Do you know what one of my all-time favourite games is? DMA Design’s Lemmings. Before they created Grand Theft Auto and changed the landscape of gaming forever, DMA Design made a simple (but challenging), puzzle game featuring suicidal rodents. Developer Dr. Kucho! Games and Publishers by Dr. Kucho! Games & Astrolabe Games offer up a fresh take on ’90s style puzzle games with Moons of Darsalon.

“Retro action “save-them-all” platformer including advanced physics combined with an unique retro feel. Complete rescue missions leading your colleagues to the closest base station. Fight enemies using your laser gun, jet pack, destroy terrain and even make new paths with the ground maker.”

Moons of Darsalon takes a lot of those ’90s puzzle games and mushes them together. As with the classic Lemmings, there is the very simple goal of getting little animated fellas to the level’s exit. That it, that’s the aim of the game. Instead of green-haired rodents, you have to guide darsanauts. The comparisons to Lemmings can not be ignored, but Moons of Darsalon adds so much more to the mix. There’s platforming, Worms-esque scenery destruction, some inertia-based Jetpac movement and so much more.

Unlike Lemmings, you can direct those little darsanauts, a bit Pikmin-like. You can tell them to follow you, stop or even direct them to move left and right. Much like a lot of those ’90s puzzle games, Moons of Darsalon is frustrating – but it’s a good frustration and the game has that “one more try” appeal… that turns into several more tries. There’s an addictive game loop and even if/when you do finish a level, there are several challenges to try to beat too.

There are plenty of hazards for you to save your little darsanauts from and the game has a very well balanced difficulty curve. From the first level that teaches you the bare basics of the controls and directing the darsanauts, to the latter levels that throw so much more at you that will keep the old grey matter working as you try to find the safest route from the start to the exit. There’s a lot to keep in mind as you progress and you’ll soon be mixing skills, items and even vehicles to get those little fellas home safe. Things certainly get tricky, but the game never feels unfair. Playing and replaying levels is the only way to learn them and to get the most out of them if you want to clear all of those challenges.

Visually, Moons of Darsalon goes for a retro look – a little 16-bit, but with a bit of modern flair. The preinitiation is sublime and the game had me smiling before I even played the first level. It starts with a Commodore 64 loading screen mock up and you have to “load” the game. You are then greeted with a C64-style loading screen and 8-bit chip-tunes, complete with those colourful flashing bars (I miss those) and a loading screen picture too. Then, in between the levels, you are greeted with more C64-styled loading goodness. It’s a wonderful throwback and one I very much approve of as I grew up with a C64.

Then there is the humour. Your character will spout all sorts as you play. Little game hints, meta references or even just flat out insults. Moons of Darsalon is a must buy of you love those ’90s puzzle games. Yeah it’s very Lemmings-like, but it also manages to be it’s very own thing and offers up tons of originality, while keeping one foot in classic retro territory. This is definitely worth checking out if you miss the good old days of puzzle games that have you pulling out your hair, but still tempting you have that “one more go”.