- This article is about the species.
- For the 1991 video game, see Lemmings.
A lemming
"Let's go!"
- catchphrase
Lemmings are the titular characters of the Lemmings series. They are small, anthropomorphic rodents that are seemingly unlimited in number. The Lemmings are known for walking continuously back and forth, often walking headfirst into deadly hazards. The aim of the Lemmings games is to guide the Lemmings to the Exit and rescue enough of them to complete levels.
Appearance and animation[]
Lemmings have tan skin, blue robes, and green hair formed into several leaf-like batches, often resembling a messy bowl cut. They do not have noses, and in many depictions they also do not have ears or a mouth. In early entries of the series, their eyes are also not seen in-game due to their small size.
When Lemmings walk, they shove one foot forward and set it down, then follow it with the other foot. Their bodies bounce slightly, their arms swing back and forth, and their hair rustles. In Lemmings 2: The Tribes, they have potbellies even when walking.
In All New World of Lemmings and Lemmings: The Puzzle Adventure, Lemmings have bright white skin and beady black eyes. In the latter, Lemmings' hands and feet are detached from their body, which is itself changed to an azure teardrop-like shape with no sleeves rather than a blue robe.
Behavior[]
Mainline games[]
In most games of the Lemmings series, Lemmings walk from left to right continuously, and turn around when they run into walls or objects with collision. The behavior of a Lemming is changed when a skill is assigned to it. Some skills apply to a Lemming for as long as it is in a particular condition; others affect an attribute of a Lemming's behavior permanently; and still others cause a Lemming to perform a specific move for a set amount of time.
The goal of the Lemmings games is to rescue enough Lemmings to pass each level. Traps, liquids, level boundaries, and falling from fatal heights can kill Lemmings. Skills and/or interactive objects must be used to guide Lemmings to the Exit while avoiding these dangers.
Lemmings Paintball[]
In Lemmings Paintball, Lemmings wield paintball guns, which they use to shoot other Lemmings. Player-controlled Lemmings stand in place, and walk toward any area clicked on by the player. The player can select which Lemmings are being controlled, and which will remain idle. Enemy Lemmings walk in pre-programmed patterns, and stop when a player's Lemming is nearby to begin shooting at it. An individual Lemming is defeated when it is shot by a paintball once.
The Adventures of Lomax[]
In The Adventures of Lomax, Lemmings are the victims of Evil Ed's work, having been transformed into Hench-Lemmings of various forms. When a Hench-Lemming is defeated, a cured Lemming spawns and immediately runs across the landscape away from the screen. A cured Lemming will jump out of the world if it needs to, opening its parasol as it falls. Each cured Lemming is recorded by the game using a counter at the top of the screen.
Love a Lemming[]
In Love a Lemming, the player is tasked with taking care of a wild Lemming. The Lemming has several statistics that must be monitored to ensure it continues to live, including hunger, thirst, health, sleep, and happiness. The Lemming must be trained by playing several mini-games to ensure it has sufficient skill and can eventually be safely released back into the wild.
Variants[]
The Tribes[]
The Tribes are groups of Lemmings that live and work in different areas of Lemming Island. They are seen in Lemmings 2: The Tribes, All New World of Lemmings, and Lemmings Tribes. Each Tribe has a distinct theme, giving it a unique appearance, environment, and music.
Tribal Lemmings also appear in Lemmings: The Puzzle Adventure, where four collectible Lemmings appear as part of each Tribe set. 32 Tribal Lemmings are featured in each Season. Tribal Lemmings of the latest Season appear when playing main levels, but Lemmings of any Season can be set as Favorites so that they appear as well.
Water Lemmings[]
Water Lemmings are a variety of Lemming appearing in Lemmings Revolution. They have white bodies and blue hair, and are able to survive in water.
Acid Lemmings[]
Acid Lemmings are also a variety of Lemming that feature in Lemmings Revolution. Similar to the Water Lemmings, they have green bodies and red hair, and are able to traverse unharmed in acid.
Reverse Lemmings[]
Reverse Lemmings are featured in the two-player game modes of Lemmings and Oh No! More Lemmings, being controlled by the second player. The reverse Lemmings are colored differently, with green robes and blue hair as opposed to the usual blue robes and green hair.
Mischievous Lemmings[]
- Main article: Mischievous Lemming
Mischievous Lemmings are red, evil-looking lemmings that appear in Lemmings Touch. If they reach the Exit at any point during the level, they cause the level to automatically fail.
Notes[]
- The Lemmings are inspired by the real-life lemming species, for which a common myth holds that they will routinely commit mass suicide, jumping off cliffs and falling in dangerous water.
- Lemmings make a cameo appearance as one of the wrong spell results in Flink, another game published by Psygnosis.[1]
- They also make a cameo in the title sequence for Dara Ó Briain's Go 8 bit.
- There is also a Lemming-like cameo in the Henry Stickmin series.[1]
Gallery[]
