Top 5, Bottom 5

[Clam]

I know the question of favourite and least favourite levels has come up in the past, but it's been some time since the last one and I'm sure some opinions have changed since then. And besides that, I never mentioned which levels are my favourites. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/smiley.gif" alt=":)" title="Smiley" class="smiley" /> So here it is in a different format (rather than just listing some levels you like or hate). Of all the original Lemmings, Oh No and Xmas levels, which 5 do you like the most, and which 5 do you hate with a passion? (EDIT: You can include levels from other lemmings games too, either in the same list or a separate one.)

Here are mine.


BOTTOM 5 http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/angry.gif" alt=">" title="Angry" class="smiley" />

5: Tricky 16 - Luvly Jubly
Multiple bomber timing that changes every time you go deeper into the grid. Plus I can't stand the name.

4: Taxing 14 - Hunt the Nessy....
Mind-numbing tedium.

3: Taxing 13 - Upsidedown World
It's like you have to learn to play the game again by a different set of rules. Incredibly frustrating to see a plan fail for no apparent reason, right at the end, and then have too few skills left to save it.

2: Wicked 2 - Inroducing SUPERLEMMING
What have you done?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE???!!!

1: Hail 3 - And a Happy New Year!
Like Hunt the Nessy, but even worse. Uninspired and poorly put together.


TOP 5 http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/thumbsup.gif" alt=":thumbsup:" title="Thumbs Up" class="smiley" />

5: Mayhem 3 - It's hero time!
A quick and fun level to play. Good skill set and clever solution.

4: Taxing 6 - Compression Method 1
Gather 'em up, release 'em and squish 'em. Fun to figure out, and fun to watch.

3: Tricky 22 - Turn around young lemmings!
The original turnaround level. Simple and effective.

2: Havoc 9 - AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!
Very well designed multitasking level that gets progressively harder to keep up with as your builder gets further away.

1: Havoc 10 - Flow Control
Simple, unique and brilliant - a remarkable contrast to most other levels in ONML http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/tongue.gif" alt=":P" title="Tongue" class="smiley" />

[Dullstar]

What about Lemmings 2?  Lemmings 3?  Or...  *gasp* 3D lemmings?

[Clam]

They never even crossed my mind as I posted that. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/laugh.gif" alt=":D" title="Laugh" class="smiley" /> Go ahead and include them if you like, or start a separate thread. I doubt any would make it on to either of my lists, to be honest...

[namida]

I don't remember ONML that well as I haven't played it nearly as much, so I'm doing two seperate lists for the two games I *do* know well: Original and Lemmings 3D.

EDIT: I've modified this to include a couple of levels I forgot about before.

Original
5 Worst
5 - Hunt The Nessy. Long building stages are alright for earlier in the game. One in the middle of Taxing, especially one of this length, is just pointless.
4 - The Prison. This level is plain and simply annoying.
3 - Save Me. It's a pain to pull off, and long yet overly simple to work out. Hard to pull off levels, in my opinion, should either be short entirely, or at least have the hard to do parts near the beginning.
2 - All or Nothing. It's either plain luck, pixel-precise mouse location, or if you have a version with the arrow keys feature, a total dud level.
1 - We All Fall Down (Taxing). This level is plain annoying. The fun one is a good early-game introduction to the idea, the Tricky one is still reasonable, and the Mayhem one requires a bit of additional thought beyond the normal for these levels. The Taxing one is just boring and tedious.

5 Best
5 - Postcard from Lemmingland. This was the first level in Lemmings that had me stumped for a while. It's a great puzzle, without any difficulty in how to actually execute it. (Some levels have overtaken these two.)
4 - Take A Running Jump. While not exactly challenging, it's a very interesting design.
5 - Upside Down World. This is a really fun puzzle level, that takes a bit of thought without being overly difficult.
4 - Mind The Step. I really have no idea why, but this is simply a level that I love playing.
3 - Menacing. No, not the PC/Amiga level. The Sega Master System one! It's a very creative level that uses a trick that I don't think the original game ever uses elsewhere (ok, Feel The Heat does, but that's it) - took me ages to work out how to do it, I kept thinking that couldn't possibly be enough builders! My only complaint is that this level would probably have been better off in Taxing (or possibly even early Mayhem) rather than Tricky.
2 - No Added Colours or Lemmings. A great puzzle level, which is the kind I like. Almost as good as...
1 - It's Hero Time. This level focuses on solving a puzzle in a creative way, and obviously gives a lot of variety. On top of that, with how many different solutions there are, it's fun to play over and over. A truly excellent level.

Lemmings 3D
5 Worst
5 - Stilt Walkers. I don't know why, but this level is just annoying to me. Not to mention the huge backroute.
4 - Spaghetti Junction. Mazes and splitters are very overused by this point of the game. Of course, there's the backroute, if you can find it.
3 - Tower of Lemlab. This level is basically just about passing typical obstacles one by one, with no overall theme or challenge to it... unless you find the backroute.
2 - Jelly Belly Islands. Basically, it's about remembering where the teleporters send you (Yet again, unless you find the backroute http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/tongue.gif" alt=":P" title="Tongue" class="smiley" />). It's plain annoying.
1 - Final Maze. Yet another remember-where-teleporters-send-you level (or in this case, springs). And do I even need to say it? Backroutes FTW.

5 Best
5 - Dot to Dot. Okay, yes, it's a build-build-build level. But the fact that there isn't many of them in L3D makes it more acceptable. Besides, I dunno why, but I always found this level quite fun. (And of course, gotta love the shortcut!)
4 - Across The Network. A fun level with several solutions, all of which require a bit of thought to pull off.
3 - Lemmtris. It's fun to have a more olden-style level among the game. It's also notable for being the only non-training level where 100% can be acheived, yet is not required.
2 - Rescue Team. Okay, the level itself wasn't done that well, but the idea behind it is still a great one. It's pretty fun, too.
1 - Critical Path. Possibly the only level in Lemmings 3D that qualifies as a true puzzle. It's great fun.

[Minim]

Gosh, I'm surprised you didn't put Tightrope City on the list of the sloppiest levels of all time. Anyway, here are my Original Lemmings Bottom 5:

5th place: Going up...: A long and boring level.

4th place: Time to get up!: Takes a while, but you need to use boring bombers again.

3rd place: We all fall down: Would be better with higher release rates.

2nd place: Hunt the Nessy: Too long.

1st place: Tightrope City: Maybe not for the PSP version, but it's too generic.

And these are my favourites:

5th place: Let's be careful out there: Plenty of ways to do this. Looks simple.

4th place: It's hero time: Clever solution

3rd place: One way or another: Both ways are possible, you can choose which is better.

2nd place: Rendezvous at the mountain: It's a great multitasking level to end the game! Sweet.

1st place: And then there were four: Another great multitasking level. The absolute best.

[namida]

Neither Rendezvous at the Mountain nor And Then There Were Four actually *require* multitasking, unless you're doing a challenge. "The Fast Food Kitchen" is an example of a level that *does* require it.

[LemSteven]

3 - Lemmtris. It's fun to have a more olden-style level among the game. It's also notable for being the only non-training level where 100% can be acheived, yet is not required.

That is not quite true.  "T Minus Five and Counting" and "Castle Peralus" can be done with 100%, both using backroutes.

Anyway, here's my lists for Lemmings and ONML.

Lemmings

Best
5:  Triple Trouble:  Small, but quite challenging level
4:  Upsidedown world: Good puzzle with a hard-to-find 100% solution, but the OWW at the end keeps it from being higher.
3:  No added colours or Lemmings:  One of the best puzzle levels in the game
2:  Cascade:  Would be one of my least favorites if not for the 100% solution
1:  And then there were four:  Awesome multitasking level

Worst
5:  Pillars of Hercules:  Simply stop the splatting and build to the exit.  Nothing really interesting here.
4:  All or nothing:  There's no puzzle; it's just a matter of hoping your bashers go the right way.
3:  Follow the leader:  Too much straight walking.
2:  We All Fall Down (Tricky):    It's no more difficult than the Fun version, but a lot more tedious.  The Taxing and Mayhem versions are more challenging.
1:  Down, along, up.  In that order:  I hate this level with a passion.  There is almost no room for error when it comes to placing your builders, and it all depends on exactly where the blocker's force field is.

Oh No! More Lemmings

Best
5:  Scaling the Heights:  A challenging level late in the game; it's only flaw is the blatant backroute that allows you to complete the level with no miners.  100% is possible, too, using some counterintuitive techniques.
4:  KEEP ON TRUCKING:  A fun level with several hazards and many different solutions.
3:  SNOW JOKE:  Another fun level that's great for challenges.
2:  ROCKY ROAD:  A nice, long (but not too long) level with a good variety of obstacles.
1:  PoP TiL YoU DrOp!:  Although it's too easy for it's place in the game, it is always a challenge to get by with as few bombers as possible.  100% is possible, too!

Worst
5:  LOoK BeFoRe YoU LeAp!:  Too much bomber timing.
4:  Welcome to the party, pal!:  Way too much building, and the time limit forces you to release the crowd at almost precisely the right moment or start all over again (unless you take a clever ceiling backroute).
3:  Up, Down or Round and Round:  An unimaginative design, pixel-perfect builder placement, and an evil trap right below the exit combine to make this one one of my least favorites.
2:  Flow Control:  Too easy for the Havoc rating, and a large percentage of the lemmings get eaten up by the traps.
1:  Where Lemmings Dare:  As if those lizards weren't bad enough, the level also has to have those %$*# plant traps right next to the exit.

I'll do the other games later.

[Clam]

My list for Lemmings 2 is complete. It's been a while since I played this game, but thankfully The Lemmings Encyclopedia is there to refresh my memory http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/wink.gif" alt=";)" title="Wink" class="smiley" />


Lemmings 2

Bottom 5
5: Cavelem 9 - EVOLUTION OF LEMMINGS
Easy to find the solution, but it takes millions of years to execute. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/tongue.gif" alt=":P" title="Tongue" class="smiley" />

4: Highland 4 - A mere stone's throw
Good to see something different, but... seriously, WTF?

3: Space 8 - Odyssey
Chain through the wall? How the heck am I supposed to figure that out? Plus there's too many teleporters to deal with.

2: Classic 7 - So close but so far away
Waaay to long, but the worst thing is you don't know how many lemmings you're allowed to lose. And it's quite obvious that you can't save everyone.

1: Sports 10 - Take up Archery
This takes a ridiculous number of bulls-eye shots. Each of which takes TWO perfect clicks - one for the archer position (on a RUNNER, no less) and one for the target.


Top 5
5: Cavelem 2 - Successive Division
Clever theme, and a clean, simple solution.

4: Shadow 2 - NITRAM THE HUGE!
Nothing too difficult, but you have to use those skills wisely.

3: Space 6 - Lunar Olympics
A fun one to play - you have to pick the right skill for each job. Shows off much of the repertoire of individual abilities.

2: Egypt 5 - Echo of Light
One of the few puzzles in this game that's tricky and not just annoying.

1: Outdoor 7 - Natural Selection
A wonderfully original solution, which really stands out against all the boring "hero lemming" puzzles. Truly the fittest of the levels.  http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/thumbsup.gif" alt=":thumbsup:" title="Thumbs Up" class="smiley" />

[Minim]

5 - Stilt Walkers. I don't know why, but this level is just annoying to me. Not to mention the huge backroute.

I think the backroute is part of the level solution. When I played it, I couldn't find a solution without cheating.

[namida]

No, there are proper solutions, but there's also a major backroute.

[Proxima]

Gosh, I'm surprised you didn't put Tightrope City on the list of the sloppiest levels of all time.

I've always felt that the puzzle (at least when you first encounter it) redeems the lack of background graphics. And it does suit the title.

It's been interesting (though not wholly surprising) to see that some players' bottom levels appear in others' lists of top levels http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/smiley.gif" alt=":)" title="Smiley" class="smiley" />

Okay, here's my list:

Original Lemmings

Bottom 5

5: Taxing 4 - Lend a helping hand
When you're playing this before you've studied the operation of objects for designing Cheapo or LemEdit levels, it seems like pure chance whether the traps kill you or not.

4: Tricky 25 - Cascade
This level traumatised me when I was a kid. I don't think I need to explain why.

3: Taxing 14 - Hunt the Nessy
As stated already by others, long and tedious without any real challenge.

2: Tricky 14 - MENACING !!
Aaargh, that music.... make it stop....

1: Mayhem 14 - Pea Soup
Long, boring, and completely impossible if you have a black-and-white monitor as I did at the time, which is utterly unfair.

(Wow, what is it about the number 14? Actually, I dislike Fun 14 as well, because it's too long and samey.)

Top 5

5: Mayhem 1 - Steel Works
What a way to kickstart a category! No doubt it is largely thanks to its position, but this is one of those levels that really sticks in the memory and that you love coming back to. Or at least I do.

4: Mayhem 20 - No added colours or lemmings
I have to join in the general praise for this level, as it's such an elegant puzzle and perfectly executed -- no backroute has ever been found.

3: Taxing 6 - Compression Method 1
A gorgeous lateral-thinking level quite like no other.

2: Taxing 22 - Come on over to my place
In contrast to the next on my list, I like this one because the backroute is such an elegant solution.

1: Mayhem 13 - The Great Lemming Caper
An absolutely beautiful level with a beautiful solution; even the existence of the backroute and the fact that I found it years before I found the real solution doesn't stop me appreciating this.

(Other levels that would make my top 10: "Upsidedown World", "Going Their Separate Ways", "Tribute to M. C. Escher", "Triple Trouble", "Call in the bomb squad")

Oh No! More Lemmings

Bottom 5

5: Crazy 11 - No Problemming!
Nothing but a joke, and skews the ONML lemmings lost statistics by a ridiculous amount.

4: Wicked 15 - SPAM, SPAM, SPAM, EGG AND LEMMING
I hated the precision required to turn the floater lemming and still have room to build a suitable landing platform.

3: Wicked 18 - LoTs moRe wHeRe TheY caMe fRom
Hidden traps and a really tedious-to-execute solution.

2: Havoc 10 - Flow Control
As stated by LemSteven, it's almost insulting that they put this in the Havoc rating.

1: Wild 14 - ICE SPY
The most unpleasant trap in any of the games, and it's so well disguised that the first time you play you will certainly walk right into it.

Top 5

5: Crazy 10 - ROCKY VI
Gorgeous puzzle with a very elegant solution.

4: Wicked 10 - Temple of Love
Another cunning puzzle that made me very happy when I solved it.

3: Wild 15 - THE SILENCE OF THE LEMMINGS
I share LemSteven's liking for "long levels with a good variety of obstacles", and this is one of my favourites.

2: Wicked 3 - This Corrosion
Easily one of the best puzzles in the game, but I hear that it's marred by a backroute, though I can't remember the details. (Steel glitches, perhaps?)

1: Crazy 7 - And now, the end is near...
Awesome title, awesome puzzle, awesome solution! Kept me stumped for a good long while, and I was so happy when I finally got it.

(Other levels that would make my top 10: "Be more than just a number", "Lemmings in a Situation", "Introducing SUPERLEMMING", "ONWARD AND UPWARD", "Creature Discomforts")

[Pooty]

Lemmings

Bottom 5

5: Mayhem 24 - All or Nothing
    What's there to like? There's nothing to it.

4: Taxing 14 - Hunt the Nessy
    It's long, lumpy, boring, and the only exciting part is I get to cut its neck, never to be seen again.

3: Taxing 13 - Upsidedown World
    Those roots drive me nuts. I think i've done it, and then.. that root at the end is blocking all the lemmings. Grrrrrrr...

2: Taxing 26 - Triple Trouble
    While I do appreciate a challenge.. this level is far too hectic.

1: Mayhem 11 - We all fall down
    It's just tedious. It's incredibly dull, and it's also "head-doing". What really gets me is this level has to be done FOUR times, each time worse than the last.


TOP FIVE

5: Mayhem 29 - Save Me
    This level blows my mind. It's delightfully fiendish, though it would have been higher in my list if I didn't get it done in my second try. That was a bit disappointing.

4: Tricky 30 - The Crankshaft
    I think it's amazing that removing the bashers turns this level from being dull to being quite an interesting level indeed.

3: Taxing 22 - Come on over to my place
    I like the solution to this level. One of my favourite moments is after the blocker is freed, while every other lemming is walking around the level, there are these two lemmings floating to the exit.

2: Mayhem 1 - Steel Works
    This level captures the "first level in the hardest difficulty" feeling. As a beginner looking at each of the first levels, this one looked terrifying (especially the splat-start), forcing me to play the game at a lower difficulty. But as I played the game more and more, I realised.. it's not that bad. I was thrilled when I managed to get it done for the first time, and I was well and truly on my way.

1: Mayhem 20 - No added colours or Lemmings
    What a genius solution. There's a load to consider, and when I got it done, I realised it was quite elegant. It defines what I love about Lemmings.

[Minim]

2:  Flow Control:  Too easy for the Havoc rating.

No it isn't, because the release rate is a little something new to the levels. Like what Clam Spammer said earlier on.

Simple, unique and brilliant - a remarkable contrast to most other levels in ONML.

[Minim]

I guess for the ONML, the Tame levels are thrown out of the window. We'll keep it this way for now.

The 5 levels I hate the most are:

5: Inroducing SUPERLEMMING: The typo persists, and it's nothing other than frustration (which is what no-one likes just because it's so early in the game).

4: Dr. Lemmingood: I suppose that's Dr. Feel-good. It doesn't, with bombs and builders they intentionally tried to make it as hard as possible without even thinking about it.

3: Welcome to the party, pal: Another worker lemming level without any thumbs up. All together now: "Mama told me not to come..."

2: Spam, egg and lemming: A splat start, which is nice.

1: No Problemming!: Takes a really dark simple level which is impossible and then, bang, another level is there along with it. What a stupid waste of time.

Next up, are my favourites.

5: Suicidal Tendencies: I personally like it, especially the excess amount of custard at the bottom and the timing of the builders.

4: Pop till you drop!: Bombers make it fun, although you won't need them.

3: Time waits for no lemming: Simplistic looking but a nice level to play.

2: Just A Quicky: The title says it. A nice little brain teaser for the grey matter.

1: This Corrosion: Solution is well planned and looks amazing once you find it.

Edit: Changed #1 from "Across the Gap" to "No Problemming!"

[Dullstar]

I've never noticed that typo before.