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THE LOST VIKINGS Company: Interplay Released: April 1993 Genre: Action/Puzzle Graphics: 8.0 Control: 8.5 Sound/Music: 8.5 Storyline: 7.0 Review by: Corbie Dillard ©2008 SUPER-NES.COM

To be perfectly honest, my first thought when I heard about this game being a puzzle-style game made me a little worried. While I love a good side-scroller, I've never been much of a puzzle game fan. Needless to say, when this game first came out I passed on it. It wasn't until I went into the game store one day with some cash on my hands that I picked it up for the sole reason that nothing else on the SNES racks interested me. But what I ended up with is one of my all-time favorite games, and one that is as much fun as it is addictive. Although The Lost Vikings isn't going to set any new standards in SNES visuals, it's really not too shabby in the graphics department. It features nice use of the Super Nintendo's large color palette, some really nice multi-layer scrolling, and just enough mode-7 effects to keep it interesting.  You'll catch yourself looking forward to the warp portals just to see the funny mode-7 effect of the vikings falling through space. Another catchy visual effect is that of the viking's funny, and sometimes downright neanderthal antics, which includes everything from breathing hard after running to picking their viking nostrils. It makes for some really light-hearted funny moments and adds to the already entertaining and laughable storylines. You're either gonna love this soundtrack, or hate it. There's not much room in between the two. Each time period has its' own style of music, most of which has a very "hip-hop" feel to it, but it definately fits in with the off-beat humor of the game itself. I personally love the soundtrack, but a lot of people I talk to seem to think it's a little too over-the-top. Once you begin to get a feel for the game's silly plot, you'll find that the developers really nailed the tunes in The Lost Vikings. It's not one you'll catch yourself humming after you've put down the controller, but it's a fitting soundtrack for the game nonetheless. This is what makes the Lost Vikings such a unique and enjoyable playing experience. It's a little like crossing a side-scroller with a game like Lemmings. You're job is to navigate these three lost vikings through each level. The trick is, you have to use each viking's abilities in order to accomplish this. For instance, Eric is the only viking that can jump. Therefore he is the only one that can reach certain areas in a level. Baleog is the only viking that can shoot arrows and swing a sword, therefore when it comes to taking out enemies, he's your guy. Olaf, as round and tubby as he is, is also useful as he's the only viking that can use a shield. This shield not only allows you to block projectiles and fend off enemies, but it also allows Olaf to float in the air which will come in really handy when crossing long gaps. So you see, you have to learn how to use each viking effectively in order to solve the puzzles in each level and get all 3 vikings safely to the end of the level. It may sound complicated, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes a lot of fun and really tough to put down. Take it from someone who quickly dismissed this game the first time around because of its' label as a puzzle game, you'd be hard pressed to find a more enjoyable or more humorous game than The Lost Vikings. With the puzzles in each level that just get more and more challenging as the game goes along, and the quirky sense of humor involved in the off-beat storyline, you're gonna find yourself not being able to put this one down. I would have liked to have seen more levels, as I just didn't want this crazy ride to end. The game may start off fairly easy in order to get your feet wet, but it won't be long until you're ready to pull your hair out trying to figure out how to get these three helpless vikings to the end of each level. If you're looking for fun, look no further. The Lost Vikings is a sheer joy to play from beginning to end. I wish every game could be this much fun.