Lemmings 2: The Tribes

Lemmings 2: The Tribes is a 1993 puzzle strategy video game developed by DMA Design and published by Psygnosis, and is the sequel to the 1991 video game Lemmings. Similar to the original title, the game sees the player guiding various tribes of anthropomorphised lemmings through a number of levels, using various skills to help them reach the exit. Expanding on the mechanics of the original game, Lemmings 2 featured a more open-ended series of levels with different 'tribes', contained an overarching narrative, expanded the number of skills, simplified the requirements for clearing levels, and included a practice mode for players to test out new gameplay mechanics. Development of Lemmings 2 was more intensive, with Psygnosis having greater involvement in attempt to recreate the success of the original game. A focus on the production of the game was cross-development of a large number of ports, with the game released to consoles including the Mega Drive, Super NES and Game Boy. Lemmings 2 was a commercial success and received positive reviews from critics, with praise directed towards its additional gameplay mechanics and greater variety of levels and abilities.

Gameplay


Lemmings 2 is divided between a series of twelve worlds, each containing ten levels of obstacles, traps and other hazards, where the goal of each level is to guide a group of lemmings from their entry point to an exit(s) in the level within a set time limit, by creating a safe passage using a variety of skills. Unlike its predecessor, the player is only required to get at least one lemming to the exit of each level from the sixty they begin each world with, but the amount saved affects the medal ranking they receive - Gold being the best result, down to Silver and then Bronze for the lowest amount rescued. In addition, the number saved in one level becomes the starting amount in the next level; as some levels may require several lemmings to complete, the player might have to replay an earlier level to save more lemmings for the following ones if they realize they do not have enough.

As with Lemmings, each level varies what skills and how many can be used in order to get the lemmings to the exit. However, the game features not only the eight original skills from the first game, but 43 new skills to make use of. These skills differ in their purpose - some overcome obstacles and hazrds; some focus on creating bridges and crossings; and some bash through barriers. In addition, players have the option to pause the game, or "nuke" all the lemmings in a level when in a "no-win" situation, though Lemmings 2 also includes two new options: fast forward, which replaces the release rate button in the original game by allowing players to speed up the game; and the fan, which allows the player to control lemmings using flight-related skills (i.e. using a balloon).

The player is free to choose which world to begin on when starting a game from a world map, as well as check on the progress they have made, and can save between levels. In addition, the game features a practice mode, allowing the player to try out any eight of the skills in the game in one of four different practice levels. In order to complete the game fully, the player must secure all golden talisman parts, by ensuring they end levels with gold medals, effectively adding replay value to levels they completed.

Plot
Once upon a time, the twelve tribes of Lemming Island lived joyfully and peacefully. However, an ancient prophecy foretells a great darkness soon to cover the island. This prophecy tells that the only way the lemmings can live is by getting off their island using the power of the Lemming Talisman. This talisman consists of twelve pieces, with one owned by each tribe. With the help of the player, the lemmings must reach the center of the island in order to escape their doom.

Development
Lemmings 2 was developed by British developer DMA Design and published by Psygnosis, although programmer Brian Watson stated that the publisher played a more involved role in "helping with the game design and production" for the sequel. Development was marked by considerable pressure to recreate the crossover success of the original game, and greater time was dedicated by lead programmer David Jones to consider how the game would port to multiple platforms. Developer Mike Dailly stated that the sequel's focus on tribes was conceived as a way of creating a more open-ended structure to the game, with Dailly describing the feature as "a way to give (the player at least some choice) when stuck on a level" and "create more gameplay and make the game last longer." The inclusion of a fast forward feature was adopted from an aborted arcade port, with the feature originally intended to complement "the fast pace of arcade machines".

Lemmings 2 was initially released for MS-DOS, Amiga, and Atari ST on February 26, 1993, and was extensively ported to other systems, including Mega Drive, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and Game Boy. To accommodate the capabilities of consoles, the game was modified across versions to support reduced levels, skills, and numbers of lemmings on-screen. Dailly stated that the porting process was "much more complex" in an attempt to "make console versions much better", citing the Super NES version of the game as "one of the most complex games I've had to write." Psygnosis allocated Dailly with additional time to complete the ports, allowing for the inclusion of tweaks and improvements, such as a parallax background and additional animations and sound effects. Although ports of the game were developed for the Master System and Game Gear by Spidersoft, they were not published.

Reception
Lemmings 2 was not quite as popular as Lemmings was, nor was it ported to as many platforms. In the United Kingdom, it was the top-selling Amiga game in February 1993, and the top-selling PC game in March 1993.

The game was well received by critics, who widely considered it to be better than the original game. Bruce and Margaret Howden of Compute! commented "This sequel is packed with cute, engaging new features, more Lemming abilities, and oodles of new scenarios. If the original Lemmings was a perfect arcade game, then this is perfection improved upon." Computer Gaming World stated that Psygnosis had done "a first rate job with this sequel ... Lemmings 2 really is twice the game its predecessor was", with "lovingly designed" puzzles and "delightful animations", and concluded that it would be one of the "better purchases of the year". Computer Gaming World praised the game's "lovingly designed" puzzles and highlighted the game's "delightful animations, clever puzzles, soundtrack with original music for each tribe (and) people-friendly interface."

Reviewing the Genesis version, GamePro commented that the controls themselves are easy to use but the small size of the lemmings makes it difficult to control them with any precision. However, they praised the variety and creativity of the level design and the different lemming maneuvers, as well as the game's "charming" personality and wide range of difficulty, and gave it an overall recommendation. They made similar comments of the Super NES version, and remarked that the game "adds nonlinear variety to the cartoony brainteasers mix." The five reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly were also pleased, with Mike Weigand commenting, "This title adds some nice twists (and graphics) to the standard guide-the-Lemmings-to-safety theme, making it a must for veterans of the games."

Next Generation reviewed the Genesis version of the game, and stated that "Lemmings fanatics are sure to love the new features and for those who've never experienced a Lemmings game, we strongly suggest checking this game out."

In a 2001 retrospective review, Rosemary Young wrote in Quandary that "Lemmings 2: Tribes will be hard to find now because of its age but, really, it's hardly aged at all. Although a little 'flat' the graphics are still perfectly good and the puzzles are just as fiendish. It compares very well with later Lemmings titles such as 3D Lemmings and Lemmings Revolution even if it doesn't offer the opportunity to save mid level."

Lemmings 2 was named Best Action/Arcade Game at the 1994 Codie awards. In 1995, Total! ranked the game 33rd on their Top 100 SNES Games writing: "This took the original format and piled on loads of new levels, a range of new lemmings and basically just gave us more of what we liked, only better.