Oh No! More Lemmings - Level Reviews

[Clam]

-For some reason in Lemmix the haches don't work properly and too many lemmings come out of the first entrance in the wrong order, making me solve this level a tad differently than it's intended probably.

Yeah, that's a bug in Lemmix. You can remedy this by copying and pasting the middle entrance, so you have a fourth entrance overlapping it. It's quite neat though that you end up with a different but equally solvable puzzle http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/smiley.gif" alt=":)" title="Smiley" class="smiley" />.

---

Havoc 13: HIGHLAND FLING

http://www.lemmingsforums.com/resources/onml/havoc13.png" alt="" class="bbc_img" />

Lemmings: 80
Save: 75 (93%)
RR: 5
Time: 4
Skills: 2 bombers, 4 blockers, 10 builders, 1 basher, 1 miner

Good: Very strong visually, plenty of decoration without being overdone. Other than that, not much - though, I guess it serves as a good warning to level designers (see below).

Okay: With a bit of steel to stop you simply bashing through the first wall, this would actually make for a decent puzzle. The shape of the overhang near the entrance seems to suggest you're supposed to build up with a blocker, and then mine down, this could easily be enforced. But, it didn't happen, so...

Bad: ... it's too easy, and all that work on the visuals largely goes to waste. Also, dumb all-caps title, thankfully this is the last one.

[Gronkling]

Havoc 14: Synchronised Lemming

http://www.lemmingsforums.com/resources/onml/havoc14.png" alt="" class="bbc_img" />

Lemmings: 80
Save: 80 (100%)
RR: 40
Time: 1
Skills: 2/0/0/0/4/4/0/2

Good: Unique idea, having 4 'mini levels' which all need to be solved at the same time. The minimalistic style also works well for this level and the title is good. This is actually my favourite ONML level.

Bad: 80 Lemmings aren't really needed.

[Minim]

I was just about to review that level as well! I was just going to also mention that this level forces you to multitask, (And to use the keyboard as well as the mouse http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/tongue.gif" alt=":P" title="Tongue" class="smiley" />)
with the bad point being that there is more than one way to do this, one which saves a climber. I think the 80 lemmings are necessary, because upping the release rate is a part of multi-tasking.

Havoc 15: Have an Ice Day

http://www.lemmingsforums.com/resources/onml/havoc15.png" alt="" class="bbc_img" />

Lemmings: 10
Save: 8 (80%)
Time: 6 minutes
Release rate: 20
Skills: 2 bombers, 2 blockers, 18 builders, 1 basher, 1 digger

Good: A challenging Havoc puzzle that includes a buried exit. Requires the player to be careful about not just where to build but whether to build. Good scenery with the water.
Bad: Building up to the exit can take a long time to reach.

[mobius]

This is actually my favourite ONML level.

apparently the designers really liked it too because they redid it in Revolution.


Havoc Level 16: Scaling the Heights

http://www.lemmingsforums.com/resources/onml/havoc16.png" alt="" class="bbc_img" />

Lemmings: 50
Save: 45
Time: 2 minutes
RR: 80

1 climber, 3 blockers, 8 builders, 2 miners

Good: interesting layout visually and puzzle-wise. Apt title. A lot of things to try and you keep running into the same problem: getting them up that top portion of the hill. It seems simple at first but you soon run into all kinds of complications; the crack at the bottom, the top portion... All in all a challenging level

Bad:
-the steel extends out too far on the steel block at the top. (though it doesn't matter that much)
-there's a pointless trap in the lower left corner area. there's no reason to go there other than to explore (I only found it in Lemmix)
-(I could say this for many levels but) in DOs and Lemmix picking the right direction lemming is MAJOR pain in the bazoo.
---------

hey we're almost done with the game!

[Minim]

Havoc 17: Where Lemmings Dare

http://www.lemmingsforums.com/resources/onml/havoc17.png" alt="" class="bbc_img" />

Lemmings: 80
Save: 78 (97%)
Time: 2 minutes
Release rate: 20
Skills: 2 floaters, 2 bombers, 2 blockers, 7 builders, 1 basher, 1 miner, 1 digger

Good: A nice variety of skills for such a short, quick level. The placement of the traps and the steel can be frustrating, but they are the key elements in this level that make it Havoc.
Bad: Executing the solution can be frustrating especially because of the grass-coil traps near the end.

[Proxima]

(Flow Control)

Bad: you can save more than 3 lemmings but [I'm not sure about this] this may be on Lemmix on the techno of today. On Amiga and DOS you couldn't change the RR when paused so 14% may have been the absolute maximum then

Namida apparently found a 15/21 solution without changing the RR (glitch-free, even), but he's no longer on the forums and I don't know the details.

Havoc 18 - Lemmings in a situation
http://www.lemmingsforums.com/resources/onml/havoc18.png" alt="" class="bbc_img" />

70 lemmings
Save 68 (97%)
Release rate 99
4 minutes

2 climbers, 2 floaters, 1 bomber, 1 blocker, 12 builders, 1 basher, 3 diggers

Good: Havoc quality, but still feels like a much-needed breather after getting past 16 and 17. The number of skills force you to be careful, but there are several different combinations that work (including one of the more accessible but still tricky 100% solutions).
Bad: Interaction of the builder with the chains on the far right is annoyingly fiddly, and basically amounts to having to guess the correct pixel to start from. Fortunately, this occurs at the beginning of the solution so it's less annoying than it might have been.

[mobius]

(Flow Control)

Bad: you can save more than 3 lemmings but [I'm not sure about this] this may be on Lemmix on the techno of today. On Amiga and DOS you couldn't change the RR when paused so 14% may have been the absolute maximum then

Namida apparently found a 17/21 solution without changing the RR (glitch-free, even), but he's no longer on the forums and I don't know the details.

 http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/shocked.gif" alt=":o" title="Shocked" class="smiley" /> what! that is ridiculous. I have to try it myself now  http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/sad.gif" alt=":(" title="Sad" class="smiley" /> http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/tongue.gif" alt=":P" title="Tongue" class="smiley" />

[Minim]

Havoc 19: Looks a Bit Nippy Out There

http://www.lemmingsforums.com/resources/onml/havoc19.png" alt="" class="bbc_img" />

Lemmings: 80
Save: 100%
Time: 3 minutes
Release rate: 30
Skills: 1 climber, 9 builders, 4 bashers, 3 miners, 3 diggers

Good: An interesting little level which provides several challenges involving the two figures. The water combined with the ice blasters work well, as they remove a potential backroute. Fits in a great position for late Havoc because of the 100% requirement and a tight time limit.
Bad: Not so sure about what's wrong with this level. I'd probably say the figures look a bit messy, but that's all I can come up with on that one.

Even though the last level is yet to be reviewed, I'd like to thank all the people who helped out with the reviews for OhNo. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/thumbsup.gif" alt=":thumbsup:" title="Thumbs Up" class="smiley" />

[finlay]

Bad:
-the steel extends out too far on the steel block at the top. (though it doesn't matter that much)
-there's a pointless trap in the lower left corner area. there's no reason to go there other than to explore (I only found it in Lemmix)
-(I could say this for many levels but) in DOs and Lemmix picking the right direction lemming is MAJOR pain

May I just add that it's also the location of a lesser-known graphical bug on the mac, wherein the little wall near the top isn't straight, and a climber will stop climbing halfway up. If he manages to place a single step before falling again, which is slightly difficult because you often miss the chance, the wall becomes climbable, but it's a particularly annoying extra step!

[Simon]

Havoc 19: Looks a Bit Nippy Out There [...] Good: [...] Good pun on the title.

Clam, geoo, and me were all wondering in IRC -- what is the pun reference? Clam first thought it was Monty Python, but searches didn't yield anything.

-- Simon

[Minim]

Oh, maybe I didn't understand what the word "pun" actually meant. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/embarrassed.gif" alt=":-[" title="Embarrassed" class="smiley" /> I just thought it was a good title because nippy meant cold.

[mobius]

"pun" is a joke between two words that sound similar.

For example "It's Lemmingentary Watson" is a pun because Lemmingentary sounds like 'Elementary' Watson. (the actual phrase)

"Snow Joke" is a pun because it sounds like "It's-no" joke. They really came up from quite a few puns for the snow levels especially  http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/smiley.gif" alt=":)" title="Smiley" class="smiley" />

[Akseli]

Havoc 20: LOoK BeFoRe YoU LeAp!

http://www.lemmingsforums.com/resources/onml/havoc20.png" alt="" class="bbc_img" />

Lemmings: 60
Save: 50 (83%)
Release rate: 1
Time: 7 minutes
Skills: 1 climber, 1 floater, 40 bombers, 2 miners

Good: This possibly deserves to be the last level in the whole game due to its difficulty. It's also an example that a level can still be difficult even though it lacks steel and builder skills. Placing miners and bombers can vary to some extent in different solutions. Two entrances bring a little diversity, since you need to think which skills you can use for which lemmings without losing too much of them...

Okay: ...but you aren't forced to multitask, because the time limit is so plentiful. Nevertheless, the more you wait, the harder are bomber assigning and timing in crowd.

Bad: Okay, it's supposed to be a bomber level, but still, that's just it, the difficulty relies mostly on bomber timing and it's pretty obvious where you have to use the other skills. So, executing the solution can be frustrating. It could be more visually pleasing, although the level is supposed to be some kind of a rough level maybe?  Mixed capitalization of the title can bother, too.


Yeah, ONML level reviews finished http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/laugh.gif" alt=":D" title="Laugh" class="smiley" /> !

[mobius]

Yeah, ONML level reviews finished http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/laugh.gif" alt=":D" title="Laugh" class="smiley" /> !

I have a few comments regarding the game as a whole:
-first of all; what's with the rAndOm cApitaLIzaTioN in some of the titles?? I don't get it at all  http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/huh.gif" alt="???" title="Huh?" class="smiley" />
-In Original Lemmings a large number of levels have all kinds of fancy decoration on the unused portion of the levels. They didn't do this at all in ONML.
-I like that [unlike OL] they pretty much utilized all of the graphic sets to their potential.
-Quite a few levels especially in the middle felt like just filler to me. I didn't get that impression with any levels in OL.
-There are no 'repeats' like OL at all.

-----------
Now I'll get to see what Lemmings 2 the tribes is like.....  http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/XD.gif" alt=":XD:" title="XD" class="smiley" />
That would be the next game to review I'd think after Genesis is done. (I might even get it eventually)
Of course if anybody wants to review a different game like Revolution I'd be glad to http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/winktounge.gif" alt=";P" title="Wink-Tongue" class="smiley" />

[Proxima]

The other thing about ONML is that there are no long levels -- I think I'm right that the highest time limit used is 4 minutes? Of course, that means there are no tedious levels like "Hunt the Nessy". But it also means that when the designers' imaginations failed them, we get short and silly levels like "Higgledy Piggledy" -- the "filler" you allude to. So it's a toss-up as to which design philosophy one prefers overall. I admit I like the original Lemmings much more, because I enjoy playing the medium-difficulty "brute force" levels that make up the majority of the game; they're fun to come up with challenges for, but also just nice and relaxing to go back to when just playing normally. Whereas ONML has some much better puzzles, but also has much less replay value (though of course, the ONML levels are not without interesting challenges).

-----------
Lemmings 2 review topic is here.
We don't have to review one game at a time, so if you want to start a topic for Revolution, go ahead!
That said, I do hope we can finish the Genesis levels in the L1 review topic, as we're so close to the end....