Introducing the 8th wonder of the world. . .a Lemming with an I.Q. in triple digits. . .(or positive digits for that matter) Review

Introducing the 8th wonder of the world. . .a Lemming with an I.Q. in triple digits. . .(or positive digits for that matter)

The Adventures of Lomax–the SuperLemming! Our story begins as Lomax ventures out to save the Lemmings from an evil wizard who is (what a surprise) brainwashing them to help fulfill his evil purpose of conquering the world. Lomax, somehow, must rescue them, relying on his mutant power of super intellgence (or so it seems). Cute, but you can get a picture on where things pick up from here.

Lomax is your basic platformer, like Sonic, Crash Bandicoot, or Gex, but with a couple of new twists. He can utilize special lemming abilities such as floating, digging and building (just like the other Lemmings games), and has a magical helmet that he throws at enemies (almost all brainwashed Lemmings) to break the wizard’s spell over them. He can also use a spin move, and do the rest of the basics like running, jumping and the whole bit.

You must use a lot of wit and instinct to get past the challenges Lomax faces, because there are alot of annoying little places where you can get plain stuck for the longest time. Using the right combination of Lemming abilities can always get you through, but you must plan their use strategically. Unfortuanately, because I didn’t find this game very exciting to be begin with, your patience can wear real thin — thin like Tyra Banks on Nutri-Slim.

Graphically, this game revolves around the ‘cute’ premise also, with colorful exagerrated graphics a la Rayman, and the old Flint game for the Genesis. While Lomax is smoother than the the Genesis chracters, as an animated sprite he still looks cartoonish, and is not as smooth as rendered characters like Crash Bandicoot. There is a small amount of Z-plane movement (in and out of the screen), but only in certain places. Unfortunately the only interactive effect you get from the background scheme is the grass sort of ruffling when you land.

The sound on this game is decent, but definitely noting to brag about, just your basic mystical, magical, kiddie type background effects. It is for the most part fitting, but doesn’t really absorb you into the game.

The gameplay is not too bad, as you have over 40 very in-depth levels, which, like I said before require some patience. The strategy is still a very good part of this game. You need to find certain Lemming ‘power-ups’ to gain special abilities and pass the levels. You may have to build your way over one obsticle, only to dig your way under the next. You must also learn when to use Lomax’s spin and helmet attacks in conjunction with each other, because some enemies for example, are only stunned by spin attacks or knock you somewhere else.

The game storyline and graphics are obviously directed at the younger generation of players, and this may be where the game ultimately fails, because the gameplay requires strategy, planning, and some VERY quick reflexes. Lomax is very difficult, even for experienced gamers. The younger players may have big imaginations, but lack the patience and skill levelto get anywhere in this game. While older players will be turned off by Lomax’s cutsey storyline and graphics.

Overall, Lomax is a good title at best, but very average in a lot of ways. It builds upon the very traditional platform style of game, and has some good ideas, (. . .and the Lemmings. . .), but this type of game is becoming outdated very fast. For nostalgia’s sake (if that’s your thing) you might want to take a peek at this. However, since this game doesn’t seem to appeal to any one group in particular, and because of its high level of difficulty, try before you buy. Even then, I reccomend the Blue Light Special at K-Mart.