The Collection Chamber: THE ADVENTURES OF LOMAX

Lomax is in way over his head. Evil Ed has nabbed his pals and tricked them into doing diabolical deeds. Only Lomax has the power to break the sinister hex!

Leap into action with Lomax as he battles Ed's evildoers and travels through bizarre lands in this fast and frantic thriller!
Over 40 levels of zoomin' action
4 Exotic landscapes with fantastic animated effects
Dash in and out of platforms up to 10 layers deep
Conquer tons of enemies, bats, zombies, blowfish & more!

~ from the back of the US PlayStation box

Those danger-blind lemmings are back again, but this time something is different. One of the blue-robed, green-haired rodents has snuck off into his own side-scrolling platform game; a game that follows The Adventures of Lomax.

If you've followed Psygnosis' platforming output at the time, you'll likely be familiar with The Misadventures of Flink which saw a release for the Amiga, Genesis and SEGA CD in 1994. Flink's journey shares a lot with Lomax's. Both protagonists share an engine that has you spin while jumping to attack enemies and collect magical abilities to use in minor puzzle-solving moments. Flink has magic rings, but Lomax has some familiar job roles from the Lemmings puzzle games.

Navigate through the window's drop down menu to access the options such as control remapping (left).
There is no save system, but the password system doesn't hide the fact that this is a PlayStation port (right).

Each of them have a limited number of uses and are collected by destroying bouncy clay jars that randomly scatter the stage. The first one you come across is the Builder. Selecting this ability from the icon wheel lets you plant a small floating platform to allow you to reach higher areas. Each one lasts about 10 seconds, so if you take your time you're stuck. Well, not really. That pot you collected it from will respawn after a time so you're never soft-locked out of progressing.

By pressing the space bar, you can select the other five abilities like the Digger which, like the puzzle game, will let Lomax punch through a certain type of wall or obstacle. All of the others are tied to your helmet. This nifty piece of headgear not only acts as an extra hit, but also a boomerang-like projectile upgraded briefly when choosing either the Bomb, Flame, Hover or Grab helmet from the icon wheel. The bomb will turn it into a grenade for mass destruction while the fire helmet gives you greater range. Hover and Grab are extra ways to navigate the would, such as letting you fly briefly to avoid pits and spike traps or sling yourself towards hard-to-reach platforms.

Hold the select key (default Space) to bring up your ability icon wheel (left).
Whatever is selected on the top left is now assigned to your ability button. This one's the Builder (right).

All of these abilities make the levels memorable, but that's not to say that the stages don't have their own merits. From travelling through a green field to escaping a sinking city, jumping past a spooky graveyard to exploring an undead pirate ship, they are all impeccably designed and animated. They are also insanely hard. You basic spin attack pretty much makes you invincible, but hard to control. I'd stay away from this when navigating through some precision platforming. If you don't have a helmet, this is your only defence while makes surviving your next enemy encounter more than a little dangerous. Not only are you athletically compromised and void of any ranged attack, but a single hit will have you explode with a yelp of "oh no!".

Each of the 21 levels tends to have its own gimmick too, and not just in its design. Whether it be one focussed on your abilities such as the Grab helmet, or one revolving around the barrel rolling or vine climbing, they're all pretty memorable. Some take place on multiple planes, their hazards, enemies and obstacles visible from where you are in the foreground. You switch between them using the bridge points which add an extra depth to the design. During the animation framed used to convey Lomax's cool swagger as he walks over, he is invincible but you will likely step out into imminent danger. The detection isn't always accurate either. In one stage, falling boulders bound towards you forcing you to run away and find a bridge to another plane. All too often in my frantic attempts to make a panicked escape I ended up crouching instead of heading into the screen. Not enough to make me rage quit, but it does capsulates the slightly finicky controls in one moment.

Find the secret exits to access bonus stages to collect more coins. Find 100 for an extra life (left).
Moving between planes to escape falling boulders. Beware the barrel enemy on the other side (right).

But still, I found myself actively enjoying the game and its difficulty. Once you get a hang of those finnicks, Lomax is actually quite an enjoyable if unconventional jumpman to control. Coupled with a level design that tests your problem solving as much as your precision and reflexes, it truly is a game that has something for everyone. Unless you want 3D. The Adventures of Lomax came out in 1997 when 2D games were considered passé. It is perhaps better known for being a PlayStation game rather than a PC one; a decision made thanks their still-recent buyout by Sony. No matter the system, it's become somewhat forgotten and rare going for hundreds of pounds for the PlayStation which the original big box PC release is nowhere to be found on eBay at present. Only the cheap re-issue in the DVD case.

Frankly, it's a game that deserves more love. It has often been compared to the original Rayman in terms of visuals and gameplay but if you ask me, I think it's better. The whimsical art style, the inventive job abilities and the tried and true British humour elevate it for me. New players may baulk at the difficulty, but it's worth sticking with it. It may be a departure from the traditional Lemmings formula, but The Adventures of Lomax should proudly stand with the series. Highly recommended.

To download the game, follow the link below. This is a custom installer exclusive to The Collection Chamber uses DxWind to run on modern systems. Manual included. Read the ChamberNotes.txt for more detailed information. Tested on Windows 10.

File Size: 173 Mb. Install Size: 187 Mb. Need help? Consult the Collection Chamber FAQ

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