Hello and welcome to the latest installment of Lost Gems, the series where I cover classic games that have been lost, abandoned or simply forgotten. This is a special milestone feature as it is my 500th post, and I will be covering the sequel to Lemmings that took the puzzles from 2D to 3D. So this week let’s take a look at Lemmings 3D, developed by Clockwork Games and published by Psygnosis across PC, PlayStation and SEGA Saturn between 95/96.
Disclaimer: while the games discussed in this feature are no longer officially on sale, there are still ways to obtain it. This can be either through the secondary market, or via unofficial digital roms/rips. I do not condone or promote piracy, so there won’t be any links to roms or rips of the games being covered.
So with the introductions out of the way, let’s get started. I will be starting with the general game experience, then give my personal thoughts on the title. I previously covered the first Lemmings game, which you can find linked (HERE).
About the game
Lemmings 3D is the evolution of the puzzle series, where the player must guide the green haired “lemmings” to the exit of the stage. While the original game featured a side on screen, where the little creatures would move left and right in a side scrolling nature. This version of the game evolves to full 3D environments, with cameras that allow the player to move in 360 degrees, using full 3D polygons instead of the traditional flat sprites.
The core of the gameplay remains the same as the original 2D game, where the core objective is to rescue as many of the Lemmings as possible. In each of the stages, the target number will be shown in the top corner of the screen, replacing the percentages of previous releases. In each of the stages, the player will have obstacles that they need to overcome, with pitfalls and slippery blocks and trampolines, replacing the traps of the first game.
During a stage, if the player loses too many of the Lemmings, the player may use the Bomb to nuke the level and try again. By doing this, the level can be restarted quickly to get back into the action and try again. To complete the stage and guide the lemmings to safety, the player will need to assign skills to specific Lemmings. Each of the stages have a set number of skills tied to them, with the management of these skills being important to success.
In this version of the game, all of the skills from the first game carry over, with the climbers, floaters, diggers and bashers to name a few. Then there is the unique skill added for the 3D levels, which is the Turner, where the selected Lemming will stop and guide the others to change directions. When using this skill, the Lemming will stop at the edge of a “block” diverting the lemmings either left or right based on the choice of the player.
As this game uses a 3D perspective, there is a slightly awkward camera system, as the player must manually move the camera. To be able to see the different areas of the stage, the player will need to move the camera around, which can be clunky and awkward. But thankfully, there are four camera perspectives for the stages which will allow for quick changes. It does take a little time to get used to, but once everything clicks it becomes easier.
Included in this game is the Virtual Lemming option, which will follow a selected lemming taking their perspective. Which can be useful for some areas that have areas that are obscured from view. After a stage ends, an instant replay option is available which will duplicate the player inputs, taken from the previous attempt. This allows players to see their mistakes, where they can improve their skills, or to just watch back an exciting level clear.
Just like the previous game I covered, the four difficulty levels of Fun, Tricky, Taxing and Mayhem return, with 20 stages in each of them for players to challenge. However, in this release there is the practice difficulty option, which allows players to learn how to play the game in this new perspective. It will teach the player how to use the different skills, the new mechanics, the 3D camera controls and general skills for play.
The password system from the original game is included, where cleared stages will give passwords so players get to continue from where they left off. There is also the option for players to be able to save their progress, using the memory card system so they can come back after turning the system off. When using passwords or the memory card, players will be able to return to previously cleared levels, so they can improve progress or clear time.
The visuals are pretty clear and vibrant in this release, with lots of color and chunky polygonal models. The frame rate is also solid, with no issues in terms of performance or lag during play, alongside well done cutscenes. The sound is nice and clean, with CD quality audio and music that works very well. However, there is an unfortunate issue with the audio, as the voice clips will play repeatedly, becoming loud and possibly annoying for players.
There is something unusual about this title, as there is a Jelly Belly Candy partnership within the PlayStation and PC versions of the game. This is an unusual inclusion, but it does add some nostalgia to the release and a real blast from the past, where these types of collaborations were commonplace. It does make it an interesting piece of game history, like the Chupa Chups inclusion in Zool and the UK Penguin biscuit bars in James Pond 2.
Personal Thoughts
Having been a fan of the original Lemmings as a kid and having it on the Mega Drive and Game Gear, I had an attachment to the series from the start. So when Lemmings jumped into the world of 3D, I was super excited being able to play a sample of the game via a Demo for consoles. I would spend hours playing the demos, trying my best to figure it out, but I never really had much luck. Sadly, the demo was my main exposure to the game for the longest time.
I had seen gameplay videos and got to play it with friends over the years, but didn’t own my own copy of the game. Luckily for me, that did change a few years ago. I received the PlayStation version of 3D Lemmings as a gift from someone close to me, which allowed me to be able to finally experience the game. Being able to sit down and play this game was an interesting thing, as I had lost all of my experience from the time I played the demos.
It was awkward to get used to during the start of play, but the more I played it, the more everything just clicked and it became more fun. The charm of the original game carries over, with the transition to 3D being as smooth as it could be for the time. Each of the models, animations and scenes look good for an early 3D console game. it still has that quirky and wacky humor, which doesn’t overstay its welcome, with silly images between stages.
All of the stages are done quite well, with varied environments and vibrant colors. The puzzles feel more difficult in the way that more planning is needed, which is must different to the 2D games. Unlike the original, it is not possible to just sketch out the levels, so it becomes more of a trial and error game. It is a relief that the instant replay option is present, as it can allow players to see where they went wrong, so they can try to fix mistakes.
There are some minor hiccups with the game, like the way that the sound bites can become a little annoying. Also the controls can be a little weird to adapt to, as the face buttons and d-pad control the camera, with the shoulders being used to activate skills and the side bar. But these issues can be overcome with enough time and patience, alongside the ability to adjust the controls and customise them in the settings. The janky hiccups do add to the charm of play.
After being gifted the game, I was able to drop onto a copy of the Windows version of the game, which is a little more polished. But I still enjoy playing the PlayStation version, as it is the one that means more to me than the PC version. It is also why I chose it to be the subject of this special milestone feature. It is rough around the edges, but it is a lot of fun to play, with the collaboration with Jelly Belly candy making it one of those unique oddities.
3D Lemmings is one of those games that is abundant in its availability online, with copies of the game being easily accessible on the secondary market. The prices have stayed rather low over the years, with the different versions of the games being rather cheap. The SEGA Saturn version of the game will be more expensive, as it wasn’t released in the US, but it isn’t as expensive as some titles that weren’t put out in North American territories.
I have a lot of love for this game and while it may not be the most refined, it is one of those unique pieces of game history that I feel should be experienced. Sadly, I don’t think that it will be, as SONY owns the rights to the series and have done nothing with the series, aside from a piss poor phone game. It will also be unlikely that it gets re-released without significant changes, due to the licensing of Jelly Belly product placements in the game.
If you have enjoyed this feature, then please stick around and see what else catches your eye. I cover a wide range of games in reviews, get special previews and put out regular features. I have Lost Gems, Retro Revival where I discuss re-releases and the occasional Gaming Oddities piece, where I cover weird and wacky titles. So stay a while and have a look around.
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