Found a Lynx for 1$

[Jedi Master Thrash]

I was at the American Cancer Society's "World's Largest Garage Sale". I was rummaging through a bucket of those little cheap handheld game, and was suprised as all heck to see an Atari Lynx in there. And it was marked only 1$!

It's a model-1 version (extra long). It had California Games in it (I don't know why they infected every system with that awful game). No accessories, though I'd found a Lynx carrying case a while back.

The official specs say it takes a 1A adapter, but I found something online that says it only uses 375ma. So my 500ma universal adapter I already have works great for it.

I think it's pretty amazing. It was first release in 1989, yet had advanced features like a color screen, built-in 3D graphics and distortion effets, reversible screen and controls, and multiplayer. And 4-5 hours of battery life is pretty good.

Any game recommendations?

 

[CrazyGoon]

My fav version of California Games is the one on the Lynx. It's also one of my favorite Lynx games. Toki is also up there, and I guess Chip's Challenge is ok too. I don't have any others to recommend.

 

[it290]

Yeah, I like California Games on the Lynx too, especially the BMX race in multiplayer. Although IIRC the Lynx version doesn't have all the events (I don't think any of the console/portable versions do). And yeah, the Lynx was awesome back in the day. Sure, it was huge, but it's not like you could lug an original GB around in your pocket anyway. I also recommend that Gauntlet game and, um, Lynx Raiden isn't too bad either.

 

[Jedi Master Thrash]

Ok, I guess I should apologize to those who enjoy California Games. I used to own it on my 386 PC, but I could never figure out how to do any moves for anything.

I think it's just that compared to the perfection that is Ski Or Die, all the other summer/winter games games just pale in comparison.

I saw a screen shot of what looked like a verticle shooter for the Lynx that actually used the screen vertically (so you'd hold the lynx sideways to play). Is there any such game? That would rock. It's like Galactic Attack (Saturn) and GunBird II (Dreamcast) where you can turn the TV sideways. More games should be like that. I wonder if there's any for the GBA. I haven't found any shooters that were actually "fun" on the GBA yet, though I haven't played that many.

But yeah, my eye caught onto Raiden for Lynx pretty fast.

 

[it290]

Gradius Galaxies and Steel Empire for GBA are both pretty good. And yeah, there are a lot of shooters that have a tate feature, but most of them are Japan-only. Another US one that's pretty good is Castle Shikigami 2 for PS2 ... a bargain for only $10. PSP also has a couple of games that support this feature.

As for tate games on the Lynx, the only other shooter I can think of off the top of my head is Gates of Zendocon, and that's a horizontal game IIRC.

 

[IronMongeR]

$1? Wow, what a bargain!

 

[CrazyGoon]

Heh - my old DOS comp had Ski or Die aswell. Great fun.. though no music :devil

 

[Jedi Master Thrash]

Ok, I went through all the on-line reviews and screenshots, and came up with this list of potential candidates. Anyone have any experience with any of these good or bad?

I starred the top 3 I might initially search for. The others I might pick up if I saw them for the right price. All the (songbird) ones are new releases, not sure how to get a hold of those.

BTW, on a somewhate-related note, I just discovered that there is a versio nof Super Return Of The Jedi for the Game Gear. I'm pretty amazined. I'm suprised there's no Empire though.

Alpine Games (Skiing 1st)

Battlewheels (1st shoot/drive)

*Blue Lightning (1st shoot/fly)

Chips Challenge (puzzle)

Cyber Virus (1st shoot/tank)(Songbird)

Gates of Zendocon (H shoot)

Geoduel (1st drive)

Hydra (1st boat)

Lexis (Songbird)

*Lynx Raiden (V shoot)

Malibu Bikini Volleyball

Ninja Gaiden

Pac-Land

Remnant: Planar Wars 3D (1st shoot/space) (Songbird)

Road Riot 4WD (1st drive/kart)

*S.T.U.N. Runner (1st drive/tunnel)

Toki (platform)

Turbo Sub (1st shoot/fly/dive)

Warbirds (1st dogfight)

Xybots (1st maze)

Zarlor Mercenary (V shoot)

If you're wondering why Pac-Land is on there... well, when I was a kid and used to go to CheapSkate, I never played any of the arcade games, I just played that skee-ball thing. But for some reason I tried out the Pac-Land game. I never got more than like 2 minutes into it, but I remember playing it once every time I went. And I've never played it again. Purely nostalgia. So to say I was suprised to see it on the Lynx.

 

[link343]

I've played STUN Runner in the arcade before. Its ok.

 

[it290]

I wouldn't recommend Ninja Gaiden unless you're a fan of the arcade game, since that's what the Lynx version is a port of.

 

[Ratamahatta]

Warbirds is a pretty good warplane game. I hunted for it for a while and found it to be quite a fun little game.

 

[siamese]

You can use a sega master system PSU with the proper plug size and polarity to power your Lynx.

I own a Lynx II (includes backlight on/off) and 2 Lynx I systems and the

following game cards:

Klax remember genesis ? quite the same good game oddly gameplay

Road Blasters remember matchbox cars ? good game

Blue Lightning (1st shoot/fly) nice game play

Chips Challenge (puzzle) nice if your like puzzles

Crystal Mines II The Very best of the puzzles, hidden screens and more

Gates of Zendocon (H shoot) nice graphics Psychodelic style

Malibu Bikini Volleyball boring

Warbirds (1st dogfight) excellent game

Xybots (1st maze) interesting

Steel Talons (Helicopter missions) not easy to play

Pinball The worst of al lynx's games

i have installed a game gear adapter. using a game gear battery pack battery life goes to 7-8 hours (lynx I) it would be even better on a

lynx II.