Lemmings: The sound of popcorn and confetti
Oh dear, it's gone to pot.
Out of bricks, out of pickaxes, the workers are too knackered to dig or keep out their fellows and there's no escape from the abyss. There's no way out of another fine mess these critters have gotten themselves into, no thanks to you! And there's still time on the clock and plenty of nasty beasties out for snacking on the survivors.
What's this mushroom by the paw prints on the console? Let's click on it.
One click. Nothing.
Another click. Still nothing.
Let's give it a couple of clicks, then.
"Oh no!" Oh yes! The sound of a Lemming who is about five seconds from blowing up. And we have a few small groups of them walking back and forth in pockets which they cannot escape.
'Pop!' Look at all those pixels flying all over the place as the little sods combust on the spot, I can hardly contain my excitement as your failure is rewarded with this little fireworks display. It's a good thing you had to nuke this attempt to save them.
This level? How did you get yourself into this mess in the first place? Are you sadistic? Under the age of ten without parental supervision? Both or just rubbish at this game? Who cares, this is fun. Ah, the results are in, and yeah you had to nuke that level because of any of the previously mentioned reasons. Let's play this level again, but properly this time until we win.
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Oh deary me, that solution didn't work. Time to reach of the nuke and watch the fun unfold, before rethinking our strategy.
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Not enough to watch them blow up this time, what a bummer man… and we still haven't made a start to the exit. Oh well, let's try this level again.
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There, that's the last lemming. Onto the next… wait a minute, we were one lemming short? And we didn't realise until now. And that meant no explosive confetti. Shit! Shit! Shit! SHIT! Back to the drawing board and hopefully we would either beat this level or better still set up some pyrotechnics.
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It's like hearing popcorn in the microwave whenever Lemmings explode en masse, isn't it? Did that make you feel hungry? I hope you like popcorn. Go buy some or pester your mum or dad to get some then.
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BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! This is brilliant! Look at 'em, just look at them pop like a domino game with landmines. Look at all that confetti! Let's just keep doing this.
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OK, that's enough explosions for today, let's just get back to getting these lemmings to safety this time or we'll have to start making friends with some Americans and invite them over for Independence Day. Not for the nuke feature of course, not at all. The nuke is a last resort when everything has gone to pot. Honest.
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Wait a minute. Somebody actually made a level where the solution is to manoeuvre the Lemmings into a small enough pocket before commencing the nuking, and hoping enough survivors make it out of the level?
Oh man, this level is perfect! We're treated to the glorious sound of popcorn and sight of confetti even if we don't quite nail the solution. In short win-win however you see it. High number of Lemmings plus a low percentage of said critters to be saved means we're going to enjoy this level!
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Ouch, this level is tougher than either than us had envisioned. The level designer is making us work harder than the game designers had dared in the good old days. Still, this nuking exercise is going to keep us going until we hit the sweet spot. Still, plenty of exploding Lemming pixels to keep us both entertained.
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Phew! About time we managed to solve that level! Who knew how to use the nuke button that way? Still makes you appreciate how this level was put together and the clever use of something that would normally be a comical restart button.
It's still fun to blow up so many Lemmings in so many attempts to solve that user made level. But the option to blow every Lemming up will always be there as long as you and others will make a hash of finishing a level for whatever reason. Until then, those dozy Lemmings will need help in getting to the exit within those pesky (and not so pesky) time limits with whatever skills are needed to finish the level or fail doing so…