fascinating find!
I tried it. (It is safe) and some interesting things to note: (I attached a screenshot)
- all the familiar post-Windows 98 bugs are present (even including 'teleporting' lemmings when the screen moves).
- It contains only 2 levels; an early version of 'Take Her Up to Warp Speed Captain' that can be played or you can watch a self playing tutorial. This looks like a simple level that's not present in the final game.
- The game is clearly incomplete. Some sounds are missing/different. The exit is noticeably different/not as polished. Interestingly the teleporters play their sound which in-game is only actually heard in one level (not this level!)
- The balloon's button function as speed up works. Meaning this demo was made before that change, which was late as suspected. The speed up button is instead a question mark which when clicked says "special skill". I have no knowledge as to this unfinished feature.
- The lighting is very poor; it is in the actual game yes, but it's even worse in this version. One side of the level is very dark.
- Most interestingly to me is the fact that the shape of the entire level cylinder is different. It's jagged; not smooth as you can see, and yes; lemmings actually follow this curvy path.
this answered a long standing question I had;;;; A screenshot very similar to mine here is present on the box art of the game; even though this demo is not included in the final release at all. For those unfamiliar with the game; the actual levels don't look like this ever (including this level that's present in the game); their cylinders are all smooth and straight. I had always wondered where that picture came from and why it was there. So nice!
-on the very basic menu of the demo it says "if you want to see this demo made into an actual game please visit our website: ... (I forget what it was but it was 'something psygnosis something.uk...")
So.... apparently the game's completion was still in question at the time this demo was released.
[we do know that the game's development and release was long and fraught with problems]
-The options menu contains options not present in final game:
-skill names disable or enable (which merely hides the names of skills when selecting them)
-Dead zone cursor: this allows scrolling like in original lemmings. Right clicking gets you access to the skill panel which you can't otherwise with this mode active.
-reverse cursor; not really sure what this does.