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— CH. 1 · DEVELOPMENT ORIGINS —

The Lost Vikings

~3 min read · Ch. 1 of 5
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  • Silicon & Synapse began work on The Lost Vikings in 1993, drawing inspiration from the puzzle game Lemmings. The original concept involved managing hundreds of tiny vikings with different skills to defeat enemies and conquer territory. Developers realized that larger characters would work better for television screens during console development. Players preferred having direct control over game characters rather than managing crowds. The team reduced the number of vikings from five down to three to fit console limitations. Console limits on the number of onscreen colors influenced the game's vibrant color palette. Artists chose brighter colors to make the game stand out on television screens.

  • Erik runs faster than the other two vikings and can jump or bash through walls with his helmet. Baleog kills enemies with his sword or shoots arrows from a distance using a lifetime supply. Olaf blocks projectiles with his shield and uses it as a hang glider. His shield serves as a platform for Baleog to walk over and helps Erik reach higher areas. Each viking carries items like keys, bombs, and food that restores health points. Items swap between characters when they are close together. Every level requires all three vikings to contribute their unique skills to reach the exit point. Any viking running out of health points dies and makes the level unwinnable unless restarted.

  • Interplay released The Lost Vikings for the Super NES in 1993. Later that year versions appeared for the Amiga and MS-DOS platforms. The following year brought releases for the Amiga CD32 and Mega Drive/Genesis systems. The Mega Drive version contained five stages not found in any other edition of the game. It also allowed three players to play simultaneously during cooperative mode. Blizzard re-released the title for the Game Boy Advance in 2003. In 2014 the game became available on Battle.net emulated through DOSBox. February 2021 saw a new release for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One within the Blizzard Arcade Collection. This package included both SNES and Genesis versions plus a Definitive edition combining features from both originals.

  • Olaf unlocked as a hidden character in Rock n' Roll Racing while Baleog appeared on billboards advertising Viking Cola on Bogmire. All three vikings appeared in a secret area of Blackthorne's second snow level. Olaf featured in Helga's ending of ClayFighter before she dumped him for Tiny. Erik and Baleog faces appeared as animated sculptures in ClayKeep stage of ClayFighter 2: Judgment Clay. Quests in World of Warcraft required collecting items spelling Lost and Vik'ing backwards to form Staff of Prehistoria. A quest line in Cataclysm expansion featured them prominently in Badlands area of Eastern Kingdoms. StarCraft II named its flying unit Viking with pilot dialogue referencing Erik, Baleog, and Olaf getting lost. Heroes of the Storm allowed players to control all three vikings individually or together as one hero unit.

  • Computer Gaming World called The Lost Vikings a clever blend of comedy and role playing in 1993. Zach Meston praised difficult puzzles, humor, distinctive visual style, personable animation, and upbeat music. Electronic Gaming Monthly noted Genesis version lacked SNES music kick but remained well done conversion. Super Gamer gave the SNES version 92% calling it funny fun and completely addictive. Nintendo Power ranked it seventh-best SNES game of 1993 praising deep compelling gameplay. Mega placed the title at number 22 in Top Mega Drive Games of All Time. IGN listed it 30th in Top 100 SNES Games of All Time calling it a Masterpiece. Complex rated it 93rd on Best Super Nintendo Games of All Time in 2018.

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Common questions

When did Silicon & Synapse begin work on The Lost Vikings?

Silicon & Synapse began work on The Lost Vikings in 1993. Developers drew inspiration from the puzzle game Lemmings during this initial development phase.

What are the unique abilities of Erik, Baleog, and Olaf in The Lost Vikings?

Erik runs faster than the other two vikings and can jump or bash through walls with his helmet. Baleog kills enemies with his sword or shoots arrows from a distance using a lifetime supply. Olaf blocks projectiles with his shield and uses it as a hang glider.

Which platforms received releases of The Lost Vikings after its 1993 launch?

Interplay released The Lost Vikings for the Super NES in 1993 followed by versions for the Amiga and MS-DOS platforms later that year. Subsequent releases included the Amiga CD32 and Mega Drive/Genesis systems the following year.

How many vikings were originally planned versus the final count in The Lost Vikings?

The original concept involved managing hundreds of tiny vikings with different skills to defeat enemies and conquer territory. The team reduced the number of vikings from five down to three to fit console limitations.

In which video games do characters from The Lost Vikings appear outside their original title?

Olaf unlocked as a hidden character in Rock n' Roll Racing while Baleog appeared on billboards advertising Viking Cola on Bogmire. All three vikings appeared in a secret area of Blackthorne's second snow level and featured in Helga's ending of ClayFighter before she dumped him for Tiny.

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All sources

45 references cited across the entry

  1. 1magazineCTW Games GuideOpportunity Publishing — 16 May 1994
  2. 2webRelive the Legacy: Announcing the Blizzard Arcade CollectionBlizzard Entertainment — February 20, 2021
  3. 3webClassic GamesBlizzard Entertainment
  4. 4webRock n' Roll Racing, The Lost Vikings now free on Battle.netAlex Wawro — Think Services — May 2, 2014
  5. 5webThree classic Blizzard games come to PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One todayMichael McWhertor — 2021-02-19
  6. 6webThe Lost Vikings and how we learned to love multiplayer puzzlesBlizzard — 2025-03-25
  7. 7webThe Lost Vikings have come to Heroes of the Storm, and things are getting weirdBen Kuchera — 2015-02-16
  8. 8webThe Lost Vikings are back as playable hero in Heroes of the StormBlizzard Entertainment
  9. 9webThe Lost VikingsBrett Alan Weiss — AllGame
  10. 10webThe Lost VikingsBrett Alan Weiss
  11. 11magazineThe Lost VikingsSimon Clays — September 1993
  12. 12magazineThe Lost VikingsGary Lord — August 1993
  13. 13magazineThe Lost VikingsRob Mead — July 1994
  14. 14magazineThe Lost VikingsTim Tucker — July 1993
  15. 15magazineWalhall im AllSeptember 1993
  16. 16magazineThe Lost VikingsSeptember 1994
  17. 17magazineLong lives CD32September 1994
  18. 18magazineThe Lost VikingsGary Lord — February 1994
  19. 19magazineThe Lost VikingsPaul Rand et al. — May 1993
  20. 20magazineThe Lost VikingsSteve Harris et al. — May 1993
  21. 21magazineThe Lost VikingsManny LaMancha — February 1994
  22. 22magazineThe Lost VikingsAndy Lowe — May 1993
  23. 23webThe Lost Vikings Review for Game Boy AdvanceFrank Provo — April 10, 2003
  24. 24webThe Lost Vikings (GBA)Bryan Stratton — April 18, 2003
  25. 25webThe Lost vikingsLouis Bedigian — April 24, 2003
  26. 26webLost Vikings SNES ReviewTravis Fahs — July 25, 2008
  27. 27webThe Lost VikingsCraig Harris — April 2, 2003
  28. 28webTest de The Lost Vikings sur PCAnfalmyr — January 21, 2010
  29. 29magazineThe Lost VikingsSandrie et al. — July 1993
  30. 30magazineThe Lost VikingsSandrie — May 1994
  31. 31magazineThe Lost VikingsGus et al. — January 1994
  32. 32magazineNow PlayingMay 1993
  33. 33magazineThe Lost VikingsSteve — May 1993
  34. 34magazineThe Lost VikingsApril 1994
  35. 35magazineThe Lost VikingsApril 1993
  36. 36magazineThe Lost VikingsDavid Upchurch — June 1993
  37. 37magazineVikings Just Wanna Have FunWilson, David — December 1993
  38. 38magazineThe Lost VikingsZach Meston — L.F.P., Inc. — May 1993
  39. 39magazineReview CrewEd Semrad et al. — Sendai Publishing — January 1994
  40. 40journalThe Lost Vikings ReviewParagon Publishing — May 1994
  41. 41magazineThe Top Titles of 1993January 1994
  42. 42journalTop 100 SNES GamesJuly 1995
  43. 43magazineThe Super Play All-time top 100 SNES gamesFuture Publishing — April 1996
  44. 44citationTop 100 SNES Games of All Time - IGN.com
  45. 45webThe Best Super Nintendo Games of All TimeRich Knight — April 30, 2018