The Atari Lynx version of Lemmings was developed by DMA Design and published by Psygnosis in 1993, and it is an enjoyable port of this great puzzle/rescue game.

In each level you must lead a specified number of Lemmings to the exit, across various screens, within the time limit. To do that, you must use commands, chosen from a menu, and click on a lemming to issue that command at the right time.

Pressing the ‘A’ button initiates a command (when the cursor is over a lemming), and pressing the ‘B’ button brings up the command menu (when you’ve chosen a command, pressing ‘B’ again goes back to the game). Option 1 toggles fast-forward on and off, and Option 2 toggles the (rather good) music on and off.

There are four sets of 30 levels to play: Fun, Tricky, Taxing and Mayhem, making 120 levels in total. After completing each level you’re given a password, so you can restart from the next level.

Since Lemmings was designed to use mouse controls, and the Lynx only has a d-pad, moving the (slow) cursor around can cause frustration, especially if you have to move it quickly and cannot reach somewhere in time. To scroll the screen left or right (which is essential during the game) you have to push it with the cursor, which is also frustrating as it takes valuable time. Lemmings on the Lynx would really have benefitted from having shoulder buttons, that could scroll the scene left and right, without having to use the cursor.

In spite of these frustrations, Lemmings on the Lynx is well-presented, with good animation and excellent music, and is still fun to play now.

More: Lemmings on Wikipedia