LEMMINGS USER MANUAL
"Uh oh! I'm going to have to work fast if I'm going to save my buddies"
"Two blockers are required to stem the flow of Lemmings going over the edge -
Now a quick leap over the side...I hope my brolly opens...Safe!"
"I could probably climb this cliff but my buddies wouldn't be able to. Time for
a spot of bridge building I think. Now to dispense with my blocker and let the
rest of my pals through."
"Another blocker here and it's tunnel time! Oops! Mustn't get my feet wet:
Another bridge I think."
"Now if I get rid of my last Blocker all the guys can troop through while I
tackle this one-way column - I'm bushed!"
"Another safe landing, a quick dig through in the direction of the arrows and
its everybody out."
Introduction:
Lemmings is an intriguing game in which you help hordes of
mindless but delightful creatures, known as Lemmings, to escape
hostile environments in 120 unique adventures.
Lemmings appear on each level, after being dropped through a
trapdoor. As they are creatures of very little brain, they need all
the help they can get to survive the dangers that lie ahead.
Lemmings are very cute but not very bright. They will
mindlessly walk off of cliffs, into water, hazards and traps or
they will mill around, bumping into walls and whatever obstacles
they run across. Your job is to assist them by assigning skills
and powers that will help them survive each level of the game.
As you progress through the levels, the environments that the
Lemmings must navigate become increasingly difficult. The
number of skills, the amount of time, and the number of
Lemmings which you have can vary from level to level. Your
goal is always to save as many Lemmings as possible, hopefully
enough to advance to the next level!
A quick mind, the ability to think ahead, and dedication to the
Save the Lemmings Campaign are required to get the right
Lemming to perform the right action at the right time. A
forgotten blocker, a rogue miner, or a misplaced bridge could
spell disaster for every Lemming.
Overview:
We recommend that you take at least a brief look at the
manual before you begin. If you're in a hurry, take a look at the
Quick Start section to jump right in. Otherwise, please take a
look at the Installation instructions.
The Lemmings Saga:
Lemmings:
The original Lemmings game consists of 120 levels
arranged in four categories of 30 levels each. Arranged from
easiest to most challenging, these categories are called Fun,
Tricky, Taxing and Mayhem. You are now the proud owner of
this game package.
Oh No! More Lemmings:
Oh No! More Lemmings again features our little green-
haired friends in 100 all-new adventures and scenarios. These
levels are arranged in five categories of 20 levels each, titled
Tame, Crazy, Wild, Wicked, and Havoc, again in ascending
order of difficulty. Join us again as the little critters bash,
block, and blow their way home! Oh No! More Lemmings is included
on this CD, and the information in this manual applies to both of them.
If you've never played Lemmings or Oh No! More
Lemmings we recommend that you start with the Fun level, and
work your way up from there. Of course, if you're feeling
adventurous, there's nothing to prevent you from jumping in
with both feet and trying one of the more difficult
categories...but don't blame us if Lemmings start splatting all
over the place!
Before you Begin:
Please make sure all the parts of your game package are present.
The game package should consist of this manual, and 1 CD.
There are two ways you can use this manual. You can jump right into the
game, and refer to the manual only when necessary, or you can
read the manual over carefully, and only approach the game
after you know everything there is to know about Lemmings.
Either way is fine, but we recommend that you read at least the
Installation instructions and description of the Lemmings Icons
before beginning.
Quick Start Procedure:
For everyone who wants to get right into the game, we
have included a Quick Start procedure. This will get you into
the game, and start your new friends roaming around your
computer screen...but you'll probably need to take a look at the
"Lemmings Icons" section before really starting to enjoy the
game.
If you run into problems with any of the Quick Start
procedures, you may have an unusual configuration warranting
special instructions. Please refer to the complete installation and
loading instructions for your computer for details.
For MS-DOS compatibles with hard disks:
1. Boot your computer with DOS version 5.0 or higher. If
you would like to use a mouse (Yes, yes! Use a mouse!),
make sure that your mouse driver is installed.
2. Insert appropriate disk into the CD drive, and run the install
program.
3. Enter the directory to which you installed the Lemmings
program, and start the program by typing "LEMMINGS".
4. If prompted, select the default graphics adapter offered.
5. If prompted for a machine-type, select option 1.
6. You should now be at the Main Menu. If you are using a
mouse, simply click your left mouse button to continue.
Otherwise, select F4 to select your control device, and then
click your 'fire' button or equivalent to get started!
MS-DOS Installation and Loading Instructions:
Installing and Loading Lemmings:
Supported Graphics and Sound Boards:
Lemmings supports CGA, Tandy, EGA, and VGA
graphics. Lemmings also supports AdLib, SoundBlaster, Tandy,
Covox, and Thunderboard enhanced sound capabilities.
Lemmings automatically attempts to configure itself for optimum
performance on your computer.
Memory Requirements:
Lemmings and Oh No! require approximately 500K of free
conventional DOS memory to run (580K for full sound and
music support.) If you do not have sufficient free memory
available, the music may not work, or worse yet (Gasp!), the
game will not run at all. You can check the amount of free
memory available by using the DOS CHKDSK command.
(Consult DOS manual for further details.)
Control Methods:
Lemmings may be played from either the keyboard,
joystick or mouse; however, exhaustive Lemming research has
shown that a mouse is by far the most convenient control device.
If you are using a mouse, please be sure you use a 100%
MicrosoftTM compatible mouse driver. We have discovered that
some third-party manufacturers' mouse drivers are not 100%
Microsoft compatible. If you experience problems with your
mouse it is often because of an incompatible mouse driver. In
these cases, we recommend that you obtain either a Microsoft
(Version 7.00 or greater) or a LogitechTM (Version 6.00 or
greater) mouse driver. If you do not know how to install or
update your mouse driver, consult your mouse documentation,
or your retailer.
Hard Disk Users:
1. Boot your computer as usual, using DOS 5.00 or higher.
Insert the Lemmings CD, into the appropriate drive, then select
the drive letter from the DOS prompt, and press enter (e.g., type D:
or E:, and press return.)
2. At the DOS prompt, type INSTALL and press Enter on
your keyboard.
3. When the program asks you which graphics adapter you
have, answer VGA, EGA, Tandy or CGA as appropriate. If
you are not sure, type ALL.
4. Let the program know which drive your original
Lemmings disk is in when it asks (usually, either A: or B:).
5. When the program asks where you would like to install
Lemmings, enter the directory in which you would like
Lemmings installed. Unless you have a special reason for doing
otherwise, type C:\LEMMINGS, the default.
6. Confirm your selection with a Y, if prompted, and then
sit back and wait while the installation program copies the
Lemmings program onto your hard drive. If you are installing
from the 5.25" disks, you may be asked to switch disks. Please
note: You may not use all of the 5.25" disks. Disk 2 contains
the VGA and EGA graphics, while Disk 3 contains the CGA and
Tandy graphics. If you only elect to install one version, only
the appropriate disk(s) will be requested.
7. The installation program will leave you in the
LEMMINGS subdirectory. At this point, Lemmings has been
installed on your hard drive. To start Lemmings, first make the
Lemmings directory current (by typing CD \LEMMINGS from
your C: prompt), and then type LEMMINGS to start the game.
Please see the section titled "Machine-Type Selection Screen"
for further instructions.
Machine-type Selection Screen:
The first screen you will see after starting Lemmings asks
you what type of machine you have. For the vast majority of
MS-DOS compatible machines, option 1 (PC Compatible or
Tandy) will work best. If you have a PS/2, you can try the PS/2
mode for improved performance. If you have a 386DX running
at 25 MHz or faster, you can try the High-Performance mode.
Please see the troubleshooting section if you experience
problems.
Windows Compatibility:
We have tested Lemmings running in Windows with
limited success. Lemmings will run usually successfully under
Windows 3.0 as a full-screen DOS application. However,
Windows 3.1 is incompatible with Lemmings on certain
computer configurations, preventing the Lemmings skill icons
from appearing. In almost all of these cases, exiting Windows
before running Lemmings will resolve the problem. Under
Windows, however, you must select the PC or Compatible
option on the Machine-type Selection Screen.
Experienced DOS users:
Lemmings supports various command-line parameters.
These are to be used in conjunction with the appropriate
executable, either VGALEMMI.EXE, TGALEMMI.EXE or
CGALEMMI.EXE.
The command line parameters are as follows:
-v - VGA Mode
-e - EGA Mode
-o - High-Performance PC Mode
-p - PS/2 Mode
-n - Disable Mouse autodetect
-t - Disable Tandy sound autodetect
-a - Disable autodetects for other sound cards
-d - Amstrad PC1640 or PC2086 mode
-m - Monochrome EGA or VGA mode
These parameters may be combined and used together.
For instance, typing VGALEMMI -p -v will run Lemmings on a
an IBM PS/2 in VGA.
A Guided Tour:
Start the game as recommended in the installation and
loading instructions. From the Main Menu, click on Let's Go!
or select One Player (depending on your computer type). Here
comes the first level...it looks tiny! Are your glasses on
backwards? No, this is just the Objective screen. This is where
you are given a brief overview of what you and your Lemmings
will be facing on this level. From the screen, you can see that
this is Level 1 of the Fun category, called "Just Dig!" (each
level has a name, which sometimes contains a subtle hint.) This
level has ten lemmings, but you only need to save 10% (one
whole Lemming!). Of course, it's better to save more than the
minimum, but as long as you get a Lemming to the exit of this
level, you will win your admission to the next level. So, after
careful perusal of this incredibly informative screen, press the
left mouse button to continue. After a brief pause, you will see
the actual game screen.
The trapdoor will open up, and Lemmings will begin
dropping out on the screen. Whilst the Lemmings are walking
around, let's take this opportunity to explore your interface into
the Lemmings world.
Your control device (preferably, your mouse) moves the
crosshairs. You'll notice that the crosshairs move as you move
your mouse.
The top three-quarters of your screen shows the
Lemmings world. Many levels are larger than the width of your
screen, so you can scroll the screen by pressing the crosshairs
against the left and right edges of the screen. The first screen is
actually quite narrow, so scrolling the screen to either side
shows just blank space.
By this time, your ten lemmings should be out on the
screen already, happily walking back and forth, and bumping
into the walls at either end of their little world. You've already
been introduced to the release hatch, the trapdoor through which
the Lemmings enter the play screen. Now, look in the lower
right-hand-corner of the level, where you'll see an archway with
a path and blue skies beyond; this is the exit. The object is to
get the lemmings from the trap door to the exit. Sounds simple,
right? Not!
Take a look at the bottom quarter of the screen. First,
you'll see a row of text. The first section (on the left hand side)
is blank, but during play, you will notice different things
appearing here, such as "Walker 2". If you move the crosshairs
over a lemming, you will notice two things: the pointer turns
into a box, and "Walker 1" appears in this text region. This
tells you that there is one lemming under the pointer, and that he
is currently just walking.
The center part of this text section tells you how many
lemmings are currently roaming around on this level, and what
percentage have already made it into the exit. The last bit of
text tells you how much time remains, in units of minutes and
seconds. (Please note: on slower machines, the 'seconds'
recorded by this clock may not be exactly accurate to real time.)
Along the bottom of the screen, you'll see a row of little
pictures of Lemmings engaged in various activities. These
represent the Lemmings skills you have available to you.
(Please see the section titled "The Lemmings Icons" for a more
complete description of the icons and what they do.) Now, click
on the Icon with a digging Lemming on it (It's the one with a
'10' above it.). You should see a highlighted box appear around
that icon. Then, move your crosshairs up to the main Lemmings
screen, and select a Lemming out of the crowd to become your
industrious Digger Lemming (i.e. wait until there's a Lemming
under the pointer, and then click your mouse button).
You will now see a Lemming flinging dirt upwards with
his tiny little paws, and you will watch him progress gradually
downwards until eventually, he breaks through the bottom. At
this point, the other Lemmings will fall through the hole he has
created, and head out through the exit. (Some Lemmings may
fall through and head towards the left, but eventually, they will
hit the wall on the left side of the screen, and turn back towards
the right.)
Congratulations! You have now solved your first
Lemmings level! Enjoy the view as the Lemmings hop into the
exit. You have embarked on the journey to become a Lemmings
Master.
The Main Menu:
This is the screen from which all games originate. Be
sure to watch the Lemmings for a while, and to read the scroll
across the bottom when you have a few spare moments!
Main Menu:
From here, you may select one of the following options
using the Function Keys:
F1: Select this option to begin playing Lemmings! Clicking
the fire button or the left mouse button at this menu has
the same effect as pressing F1.
F2: Select this button to enter an access password which will
permit you to resume from the last level you completed.
F3: This button controls what you hear while the game is
playing. It will change from a set of musical notes, to a
symbol that says FX to signify sound effects, to a blank
card as you press F3. The musical notes symbol signifies
that you will hear music and sound effects during the
game. The FX symbol means that you will hear
improved sound effects, but no music during gameplay.
The blank card means that the game will play silently.
Please note: The musical note symbol will not appear
unless you have enhanced sound capabilities installed in
your PC, either in the form of Tandy sound, or an
AdLib/SoundBlaster or compatible card.
F4: This button will take you to another menu which will
allow you to decide which control device you would like
to use. Lemmings defaults to mouse control if the
program finds a MicrosoftTM compatible mouse driver in
memory. Otherwise, you will have the option of using
either Joystick or Keyboard. (See the section entitled
Controlling Your Lemmings for further information)
Up and Down arrows: These buttons will move you up and
down through the different categories of levels. See the
section entitled Level Categories for further details.
ESC: Exits back to DOS.
The Objective Screen:
This screen describes what you and your Lemmings will
be facing on the upcoming level. You will see this page every
time you and your little friends embark on a new adventure.
Mini-Map:
This is basically a miniaturized version of the level,
so you can get an idea of what you will be facing.
Level Number: Where this level ranks in the category.
Level Title: Just the name of the level. Read carefully, though,
because sometimes there's a hint hidden in the name!
Number of Lemmings: The number of lemmings that will
come tumbling out of the hatch for you to save.
Number to be Saved: The number of lemmings that must make
it (alive!) to the exit for you to win admission to the next,
more challenging adventure! Please note: This number
is expressed as a percentage of the total number of
lemmings available.
Release Rate:
The rate at which the lemmings will come
tumbling out of the hatch. A release rate of 1 will have
them coming out at the leisurely rate of one every few
seconds, while a release rate of 99 ensures a veritable
flood of lemmings pouring out of the hatch!
Time:
How much time you've got available to complete the level.
Rating:
The category the level is in.
At this point, there's nothing to do but click your mouse
and continue!
The Lemmings Game Screen:
The Viewscreen:
This part of the screen allows you to view the level,
where all of the actual game play takes place. In this part of the
screen you will see an entrance, an exit, and several solid
objects. The entrances are wooden trapdoors from which the
lemmings emerge onto the level. The exits come in a few
different designs, but each resembles an archway through which
the lemmings disappear. A given level may have multiple
entrances and exits.
In between these two the lemmings can pass (or be
stopped by) a number of different objects. Most of these objects
are just ground in its various forms (dirt, rock, brick, pastel
tile), but others have special properties. Ground with arrows
pointing in one direction can only be dug through (bashing or
mining) in that direction. Most steel cannot be dug through at
all. In addition, some levels have traps which the lemmings
must bypass.
Each level is more than one computer screen wide. It is
necessary to scroll in both directions to see the entire level. To
do this, simply push your mouse against the right or left edge of
the viewscreen. To scroll more quickly, hold down the right
mouse button (or, the Option key on the Macintosh) as you push
against the edge.
The Status Line:
This line, between the level and the icons, gives you
information about the current status of your game. On the far
left is a word and a number. The number tells you how many
lemming(s) are under your pointer; and the word tells you what
the lemming(s) are doing. For instance, there are 6 Lemmings
in one spot, and one is digging, you will see "Digger 6", even
though only one lemming is currently digging. This section will
appear only when your pointer covers at least one lemming.
Towards the center of the status line you can see "Out"
and a number, and then "In" and a number with a "%" after it.
These numbers tell you how many lemmings are currently on the
level, and what percentage of lemmings has already passed
through the exit. Every lemming who enters the level increases
the "Out" category by one; every lemming who falls off the
screen, explodes, etc. decreases the "Out" category by one.
Every lemming who passes through the exit decreases the "Out"
category by one and increases the "In" category based on how
many lemmings originally started this level (e.g., if the level had
20 lemmings initially, then each lemming who passed through
the exit would increase the "Out" category by 5%).
The word "Time" and a number appear at the far right of
the status line. This number, which counts downwards, tells
you how much time you have left to finish the level. When time
runs out, the level is evaluated on the percentage of lemmings
saved--this means you can run out of time, but still finish the
level!
The Icons:
A series of icons along the bottom of the screen. See
"Icon Panel" section for a description of their functions.
The Micro-map:
In the lower right-hand corner is a miniaturized map of
the entire level, in green. Lemmings currently on the level show
up as yellow dots. In addition, a large light-colored box marks
the portion displayed on the viewscreen. Clicking on the mini-
map centers the viewscreen on the region clicked, making it
possible to jump from one side of the level to the other without
scrolling across the portions in between.
Lemmings Icons:
In Lemmings, you have no immediate control over the
actions of our little green-haired friends. The only thing you
can do is promote some of them to the upper echelons of
Lemming-dom by giving them various skills and abilities to help
themselves (and their friends!) make it safely to the exit. These
varying abilities are assigned by selecting icons on the gameplay
screen, and assigning them to the Lemming of your choice.
The Icon Panel is your control panel for the game, and
your interface into the universe of the Lemmings. The contents
of the panel are described below.
Decrease flow of Lemmings onto the level - This will slow the
rate at which the Lemmings come out of the Lemming hatch.
Changes will be reflected in the number above the "Increase
Icon." Note: You cannot slow the Lemming flow down past
the original rate (shown by the number at the top of this icon.)
Increase flow of Lemmings onto the level - This will cause the
Lemmings to come out of the Lemming hatch at an increased
rate.
Climber - Climbs walls. This causes a Lemming to break out
his super-sticky shoes and gloves so he can scale vertical
surfaces. Note: A climber will always be a climber until the
end of the level. (His super-sticky shoes and gloves get stuck to
his little paws).
Floater - A brolly (umbrella) ensures a Lemming's safe descent
from any height. A Lemming who has been given one of these
will employ it at every opportunity, whether or not it's really
necessary. Note: Once given a brolly, the Lemming will have
one until the end of the level.
Bomber - Activate the chosen lemming's self-destruct
mechanism. A five second countdown timer will appear above
the unfortunate Lemmings' head, and eventually, the Lemming
will explode in a colorful shower of confetti. They really hate
when this happens. Note: This is one way to remove a blocker.
Blocker - This lemming will stand with his arms outstretched to
block the passage of his fellow lemmings. These guys are very
patient. They'll willingly stand around until the level timer runs
out, if you'll let them.
Bridge Builder - This Lemming will build a bridge. The bridge
always goes upwards at the same angle, in the direction in which
he was heading when he was converted. Each builder has
twelve tiles. When he runs out, he will hesitate for a moment,
shrug, and will then become a walker, unless you have him do
something else (build again, for instance.) Builders will stop
building immediately when they run out of bricks, or when the
bridge runs into an obstacle, and also when they hit their heads.
Oh, by the way: no, you can't bridge downwards at an angle.
Note: When a Builder is about to run out of bricks, he will
make a clicking noise. Listen carefully!
Basher - This Lemming will dig horizontally, and will only dig
when a suitable surface is directly ahead of him. As soon as he
breaks through the wall he's digging in, he'll stop and become a
walker again. (He'll also stop if he runs into a substance that he
can't dig through...in which case he'll turn around.) Note:
Lemmings can't dig through everything. The most notable
exception is steel, shown on the screen as dull grey rusty plates.
Miner - Immediately causes the Lemming in question to break
out a mining pick, and dig diagonally, downward and in the
direction in which he was heading. Miners will dig until they
run out of diggable material. Usually, they will then fall out of
their little tunnel, hopefully onto solid ground underneath.
Lemmings can't mine through steel.
Digger - Immediately causes the lemming to begin burrowing
vertically. If the lemming runs out of material to dig through,
he will simply fall through the hole he has created. Lemmings
can't dig through steel.
Paws - Pause. Freezes the action, giving you a chance to think
things through, or take a look at the level.
Armageddon - Blows all the lemmings into "lemming bits."
Use this when there is no hope of completing a level. This gives
a wonderful pyro-lemming-technic display, and is a great tension
reliever. (Double click to activate.)
As you have probably already discovered, you assign a
skill to a Lemming by clicking on a particular skill icon, and
then clicking on a Lemming with your mouse pointer. The
Lemming in question should immediately begin performing the
activity which you've assigned to it (i.e., he'll immediately start
building, etc.) The only exception to this rule is the Climber
and Floater skills. A Lemming who has been granted either of
these skills will not take advantage of these until they're
confronted by a vertical wall, or a cliff. A Lemming who has
been made a Climber and a Floater becomes an Athlete, and will
be shown as such when you highlight him with your pointer.
Important Note:
You only have a limited supply of each skill for each
level. This is demonstrated by the number above each icon. A
blank space immediately above the icon indicates that you have
none of these skills left.
The number above the large minus sign (the Lemming-
flow decrease icon) is the original Lemming release rate for the
level. The number above the large plus sign (the Lemming-flow
increase icon) is the current Lemming release rate for the level.
You can, of course, adjust the rate at which the Lemmings
appear on the level by clicking on the large plus and minus
icons; however, you can never decrease it below the original
release rate. A release rate of 1 is a very gradual progression of
Lemmings, approximately one every two or three seconds. A
release rate of 99 is a veritable flood of Lemmings...they just
keep coming!
Controlling your Lemmings:
A mouse is the best control device to use with Lemmings.
Besides, a mouse is much like a Lemming, only it's got more
buttons!
To get a Lemming to perform a task, you first highlight
the desired skill by clicking on the desired skill on the Icon
Panel. Then, you move your crosshair over the desired
Lemming. (At this point, the crosshair will turn into a box,
framing the Lemming.) Then, a simple mouse click will assign
this skill to the targeted Lemming. Be sure you have a skill
available to you before you attempt to assign it...otherwise
nothing will happen!
Sometimes, the Lemmings will get clumped together so
closely that you will not be able to distinguish one from another.
As you can imagine, it is very difficult to select a particular
Lemming under these circumstances! However, if you hold
down the right mouse button while you're assigning a skill, your
assignment will only be given to a Lemming who is a Walker
(i.e., not digging, not building, etc.)
Remember, some play levels are wider than the width of
your monitor's screen. Keep an eye on the micro-map in the
lower right hand corner of the screen to see how the Lemmings
offscreen are doing.
To scroll your window on the Lemmings world back and
forth, simply push your mouse pointer against the left or right
edges of the game screen, and the screen will scroll
appropriately. If you want to get somewhere in a hurry, you can
just click on the micro-map to adjust your screen position, or,
you can hold down your right mouse button while pressing
against the edges of the screen to increase scrolling speed. (On
the Macintosh, hold down the Option key while pressing against
the edges of the screen to scroll faster.)
Controls:
If you are using the keyboard to play Lemmings, move
the crosshairs with the following keys:
Q Moves the pointer up
O Moves the pointer left
P Moves the pointer right
A Moves the pointer down
The space bar is used in place of a left mouse button click.
The return key is used in place of a right mouse button click.
The skills on the Icon Panel may always be chosen with
the following function keys, regardless of which control device
you are using:
F1 - Decrease the rate at which Lemmings appear
F2 - Increase the rate at which Lemmings appear
F3 - Climber
F4 - Floater
F5 - Bomber
F6 - Blocker
F7 - Bridge Builder
F8 - Basher
F9 - Miner
F10- Digger
F11 or Plus on numeric keypad - Pause the game
F12 or Delete - Nuke all the Lemmings
ESC - Escapes from the current level
See the section titled "Lemmings Icons" for further
information on the icons.
Level Completion Screen:
This screen comes up when you're done with a level, one
way or another! At this point, the computer tallies up all the
lemmings that you were entrusted with, whether they are alive,
in lemming heaven, squished flat, or whatever. Then, the
computer determines whether or not your performance as the
Lemmings saviour was good enough to allow you to go onto the
next level, and gives you an encouraging message.
Level Passwords:
If your performance was good enough to continue onto
the next level, you will be given a level password. These
passwords are always made up of letters, and always exactly 10
letters long. Keep track of these, as they allow you to skip
directly back to the level where you left off, without having to
repeat all of the levels which you have already mastered. These
are used when you select New Level from the Main Menu.
After you type in your password, you will be returned to the
main menu. At this point, start the game by selecting the
appropriate icon, and you will begin where you left off.
The passwords for Lemmings may vary from game
session to game session, however they always work to get you
back to the point where you left off.
Remember: After completing a level, you will be given
an access password to the next level, (i.e. Once you finish level
1 of a category, you will be given the access password to level
2.) Also, once you complete Level 30 of a category, the next
level you will play is Level 1 of the next category up. (For
instance, if you finish Level 30 of Fun, the next level which
comes up is Level 1 of Tricky.)
"Lem Live and Lem Die"
The Care and Feeding of Lemmings
Lemmings, although very endearing, are not the brightest
creatures on the planet. However, they are very inventive when
it comes to ways to do themselves in. Your job, of course, is to
keep them from blundering into oblivion.
Some of the things to look out for:
Death Dives: Lemmings will die if they fall from a
height greater than about 80 pixels, unless they have an
umbrella. This works out to be about 2 inches on most
monitors. (You'll get a good feel for the exact distance the
Lemmings can fall; usually around the time when you've just
about finished a level...and find out that one drop was just a tiny
bit too high for the little critters.)
Consuming Energy: Lemmings will die if they fall into
fire, acid or water. Try to avoid this, even though it does makes
a neat sound.
Traps: Lemmings will die if they run into one of the
multitude of traps that exist in the Lemmings universe. You'll
get to know these too. Basically, anything that squishes,
squashes, splats, electrocutes, fries, stomps, chomps, or
otherwise folds, spindles, and mutilates Lemmings is bad for
their general well-being. (And sometimes, very bad for your
hair and mental health, as well.)
Miasma: Lemmings will die if they fall off the screen
into whatever electronic miasma lies underneath the playing
screen.
Pop! Goes the Lemming: Lemmings will die if you
blow them up. They hate it when that happens.
Hints and Tips:
1. If your solution seems too complex, look for a simpler
one (except in the higher levels, where the solution is
more difficult than it seems, and possibly even more so.)
2. One way to keep lemmings from roaming around (aside
from the obvious two-blocker method) is to dig a hole
deep enough to trap them, and then making the digger
build so he doesn't dig himself off the screen.
3. An obstacle with arrows on it may only be dug through
in the direction in which the arrows point. For instance,
if a mountain's got arrows going from left to right on it,
a basher Lemming can only dig through from the left side
to the right side. He won't be able to go in the other
direction.
4. You can 'stretch' a bridge by waiting for the builder to
take a step or two before having him build again.
5. Most of the time, you only need to focus your attention
on one Lemming at a time. Of course, that doesn't mean
that multitasking isn't always useful...
6. There is no tip number 6!
7. When you are first faced with the gameplay screen, pause
the game and look over the entire level, planning your
strategy before starting to play.
8. Lemmings are incredible contortionists, and can squeeze
through the most minuscule gaps. This can be useful,
but it's more likely to be extremely annoying.
9. When lemmings with different skills interact, strange and
wonderful things can happen. Experiment! You never
know what may happen...
10.With the exception of the blocker, a lemming performing
a skill can be made to perform another. This is also an
extremely useful fact.
11.If the timing is tight on a certain level, try using the
keyboard to select the icons and the mouse to choose a
Lemming at the same time.
12.Remember, the difference between a Lemming going
splat! and a Lemming walking away from a fall can be a
single pixel!
13.If you can't blow up your blocker, you can always try
going 'around' him...Heh, heh, heh...
14.Make sure you have plenty of refreshments and munchies
on hand...extended play can make you very hungry and
thirsty!
15.Try not to play Lemmings for more than 20 hours at a
sitting. Your eyes may begin to bug out slightly.
16.If you are REALLY stuck on a level, completely and
totally, help is available! The Lemmings Companion,
the authoritative reference manual on Lemmings is
available at your favorite bookstore or computer software
store!
Troubleshooting:
The following describes the most common problems experienced
by Lemmings owners. Please consult this list before contacting
our technical support department.
MS-DOS Compatibles:
If Lemmings won't recognize your mouse:
Make sure that you're loading your mouse driver before
starting Lemmings. Otherwise, you may have a mouse driver
which is incompatible with Lemmings. Consult the Installation
Instructions and your mouse documentation for further details.
You may need an updated mouse driver from your mouse
manufacturer.
If Lemmings just drops you back out to DOS after you run it,
with the message "Disk 1 not found":
The Lemmings program is keydisk protected. From time
to time, it will ask to access your original disk 1 for verification.
If Lemmings just drops you back out to DOS after you run it,
with the message "Insufficient Memory":
Lemmings requires 490 K of free conventional DOS
memory to run (580K for full sound and music support). If you
do not have enough conventional memory available, you will
receive the above message. Under these conditions, create a
DOS boot disk which loads no device drivers or TSRs (besides
your mouse driver) which will boot your computer with the
maximum amount of memory free.
Consult your DOS manual for further details.
If your AdLib, Soundblaster, Covox, Thunderboard sound
card does not play music:
You probably need more free conventional memory. See
paragraph regarding "Insufficient Free Memory".
If the game loads fine, but starts up and one Lemming
freezes as soon as it comes out of the trap door:
Start the game with "LEMMINGS -t" to disable the
Tandy sound autodetection routine. See installation instructions
for further details.
If the game freezes on the Machine Selection Screen:
Start the program with the following command:
"LEMMINGS -n". See installation instructions for further
details
If the game exhibits odd behavior of any sort while you're
running it on a Compaq or Leading Edge:
Start the game with "LEMMINGS -t" to disable the
Tandy sound autodetection routine. See installation instructions
for further details.
If the game refuses to acknowledge mouse button presses on a PS/2:
Lemmings contains a special mode for PS/2 computers to
take advantage of its architecture. If you experience problems
with the mouse, try running the Lemmings program in the
standard "PC Compatible, Tandy" mode.
If the Icon Panel does not appear while running under Windows:
Lemmings will usually run as a full-screen DOS
Application under Windows 3.0, but under Windows 3.1, the
icons will disappear on certain computer configurations. In
almost all cases, exiting Windows before running Lemmings will
resolve the problem.
Contacting Psygnosis Technical Support:
Before contacting Psygnosis Technical Support, please do the following:
Check the obvious (e.g. loose connectors, speakers turned off, etc.).
Have information about your computer readily available (e.g.
how much memory you have, which brand is it, what version of
DOS you're using, what type of mouse you have, etc.)
Have your game package and accessory materials readily
available, especially your manual and program disks.
Call from a phone near your computer, if possible.
Psygnosis, United States Technical Support (617) 497-7794
Warranty Information:
The disk(s) included with this product are guaranteed to
be in correct working order and free from all manifestations of
'VIRUS' code when they left our factory. It is the purchaser's
responsibility to prevent infection of this product with a
'VIRUS' which will often cause the product to cease working.
Psygnosis, Ltd. will replace, free of charge, any disks which
have manufacturing or duplication defects within 30 days of
purchase. These disks should be returned directly to Psygnosis,
for immediate replacement. Defective disks within thirty days
of original purchase should be accompanied by a photocopy of
the original receipt to be covered under the above warranty.
Psygnosis Limited will in no way assume responsibility
or liability for 'VIRUS' damage. If the disks have been
corrupted by a 'VIRUS' then please return the disk(s) only
directly to Psygnosis, Ltd., accompanied by $7.95 or £2.50 to
cover replacement, shipping, and handling costs. When
returning damaged product, please return the DISKS ONLY to
Psygnosis.
Psygnosis Limited makes no warranties, either expressed
or implied, with respect to the software described in this
manual, its quality, performance, merchantability or fitness for
any particular purpose. This software is licensed "as is". The
entire risk as to the quality of and performance of the software is
with the buyer. In no event will Psygnosis Ltd. be liable for
direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages resulting
from any defect in the software even if they have been advised
of the possibility of such damages. Some states do not allow the
exclusion or limitation of implied warranties or liabilities for
incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation may
not apply to you.
Return defective and damaged disks to:
Psygnosis Limited
675 Mass. Ave. South Harrington Building
Cambridge, MA 02139 Sefton Street
U.S.A. Liverpool, United Kingdom L3 4BQ
Phone: (617) 497-7794 Phone: 051-709 5755
Fax: (617) 497-6759 Fax: 051-709 6466
This Product is Copyrighted:
Here at Psygnosis we're dedicated to bringing you the
best in computer entertainment. Every game we publish
represents years of hard work aimed at raising the standard of
the games you play. Please respect our efforts and remember
that copying software reduces the investment available for
producing new and original games. It is also a criminal offense.
Lemmings is protected by international copyright laws.
This product is licensed to you, the purchaser. This license
permits you to read the program from its distribution medium
into the memory of the computer system for which this product
is specifically designed.
Any other use or continuation of use, including copying,
duplicating, selling, renting, or otherwise distributing or
transmitting this product is a violation of license, unless
specifically authorized in writing from Psygnosis Limited.
To order:
In North America, call 1-800-GET-PSYG (1-800-438-7794)
In Europe, call +44 51 709 5755