How would you rate the Lynx library *POLL*

[agradeneu]

Since there was a controverse discussion in the Jaguar forum....;-)

 

 

Please write down you killer app for the system, the game that convinced you about the Lynx being a *kick ass* system.

 

 

For me it was Blue Lightning. I don't think it is the best game of the library, in retrospective.

 

However, it was my Lynx first game and the first game I ever saw on the Lynx. And boy - I was blown away by its incedible graphics!

 

I took the Lynx and the game on several class trips during 1992-1994 and everyone was blown away and wanted to play that game!

 

One "poor" guy had a Game Boy with him but he wanted to play Lynx all the time. Some boys even donated their walkman batteries to keep playing! 

 

Even C64/Amiga/Sega guys were impressed. 2 friends of mine bought a Lynx just because of that game. So I will never forget about the impact that game having on 12-14 year old boys. 🙂 

 

 

 

Edited October 16 by agradeneu

[xhul]

Impossible not to be nostalgic about it, but definitely quality over quantity as far as i'm concerned, which i believe is something we've forgotten to appreciate as the video gaming history followed its path.
When it comes to the best titles, the aspects that make a game enjoyable were extremely well crafted.
Additionally, there's definitely a unique "retro cuteness" about that system, and for me, the audio feeling (on real hardware) is the most significant ingredient.

[Emehr]

Warbirds sold me on the Lynx. That and the prospect of playing some of my favorites Atari arcade games at home like Xybots, STUN Runner, Rampage, and Hard Drivin'. If it weren't for that voluminous Lynx insert that Atari paid to have included in the November 1991 issue of EGM I may have never gotten into the Lynx. The majority of those games looked like damn-near 1:1 counterparts to their arcade versions and it was amazing to see. Later on I discovered the excellent Klax, Roadblasters, Lemmings, and Steel Talons. So, yeah, I'd opt for small but great, because the few great games it has have no equivalent (to me, at least) on any other system.

 

 

[+Stephen]

Probably Battlezone 2000.  But the hidden game (which is what the release was supposed to be), not just the remake of the arcade game.

[PFG 9000]

I have a tough time trying to pick a killer app.  I'd say Lemmings is the best game on the Lynx.  But Warbirds was my first Lynx game, and it's pretty impressive for a handheld game from 1991.  S.T.U.N. Runner is also pretty impressive, and from what I've read it's the best way to play the game outside of the arcade.  Klax is another great pick.  Somebody pointed out once that it may be the only video game playable by sound alone, although that doesn't give its graphics enough credit. 

[Songbird]

Believe it or not, I was late to the Lynx party. My first Lynx was a Lynx II with 4 pack-in games for USD$79, purchased at a retail store. I think the games were Ninja Gaiden, Batman, Pit Fighter, and maybe Steel Talons? NG and Batman got a lot of play time as I loved the graphics, controls, and audio. I felt like Batman was a killer app at the time, just because of the big-name license and how well the game was done (except for the stupid "lose the game if you fall off the roof" mechanic in the 2nd level).

 

STUN Runner and Blue Lightning are great showcases of what the Lynx can do. Klax is a pretty strong contender too.

[Ninjabba]

Crystal Mines 2 all the way!

My next favorite on the system back in the days was probably Slime World, Zarlor Mercenary and Shadow of the Beast in no specific order. Magical times as a kid. I don't think I ever bought a game that felt like a disappointment.. my library is far from complete though.

[+karri]

The game I have played most on the Lynx is Lemmings.

[sirlynxalot]

Zarlor Mercenary. 

 

My friend had a lynx with 3 games in the late 90s and this is the one I was drawn to. Eventually I got my own lynx from Best electronics and got my own copy of the game.

[Giles N]

Out of the 71-76 official games, only 8 or so is really bad, the rest falls between ‘pretty dang spectacular’ to ‘mediocre/ok’.

[+jgkspsx]

On that subject...

 

 

The killer apps for the Lynx for me were STUN Runner and Joust. I didn't get one until 1997 or so but once I found out there was a port of STUN Runner and a great port of Joust there was no stopping me.

 

The other games I played the most early on were Rampart, Qix, Xybots, Roadblasters, Chip's Challenge, Blockout, and Crystal Mines II.

 

I had had previously had a Game Gear and as a result I didn't feel the need to play the beat em ups and platformers on Lynx. I played the heck out of Lemmings on the Game Gear, but otherwise there were very few games shared between the systems. I think maybe just Klax, Paperboy, Shanghai, and Super Off Road? Double Dragon and Ninja Gaiden on Game Gear are unique original games unrelated to other games by those names.

 

The libraries complemented each other well, with the Game Gear's superb RPGs, beat em ups, sports games, racing games, and platformers being supplemented by the Lynx's unbeatable arcade and puzzle games. That said as a kid whose primary platform was the Game Gear and who was as susceptible to cool box art and movie/TV tie ins as any other adolescent I got a lot of truly awful games on the Game Gear too.

 

I believe I got a Game Boy last and that was primarily for Link's Awakening, Super Mario Land 2,  and Metroid II. And the pinball games. It is only in recent years that my Game Boy collection got massive, and I still think the other systems have plenty of experiences unmatched on the Game Boy and Game Boy Color, but the Game Boy's action RPGs, dungeon crawlers, and (surprisingly) shoot em ups are hard to top. It also has some amazing arcade conversions.
 

They all have their strengths and top tier games - if I never played a video game again except games from that generation of handhelds I wouldn't want for great gaming experiences.

[Minuous]

The Lynx has great conversions of Xybots, APB, Rampage, Joust, Shadow of the Beast, California Games, etc. whereas most of the Lynx originals I have played have been rather weak.

Edited October 18 by Minuous

[Gentlegamer]

Xybots

STUN Runner

 

simple as

[+Sauron]

It's really hard to pick out a killer app for the Lynx. There are so many Lynx games I absolutely love and have played to death. It's much easier to pick out the bad Lynx games than the great ones, at least IMO.

[agradeneu]

On 10/17/2024 at 11:23 PM, sirlynxalot said:

Zarlor Mercenary. 

 

My friend had a lynx with 3 games in the late 90s and this is the one I was drawn to. Eventually I got my own lynx from Best electronics and got my own copy of the game.

Thumps up for Zarlor!

[roots.genoa]

A schoolmate of mine rented me his Lynx back then, but I think he only got Rygar which I didn't really like (it felt repetitive both visually and in terms of gameplay). Since then, I bought both Evercade carts but they left me mostly unimpressed to be honest, except maybe Checkered Flag that offers a lot of content imho (and it's obviously way better than its Jaguar counterpart). Chip's Challenge is a good game as well, but it becomes tedious after a while and I don't feel the need to go back to it. Actually I think Odynexus could be my favorite Lynx game for now, but there are a lot I still need to try.

[agradeneu]

7 hours ago, roots.genoa said:

 Actually I think Odynexus could be my favorite Lynx game for now, but there are a lot I still need to try.

We should feel flattered

 

A good way to explore the Lynx library is the High Score Club. I played a lot of new and old games I would not otherwise and its great fun.

 

[Cobra Kai]

It has some fantastic original IPs like Warbirds and Checkered Flag, but I always wanted it for its ultimate arcade port lineup. That's what always drew me to the LYNX, and why I chose it over the Gameboy when that decision mattered back in 1991. The screenshots of the arcade ports coming out were mind blowing to me. I love the LYNX library, in my opinion it is super high quality with only a few stinkers.

 

So many of the LYNX-up titles are killer app worthy. Xenophobe, Slime World, Xybots, Warbirds, Checkered Flag...there's no way I can single out one game here.

Edited Saturday at 10:54 PM by Cobra Kai

[+jgkspsx]

On 10/18/2024 at 9:06 AM, Minuous said:

The Lynx has great conversions of Xybots, APB, Rampage, Joust, Shadow of the Beast, California Games, etc. whereas most of the Lynx originals I have played have been rather weak.

Chip's Challenge?? Crystal Mines II??

[xhul]

Looks like many have a crush on Zarlor.

Am i the only one disappointed by both the slowdowns, and visibility issues?

It looks awesome otherwise, which makes it even more sad.

[agradeneu]

7 hours ago, xhul said:

Looks like many have a crush on Zarlor.

Am i the only one disappointed by both the slowdowns, and visibility issues?

It looks awesome otherwise, which makes it even more sad.

Most Lynx games slow down when pushed, screen update should fix visibility issues.

Its not the best shooter in history, but one of the few i actually played through. 

[xhul]

4 hours ago, agradeneu said:

Most Lynx games slow down when pushed, screen update should fix visibility issues.

Its not the best shooter in history, but one of the few i actually played through. 

I guess that very ambitious dual scrolling doesn't help in the case of Zarlor.

The quantity of enemies|bullets is very probably involved as well, cause Zaku is way more steady in comparison.

I'm curious to know how far it was optimised, though.

 

Regarding the visibility issues, my bennvenn wasn't enough when i tested it, but yeah, can't imagine with the original LCD.

 

Anyway, i think i'll give Zarlor a second chance if i have time.

Maybe the gameplay isn't as compromised as i first experienced.

[+jgkspsx]

It's a very Euro shooter so those who grew up with Xenon and Project X will feel right at home.

[agradeneu]

1 hour ago, jgkspsx said:

It's a very Euro shooter so those who grew up with Xenon and Project X will feel right at home.

Developed by Epyx, its technically an US shooter:)

[PFG 9000]

1 hour ago, agradeneu said:

Developed by Epyx, its technically an US shooter:)

By development location, sure.  But it does have a lot of Euroshmup characteristics like bullet-sponge enemies and a health bar for your player.  It also plays pretty slowly, as the need to shoot your way through much of the environment really makes the action drag.

 

I want to like it, as a massive Lynx fan and a fairly big yet still skilless shmup enthusiast.  I got to play it multiplayer at this latest Jagfest, and it's certainly more fun and more playable that way.  But compared to something like Zaku, Odynexus, of Microvaders, it's just not that fun.