Design Journal #3: Lemmings

Lemmings

Introduction

Lemmings a highly successful and popular video game of the early 1990s, Lemmings is a puzzle-plat former video game originally developed for the Amiga by DMA Design and published by Psygnosis in 1991.

Actions: 

The controls used in Lemmings on the NES emulator can be seen as being the following:

Up                        = Move Cursor Up

Left                       = Move Cursor Left

Down                    = Move Cursor Down

Right                     = Move Cursor Right

Start                      = Start/select

A + Directional      = Cycle Through Abilities

B                           = Implement Ability

Rules:

You must save a specified number of Lemmings each round to proceed.

Game play:

You move your selector cursor around the screen  using the directional button controls so as to be able to hover it over specific humanoid 'lemming' characters crossing the map. This cursor is coupled with the ability table allowing the player to select individual lemmings to achieve different effect and manipulate both the land around them and other fellow Lemmings. The player must use all of these skills at certain self discovered points on the map to be able to achieve success and let the lemmings escape.

Experience:
Many underlying  experiences are felt whilst playing Lemmings which can be sub categorized into emotions and instincts such as the following:

Emotions:
                Fear:

• Fear is achieved within lemmings in the way of letting lemmings easily be killed accidentally if not careful.

                Anger:

• Anger can be portrayed in lemmings in the ways of not using your abilities correctly therefore running out rendering the level incompleteable , or not saving enough lemmings, all of which contribute to being frustrated.

                Joy/ Happiness:

• Joy can be derived from the completing of a level as all the lemmings get to escape alive and well.

                Pride:

• Pride can be seen on the same level as happiness as one completes that one level that has eluded them for so long.

                Sadness:

• Sadness can be felt at points where ones Lemmings are obliterated or you have to nuke them.

                Excitement:

• Excitement can be derived from the games precise lemming selection and fast paced switching game play and Lemmings nearly falling off of heights.

Instincts:

                Survival(Fight or Flight):

• The whole game is based on the survival instinct as the main object is to help the needed number of lemmings survive and escape the respectful dungeon within a time limit.

                Protection / Care / Nurture:

• Protection is this games main purpose as you must protect and nurture the lemmings to the end and help them escape mostly unharmed.

                Exploration / curiosity:

• Curiosity is played on in the game as you must discover on your own how to use abilities and where to use them to proceed to the next level.

                Colour Appreciation:

• The colour palette of the game is that of mostly darker colours which links to the games cave escape like theme, automatically letting one appreciate it respectfully.

           -Jade Mills-Brewster