Atari Lynx

[jj]

Well I never knew this

"The developer's kit for the Lynx was expensive and required an Amiga computer (Atari's own ST computers could not be used). The two creators of the system, RJ Mical and Dave Needle, were also members of the Amiga design team and much to the frustration of Atari, the Amiga was used as the software development platform."

[jj]

 :bump:

[Crusher]

Didn´t know that either. Must have been a thorn in their eye. :-)

[kd7ota]

Awsome stuff.

I know a friend who happens to have an Atari Lynx system still.  Amiga made it possible for the Video Toaster, so definately cool it made it possible for the Atari Lynx.  :-)

[GreggBz]

The Lynx was really powerful, more powerful than an Atari ST.
although mine has cheap paint that is wearing off.

It was also marketed against Nintendo with edgy adverts, you know, as the more mature, serious system.

Funny how history may just repeat itself.

I take that back, it was about as powerful as a 520ST.
 :-P

[_ThEcRoW]

Interesting and funny.
Also Sega used the Amiga 500 for developing on the megadrive.
It's amazing the things that the Amiga done in the past for another systems.

[LoadWB]

I have a Lynx, one of the original, over-sized bricks.  It is pretty neat.

I heard about Sega using Amiga for development, and I'd love to get my hands on one of those kits.  I have a couple of games I would like to see developed, but I'm so far out of my programming days I'm afraid it would take forever to get it done completely by hand.

[coldfish]

Ive still got my Lynx from release, SOTB is my favourite game, better than the Amiga version, less frustrating, more fun.  

It was kinda cool that they used Amigas as development platforms.

[hamtronix]

as a horse , i have little to say on the subject. other than, neigh.

[Van_M]

I still have my old lynx (1st version) somewhere around my parents' home. It had a very Amiga'ish internal design. Its main CPU wasn't a very powerful one (I think it was just a 6502 at 8MHz). It had a very powerful blitter chip that was pulling through with the graphics. It was the most effects-capable portable for many-many years.
Most of it's games were Amiga ports (Shadow of the Beast, Rygar, Toki etc). Some other original titles are either utter crap (Kung Food) or breathtaking masterpieces (Zarlor, Blue Lightning).
There is still an active community for the Lynx of 500+ users circulated around the Atariage website. new games are still being produced by Songbird Productions and Duranik, and they are pretty good. Especially Alpine Games by the second. It has some really impressive snowflake effects running on portable (well not really :lol: ) hardware of 1988. Of course Atari, once again gave the impression that they actually TRIED to screw the platform over!      :-x

EDIT: corrected typos

[Homer]

Hay, hamtronix,

Why the long face ?

 :python:

[neon32]

I always thought the Game Gear was better than the Lynx?

[Van_M]

The Game Gear was far-far below Lynx in terms of processing capabilities. Have a look here and here.
Lynx had fewer colors but it sported a 16 bit blitter (named "Suzy" in a genuine Amiga fashion), math co-processor (allowing vector graphics- sadly no game in it's heyday used vectors), drew less power and, allowed for left handed gaming and in general, was a much more sopisticated design. Game Gear was actually a Sega Master System with double the colors. :-P
Get the handy emulator (if you get to use a PC) and try out Blue Lightning, Zarlor, Alien vs Predator (prototype), STUN Runner. You will be STUNned!
Lynx Rules    :ponder:  

[coldfish]

Van_M wrote:
...sadly no game in it's heyday used vectors...  

SteelTalons.

By hardware specs, Lynx ruled the roost up till around when the GBA hit the scene.

Btw, you can overclock the Lynx1 by switching the clock crystal from 16Mhz to 24Mhz, done it, and it works, SteelTalons runs smooth, DoubleDragon quick etc.

[LoadWB]

Overclocking, eh?  I'll have to give this one a try.  I'd love to see a smooth running Steel Talons.

Yeah, I have a Game Gear as well, and it's definitely less spec-tacular than the Lynx.  As is the fashion, the better products generally go the wayside for whatever reasons.  Like my NeoGeo Pocket -- the only bad part about this unit is the reflective TFT.

The best portable I own is the Nomad (out of the NeoGeo Pocket, Sega Game Gear, Atari Lynx, and original Gameboy.)  Full Sega carts in a hand-held.  It can also output SVHS, composite, and stereo sound.  With an RF modulator and another controller, it can even be used as a quasi-full Sega Genesis.  I can't find my SVHS cable, though :-(

One thing I think is really neat about the Lynx was the planned networking capability with the Jaguar.  It was intended to work much like the Game Cube and the GBA (I think, maybe the DS?) work.  But Atari kept slipping release dates and developers dropped like flies.  Ah, well.  I had a chance to pick up a Jaguar, CD-ROM, and a few titles from a surplus dealer for $25 total.  Kinda wish I had.