Christmas Lemmings Level reviews

[Clam]

Blitz 5 - It Came Upon a Lemnight Clear
http://www.lemmingsforums.com/resources/holiday/Blitz5.png" alt="" class="bbc_img" />

Lemmings: 80
Save: 75 (93%)
Time: 5 minutes
Release rate: 1
Skills: 10 builders, 1 of everything else

Good: Um... pass? http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/undecided.gif" alt=":-\" title="Undecided" class="smiley" />

Bad: Another hero level where one lemming clears a path for the rest. Having a climber available makes the level too easy. Also there's the "pick a lemming facing the right way in a crowd" thing, which I maintain is a bad thing even though I know how to do it http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/tongue.gif" alt=":P" title="Tongue" class="smiley" />

[finlay]

How do you do it on the PC version? I can only do it on the mac because the Lemmings are higher-res and have eyes, so you can tell which way they're facing...

[Clam]

There are a couple of ways, actually.

- When multiple lemmings are under the cursor, priority goes to the most recently entered lemming. So, if there are still lemmings entering the level (which at RR1 with 80 lemmings, there should be), you can easily grab one just as it hits the ground. Otherwise, you can look for a lemming that appears to be drawn over all the others, though it's often not easy to pick out the last one.

- Start building from the far left of the holding area, as far left as you can more the cursor while still catching the lemmings. Because of the way lemmings turn around at walls, this will always pick one facing to the right. The downside is, you can't choose where to start the builder, since it's determined by the terrain. (In this case, you'd need an extra builder or two to get out.)

- With a bit of forethought, you could build a bridge that doesn't quite reach out of the holding area, so that any lemmings walking on the bridge will be facing the right way when you need them.

[finlay]

There are a couple of ways, actually.

- When multiple lemmings are under the cursor, priority goes to the most recently entered lemming. So, if there are still lemmings entering the level (which at RR1 with 80 lemmings, there should be), you can easily grab one just as it hits the ground. Otherwise, you can look for a lemming that appears to be drawn over all the others, though it's often not easy to pick out the last one.

Yeah, basically the way I know, but on the Mac you can tell at a glance which way the top lemming is facing because they're drawn with eyes. I don't know an equivalent way to do this on the DOS version or any other version I've tried, so I just end up guessing.

I played right through Holiday Lemmings yesterday (it's relatively easy, and monotonous), and on the many levels like this I would just go RR99 because then it's even easier to see what way you're going to pick because all the final few lemmings will be facing in the same direction... if that makes sense. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/tongue.gif" alt=":P" title="Tongue" class="smiley" />

And I knew about the other two. They don't always work though, especially if you need to conserve builders.

Also, just to be slightly more on-topic, wtf is "Blitz"? Isn't it "Blizzard"?

[Clam]

I think I can see why this thread has fallen down the page... when you have levels like this one:

Blitz 6 - A Single Lemming...
http://www.lemmingsforums.com/resources/holiday/Blitz6.png" alt="" class="bbc_img" />

Lemmings: 80
Save: 80 (100%)
Time: 4 minutes
Release rate: 70
Skills: 5 bombers, 5 blockers, 1 builder, 1 basher, 1 digger

Good: Might look challenging... for about two seconds.

Bad: Words fail me. If the single basher from the right isn't the intended solution (really? this far into the "harder" rating?) then this has to be the most ludicrous backroute ever. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/sick.gif" alt=":sick:" title="Sick" class="smiley" />

[Minim]

Blitz 7 - Break on through
http://www.lemmingsforums.com/resources/holiday/Blitz7.png" alt="" class="bbc_img" />

Lemmings: 60
Save: 55 (91%)
Time: 4 minutes
Release rate: 30
Skills: 12 Floaters, 25 bombers, 19 builders, 93 bashers.

Good: Interesting pattern of skills. This level really does challenge you into going up without losing too many lemmings, with a higher position of the exit, limited time, and blockerless bombers too.
Bad: Are you sure you need 93 bashers to go up the wall? I am absolutely sure it can be done with less than that.

[DragonsLover]

The reason why the amount of skills is set that way (if nobody knew already) is because it shows the Christmas date : 12-25-1993.

Oh sure, perhaps it would have been better to have 12 climbers, 25 floaters, 19 blockers and 93 builders? Or 12 bombers, 25 blockers, 19 bashers and 93 miners? http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/winktounge.gif" alt=";P" title="Wink-Tongue" class="smiley" />

[Simon]

To aid the player with such building, the miner tends to be best. The first swing is executed extremely fast, and it removes a considerable amount of overhead terrain. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/smiley.gif" alt=":)" title="Smiley" class="smiley" /> But 1993 doesn't look nice anymore when the digits are on non-adjacient buttons.

-- Simon

[DoubleU]

Blitz 5 - It Came Upon a Lemnight Clear
[image snipped]

Lemmings: 80
Save: 75 (93%)
Time: 5 minutes
Release rate: 1
Skills: 10 builders, 1 of everything else

Good: Um... pass? http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/undecided.gif" alt=":-\" title="Undecided" class="smiley" />

Bad: Another hero level where one lemming clears a path for the rest. Having a climber available makes the level too easy. Also there's the "pick a lemming facing the right way in a crowd" thing, which I maintain is a bad thing even though I know how to do it http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/tongue.gif" alt=":P" title="Tongue" class="smiley" />

"Pass"?  Can't you say something good about it?  Myself, I'd say it's a nice little bite-sized, symmetric level.  And what's wrong with the forcing-a-direction problem?  Is it too easy or too hard?  If the latter, I know how to make it easier.

And finlay, "blitz" means "lightning" in German.  Here, it's just a sloppy abbreviation for Blizzard because the real name wouldn't fit.  (Or not, but it makes better sense than saying "lightning" fits here.)

I'll review Blizzard 8 (or "Blitz" 8, I guess, but outside of here I'll call it Blizzard) if someone can direct me to your source for the stats and maps.

[ccexplore]

What's wrong with respecting that everyone will have their own opinions about levels?  Seriously, I think you're taking the reviews way too seriously.

Also, my understanding is that the UK release versions really do refer to the rating as Blitz, or something like that.  It is not merely because we are all lazy and don't want to spell Blizzard.

[Clam]

"Pass"?  Can't you say something good about it?  Myself, I'd say it's a nice little bite-sized, symmetric level.

Okay, fair call; the review format does call for posters to say something good about each level. So what is good about this level? Maybe it has a good range of skills to work with. Beating it without climbers or with as few builders as possible makes for a good challenge. The title is a classic Lemmings-style reference (replace some part of a well-known phrase with 'lemming', or derivative). But these are minor things, and overall I consider it a poor level.

You can look up the level stats on the http://tle.vaarties.nl/" class="bbc_link" target="_blank">Lemmings Encyclopedia, or if you want to actually play it, hunt around the web for the DOS version of the game (run through DOSBox, or the Lemmix editor).

[DoubleU]

Blitz 8 - Presents of Mind II
http://www.lemmingsforums.com/resources/holiday/Blitz8.png" alt="" class="bbc_img" />

Lemmings: 80
Save: 80 (100%)
Time: 2 minutes
Release rate: 55
Skills: 3 Builders, 2 bashers

Good: Snowballs replaced with snowmen and a small snow-mountain, which adds to the variety of the level.  Also, harder without being unfair is always a good thing.
Bad: Fewer skills to use means you have to go one way or the other, and they're not equally reasonable.  Having no expendable lemmings means you need to do some difficult multitasking this time, and that's not pleasant.  At least last time (Flurry 12) you could lose 4 and thus didn't need to jump around.

[Minim]

Blitz 9 - Lemmings: The Motion Picture
http://www.lemmingsforums.com/resources/holiday/Blitz9.png" alt="" class="bbc_img" />

Lemmings: 80
Save: 75 (93%)
Time: 9 minutes
Release rate: 25
Skills: 2 Climbers, 1 Bomber, 30 Builders, 10 of everything else.

Good: Generous number of Builders.
Bad: Long, dark, uninspiring and unimaginative looking level, too many repetitive actions required, especially on the builders, there's just no challenge nor excitement to this level at all, particularly on the high time limit and the fact that it is not a 100%er either. The title is irrelevant compared to the looks of the level.

[DoubleU]

[snip]
Bad: Long, dark, uninspiring and unimaginative looking level, too many repetitive actions required, especially on the builders, there's just no challenge nor excitement to this level at all, particularly on the high time limit and the fact that it is not a 100%er either. The title is irrelevant compared to the looks of the level.

As you may or may not know (I sure as heck didn't!), the title is an allusion to Star Trek: The Motion Picture, as becomes evident from the rest of the Blizzard/Blitz levels.  Before I learned that, I thought it was a sequel to Tame 19.

And if you ask me, there actually is some excitement in the sense that (gasp!) the third gap to bridge may turn back your builder, and the last gap is further past the last fall than the other gaps are!  (Okay, so it wasn't that exciting.) http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/tongue.gif" alt=":P" title="Tongue" class="smiley" />

[finlay]

[snip]
Bad: Long, dark, uninspiring and unimaginative looking level, too many repetitive actions required, especially on the builders, there's just no challenge nor excitement to this level at all, particularly on the high time limit and the fact that it is not a 100%er either. The title is irrelevant compared to the looks of the level.

As you may or may not know (I sure as heck didn't!), the title is an allusion to Star Trek: The Motion Picture, as becomes evident from the rest of the Blizzard/Blitz levels.  Before I learned that, I thought it was a sequel to Tame 19.

holy f***. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/shocked.gif" alt=":o" title="Shocked" class="smiley" />

I'd noticed "The Next Lemeration" and "The Final Frontier", since those are obvious Star Trek references... but not the others. I may have clocked "The Wrath of Lem", too, not sure. It's not like I've actually seen any of these films, though, that's the thing...