Game Review: The Lost Vikings

Review: The Lost Vikings (Amiga)

The originality of The Lost Vikings was one of its most appealing features when it was first released back in the early nineties. The story is a simple one. Three Vikings – Erik the Swift, Baleog the Fierce and Olaf the Stout – live in the same village when one night a spaceship owned by Tomator, head of the Croutonian Empire, abducts our three friends. After escaping his ship, the Vikings travel through time to a series of different worlds and have to evade or kill enemies, solve puzzles, continually find the exit and eventually the time portal to leave the world behind and which they hope will take them back to their own time.

A side scrolling platformer, The Lost Vikings requires you to control all three of the Vikings but only one at a time. Each character has different abilities and it is these you must exploit to work through the levels. Erik can run fast, jump and head butt enemies and sometimes walls to create new paths for you. Baleog can’t jump but he can fight enemies with a sword or shoot at them with arrows. Olaf also can’t jump but he has a shield which blocks enemy attacks/fire, can be held above his head for Erik to jump on to reach higher platforms or can be used in the same manner for Olaf to slowly descend to platforms below and access areas Erik and Baleog can’t. An introduction to the game demonstrates how each of the Vikings uses their abilities and as you traverse the levels it soon becomes apparent which Viking is best suited to which situation. Sometimes the three traverse a similar path, flicking or shooting at switches to bridge gaps or clear obstacles for each other but there are some levels where each of the characters will take a separate path through the level, suited to their capabilities and the three will only come together near the end. It is a fantastic system and a great workout for your brain.

The Lost Vikings still looks fantastic and raises many a smile. Any Vikings standing idle will sometimes demonstrate their boredom. Erik ties his shoelaces, Baleog looks at you or does a series of macho demonstrations, while Olaf picks his nose and inspects what he has managed to extract. Nice! The game begins straightforward enough but becomes more difficult as you progress. The Vikings can be hit three times before they die but you can replenish their health with meat and vegetables. However, some obstacles will kill them instantly such as falls into water or being hit by spikes. Often you will need other items to help you such as color coded keys and bombs for enemies, to destroy computers or to open up new sections. An assortment of enemies will keep you on your toes and one of the key areas is when you switch between your characters you have to ensure the two you are not controlling are safe from enemy fire. Olaf is often useful here. At first you can switch between the Vikings with little pressure but much later you have to be quick. One fantastic section sees the three Vikings descend a lift together and at different points all of them have to flick switches or quickly abandon the lift and traverse the landscape to eliminate threats such as electricity to prevent the others being killed. Trial and error will be your friend here as all three Vikings have to complete the level otherwise you must start again.

The Lost Vikings is one of the best and certainly most inventive platformers from the early nineties. The three Vikings are unique in both appearance and abilities, adding to their overall character. The banter between them is very funny and there are so many great moments it’s difficult to pick out the best bits. Though the game becomes more difficult as you progress it’s an addictive experience that will keep you coming back for more.

Verdict: 5/5

About the Author:

I was born in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England and have always been a bookworm and enjoyed creative writing at school.

In 1999 I created the Elencheran Chronicles and have been writing ever since. My first novel, Fezariu’s Epiphany, was published in May 2011. When not writing I’m a lover of films, games, books and blogging.

I now live in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, with my wife, Donna, and our six cats – Kain, Razz, Buggles, Charlie, Bilbo and Frodo.

David M. Brown – who has written 875 posts on Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave.