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/vr/ - Retro Games

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File: 355 KB, 1920x1036, lynx2_large_.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3424571 No.3424571 [Reply] [Original]

>Better than both the Gameboy and Game Gear in basically every way except battery usage.
>Atari decides to not fucking advertise it so it gains no market share whatsoever and dies a quiet death.

Lynx thread?

>> No.3424579

I was actually surprised by how powerful the Lynx was. Mutha fucka could even do sprite scaling. And the left handed player flip was kinda novel.

OPs pic is the MkII though. The original Lynx was fucking massive and ate batteries for fun.

>> No.3424580

It's real big, Man. Even that "small" one is big. Late to the game, too. I got a Turbo Express about the same time and no comparison. Has a few good games but generally ported to other systems. Compares unfavorably to Nomad.

>> No.3424608
File: 644 KB, 1630x1544, lQXvOpe-1.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3424608

Here's a question, I always thought Nintendo had a trademark on the crosskey D-Pad design at that time?

Even the PSX had to 'break' the crosskey up so as not to copy it directly.

How did Atari get away with it? Was Nintendo's trademark just an urban myth?

>> No.3424610

Lets not forget how it was overpriced as fuck and most of the games were shit-tier Amiga ports. Also, I remember plenty of ads.

I do have fond memories of California Games and Robosquash, though.

>> No.3424615

>>3424608
Maybe the rounded depression in the plastic was different enough?

I dunno, I'm just pulling stuff out of my ass at this point.

>> No.3424620

>>3424610
When California Games is your console's killer app, you know you're in a world of shit.

>> No.3424629

Being an old fag, I was around at the time when this was released and it was fascinating to see a vastly technologically superior hardware like the Lynx get its ass handed to it by the dinky little GameBoy.

It mean seem obvious now because of Nintendo's brand power and the quality of their games but at the time it flew in the face of conventional wisdom - graphics were EVERYTHING back then.

>> No.3424631

>>3424629
>MAY seem obvious

I fucking hate trying to type on a fone.

>> No.3424652
File: 56 KB, 790x319, atari_lynx_1.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3424652

>>3424580
>>3424571
Just look at the screen-to-size ratio. Not to mention an internal CFL-bulb. This thing belittles the Game gear.

>> No.3424654
File: 8 KB, 311x162, images (1).jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3424654

>>3424652

>> No.3424684

3424629
>Six AAs for 5 hours
Here's the problem. It wasn't just Nintendo's power or quality. Game Boy needed just 4 AAs for 15 to 30 hours of power. That's a huge difference.

>> No.3425028

>>3424620
Well, it did have Robotron and Crystal Mines.

It even had a half decent flight sim, if you don't mind the low frame rate.

>> No.3425101
File: 199 KB, 357x297, 1464989125653.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3425101

>>3424571
>Better than both the Gameboy and Game Gear in basically every way except battery usage.
I would add to that a mediocre game library and horrible button placement.
The huge weight and size affected the mobility as well.
So all in all it had many fatal flaws and it's no surprise that it sold so poorly.

>> No.3425270
File: 920 KB, 2048x1520, IMAG0544.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3425270

>>3424580
>Late to the game
If you count a few months after the GB as being late, sure...

>>3425101
>mediocre game library
It had arguably the best arcade ports of any system up to the mid-90s (discounting the AES of course). Robotron 2084, Joust, Toki, S.T.U.N Runner, Xenophobe, Klax etc etc. They even gave it an awesome Afterburner port - but called it Blue Lightning for legal reasons.

>> No.3425318

>>3424684
15 hours? Negris the GB could only gave you 6 hours if you used good batteries.

>> No.3425321

>>3425270
>Robotron 2084, Joust, Toki, S.T.U.N Runner, Xenophobe, Klax etc etc. They even gave it an awesome Afterburner port - but called it Blue Lightning for legal reasons.

Wow it's fucking nothing.

>> No.3425335
File: 38 KB, 895x746, 1469178578601.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3425335

>>3425321
>Wow it's fucking nothing
Okay then.

Enjoy scrabbling around on ebay & cl for overpriced "ω⊙ω L@@K RARE RETRO V1N7@63" games. I'll be over here playing fantastic 80s arcade ports I picked up for pennies on the dollar.

>> No.3425337

>>3425318
This is not what the manual says, lad:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/30348074@N00/5439992398/in/set-72157626034398554/

>> No.3425352

>>3425337
>Game Pak: Tetris
>Ambient temperature: Fucking freezing

Has anyone actually done a proper battery life trial? I know I get closer to 10hrs on my Lynx II with alkalines.

>> No.3425420

>>3425028
How does Robotron work with only one directional input?

>> No.3425506
File: 5 KB, 640x408, s_Robotron2084_7.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3425506

>>3425420
One button rotates clockwise, the other counter-clockwise.

It works quite well actually.

>> No.3425613

Would it had been better if they made it a home system?

>> No.3425636

>>3424629
Game Boy was half the price, lasted for days on a set of batteries, and had TETRIS, (and Mario.)

>> No.3425649

>>3425636
Yeah, like I said it's seems very obvious now but back then you couldn't underestimate how seriously people took graphical power. People were obsessed with it, even more so than they are today.

It was the first time I can really recall a such an underpowered machine beating an infinitely more powerful one.

>> No.3425668

Probably my favorite handheld. Loved the games and just enjoyed it so much. Probably going to start collecting for it soon.

>> No.3425778

>>3425649
Not in portables as i recall, as were seen just a step forward from game&watchs, I bet a lot of, and I mean *a lot* of gameboys sold because had Tetris bundled in and that one was the only game which got played on these units.

Nintendo nailed it with the launch titles, Atari sadly isn't.

>> No.3425793

>>3425778
This is true, Tetris was one of the first 'break-through' titles. Even fully successful non-manchilds were playing it which was almost unheard of back then.

>> No.3425802
File: 86 KB, 1280x720, clinton_game_boy.0.0.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3425802

>>3425793
Even future world leaders were playing GB

>> No.3425813
File: 37 KB, 474x259, lynx-chart.gif [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3425813

>> No.3425835

>>3425813
What does portable console quality mean and how does the Turboexpress which was literally a portable console not make it?

>> No.3425850

>>3425835
dont be jelly neither the t-xpress or nomad had that elusive "portable console quality" that only Atari could offer.

>> No.3425851

>>3425813
>SNES included in chart
>Lynx released 1989 @ $180
>SNES released 1991 $200

>Ad was placed after the Lynx foundered for 2 years and got a 45% price drop.

>> No.3425869

>>3424608
>I always thought Nintendo had a trademark on the crosskey D-Pad design at that time?

That's pretty fucking stupid. If it were a trademark, it would have the (r) next to it, not to mention trademark applies to images, not how you design fucking buttons. Nintendo doesn't own the fucking "+" sign.

>> No.3425876

>>3425869
The correct term is patent.

>> No.3425978

>>3425869
>>3425876

Yeah Nintendo had a patent on the D-Pad. It ran out in 2005.

http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/Multiformat/Top+5+charts/feature.asp?c=29914

How Atari managed not to get sued by Nintendo's legal steamroller is a very good question.

>> No.3426359

>>3424571
Noone really trusted Atari after the crash of '83. Their reputation was poisen in the eyes of consumers.

>> No.3426368

>>3424571
>Better than both the Gameboy and Game Gear in basically every way except battery usage.

and Game Library

>> No.3426372

>>3425802
>future world leaders
>>>/reddit/

>> No.3426638

>>3424571
Worse game library. Also, game gear screen was more visible in most situations.

>> No.3426674

Does anyone play this with the d-pad on the right hand?

>> No.3428540

Look, if your "portable" game platform has worse battery life than the GAME GEAR it's fucking over already no matter what else it is.

>> No.3428668
File: 431 KB, 556x644, 1468176878316.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3428668

>>3428540
Tell that to the PSP, 3ds etc etc

Anyhow
>not using the 6xD battery pack

>> No.3428695

>>3428668
>psp
>bad battery life

nigga what?
i use my PSP as emulation machine everywhere and i take days without recharging the damn thing. playing "heavy" games like monster hunter and gods eater don't make me recharge it every 5 hours neither

can't say much about the 3DS but the battery on PSP and vita are fine

>> No.3428701

>>3425835
>trying to make sense from 90's advertising

You could put on an ad "tendency to suck major amount of balls: sega consoles - 0% nintendo consoles - 100%" and no one would blink an eye

>> No.3428730

>>3426674
Left-handed people.

>> No.3428736

>>3428668

Battery life is somewhat less important these days as the consoles ship with 1. Rechargeable batteries 2. That can be recharged in-place, without shutting down to swap (pain in the dick for un-saveable games) and 3. Cheap, ubiquitous external batteries (5000 mAh Xiaomi battery packs).

>> No.3429616

>>3424571
It was a portable console with a piss-poor battery performance- completely useless without a nearby power outlet or a lot of expensive battery packs, as rechargable batteries were fucking expensive during it's time.

The Game Boy assraped the competitors because it sacrificed fancy graphics for a cheaper retail price and longer battery lifespan- exactly what everyone expected from a PORTABLE console.

Having said that, yes. The Lynx had some pretty good games, not going to argue that.