that it was so short! It got a bit brutal towards the end (though, thankfully, was very rarely unfair with it, although it would have been nice if the workings of those thermal updrafts in Ed's Domain were a bit easier to deal with), but that only served to remind me of how much I don't enjoy a lot of modern titles in the genre due to their lack of challenge. It's a real shame that the follow-up to this game (which, I would guess, would probably have been related to Lomax in the same way that Lomax is related to The Misadventures of Flink - i.e., a spiritual sequel, rather than a direct one) didn't get to make it out of concept form. Maybe one day there'll be another game like this - I can but hope. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/tongue.gif" alt=":P" title="Tongue" class="smiley" />

[Pooty]

Three years ago was when I first heard of Lomax. Today, I finally have it. For Windows 95 (because the PlayStation version is a bit expensive).

I did notice the similarities between the Lomax medieval theme and the 3D Lemmings castle song (although it wasn't so apparent with some of the songs). There are also identical sound effects between Lomax and 3D Lemmings. I laughed my head off when I died for the first time (Oh no! *BOOM*). http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/smiley.gif" alt=":)" title="Smiley" class="smiley" />

And I can confirm that Evil Ed (That's his name?) does indeed smoke on the map screen in the Windows 95 version of the game. I didn't pay attention to it until I saw this thread. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/tongue.gif" alt=":P" title="Tongue" class="smiley" />

I haven't finished the game yet because I've only just got it. However, I have beaten the first world, and there's no sign of any rushing so far. It seems like a well-made, solid game. My only complaint is that it can sometimes be difficult to tell the difference between the background and the foreground. This hasn't killed me yet, but on more than one occasion, I did have to stop and think which swinging thing is the foreground before proceeding.

That said, I have fallen in love with Lomax, even if playing it means reducing my desktop to 256 colours. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/laugh.gif" alt=":D" title="Laugh" class="smiley" />

[ccexplore]

Hmm, totally missed this thread when it was first created.  Anyway, I had the game for a while (PC version) but haven't really played it seriously yet (I don't think I've even gotten past level 1).  Maybe one of these days...

Just want to say that when Prob Lem talked about how Lomax's ending has a not-especially-hard boss and apparently insubstantial ending, that actually describes Lemmings 1 pretty accurately as well. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/undecided.gif" alt=":-\" title="Undecided" class="smiley" /> http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/winktounge.gif" alt=";P" title="Wink-Tongue" class="smiley" />  The last level of Lemmings 1 (specifically Rendezvous at the Mountains, not counting other ports that may have additional/different final levels) is not particular hard compared to other nearby levels (*cough* Save Me), and the ending of course is, well, succinct.  So one can say ending-wise, Lomax is merely following the spirit of the game that started the franchise. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/tongue.gif" alt=":P" title="Tongue" class="smiley" />

[Prob Lem]

I did notice the similarities between the Lomax medieval theme and the 3D Lemmings castle song (although it wasn't so apparent with some of the songs). There are also identical sound effects between Lomax and 3D Lemmings. I laughed my head off when I died for the first time (Oh no! *BOOM*). http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/smiley.gif" alt=":)" title="Smiley" class="smiley" />

A brilliant touch, that, isn't it? http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/thumbsup.gif" alt=":thumbsup:" title="Thumbs Up" class="smiley" />

And I can confirm that Evil Ed (That's his name?)

Yes, yes it is. It honestly, really, truly is. http://www.replacementdocs.com/download.php?view.624" class="bbc_link" target="_blank">You can check it in the manual! (And it's mentioned in the credits, too.)

does indeed smoke on the map screen in the Windows 95 version of the game. I didn't pay attention to it until I saw this thread. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/tongue.gif" alt=":P" title="Tongue" class="smiley" />

I can only imagine the comments made about that when the PSX version (which is the original of the two) was first submitted for approval...

My only complaint is that it can sometimes be difficult to tell the difference between the background and the foreground. This hasn't killed me yet, but on more than one occasion, I did have to stop and think which swinging thing is the foreground before proceeding.

I know exactly what part of the game you're referring to, there. Oddly enough, it's pretty much the only one where that's an issue, if I'm remembering rightly...

That said, I have fallen in love with Lomax, even if playing it means reducing my desktop to 256 colours. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/laugh.gif" alt=":D" title="Laugh" class="smiley" />

It's an easy game to fall in love with. It's incredibly charming, and it was proud to be what it was, at a time when people were being told that games like it were old and therefore bad, and that beautiful, rich pixel-art was inferior to characters and scenery that appeared to be constructed from badly-painted, taped-together cereal boxes. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/tongue.gif" alt=":P" title="Tongue" class="smiley" />

Hmm, totally missed this thread when it was first created.  Anyway, I had the game for a while (PC version) but haven't really played it seriously yet (I don't think I've even gotten past level 1).  Maybe one of these days...

You really do need to get around to it! It's worth it, I swear!

Just want to say that when Prob Lem talked about how Lomax's ending has a not-especially-hard boss and apparently insubstantial ending, that actually describes Lemmings 1 pretty accurately as well. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/undecided.gif" alt=":-\" title="Undecided" class="smiley" /> http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/winktounge.gif" alt=";P" title="Wink-Tongue" class="smiley" />  The last level of Lemmings 1 (specifically Rendezvous at the Mountains, not counting other ports that may have additional/different final levels) is not particular hard compared to other nearby levels (*cough* Save Me), and the ending of course is, well, succinct.  So one can say ending-wise, Lomax is merely following the spirit of the game that started the franchise. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/tongue.gif" alt=":P" title="Tongue" class="smiley" />

Exactly! And, it's very much in the spirit of the times that both originated in, and the gaming/coding culture that spawned them. It wasn't exactly uncommon for Amiga titles to end in such a way, really, and Lomax is very much an Amiga-esque title in spirit, I think. So, yes, you're right, the game very much does follow the spirit of its progenitor. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/smiley.gif" alt=":)" title="Smiley" class="smiley" />