FUN 03. Tailor-made for blockers - An adjective, it means perfectly suited for blockers. Interesting expression, probably inspired from the guild of tailors (i.e. people who sew clothes).
10. Smile if you love Lemmings - A pun on the phrase "Smile if you love me", popular among the teenagers in search for a sweetheart.
11. Keep your hair on Mr. Lemming - An idiom, it urges to mantain the calm and stop being angry. Hmmm... Perhaps the novice player has become too much irated with the Lemmings after only 11 levels?
13. We all fall down - A line from the nursery rhyme "Ring a Ring o' Roses". This is one of the most (in)famous Lemmings levels, which is repeated all along the difficulty levels, and whose repetitive solution is depicted by the level name.
14. Origins and Lemmings - A pun on the nursery rhyme "Oranges and Lemmons".
17. Easy when you know how - A sardonic title which obliquely refers to the solution of the level.
19. Take good care of my lemmings - A pun on the Carole King song "Take good care of my baby".
20. We are now at LEMCON ONE - A pun on the expression "DEFCON ONE". DEFCON (acronym of DEFense CONdition) is a US Armed Forces acronym used to measure the alert state and seriousness of a military situation. DEFCON ONE is the most severe of the five DEFCON levels, but fortunately, it hasn't be declared ever out of the Lemmings game
21. You Live and Lem - A pun on the idiom "live and learn". It means that everyday you learn something new, and sometimes is something weird and strange, but anyway it makes you gain experience and knowledge.
22. A Beast of a level - A double entendre. The graphics for the level scenario are taken from the Psygnosis acclaimed game "Shadow Of The Beast". It won't be the sole cameo of a Psygnosis game in Lemmings.
23. I've lost that Lemming feeling - A pun on the song "You've lost that loving feeling", made famous by the Righteous Brothers.
24. Konbanwa Lemming San - Japanese expression which means "Good evening Mr. Lemming".
25. Lemmings Lemmings everywhere - A pun on the famous verse "Water, water everywhere" from "The Rhyme of the anciente Mariner", by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Inside the spider's web of this scenario, the Lemmings could easily go out of control in all directions if you dig, bash or mine on the wrong place!
26 . Nightmare on Lem Street - A pun on the terror movie "A Nightmare on Elm Street", the film starred by the infamous undead Freddy Krueger.
27. Let's be careful out there - A famous catchphrase from the TV series "Hill Street Blues". It was often said by the characters Sgt. Phil Esterhaus and Sgt. Lucille Bates.
28. If only they could fly - Indeed, this level would be pretty easy if Lemmings could fly!
29. Worra Lorra Lemmings - The expression "what a lot of Lemmings", but said with a mocked stereotipycal Liverpool accent. "Worra Lorra" was popularized by the singer Cilla Black, who was, of course, a Liverpudlian.
30. Lock up your Lemmings - The title describes the initial state of the level once lemmings begin to fall from the trapdoor.
TRICKY 01. This should be a doddle - It refers to the supposed ability of the player to solve easily this simple level, once the Fun levels are completed.
03. A ladder would be handy - Once we accept that Lemmings can't fly, we would reluctantly accept a more modest solution for the level.
04. Here's one I prepared earlier - A version of the famous catchphrase "Here's one I made earlier", from the TV children program "Blue Peter". The expression refers to the final versions of objects or food that the presenters showed to the audience, while they teach them how to make it step by step. In this level, a lone Lemming should prepare a secure path for the rest of the Lemmings, before releasing them safely to the exit.
05. Careless clicking cost lives - A pun on the World War II British propaganda slogan "Careles talk cost lives". Since the Lemmings game is controlled by clicking buttons with a mouse or a gamepad, hence the funny variation of the expression.
06. Lemmingology - This Science should be teached in schools!
07. Been there, seen it, done it - A slight modification of the idioms "Been there, done that" and "Been there, seen that". Both mean that someone is so familiar with a subject, that is completely bored of it and no longer interested in it. I wonder if this level seems boring for the novice player at this point of the game
08. Lemming sanctuary in sight - Ironic "sanctuary" for a lemming, the one from this level! Do Lemmings belong to the Church of Satan?
09. They just keep on coming - A possible pun on the radio tagline "The hits just keep on coming", from BOSS Radio and Bill Drake.
10. There's a lot of them about - A pun on the British TV series "There's a lot of it about". It was the official name of the tenth and last season of the "Q..." TV series. The level name also references the disposition of the lemmings over the two islands of the scenario.
11. Lemmings in the attic - A pun on the idiom "Toys in the attic", which means to be insane. Also, this level requires to take the lemmings to a kind of "attic", where the exit is located.
12. Bitter Lemming - A pun on "Bitter Lemmon", a popular soft drink.
13. Lemming Drops - A pun on Lemmon Drops, a tasty candy made by boiling sugar, cream of tartar and water. Also, a drop is a unit of volume. Twenty of them are equivalent to 1 mL. It's usually used to measure the amount of liquid drugs and medicines prescribed to the patients. For example, for rodents fanatics, it is usually 50 Lemming Drops per level
14. MENACING!! - Second cameo of a Psygnosis game, again via special scenario (and music).
15. Ozone friendly Lemmings - Repottedly, Lemmings explosions do not harm the ozone layer of the atmosphere
16. Luvly Jubly - A -probably- cockney transcription of the famous catchphrase "Lovely Jubbly", usually said by the character "Del Boy" Trotter on the British TV series "Only Fools and Horses". It means superb and excellent. The original "Lovely Jubbly" was a slogan used for advertising the orange drink called "Jubbly", in the 1950s and 1960s.
17. Diet Lemmingaid - A pun on the infamous "Diet lemmonade", AKA Master Cleanse, one of the million of methods to loss weight quickly. In the level, the title makes reference to the "diet" on the skills: only two bombers to solve the level!
18. It's Lemmingentry Watson - a pun on the most famous and misquoted phrases of literature, "Elementary, my dear Watson". That phrase is never said by Sherlock Holmes in any of the Conan Doyle books, but it has become a popular quote along the years. In the level, the solution perhaps it's not quite elementary. But it's a clever one, I must admit.
19. Postcard from Lemmingland - This level also has a clever solution, probably one of the most creative of the first Lemmings game, along with the one from
No added colours or Lemmings (Mayhem 20). The title seems pretty generic at first glance -the typical postcard sent from another country, although this time, it's from a special one
-. But actually it pays homage to another British TV program: "Clive James's Postcard from..." + the name of the place.
21. All the 6's - A double entendre. That expression is a traditional bingo call for the number 66, and of course, it's an indirect allusion to a hell of a number.
Another satanic scenario, perhaps the most obvious of the saga
22. Turn around young lemmings! - Not sure if this is a pun on yet another TV series character, but looks suspicious. In this level, a new group of inexperienced Lemmings confront the same scenario from Fun 8, but with less skills!
23. From The Boundary Line - A boundary line is a frontier, terrestial or maritime. Perhaps it makes reference to the point where Lemmings are released on the level, just a few steps from the left border.
24. Tightrope City - Where the acrobats live
. An eloquent and poetical description of the level.
25. Cascade - The aquatic title describes perfectly this suicidal level
26. I have a cunning plan - The hilarious catchprase from the character Baldrick, mentioned by him along all the seasons of Black Adder TV series
27. The Island of the Wicker people - A possible reference to the wicker man used by druids in their sacrifices. The scenario of the level shows several islands, but no references to sacrifices (well, apart from the graves on one of them).
28. Lost something? - An original idea for a level, which may be fun and intriguing for the novice player.
29. Rainbow Island - The scenario of the level pays homage to Taito's colourful sequel to Bubble Bobble, Rainbow Islands.
30. The Crankshaft - Fun 14 revisited. The level indeed has the shape of the crankshaft of a vehicle. In broad strokes, its purpose is transform the linear movement of the pistons into circular movement, ready to use by the wheels.
TAXING01. If at first you don't succeed... - The first part of a famous proverb, whose author was the american educator Thomas H. Palmer. The complete sentence is "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again". That's a good advice for this level, in which the skillset is notably reduced. Never noticed until now that Tricky 30 and Taxing 1 are the evil consecutive twins of Fun 14 and Fun 15.
02. Watch out, there's traps about - A pun on "Watch out, there's a thief about", the slogan of some famous posters from the British Central Office of Information, back in the 1960s and 1970s. Those advertisements were intended to raise awareness within people about locking their cars.
03. Heaven can wait (we hope!!!!) - A reference to the 1978 comedy of the same name (without the final "we hope!!!!"), directed, written and starred in by Warren Beatty. There was also a movie of the same name from 1943. In this revisit to Fun 16, the ironic "Heaven" can only wait for two minutes!
04. Lend a helping hand... - An idiom, which means to provide help. The lemmings from the left can, indeed, help to escape the ones from the right.
06. Compression Method 1 - A funny and snide reference to digital data compression algorithms. The solution is very original, no one can deny it!
07. Every Lemming for himself!!! - A pun on the idiom "Every man for himself", usually cried by the frightened crew during the shipwrecks. It means that people has to give priority to take care of theirselves, and no one else. By the way, the scenario of the level (as well as the one in Tricky 4) is in the shape of a broken ship.
08. The Art Gallery - Surely named that way mainly because of the plethora of diamonds on the left part of the level. Although the rest of the level is also pretty artistic!
10. Izzie Wizzie lemmings get busy - A pun on "Izzy Whizzy, Let's Get Busy!", the special magic words used by Harry Corbett and his son Matthew in the British children TV program "The Sooty Show".
12. Livin' on the edge - An idiom which means to take many risks. The title describes literally the precision needed to solve the level. Two years after Lemmings was published, the British rock band Aerosmith released a single named after this idiom.
13. Upsidedown World - A more than probable reference to a song of the same name from the movie "Follow That Bird" (1985), starred in by the puppets of The Muppets Show. The scenario of the level is literally upside down, by the way!
14. Hunt the Nessy... - A funny level shaped after the supposed shilouette of the Loch Ness Monster, fondly called Nessy. Please, leave Nessy alone, don't hunt him!
15. What an AWESOME level - A double entendre (although in fact, the level is not so outstanding). Third cameo from a Psygnosis game, "AWESOME" (sic). The layout of the level consists entirely of two creatures of the most representative boss from the game, a kind of hybrid between a dragon and a worm, with a strange mouth.
16. Mary Poppins' land - A witty reference to that Disney movie with Julie Andrews in the main role
17. X Marks the spot - A double entendre. This pirate-flavoured idiom is used to highlight the exact location of something you want to show -or find-. In the level, the places marked with an X signal the points where to bash safely to the exit -also, they signal the shortest and easiest path to the "sanctuary".
18. Tribute to M.C. Escher - This homage is subtle and brilliant. There is a solution to this level that implies building bridges in a triangular shape, for a lone lemming to make a secure path from the other side of the arrowed obstacle. While the left bridges are being built, the player can observe a constant flow of lemmings ascending and falling from the triangular construction, in a perpetual motion that reminds the M.C. Escher's fans some of his impossible drawings -concretely, "Ascending and Descending", and of course, "Waterfall"-. A genial encomium to the Dutch master!
19. Bomboozal - A pun on the verb "to bamboozle", which means to trick, puzzle or deceive someone. This level require high precision to explode the bombers in the right place.
20. Walk the web rope - A pun on the idiom "walk a tightrope", which means do things that require a lot of precision. A suitable name for this level, since every digging, bashing or mining on the wrong place equals falling into the void.
21. Feel the heat! - Yet another double entendre based on an idiom. "Feel the heat!" means to find oneself in an awkward and difficult situation. Both the literal meaning and the idiom describes perfectly the solution for the level.
22. Come on over to my place - This song by The Drifters was a top ten hit in the UK in 1972.
23. King of the Castle - A marvelous reference and meta-reference! "King of the Castle" was a British TV mini-series from the late 1970s, involving a boy who is transported to a new reality, where the people and places are strange versions of the same people and places he know in his day-to-day real life. Now, do you remember "Lemmings sanctuary in sight"? Well, this level is also a twisted variation of that one! Whereas the scenario is the same, the skillset is heavily reduced! Perhaps the most clever naming of a level in the whole saga!
24. Take a running jump..... - A double entendre, one more time. This idiom is used to tell someone who annoys us to go away and leave us alone. In the level, this phrase is taken literally: after the slope (which the lemmings seems to cross running), there is a gap, and appear the necessity to "jump" to the other side. But since this is no Lemmings 2, the only thing we can do is build a bridge.
25. Follow the leader... - Another double entendre, inspired by the children's game "follow-the-leader", in which everyone follows and does what the child who is chosen to be the leader does. Seems very similar to "Simon Says".
27. Call in the bomb squad - The bomb squad are a group persons who deactivate bombs and dispose of it. The British Army was pioneer in bomb disposal, creating a specific unit of ordnance examiners after the first World War. In this level, you need to be an expert to explode the bombs in a safe place!
28. POOR WEE CREATURES! - Yeah, indeed! The initial cruelty of this level reminds me of he infamous "White Wilderness" documentary, which popularized the so-called suicide of the Lemmings, and in which repottedly, a lot of lemmings were thrown intentionally to the water in order to film it and fuel the false myth. Poor wee creatures!
MAYHEM01. Steel Works - A possible reference to the toy of the same name, by Schylling Inc. It's a steel construction set, similar to the popular Meccano, whose parts, screws, bolts and so can be combined to create toys from scratch. Without the dividing space of the title, a steelworks is a steel factory. This level is constructed almost entirely with a lot of indestructible steel plates, but is the limited number of bridges of the skillset which makes it challenging.
02. The Boiler Room - Perhaps a reference to an episode of the mockumentary "Tanner '88", or just simply a poetical description of the level. Who knows?
03. It's hero time! - A double entendre, it serves both to encourage taking a step forward to save the Lemmings, and to describe the tour-de-force of completing the level within just one minute. This is one of my favourite levels of the original game.
06. One way or another - A triple reference here! An idiom, a famous Blondie song, and a literal description of the two possible ways the Lemmings have in order to reach the exit.
07. Poles apart - An expression which means to have opposed positions, behaviours or beliefs.
08. Last one out is a rotten egg! - This informal expression is popular, specially among the children, when they compete amongst each other on spontaneus running contests
09. Curse of the Pharaohs - A reference to the urban myth of being cursed after profaning and disturbing the mausoleums of ancient Egypt mummys. The strange death of archaeologists like Lord Carnarvon nurtured this legend. This level, as well as Fun 29, has a well-known pyramid not very far from the exit, which the Lemmings should pass through in order to reach it. Hope they don't get cursed too!!!
10. Pillars of Hercules - A reference to the informal name of the mountains that flank the Strait of Gibraltar: one is the famous Rock of Gibraltar, and the other is either the Jebel Musa or the Monte Hacho. According to some sources of the legend, Hercules erected both "columns" as a way to celebrate the success of his tenth task. Other sources claim that Hercules used his strenght to separate the aforementioned mountains and open a way to the Atlantic from the then closed Mediterranean Sea. Fun fact: this is the second time in Lemmings game where we can legitimately pinpoint the exact location of a level on a World map (the first time we could do the same, the Lemmings were visiting certain loch... ation
).
12. The Far Side - A reference to the famous comic strip by cartoonist Gary Larson.
13. The Great Lemming Caper - This revisit to Fun 26 pays homage to the 1981 film "The Great Muppet Caper". This puzzle is another of my favourites from Lemmings.
14. Pea soup - A thick purée made from split peas, but also a slang word for a dense fog.
15. The Fast Food Kitchen... - Fast-food is an ominous kind of diet, consisting -usually- of unhealthy dishes prepared within few minutes, and eaten in even less time. In this level, you only have two minutes to serve the Lemmings
16. Just a Minute... - An idiom used to ask someone politely to wait a short amount of time. And of course, the bare description of the little time you have to solve the level!
17. Stepping Stones - The stones on which to step to cross a river or a brook, and also a figurative means of progress.
18. And then there were four... - A pun on the mistery novel "And then there were none", by Agatha Christie, and also a verse from the nursery rhyme "Ten Little Indians", which inspired the title of that novel. In the level, it refers to the four group of Lemmings the player has to deal with, sometimes using multitasking abilities in order to keep all of them alive.
19. Time to get up! - The most hated expression for someone who hates to rise early
. I've always been very proud of having solved this level: the syncronised explosions required took me a lot of time to master, back in the day.
20. No added colours or Lemmings - A pun on the food industry's most famous nutritional disclaimer: "No added colours or preservatives". The solution for this level is a gem, and is perhaps the most memorable of the whole game.
21. With a twist of lemming please - A pun on the expression "Twist of lemmon". A twist is basically the rind of a fruit -a lemmon, in this case- used for ornamental purposes on the cocktails.
22. A BeastII of a level - Final double entendre level name based on other Psygnosis games, this time with graphics taken from "Shadow Of The Beast II".
24. All or Nothing - A double entendre. As an expression, is used by someone who don't do things by half, and is ready to risk everything (hello, Cesare Borgia!). In the level, it refers to the only two possibilities of finishing it, due to the calculated scarcety of skills: you can either save all the lemmings, or none of them, because of a single "careless clicking"
. This level polarises the players: some of them hate it, and some of them love it. Myself, I always find it challenging
25. Have a nice day! - Thanks! You too!
26. The Steel Mines of Kessel - A pun on the Star Wars' "spice mines of Kessel".
28. Mind the step... An ubiquitous caution signal, located in every place where is easy to stumble and fall to the ground. Also, an expression of advice to proceed with care. This is the only one-Lemming level on the original game.
29. Save Me - It's not unlikely that the name of this level pays homage to that famous Queen song, since almost every pun and reference up to this point have consisted mainly on British culture elements from the 1970s. This prelude to the final level is a lot more difficult than its succesor, and that's something I've always found really annoying.
30. Rendezvous at the Mountain - A rendezvous is a planned meeting. The final level is somewhat an anticlimax, since it's pretty easy, and even can be solved without multitasking. But at least has an evocative, poetic name.
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