Perpetual Lynx Review Thread

[Clock]

Ok this should be interesting, because I don't think everyone will agree with my opinion on this one.

 

Review title: STEEL TALONS

 

I got this title with my second hand Lynx1 and didn't know what it was. It turned out to be a 3D helicopter shoot 'em up with stategy elements.

 

Graphics 4: The graphics are 3d but nothing special. It lacks detail or excitement but they are perfectly functional.

 

Sound 3: A poor attempt at speech - still no idea what is being said - and some crappy music. During the game it's mostly helicopter sounds.

 

Gameplay 8: I like this game, this is unusual for me becaus I usually don't like any 'fly there and shoot that' games. It plays well and the time limit makes it challenging. It's partly arcade / partly stategy and it mixes well. Quite hard for a beginner and never becomes too easy.

 

Overall 7: This game really could have been the best Lynx game and you feel it is an opportunity lost. Still a good game, and it is a cheopo common so it should be in your collection.

 

The above review is my opinion only and based on nobody else's opinion.

[pynew]

Checkered flag

 

I think this is a great drivin game for all ages,the grafixs are great and the speech at the start really gets me in.My son and i both play and for something different we slow down to see all the billboards,a must have racing game for your collection.Also i must add the variety of tracks available is bound to keep you interested for many years.

[Clock]

Please note: before reading the following, I am wearing rose tinted spectacles.

 

Review title: QIX

 

Qix is one of my all time favourite games, I have played so many different versions and loved every single one equally. Surely the Lynx version can only be great.......

 

Graphics 3: Ok so Qix just isn't great graphically, how could it be? However the sparks that chase you could be clearer to see. The graphics are adequate and no more as is the fact with all versions of Qix.

 

Sound 3: Nothing here to get excited over.

 

Gameplay 9: Oh I like this a lot, and it gets hard, really hard. It starts really easy but by the 3rd or 4th level you know your playing a game with a challenge. It's just so simple yet great, and tactical with it. I have a few tactics I use when I play Qix and it makes for a great way to waste a few hours of your life. The only bit that stops it from getting a 10 is the control pad doesn't feel very positive on this game, it's ok but not perfect.

 

Overall 9: It's kind of like tetris, graphics and sound are just not what this game is about. It is pure class and stylish class at that. I would recommend this to anyone who likes puzzlers with an arcade bent to them. I would recommend this to anyone. It is a timeless classic.

 

The above is my opinion only and you should agree with every word I've written

[wapchimp]

Crystal Mines - Like some-one else who posted before I bought this on e-bay cos it was cheap as chips - It's great

 

As addictive as when tetris first came out on the gamboy.

 

Very colourful & good gamplay. It is very repetitve, but it gets you thinking, as there are some very challenging levels - I've stll not completed it.

 

Sound is very basic, but you're to involved with the gamne to notice.

 

Ive had my lynx for years & have still not played every game (even on an emulator). From the one's in my colection, this rates near the top - you must get it

[toughacton]

Hey I'm new here, but I've been collecting for quite a while and thought I would give a review of one of my rarer games.

 

Raiden

 

This is a hard to find game and when you do find it, it doesnt come cheap. (I spent 45 bucks on it) However, When i got this game i was quite blown away by the stunning graphics. I thought i was playing my super nintendo for a while. Its exactly like the arcade if you've played it. There isnt any background music, only a title track. I was slightly disappointed in that, but the sound effects are well done. My one complaint about the game is its immense difficulty and lack of a password system. Once you die you have to play through it all again. Now i don't mind a challenge, but this is really tough, so be prepared. Also be forewarned that you actually play the game with your Lynx vertical. Its really weird to get used to. I tried playing it horizontally, but it made it more difficult, at least for me.

 

Overall i rate the game a 7 out of 10. The graphics are great and its very true to the original. Worth the money in my opinion.

 

~toughacton

[JoeyS]

I am new to the forums here, but not new to the Lynx.

 

Here are a few game reviews:

 

Rampart

Excellent strategy game, and even better in VS mode.

Graphics are quite adequate for gameplay.

Pace is good.

Increasing difficulty is good, and keeps you on your toes.

Overall rating: 8

 

Rygar

Great Run-through.

Very similar to the original, but levels seem to be very easy.

Graphics are good, pace is quick.

Havn't beaten it and levels seem a bit repetitive.

Overall rating: 5

 

Warbirds

Great flyer simulation

Easy controls.

Awesome dogfights (I actually got motion sickness)

Graphics are good.

Gameplay is awesome.

Overall rating: 8

 

Electrocop

Fast pace.

Nice Easter Eggs.

Graphics are good.

Gameplay is good.

Overall rating: 7

 

Viking Child

Almost an RPG. I grew up playing Phantasy Star and the like.

Great gameplay.

Cute story.

Worth winning over and over.

Overall rating: 7

[wapchimp]

 

Rygar

 Great Run-through.

 Very similar to the original, but levels seem to be very easy.

 Graphics are good, pace is quick.

 Havn't beaten it and levels seem a bit repetitive.

 

Don't want to spoil it for you, but ever played ghouls & ghosts???

 

The rygar ending is the very similar. At the end you have to fight a big lucifer. Ive only ever beaten him once. It's tough.

 

Gauntlet is another classic which I forgot to mention. The maze where the plants eat you at the end & spit you out is brilliant.

[toughacton]

Alrighty, here's another review for a hard to get ahold game.

 

Super Off Road

 

 

Ok this is one of my favorite arcade games, and i still love the genre. Its an overhead racing game where you get money for winning and buy better parts for your car and nitros and keep trying to do better and beat your 3 opponents.

 

Graphics: The graphics are actually really well done in this game. Although that could be said for most late release games in comparison to the earlier titles. The cars are a bit small though. I know this really can't be helped, but it still takes away just a little. Overall an 8 here.

 

Sound: Not that bad really, I can't remember what the sound was like on any other platform, but at least I didn't find myself annoyed after 10 minutes. Overall a 6.5

 

Gameplay: This was a really cool game in the arcade and seems to lose something in the controls on the lynx. I think a joystick would really improve the game. Although i did notice that once you buy all your equipment the handling does actually seem to improve. Overall a 4 at first, but once you get used to it. a 5 or 6. Although this may be a turn off to some people when you find out you cant win the first several races simply because you cant turn well no matter what you do. Also another complaint is that on certain tracks, the game is really picky on which route you take along the track. If you do something just a little off, the lap doesnt count. Let me tell you this has frustrated me to no end sometimes.

 

Overall: Ok aside from the controls, this is still a really great and fun game that you can play for hours on end. I've yet to play it mulitplayer with anyone, but this could only make the game 10 times more fun. For some reason seeing 2 people drive around crazy like in a game always makes me laugh I think a 7 is a fair rating of the game. There is a lot of room for replay and i really think if i can ever afford to get another copy, the multiplayer will be awesome.

[Gunstar]

I hope GunStar reads your Chip's review, Clock!  

 

This may be a pretty old post, but it's the first I'd seen it so I read his "Chips" review, but I don't see why you had hoped it or what point you may have been trying to make.

[Gunstar]

Ok this should be interesting, because I don't think everyone will agree with my opinion on this one.

 

Review title: STEEL TALONS

 

I got this title with my second hand Lynx1 and didn't know what it was. It turned out to be a 3D helicopter shoot 'em up with stategy elements.

 

Graphics 4: The graphics are 3d but nothing special. It lacks detail or excitement but they are perfectly functional.

 

Sound 3: A poor attempt at speech - still no idea what is being said - and some crappy music. During the game it's mostly helicopter sounds.

 

Gameplay 8: I like this game, this is unusual for me becaus I usually don't like any 'fly there and shoot that' games. It plays well and the time limit makes it challenging. It's partly arcade / partly stategy and it mixes well. Quite hard for a beginner and never becomes too easy.

 

Overall 7: This game really could have been the best Lynx game and you feel it is an opportunity lost. Still a good game, and it is a cheopo common so it should be in your collection.

 

The above review is my opinion only and based on nobody else's opinion.

 

This is one of my favorite games for the Lynx. If you've been spoiled by modern systems with texture-mapped polygons and smooth as silk frame rates you may think this game really stinks based on just that, but if you are a classic gamer and play plain polygon games on an ST or Amiga, you should have no trouble enjoying this title. It's as good to me as any of the polygon games on those 16-bit systems, such as Armour-Geddon, etc. Steel Talons is available on the ST (maybe the Amiga too) and I haven't seen that version(s) but this Lynx title looks and plays as good as the ones I have seen. The framerate is decent as far as I'm concerned and is something I don't even notice once I'm into the game. I think the polygon landscapes are great, especially on some of the desert levels where the altitude of some of the mountains (big rocks) are quite amazing and it's just fun to fly around them. The gameplay is excellent and everything is quite detailed (if you actually get close enough to see stuff, which most of the time you won't). The bottom line is it is very playable as long as you aren't totally spoiled by modern games and just can't play a solid filled poly game anymore (shame on you!!!). With just a bit of imagination this game rocks!

 

I'd give the graphics an 8/10 (I love ALL polygon graphics, textured or not!)

[Clock]

I thought I gave Steel Talons a positive review...... and I gave it my honest opinion.

[Clock]

Review title: Ishido The Way Of The Stones

 

I've had this cart a few months now, but never really played it. Just plugged it in once, saw it worked and put it in my Lynx carrycase never to see daylight again, until the other day when I was looking for something different to play.

 

 

Graphics 4: It's not about the graphics, but they are very clear and perfect fopr this type of game. It may score lowly but they just simply couldn't be improved upon.

 

Sound 3: Nothing here to get excited over.

 

Gameplay 9: This game rocks big time. It is amazingly addictive. I've worked most of it out with no instructions which just shows how well made this game was. I expected so little from this title, but I simply can not see how they could have improved it in any way. It's not an arcade game but a type of oriental style board game where you place tiles in certain places according to whats on the board already. You simply just have to place all your tiles on the board.

 

Overall 9: This is such a wonderfully presented game, which is very playable and will soon see you losing track of time. Just buy this cart and chill out for a few hours. Highly recommended.

 

The above is my opinion and may not be yours.

[Gunstar]

I thought I gave Steel Talons a positive review...... and I gave it my  honest opinion.

 

I thought your review was good, never said it wasn't. I was siding WITH you, but I do feel that the graphics are better than what you thought, that's all.

[lynx_anti_perspirant]

all out of 10

batman returns: 3

california games: 8

gates of zendocon: 6

scrapyard dog: 4

s.t.u.n. runner: 7

rampage: 5

super off road: 7

warbirds: 8

 

i wanted to write more about each and add some other titles but i havnt time today, i will soon

[Shaggy the Atarian]

Hey all! I thought I'd add in my part to this thread, but I'm just cutting and pasting some reviews I wrote at http://staticgamer.com. I have a few other Lynx reviews (and Jag Reviews) over there as well with more coming sometime soon, I just need time to write them! Anyways, here it goes:

 

Joust for the Atari Lynx

 

"You don a suit of armor, chose your weapon- a worn but sturdy lance. You climb onto a cyborg ostrich, grab the reins of your faithful mount and fly off to wage battle against the enemy.

In the distance you see an enemy vulture appear on a creator pad. You ready your lance and prepare to do battle. As you draw close to the enemy Bounder, you rise above him and prepare to defeat him with a quick swooping attack. You sweep down from the sky and dismount the enemy rider with a powerful blow. You have defeated the enemy...this time"

 

Ahh, Joust. One of those classic games that brings back good, nostalgic memories. And it's on the Lynx as well, a very killer version I might add. This is one of several arcade games that are on the Lynx, and so far, it's one of the best I've played. I felt it was better than the arcade(due to the fact that the only arcade I've played Joust on was not well taken care of). Although it doesn't have as much detail due to the smaller screen, it still looks and plays really well.

 

For newbies, the opening description should give you the gist of the game. Dismount all enemy riders and you win. After you dismount one(by landing on top of them with your bird), they turn into an egg which you can collect for extra points. If you take to long to collect an egg, it will hatch with a new rider, one who is smarter and faster than the one you previously put out of commission. Also if you are taking to long, a pterodactl will come after you, and he's very difficult to kill. The enemies get smarter and faster as the game goes along, in pure classic style . Eventually(well, after three levels the bridge on the bottom burns up, and the Lava Troll can get you. All of these elements add on to each other to make the game increasingly difficult as well as fun to play. Every so often you get to an 'Egg Wave' where there are no riders on the screen, just eggs, sort of a bonus round. Other specialty rounds include Survivial(earn 3000 extra points if you never die during the wave) and the Ptreodactyl Wave(start off with a p-terry on the screen)

 

The Lynx version has everything the arcade has - great, colorful graphics, phenominal classic gameplay(easy to learn, difficult to master), easy control, etc. Although there are more animations on the Lynx version, it includes a few different sounds than the arcade, but it's certainly nothing to complain about. This game is also ComLynxable up to two players. Overall, a great game to have in your collection.

 

and...

 

BattleWheels by Beyond Games

 

The Story

 

"In the year 2019, Humankind turned to more and more dangerous games for its entertainment. Fight in high-tech cars armed with missles, machine guns, flame-throwers, and more through dead cities and desert wastelands; a sixteen arena battel royal! Fight as a team or go solo! Custom build your from the ground up or buy one from the Bodyshop. You can even go on foot! Fast paced 3-D six player action like you've never seen before!"

 

That's a basic summary of one of the coolest Lynx games around, BattleWheels. Your goal, enter the arenas, and come out alive. Anything goes basically. One of the coolest things about the game is all the options you have. There about 8 or so different drivers, you can set how many kills to get to victory, the color of your car, how much money you start with, etc.You can also chose "Action" or "Custom" mode. In Action mode, you're given a pre-built car so you can get started right off as well as not worrying about the costs In Custom mode speaks for itself. You can completely customize your car, from how many struts, how much armor, where the guns go, and how much ammo they hold.The bigger and badder your car is, the more it costs to maintain. Unless you're a pro at the game, you'll end up using your cash to keep your car running. Either way, it's still quite fun to play.

 

And there's still more. You can also chose the intelligence of the other cars, and how tough your car will be(in Action mode). Or for the insane, you can forget the car and go out on foot, hehe. Not to worry though, you can still get out of your car and go out on foot if you like. If you're lucky enough, you can steal an enemies' car.

 

There's lots to do when you're in the car. You can look front, side to side, or behind you, and you have different guns for each view. in the front you have the machine gun or missle launcher. The sides are equipped with flame-throwers, and for the rear you have spraypaint, mines, and missles.

 

The whole object of the game is to kill all of the other players and reach a certain limit that you set. Sort of how Quake 3 or Unreal Tournament works.

 

The graphics rock, some of the best done on the Lynx. While everything is done using sprites, it creates a very good psuedo-3D look. There are tons of colors everywhere, and there's no slow-down even when sprites are filling the screen. You have a radar (not on-screen) so you can locate your foes easier. Your windshield will be pecked with bullet-holes and cracks after your car is hit so much.

 

Sound is pretty good too. There's no in-game music which is fine, and the sounds for the weapons are cool. Mostly just the sound of your engine. The menu music is one track, which has a good beat to it, but that's about it for sound.

 

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to deathmatch yet, as none of my friends that have Lynxes has this game yet. I hear it's a blast though, (it's essentially what the game was made for) with even more options to keep things entertaining.

 

If you can find BattleWheels(costs about $30), I would certainly go for it if I were you, as BW is a very addicting and well-thought out game. It is an even better game if you can play against friends that also have the game.

 

 

Overall - A+

 

More soon

[kondre]

A review i havent seen yet is one on Asteriods/Missile command...

 

I have this cart, and honestly i find both games enjoyable, although not completly true to the arcade versions, which would have made this cart an ablsolute must have, they are still enjoyable. We all know the games, so i am not going to go in and do a description, i just want to make a note that they are enjoyable versions of the games

 

7/10 for the combined score

[kondre]

One more review i havent seen yet, Jimmy Conner's Tennis...

 

great graphics, game play is not for the casual gamer though, more coordination is required when comparing it to the 2600 Activision tennis game. I find myself struggling with JCT. but i also dont play it as much as one should i suppose. the fact that i am not a major tennis fan probably plays in that more than not.

 

7/10

[+Zeptari]

Check out issue #122 (June 2003) of Game Informer page 132.

 

I'm glad GI gave Califonrnia Games a decent review. A 7.75 is decent.

 

To me this is a game that every Lynx owner should have. Back in the day when I first got this game, me and my brother took turns for hours trying to get the highest score. Like other Epyx games on the Lynx the graphics are top notch! Way ahead of anything on Gameboy.

Gameplay is a little tricky at first. But keep on practicing, because it pay's off. The halfpipe level had me scrating my head for the logest time trying to figure out how to score some decent points.

I'd still would like to try any 1of the 4 CG comlynxed. I hear it's tons of fun.

 

I would bump up Game Informers score at least 1 full point to a 8.75

 

This is one game that trully deserve's a sequel.

[Max-T]

I'd give Blue Blue Lightning a 9/10 review. It was the first game that I ever played on the Lynx (which was my brother's, yes, I was jealous). The game I found it closest to was Afterburner II for the Sega Genesis.

 

Blue Lightning had fast gameplay, good sound, and very nice graphics for being a handheld game. I wore out many sets of batteries playing that game on my bro's unit.

 

Unfortunately, since the battery life on the original Lynx unit was so terrible, the only other game he ever had for it was Road Blasters, which I loved, but again, I just couldn't play it for long enough before the Duracells died.

[GARTH]

I,ve developed a liking for checkered flag the graphics are good though i must say that it is at its best comlynxed on its own its not a memorable game.One of my ambitions is to find 2 more copies as I really want to see it running in 4 player mode. Has anybody done that yet. I,m only 2 comlynx and 2 carts away from achieving it.

Also c/games is another good one to network.A lot of fun to be had,I,m only 2 comlynx short of being able to get that running in 4 player.

Another which is an average game improved by networking is double dragon it is also a good time although i didn,t think much of it solo

[Nubian]

ALPINE GAMES REVIEW

 

 

 

As many Lynx devotees know it took a team of programmers 3 years to complete Alpine Games. When you place the card into your Lynx you are greeted by 2 intro screens, one with good music, and then onto the main selection menu where excellent techno music comes into play. You can select from a variety of options including Competition and Practice as well as World Records. The beauty of the world records feature is that the hi-scores are automatically saved to ther card so no more long nights trying to complete a game which does not have an autosave feature such Shadow of the Beast and most other Lynx games.

 

After selecting 'Competition' the first event faced by the player is Bialthalon. Biathalon is probably my favourite event and I have manged a world record of 27.3 which incidentaly is displayed on the Duranik.com hi-scores page. Here the player simply e-mails Duranik a world ecord score, by use of a special in-game code, and it is displayed on their website for all to see. Biathalon has a unique control method which is actually much improved from the Commodore 64 Biathalon (Winter Games - Epyx) control method. It takes a while to get the knack of it but soon you are up and running breaking world records.

 

To cut a long review short the stand out events for me apart from Bialthalon are Snowboard Rush, Slalom, Bobsleigh and Ski-jump. Throughout the game the graphics really set the precedent for the enthralling gameplay, which leads to hours of gaming and perserverance, trying to set the new world record and be amongst the best in te world at playing this game. The graphics in 'Slalom' are actually reminiscent of real ski-slopes and how the team pushed the Lynx to her limits, and got that little bit extra out of her that other late 80's and early 90's games developers couldn't muster, is quite incredible.

 

Other hi-points in Alpine Games include multiple player seletion so you can choose from 7 players from countries such as England and Japan. I have been speaking to the team at Duranik and there is also going to be some add on cards released by the end of thre year to add features to the allready excellent Alpine Games.

 

All in all Alpine Games is the best Lynx game in my opinion and shows just what the lynx is capable of. At 35 euros the game developers have done us a favour and released a homebrew game into the market which is financially accessible for the average gamer and delievers across all borders. Magnificent. (Review written by Daniel Foot)

 

Graphics : 10

Sound : 9.5

Gameplay: 10

Overall : 10

[chris_lynx1989]

Ok, looks like it's time for me to post a negative review also...

 

Tournament Cyberball

 

One of my favorite games in the arcade in the very early nineties was Tournament Cyberball. Unfortunately, in porting this game to the Lynx, the developers seemed to have ported the wrong game. Arcade TC was a blast to play either against the computer or another human opponent. Lynx TC is a drag to play, regardless of who you're playing. Sloppy and unresponsive controls are mostly what keeps this title in my pile of shame. The graphics are mostly functional, staying pretty close to the arcade original, and the sound is nothing to write home about, just like almost every other Lynx game ever made. But I still can't get over the fact that the game plays like a stale turd floating in an unflushed toilet. There's a reason why this game goes for so cheap on eBay...stay away at all costs.

 

 

"plays like a stale turd floating around in an unflushed toilet,gracie?" ewww

www, that really bites,man! could you have described the game any worse

if you really tried? yuck!!

i'll agee the thing is rather bad to play and all--i've tried to play and i have

attempted to like this to no avail myself--i have tried,too! i even have the

understanding that this game really sucks from the reviews i remember

reading in the game mags back in 1991/2 from their trying to comlynx the

thing up! did not bode one bit better on the review meter--much like the

reviews i read on n.f.l. football and baseball heroes back in the day! a few

the "bad" lynx titles to stay away from! whewwwww!

hmmmm,a stale turd,i never thought of lynx game being like that before.

that's a new description of a one good or a bad for me.yuck!!--the lynxer

[wapchimp]

I can't decide which is worse, this or pitfighter

[crc_73]

Well, if nothing else, the TC manual/poster is pretty good - probably worth a pound or two (inc P&P).

[dogcorn]

XYBOTS

 

The 411: Maze/shoot'emup game with an FPS-like perspective, but viewable only in the four compass directions. You shoot robots en route to the exit, while picking up junk on the floor like coins and keys. When the light on your back starts blinking, it's time to find an energy tank. Every few waves, you face the Master Xybot, which bears a striking resemblance to the 6 circles on the old Columbia House response cards from the 1970's.

 

Dogcorn's take: A well-done game that really doesn't hold my attention. One complaint is the lack of variety from game to game. That's partly because the mazes are indeed the same every time you play, but another reason is the awkward difficulty curve. The first 10 levels or so are very easy - then comes the second Master Xybot and it's game over for me, always. I play this game primarily for the snazzy soundtrack and the memories of watching my dorm mate play, way back when the Lynx was panting up the Gameboy's leg. Oh, and shopping from the vending machines is pretty fun also.

 

Grade: B