The Humans
Encyclopedia
The Humans is a puzzle game published and released by GameTek
in 1992. The goal of The Humans varies per level, but is usually to bring at least one of the player-controlled human
s to the designated end area, marked by a red tile. To do this, the player must take advantage of the humans' ability to build a human ladder and use tools, such as spear
s, torch
es, wheel
s, rope
s, in later levels, a witch doctor
.
The Humans was released for many different consoles, with the Jaguar
and Lynx
versions, published by Atari
, titled Evolution: Dino Dudes and Dinolympics respectively. Two sequels have been released, "The Humans 2: The Jurassic Levels" for Amiga and PC and "The Humans III: Evolution- Lost in Time" for Amiga and PC. In 2009, it was rereleased for Windows under the name "The Humans: Meet the Ancestors!" Upon its release, The Humans was received very well, praised for its originality and decent graphics and music.
The player controls one human at a time, and may switch between any human at any time. In order to complete a level, it is often necessary to use certain tools or abilities, such as stacking to reach a high ledge. For instance, the spear, a tool obtained in the first level of the game, may be thrown across gaps to other humans, used to jump chasms, thrown to kill dinosaurs or other enemies, or brandished hold off dinosaurs temporarily. Certain levels also feature npc
s, like the pterodactyl that can be ridden in order to reach otherwise unreachable platforms, that cannot be controlled, but can be used to the player's advantage. Several forms of enemy appear and can range from dinosaurs that eat a human if he is unarmed and within its walking range to spear-wielding members of enemy tribes.
There can be up to eight controllable humans in a level, though some levels only allow as few as three. Though there is a preset number of humans allowed per level, there is no limit to how many humans are in the player's tribe. If a human dies, he is replaced by one from the tribe as long as there are humans there to replace him. During the course of the game, the player is given chances to rescue other humans and add them to his tribe. If there are fewer humans in the player's tribe than the minimum required number for any given level, the game will end in a game over
. Each level, however, has a password that can be used to jump to that particular level from the beginning of the game.
series of games in that it is a timed puzzle game that requires the player to make each individual perform different tasks to achieve one goal, but differs in that it gives direct control of individual humans to the player, rather than only allowing the player to simply assign tasks. GameTek released this game in 1992, shortly after The Lemmings was released hoping to capitalize the popularity of this style of game. The Humans also derives its pre-game screen, featuring a code that may be used to reach that particular level, used by both The Lemmings as well as Populous
.
Known commercial ports of the original game include: 3DO
, Amiga CD32
, Gameboy, Genesis, and PC
. The Genesis version differs slightly from the other versions of this game differs in that the 80 levels of the game are in a different order than in the Amiga and PC versions. In addition, the Genesis version requires the player to choose between hearing sound effects or a music track, unlike the PC and Amiga versions, which utilize both simultaneously.
Following the success of the original release, an expansion pack containing 80 additional levels was released in 1992 under the name "Humans 2: The Jurassic Levels"in the UK and "The Humans: Insult to Injury" in the US. in 1993, the two games were combined and released for both Amiga and DOS under the name "Humans 1 and 2" and included English, French, German, Italian and Spanish versions. The DOS was distributed on a CD-ROM
and was improved in several ways, including adding a save game
feature so the player could quit, then restart at a later time. In 1995, GameTek released The Humans 3: Evolution- Lost in Time for Amiga and DOS. The third installment keeps to the original game idea, but differs from the original in storyline, gameplay style, and level continuity.
About a decade after GameTek declared bankruptcy, The Humans was upgraded and rereleased by Deep Silver for Windows under the name "The Humans: Meet the Ancestors". This version kept the same general gameplay style, but improved the graphics and added more interactive objects and enemies.
GameTek
GameTek was a video game publisher based in North Miami Beach, Florida well known for publishing video game adaptations of game shows in the early 1990s. GameTek was a trade name for IJE, the owner of electronic publishing rights to Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune...
in 1992. The goal of The Humans varies per level, but is usually to bring at least one of the player-controlled human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
s to the designated end area, marked by a red tile. To do this, the player must take advantage of the humans' ability to build a human ladder and use tools, such as spear
Spear
A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as flint, obsidian, iron, steel or...
s, torch
Torch
A torch is a fire source, usually a rod-shaped piece of wood with a rag soaked in pitch and/or some other flammable material wrapped around one end. Torches were often supported in sconces by brackets high up on walls, to throw light over corridors in stone structures such as castles or crypts...
es, wheel
Wheel
A wheel is a device that allows heavy objects to be moved easily through rotating on an axle through its center, facilitating movement or transportation while supporting a load, or performing labor in machines. Common examples found in transport applications. A wheel, together with an axle,...
s, rope
Rope
A rope is a length of fibres, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength...
s, in later levels, a witch doctor
Witch doctor
A witch doctor originally referred to a type of healer who treated ailments believed to be caused by witchcraft. It is currently used to refer to healers in some third world regions, who use traditional healing rather than contemporary medicine...
.
The Humans was released for many different consoles, with the Jaguar
Atari Jaguar
The Atari Jaguar is a video game console that was released by Atari Corporation in 1993. It was the last to be marketed under the Atari brand until the release of the Atari Flashback in 2004. It was designed to surpass the Mega Drive/Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and the Panasonic...
and Lynx
Lynx (console)
The Atari Lynx is a 16-bit handheld game console that was released by Atari Corporation in 1989. The Lynx holds the distinction of being the world's first handheld electronic game with a color LCD. The system is also notable for its forward-looking features, advanced graphics, and ambidextrous layout...
versions, published by Atari
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
, titled Evolution: Dino Dudes and Dinolympics respectively. Two sequels have been released, "The Humans 2: The Jurassic Levels" for Amiga and PC and "The Humans III: Evolution- Lost in Time" for Amiga and PC. In 2009, it was rereleased for Windows under the name "The Humans: Meet the Ancestors!" Upon its release, The Humans was received very well, praised for its originality and decent graphics and music.
Gameplay
The Humans is a puzzle game whose objective is to manipulate the given number of humans, taking advantage of abilities and tools, to achieve the level's goal, usually consisting of finding a certain tool, killing a certain number of dinosaurs, or bringing at least one human to the end point, marked by a conspicuous red tile. Each level is independent of the next, each with its own tools, goal, and set number of humans allowed per level. The only things that carry from level to level are the total number of humans in the player's tribe and the player's total score.The player controls one human at a time, and may switch between any human at any time. In order to complete a level, it is often necessary to use certain tools or abilities, such as stacking to reach a high ledge. For instance, the spear, a tool obtained in the first level of the game, may be thrown across gaps to other humans, used to jump chasms, thrown to kill dinosaurs or other enemies, or brandished hold off dinosaurs temporarily. Certain levels also feature npc
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
s, like the pterodactyl that can be ridden in order to reach otherwise unreachable platforms, that cannot be controlled, but can be used to the player's advantage. Several forms of enemy appear and can range from dinosaurs that eat a human if he is unarmed and within its walking range to spear-wielding members of enemy tribes.
There can be up to eight controllable humans in a level, though some levels only allow as few as three. Though there is a preset number of humans allowed per level, there is no limit to how many humans are in the player's tribe. If a human dies, he is replaced by one from the tribe as long as there are humans there to replace him. During the course of the game, the player is given chances to rescue other humans and add them to his tribe. If there are fewer humans in the player's tribe than the minimum required number for any given level, the game will end in a game over
Game over
Game Over is a message in video games which signals that the game has ended, often due to a negative outcome - although the phrase sometimes follows the end credits after successful completion of a game...
. Each level, however, has a password that can be used to jump to that particular level from the beginning of the game.
Development
The Humans is modeled after Psygnosis's LemmingsLemmings (video game)
Lemmings is a puzzle computer game developed by DMA Design and published by Psygnosis in . Originally developed for PC and Commodore Amiga, Lemmings was one of the most popular computer games of its time, and several gaming magazines gave it some of their highest review scores at the time...
series of games in that it is a timed puzzle game that requires the player to make each individual perform different tasks to achieve one goal, but differs in that it gives direct control of individual humans to the player, rather than only allowing the player to simply assign tasks. GameTek released this game in 1992, shortly after The Lemmings was released hoping to capitalize the popularity of this style of game. The Humans also derives its pre-game screen, featuring a code that may be used to reach that particular level, used by both The Lemmings as well as Populous
Populous
-External links:*...
.
Known commercial ports of the original game include: 3DO
3DO
3DO may refer to:*The 3DO Company, a video game company that developed:**3DO Interactive Multiplayer, a video game console, 1993–1996***List of 3DO games, a list of games released for the 3DO...
, Amiga CD32
Amiga CD32
The Amiga CD32, styled "CD32" , was the first 32-bit CD-ROM based video game console released in western Europe, Australia, Canada and Brazil. It was first announced at the Science Museum in London, United Kingdom on 16 July 1993, and was released in September of the same year...
, Gameboy, Genesis, and PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
. The Genesis version differs slightly from the other versions of this game differs in that the 80 levels of the game are in a different order than in the Amiga and PC versions. In addition, the Genesis version requires the player to choose between hearing sound effects or a music track, unlike the PC and Amiga versions, which utilize both simultaneously.
Following the success of the original release, an expansion pack containing 80 additional levels was released in 1992 under the name "Humans 2: The Jurassic Levels"in the UK and "The Humans: Insult to Injury" in the US. in 1993, the two games were combined and released for both Amiga and DOS under the name "Humans 1 and 2" and included English, French, German, Italian and Spanish versions. The DOS was distributed on a CD-ROM
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
and was improved in several ways, including adding a save game
Saved game
A saved game is a piece of digitally stored information about the progress of a player in a video game. This saved game can be reloaded later, so the player can continue where he or she had stopped...
feature so the player could quit, then restart at a later time. In 1995, GameTek released The Humans 3: Evolution- Lost in Time for Amiga and DOS. The third installment keeps to the original game idea, but differs from the original in storyline, gameplay style, and level continuity.
About a decade after GameTek declared bankruptcy, The Humans was upgraded and rereleased by Deep Silver for Windows under the name "The Humans: Meet the Ancestors". This version kept the same general gameplay style, but improved the graphics and added more interactive objects and enemies.
Reception
The Amiga and PC versions of The Humans received excellent reviews, while those of versions ported to other consoles were more lukewarm. Ashley Cotter-Cairn, of Amiga Mania, gave the Amiga version an overall score of 93% and ranked it number 1 claiming "The Humans has everything: great graphics, including a variety of backdrops, some neat sound...(she's) pleased to say that those long months at the keyboard ware worth every second."External links
- The Humans at AbandoniaAbandoniaAbandonia is an abandonware website, focusing mainly on showcasing computer games and distributing games made for the MS-DOS system.Abandonia also features a music section and an Abandonware List, a continuously expanded database of over 4600 games including information about their publishers,...
- The Humans at Lemon Amiga