Just Starting My Lynx Collection. Recommendations?

[+cubanismo]

Yeah, I've put Batman Returns in several times now intent on cracking the code, but I still haven't gotten past the first level.

[+davidcalgary29]

Let's have an update! Do you have a new favourite game? My go-to choice for a platformer/side scrolling adventure on the Lynx is always going to be Scrapyard Dog, although the graphics in Batman Returns were quite nice.

 

Chip's Challenge is outstanding, and it was one of the first games that you bought. Be sure to give it some love!

[+cubanismo]

Well I have built up a good-ish set of games and hardware:

 

 

Two Lynx II, one Lynx I that just arrived last week, one Lynx II has been modded with BennVenn's Rev.6 screen, and I have a McWill kit in a box on the shelf destined for the other Lynx II so I can play on a monitor via VGA. Also rebuilt the power circuits with the Console5 kit on the BennVenn-modded console, but it still needs new caps. The sound cuts out and gets funky sometimes on that unit.

 

Also got the BennVenn ElCheapo. I'll get a GD eventually as well so I can do two-player on some of the games I don't have carts for. Suspiciously, no one has responded with suggestions on how to hack a USB port onto either of these. Am I the only one too lazy to swap uSD cards around to test code on HW?

 

My favorite game by far thus far is 2-Player Warbirds w/ComLynx. Got a chance to play that with my brother when I was visiting him a few weeks ago. Checkered Flag linked up is pretty fun too, but there's more learning curve. I'd been playing enough that I could navigate all the tracks without crashing, so it wasn't much of a competition.

 

For single player, I don't know that I could pick a favorite. That Lynx I came with Paperboy, and I've spent quite a few hours uh..."testing" that system out with that cartridge, so that's probably my current favorite. However, the others I still regularly go back to are all the pick-up-and-play types: Ms. Pac-Man, Checkered Flag, Klax, Raiden, Alpine Games (bit of a learning curve here), California Games, probably others I'm forgetting. Chips Challenge is very fun, but I always shy away from games I might have to sink an hour or two into to really get my head into the right place to play them. My work is very cerebral, so I think I tend to shy away from things that require too much creative thinking when gaming. I tend to want to unwind instead. People talk up Zarlor Mercenaries, but even in two player, and I do enjoy the first level, but that game's impossible, right? ? I've never gotten past level 2. It seems others have, so it must just be me, but I do notice all the youtube footage of it that shows up in those "Top 10 Lynx games" videos tends to be level 1, so maybe it's not.

 

I think I've tried most of the obviously interesting original library games at this point. I'm working my way through the others on the ElCheapo as time permits. Would still love to hear ideas on hidden gems or homebrew highlights to stick in the rotation though. I think the only homebrew (unless  Alpine Games counts, but it's so polished and I bought it retail personally) I've tried so far is that amazing Mortal Kombat demo build.

 

Oh, one last thought. I prefer the Lynx I look & feel to the Lynx II. I figured this would happen, since that's the one I planned to keep the stock screen in and keep around in a box largely for testing code purposes (Yup, totally gonna write some games real soon now(tm). Just let me get the rest of these Skunkboards built, finish that Jaguar VGA-out board, polish up my Skunkboard USB code, write that Jaguar lightgun game, clean my desk off, arrange all my papers neatly... it's never going to happen, is it? Oh well. No rush), but that's the unit I want to grab and  play now that I have it. The Lynx II just feels all chunky by comparison. Not sure what to do about this. I might need to get another Lynx I to put an upgraded LCD in and sell one of my Lynx II's (or have 4 for no good reason).

 

Regardless, I'm really enjoying the Lynx. Glad I jumped into the game. If anyone's ever in San Diego and wants to have a beer and play some Warbirds, hit me up.

[+davidcalgary29]

31 minutes ago, cubanismo said:

Well I have built up a good-ish set of games and hardware:

 

 

 People talk up Zarlor Mercenaries, but even in two player, and I do enjoy the first level, but that game's impossible, right?

 

 

I don't find Zarlor Mercenary impossible to play, but Raiden sure is. It's such a shame that the only complete version that we have lacks the in-game music.

 

It's great to see that you're putting in so much time into the Lynx -- it's a fantastic system, and my favourite Atari platform aside from the A8. If you do want to go down the homebrew route, and you enjoy RPGs, you must check out Wyvern Tales. It's not as flashy as Eye of the Beholder, but it's so much more fun.

[+jgkspsx]

Also Wyvern Tales is just being rereleased in a limitedish run, so get it while the gettin’s good!

 

@cubanismo I think Zarlor Mercenary is impossible too. Waves and waves of enemies without enough firepower to take them down. I feel like I must be missing a mechanic?

 

Do keep giving the Lynx II a shot. I prefer the I too, but only by a hair. The two d pads are each better for certain games, and for my favorite games the II seems to come out on top.

 

If you like ComLynxed Warbirds you’ve gotta give Battlewheels a shot. If I am in San Diego anytime soon I’ll bring my Lynx!

[Kevguillot]

How do purchase a lynx 2 console from Best Electronics?

[tripled79]

On 8/7/2021 at 5:03 PM, cubanismo said:

Well I have built up a good-ish set of games and hardware:

 

 

Regardless, I'm really enjoying the Lynx. Glad I jumped into the game. If anyone's ever in San Diego and wants to have a beer and play some Warbirds, hit me up.

San Diego? Can you mail the beer to me?

 

If you're ever in Brandon, MB I'll serve REAL beer. Canadian beer.

Fun fact: I use the space in my Lynx case for a can of Moosehead.

[+davidcalgary29]

On 8/7/2021 at 10:44 PM, Kevguillot said:

How do purchase a lynx 2 console from Best Electronics?

Have you contacted Brad Koda yet? You'll find the Best website if you do a google search. It's the best place to find a contact e-mail address, as he has several of them.