Flicking through the last issue of Zzap!64 back in late 1992, I rediscovered an early screenshot and the first to be shown of the Commodore 64 version of Lemmings. It would be a year until the final game saw release.
Looking at the constructed screenshot, it seems this was a test level, as I think there are more lemmings on the screen than the C64 version eventually allowed, plus usually you only get the floater icon on this level. Also at this stage the shading is quite simple, and the graphics may have been quickly wired at this stage from the Amiga. Or is it even just a quick mock up?
Well, the magazine had promised or hoped for a preview to go on their launch issue of Commodore Force. It was a great coup, with the game making the front cover as well.
As the final game would take a year to appear, there are a number of minor changes to spot:
First the logo:
Then the second level in the preview compared to the final:
Then finally the last part of level 2
At the time of the preview, the graphics were being done by Nikaj Eijk, but there was a falling out as Nikaj got involved with a Troddlers conversion with another group. He was replaced later by Leon van Rooy.
Also, the preview contains no sound effects or samples at this stage, and just music by Martijn Schutten, who was later replaced by Jeroen Tel for the final version, who did 1 (or is it 2?) channel music, and the other channel/s being left for SFX. Originally it had been suggested that samples were being used.
Then finally, later in 1993 – Commodore Format had their own special preview of the game, which demonstrated Level 22 – “A Beast II of a level”, based on Psygnosis’ other game Shadow Of The Beast 2. At this stage, the game had undergone a lot of changes graphically since the Commodore Force preview.
However, there are still noticeable differences to the final version released just months later:
How about the level and game itself?
Then further on in the level with the iconic tree:
Finally, the completion screen.
Thanks to Marcin ‘Tenchi’ Świętoniewski for the replacement and cleaned downloads.
