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Perpetual Lynx Review Thread


Sauron

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ZARLOR MERCENARY

 

The 411: From the manual - "Shoot everything that moves. Shoot everything that doesn't move." Nuff said. Sort of like Xevious or one of those other zillion or so shooters whose names elude me at the moment.

 

Dogcorn's take: Bleh. Shooters were never my favorite genre, and this title does little to sway me differently. It's just way too repetitive, despite the nice graphics. What DOES make for a nice gaming session is the easter egg of John Conway's Game of Life. (For the uninitiated, try Google - the concept is very hard to explain.) 95% of the time, I play this instead of the actual Zarlor game. Call me a scientist at heart.

 

Grade: C+

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  • 1 month later...

HARD DRIVIN'

 

The 411: Cruise around in a pseudo-3d polygonal view behind the dashboard. Watch out for cars, cows and loop-de-loops. Crash and your reward is an instant replay of what you did wrong.

 

Dogcorn's take: As many have mentioned, this is a lousy game. It's too bad, because most of the elements for a solid coinop-to-home conversion - graphics, sounds, placement of obstacles - are there. And while the frame rate is molasses-slow, that's not what makes it bad. Steel Talons is similarly pokey yet very playable.

 

So what's the problem? A big one: the controls are IMPOSSIBLE! There's a serious lag from the time you hit the control pad or release the button, to the time your car actually moves. By that time, you've been holding the pad down because you're not seeing any reaction, and that holding-down just sends your car off into some wacky direction you never intended (probably towards the cow).

 

I have this game ONLY because it was part of my freshman dorm life and I am a sentimental syrup-head. For everyone else, don't bother.

 

Grade: D-

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  • 1 month later...

TOKI

 

If you liked the arcade version, you'll love what the programmers managed to do on the lynx, you'll find the same shoes to jump higher or the helmet to protect yourself, and the skateboard at level 5.

Toki is gorgeous, gameplay is perfect, some bosses are quite hard to deal with, but that's ok, who wants to finish a game in 10 minutes.

 

Graphics : 10 Very good, varies a lot from level to level.

Sound : 10 With digitized sounds ("haaaa" when you die...). Music 9

Gameplay : 10 Responds perfect to commands, with increasing difficulty.

Overall 10.

 

If you like this sort of games, toki is really one game to own, in fact that's the only one I bought after having my lynx with a bunch of games. I you hate smashing buttons it's probably not for you.

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  • 2 months later...

Rygar

good port of the good arcade game 7/10

Xybots great port of the great arcade game 8/10

Chips Challenge, great puzzle game, I really hope that the creators made some money on this game 9/10

Ninja Gaiden good port of the very good arcade game, 7/10

Blue lightning, good after burner like game, much less insanity increase playablility however, but the lack of in game music hurts it 7/10

batman returns, brutally difficult, no continuing and annoying cheap deaths 3/10

zarlor mercenary good shooter, hard, co-op seems interesting but... 7/10

Edited by masschamber
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  • 1 month later...

Well, I've been playing a lot of Checkered Flag at work (on break :) ) lately, which inspired me to do a review:

 

Checkered Flag (CF) is a simplistic yet straightforward, fun racing game- one of the better titles for the Lynx, & one of the best racers on any system...yeah, I said it! It could rightfully be considered Pole Position's younger brother, rather than a relation to its Jaguar namesake.

 

CF boasts a whopping 18 well-designed, interesting tracks in areas from farmland to desert to snow- even night races in Miami & Palm Springs. Tracks have appropriate "obstacles" lining them: livestock, haystacks, trees & shrubs, cacti, rocks, poles, etc. & billboards (a la Pole Position) featuring Lynx games including Rampage, Shanghai, & Klax, & Atari Portfolio & ST computers- even the Lynx itself. It's fun to take a slow practice lap just to see them all! Colliding w/ most objects stalls you- no explosions here. Contact w/ drone cars only causes a spinout, but nothing's more frustrating than other cars zipping by as you helplessly watch.

 

CF races are highly customizable: you can change race type- practice, single heat, or tournament (which awards points based on your finishing places in consecutive races), # of laps & drone cars, which track to race on, gender (affects who kisses you if you win) & car colors, though each car handles the same.

 

While racing, other cars aren't so "smart" or fast; you can often regain your position after a wipeout. It's best not to pass ina turn- wait for a straightaway to dust 'em. You can see opponents in your side-view mirrors, which crack after collisions. CF is packed w/ such neat little touches- from the little guy waving the starting flag, to the working shift indicator on the dash, Checkered Flag is definitely a winner!

Edited by RJ
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You huys are being ti hard on Pit Fighter and hard drivin both are very close arcade ports it is just both games were ahead of their time and the begining of 2 very popular genre of games now Pit was before Mortal Kombat....Hard drivin was way before VR Racing and Daytona...

 

But I take back what I said you are playing games for fun not video game history and while both games are noval neither will rank as fun any more

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  • 6 months later...

ZARLOR MERCENARY

 

Objective:

 

Zarlor Mercenary is a topview scroller. You pilot a small ship through 6 different worlds and you have to destroy as many spaceships and buildings as possible, without being blasted to bits. For each ship or object you destroy you earn cash (hence the title), which you can use to upgrade your ship. There are also many pick-ups on each level giving extra items, such as shields and megabombs.

 

 

Gameplay:

 

You either like this type of game, or you don't. For me, it was (and thanks to the Handy emulator, it is) an ideal short break to get rid of too much tension.

You start the game by selecting a character with a specific strength, but this makes only a difference in the first level (or if you die often), since after level 1 you will probably have all available weapons.

 

Use the directional pad to move, use button A to fire missiles and button B to fire your laser (it automatically targets the ship closest to yours). Pressing OPTION 1 detonates a very powerful megabomb (you start with 1), destroying everything on screen.

 

Controlling your ship and firing is easy, and you will soon be occupied dodging laser blasts, ships and other hazards. When your experience grows you'll recognize the attack patterns of enemy ships. At the end of each level you get one or more huge crafts which must be destroyed. They too have a specific attack pattern. Recognizing this will help you survive their barrage of missiles. Because of this the game is not impossible to complete, though it will stay challenging.

 

 

Audio:

 

Basically you get the traditional sounds of laserblasts, explosions, zaps, etc. Though not highly imaginative, they are good quality and do not bore or irritate at all. The music has got some scifi influences, and I have to say is really quite nice. The original LYNX speaker gives a pleasantly warm sound (much, much better than my Gameboy Advance SP) and this music does the audio quality of the LYNX justice. If you really don't like it, you can turn it of by pressing OPTION 2.

 

 

Graphics:

 

After many years I have now an opportunity to play almost all the LYNX games using the emulator, and by comparing I can say that Zarlor Mercenary is one of the best looking games available (if not the best). Very important: all the text is easy to read and the lay-out of menus is sensible. It really is a feast for the eyes. Each level has a very distinct style, the visual design is great, and the details...oh my. It's got it all, from faux shadow effects to miniscule running figures (which you can blast as well, ouch!) It's rich in colour and style. Is it original, you ask? Not really, but we designers say: 'It's better to steal that which is good than to create that which is bad.'

 

 

Value:

 

Zarlor Mercenary really is one of the best games released for the LYNX. Every aspect is balanced to deliver a satisfying whole. Visually outstanding, with a clean interface and not too difficult. I really wish it was available on my Gameboy.

 

 

victor van schagen

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Gauntlet: The Third Encounter

 

objective:

 

Gauntlet: The Third Encounter is a topview adventure game. You control a small figure, exploring 40 mazes in an ancient castle looking for the Star Gem. While dodging falling rocks, killing nasty creatures and avoiding monstrous plants you collect keys, gold and a wide variety of useful items. In each maze there's a transport crystal teleporting you to the next level. In some levels you can find a computerterminal which gives you parts of the storyline or functions as a shop (you can buy items with collected gold).

 

 

Gameplay:

 

You start the game by selecting a character. Each character has a certain amount of Speed, Strength and Missile power, and the difference between the characters is how these abilities are distributed. Some may be strong but slow. Others are weak yet fast. In the game some items will increase your characters abilities temporarily or permanent.

 

Use the directional pad to move, use button A to fire and button B to access your inventory. While keeping B pressed, you can scroll through your inventory and use or drop items with the directional pad.

 

Controlling your character is easy, so is firing and using the inventory. It might be necessary to reorganize your inventory eventually since you can collect dozens of items. It would have been better if collected items were automatically grouped.

 

The biggest flaw of this game becomes apparent immediately: you have to keep the screen, and the LYNX, vertical. For a while, this could be acceptable, but Gauntlet is designed as a game which needs a lot of time to complete. After some time holding the LYNX vertical becomes irritating, tiring and finally painful. I completed this game on the LYNX only a few times.

 

The screen is clearly divided in three windows: The main screen (where you can see your character move through the maze), the inventory screen and an 'action screen' (giving a detailed view of an item or monster in front of you. In this screen you are able to read the text on computerterminals or on some items. It puzzles me why these screens weren't ordered horizontally.

 

 

Audio:

 

There are very few audio clips and they are very basic. During the game there is only one music clip, which is also quite basic. It's not particularly annoying, but it gets repetitive very quickly.

 

 

Graphics:

 

Visually, Gauntlet is just above average. It doesn't pack a punch, but it has a decent, solid quality and it's definitely not ugly. Also, Gauntlet has a few nice surprises in store from the aspect of design. When you're near the end of the game, and start to suspect that everything will look more or less the same to the end, the mazes and monsters start to change their appearance. Was everything earlier on still typical fantasy castle/ghost/spider stuff, the last few levels get a distinct scifi look and the game presents you with some very unusual enemies.

 

 

Value:

 

Gauntlet: The Third Encounter could have been better, and I think people will be put off by holding the LYNX vertical, and the seemingly repetitiveness of the game. However, for those with a little endurance will be handsomely rewarded with nice mazes, surprising monsters and a surprising double ending. Oh yes... and the dragon.

 

 

 

victor van schagen

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Steel Talons

 

objective:

 

Steel Talons is a 3d flying game. You control a fighter helicopter and your objective is to complete 13 missions. In each map you have to destroy all enemy targets or complete a specific goal within a specific amount of time to win. The objects which you'll have to destroy include vehicles such as tanks and fighter jets, and include buildings like barracks and storage tanks.

 

 

Gameplay:

 

You start the game by choosing the training mission or one of the first two missions. You will have to complete each mission within a specific time to unlock a new mission.

 

Use the directional pad to fly forward, backward or bank your helicopter left or right. By keeping button B pressed in combination with the pad you can either go higher or lower, respectively turn your aircraft left or right (note the difference between turning or banking the helicopter).

 

You have three types of weapons at your disposal. Press the A button to fire your machine gun. Pressing OPTION 2 will launch a guided missile; using button B together with OPTION 2 lets you shoot bursts of unguided missiles. Finally, OPTION 1 shows your current mission data, which includes a map with enemy targets, a damage meter and ammo reserves. Pressing button B with OPTION 1 switches between third person and first person view.

 

 

Audio:

 

The quality of all the audio used in the game is decent. In the different menus you get typical militaristic music clips, which suits the nature of the game. What's a nice touch are the vocal clips which are played after selecting a mission. It's a pity that sometimes it's very hard to understand what exactly the flight officer is telling you... During the mission you get the basic sounds of firing weapons, explosions, etc.

 

 

Graphics:

 

Steel Talons has a characteristic US army atmosphere. Visually, Steel Talons is not extremely attractive. But then again, the missions are in 3d and there simply cannot be so many details. The good thing is that all the visual elements are solidly designed. All the text is clearly readable and the game has an overall good, basic quality.

 

 

Value:

 

Steel Talons is a nice little game. Every aspect fits nicely together to create an appealing package. Tough the Atari LYNX really is too limited for a 3d game, this is a very good effort (much better than Warbirds, for example) and the frame rate stays just high enough not to spoil anything. To be able to play a 3d game on the LYNX was originally the reason why I bought it, and it was a real visual pleasure to hover the helicopter close to the tall airfield command tower, press B to rotate your craft, and watch the tower circle impressively around you giving an amazing effect of depth and volume. Try it!

 

 

victor van schagen

Edited by victorvanschagen
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  • 9 months later...

Turbo Sub.

 

 

Really fun 3D shoot'em up, excellent graphics, the effect when you dive under the surface and then come back out, with the windscreen wipers clearing the windscreen is wonderful. The enemy design is also really fun and varied, each level puts you in a different time of day and ocean, with different colours, cloud patterns & sea bed. also love the exit tunnel in the underwater mountain at the end of each level. you collect crystal gems throughout the level than you then may use to buy upgrades to your sub and also fuel and extra lives. All in all not one to be missed.

 

 

Ishido.

 

Wonderful puzzle game, hard to explain but very easy to pick up, probably closest game would be Shanghai on the old Mac. Very simple concept but can be incredibly challenging. A top notch game.

 

Qix.

 

Is it me or this game incredibly tough? Very simple graphics and easy to get game concept but unreasonably difficult.

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  • 1 month later...

Hey everyone, New AtariAge member, but long time Lynx owner.

 

I'm going to just rank my personal collection and give summaries of my impressions

 

1. California Games - I have had this game since the day i bought my Lynx brand new. I still love to fire it up and try to see how high of a score i can get in surfing. I wish i had known somebody that had this game to link up, but the lynx was never popular where i live. 8.9/10 (id give it a higher score if they had put something better in instead of footbag) If all lynx games were as good as this, it would have beat out the Gameboy and/or Gamegear and survived a few more years.

 

2. NINJA GAIDEN- This game was one of the few games i ever bought brand new at a store (Toys R Us had a few left). I had played the arcade and I would say this game is a Perfect port. You wont find a closer version to the arcade, especially for a portable. 8.6/10

 

3. Road Blasters - This is yet another nearly perfect port of the arcade version. The music, voices, sound effects, all right on the money. The graphics are pretty close too. It's a relatively long game, so I rarely play all 50 levels. Usually after a few i get bored with it. 8.5/10

 

4. Blue lightning - this was another game i got free when i bought my lynx in 1990 or something. Back then, it was definately the best lynx game. the password feature really added to the game, and it took me a while to beat back then. The intro scene and music were awesome, and this game showed the graphic capabilities of the lynx. unfortunately they never made a sequel on the lynx. (the jaguar version was disgusting) It had a slight afterburner type feel, but you could land, attack ground targets, or just fly over nearly everything (the coward way out). this game is a tie with road blasters at an 8.5 out of 10.

 

5. Steel Talons - this game i actually just found at a used book/magazine/game/dvd store. Only cost me $8. Definitely a STEAL! I probably would have paid 2x the amount, since this game is very close to the arcade version. The game is pretty difficult at times, but i think the graphics and controls are a B. overall an 8.0/10

 

6. Warbirds - i also found this game the same day i bought steel talons. total steal at like 6 bucks + tax. This game has awesome controls, but the game is just so limited. If they had added a campaign mode, or more missions, I would give it a better score. I can imagine this was the best multi-player game over 15 yrs ago. but again, kids i knew had a gameboy or a gamegear..... 7.5/10

 

7.European soccer Challenge - I bet some people like this game more than i do, but I'm not a big soccer fan, so I can't really get into it. The graphics are decent and the controls are ok, but the game is just frustrating at times. basicaly you have to run at the player with the ball and steal it, then hope you can kick the ball over the goalie into the net. but usually he will catch your shot and kick it away. I swear i've had so many games that i lost 1-0. Not a game i pick up and play very often. a 7.0/10

 

 

8. Viking Child - This game looks weird at first, and is no match for Super Mario or Sonic, but it was another game that showcased the capabilities of the lynx. This game has some HUGE boss fights and massive levels. However the difficulty can be somewhat steep i think, and the sound effects can get annoying. overall, it is a decent game, but nothing to brag about.

6.5/10

 

9. Pit Fighter - true this game has nearly impossible controls and difficulty, but I still like to play it sometimes. I dont think ive ever beat it, but I think i got to the final boss a few times. Usually its not worth the hassle. The graphics are ok, but if you ever played the arcades, you'd wish you had a bigger screen. the sound is ok i guess. overall this is just ruined by the bad controls and unfair difficulty at times. There are so few lynx games, so sometimes you take what you can get. 6.0/10

 

10. Cyberball - basically this is not a game worth playing against a computer opponent. You can never lose after you figure out how play. I usually put up over 50pts and only allow 14 or something. If they had allowed the running plays to work more than 1% of the time, then it would have been enjoyable. The only good part of the game is the voice at the beginning sounds good "Play Cyberball" haha . I guess if you played this with a friend, you might have a fun hour or so.....but i doubt it.

5.5/10

 

11. Kung Food - ok so maybe this game is a little better than pit fighter, but the plot is just lame. you're killing potatoes, carrots, ice, and tomatoes. at times i had fun playing this game, but i dont think i ever beat the 3rd level. the music was pretty cheezy. but i guess the only plus to the game is the controlls. For having 2 buttons it manages ok. the punching and kicking work ok. Basically this is one weird game. Worth playing a few times, but not a great experience. 5/10

 

12. Batman Returns - They actually had commercials for this game and in those days i didnt read reviews before buying games (i was 12). So the first time you play it, you think it might be cool, But then you realize that there is no continues and its too easy to die. What? So you die and its game over? wtf. I think i've been to the 2nd level a handful of times, but never past that. The computer is cheap, and the lack of continues or passwords, just plain kills this game. sad sad 4/10

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  • 11 months later...

OK, some of my first impressions:

 

LYNX II itself (compared to its competitors of the day and my Slim PSP):

PROS:

- Good screen with color, far outshines the Game Gear, Game Boy, and even the Slim PSP!! I had little trouble even in near direct sunlight playing games on this today.

- Solid sound from the speaker, stronger than Game Boy but a tad weaker than Game Gear. I kept trying to her stereo from the unit itself due to the speaker's location.

- Comfortable to hold, not hand cramping like smaller Game Boys, slick like a Game Gear. Doesn't have controls in weird spots where you can accidentally hit them like both existing PSP models.

- Oh, and the location of the jacks is in the same place as the wires from modern controllers. Good job, Atari!

CONS:

- I hear the battery life is bad. I got modern NiMH batteries, so I'll probably get more play time per charge than most of my other portables.

- Confusing console controls. I had to take a minute to work 'em out, and it seemed they didn't like me at first. Pressing "Off" two or three times to shut down? Not good, but the system seems to be responding OK now. The Pause key isn't clearly labeled, but I know where it is now.

- Size: Even the Lynx II feels big to hold. Comfortable but quite large. I'd hate to hold a skateboard for long periods

OTHER STUFF:

- Load times. As an N64 user, I came to expect this from cartridges. Load times vary between the Lynx and even the Game Gear. Some Game Boy titles like Pokemon have RAM in the cart to be loaded, too. The Lynx falls at about the right spot in load times, that is time between power on and action start. And yes, all three of the old handhelds blow Slim away!

 

Overall, I'd say the Lynx holds an important place in your handheld gaming collection. Some units perform better than the Lynx, and some worse, but the Lynx II is definitely not a crippled system in any way at all.

 

Super Off Road: Low framerate, good picture quality and better arrangement than the Game Gear version. Still, stick to the Game Gear cart if you have a 'Gear, and buy the Lynx cart as the collectible that it is.

 

Roadblasters: Loved it so far. I'm a little disappointed that the arcade music didn't make it into the cart, but it's still a great game. Even my wife played this rabidly for a few minutes!

 

STUN Runner: First impression is great, but I have to play it more to make a decision.

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Kung Food: 4/10.

 

I just got my Lynx, and this is the only game I currently own. As such, I sat down and forced myself to play though it. The premise is hilarious and the music is decent, but there's not much else to write home about regarding this game. The graphics are sub-par, the gameplay is repetitive, the collision detection is bad, the controls are wonky, and you take damage far too easily.

 

Avoid.

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  • 7 months later...

I dont think anyone did this one yet so here goes

 

Scrapyard Dog

 

Graphics 7/10

 

Though they arent perfect, I think the graphics are over all well done, the back rounds in each level

are all done very nicely and over all each level looks really great.

 

Sound 8/10

 

Though it gets repetitive, the tune that plays is catchy, and the other sounds in the game are all

done well.

 

Gameplay 10/10

 

For me this was a perfect platformer game, not too hard, yet not too easy either. If you are a

fan of platform games, then this is definetly a game for you!

 

over all score 9/10

 

A just plain fun game for the great Lynx!!

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RYGAR

 

Like with Tecmo´s Ninja Gaiden, Rygar for Lynx is the most accurate port of the preceeding arcade game of the same name on any console.

While the popular NES-version strayed far away from the original, the Sega Master System-version was closer, yet technically and gameplaywise very rough on the edges. The Lynx version, latest of the ports, improved on these aspects. The result is a game with great visuals that manage to mimic the arcade very accurately. From the atmospheric backdrops of forests and hills in bright daylight over waterfalls, a beatutyful sunset to snowy landscapes Rygar offers great variety; and even the sprites with their animations closely resemble the arcade game, although some of the enemy´s animation-phases had to be cut out. However, is only noticeable to players of the original and forgiveable seeing how exceptionally well-done it all is; where SMS and especially the NES-version suffer from hevy flickering albeit being less detailed to begin with the Lynx has no problems displaying the action flicker-free and with no slowdown. Even the Lynx´ biggest flaw, the very low resolution works well for Rygar; what´s missing is basically just a big chunk of the sky and the ground. The enemies are still seen well before they attack, and the zoomed playfield makes the game with the nice big sprites even more impressive; the arcade version rather suffered from the sprites looking small in comparison to the big visible area than it did benefit from it.

 

The sound is not such a pleasure; while it is not disturbing, the music and sound effects are only average and quickly forgotten.

 

The most important aspect is the gameplay. While I must admit that it is not as impressive as the visuals it is still well executed. Rygar is a pretty straight left-to-right-action-platformer; with little platforming especially in early levels though. The main focus definately lies in defeating enemies using the unique diskamor. The enemies attack from all directions and the player has to react quickly to survive; every hit means the loss of a life, and no continues are given. But while this sounds like a source of frustration the difficulty is actually so perfectly balanced that even-first time-players will survive the first level, and the learning curve is optimal; something not many Lynx-games can offer. The gameplay mechanics themselves are fairly simlistic; you can stand, crouch or jump, throwing your diskamor at enemies or jump on enemies heads to stun them and jump even higher and further at the same time. Your goal is to kill as many enemies as possible, collect extras and reach the level end fast; that´s it. If you are looking for something innovative, look elsewhere. Yet it is the sheer simplicity that works in Rygar´s favor; where other Lynx-games like Slime World take quite a bit to get used to Rygar is perfectly playable from minute 1.

 

In conclusion, Rygar is just a visually nice, easy to pick up and play arcade-port that no Lynx-player should miss. Not often can a Lynx-port be seen as the very best of all homeports; yet for Rygar this is true.

 

Rating: 8

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  • 9 months later...

It's time for the first new review in almost a year!

 

Xybots

 

Xybots is a fun little shooter/puzzle game, and isn't nearly as mediocre as people make it sound. The object of the game is to try to find the exit in a series of mazes filled with robots, keys, and secret areas. The gameplay isn't quite like anything I've seen before, and will certainly raise eyebrows the first time. Your man can only face in the direction the camera is facing, meaning you can't shoot enemies down or to the side of you. You can switch the camera by holding B and walking into an ajacent block of the maze, which is very useful and essential for finding secret areas. Secret areas can be opened with keys you buy or find in the level, and can have some suprising contents. You can also bring up a map of all the areas you've discovered in the level and your stats by holding down Option 2. The exit is a large red crosshair on the floor, and touching it will suck you down through the floor and into the shop area. In the shop, you can buy extra powers like increased maximum energy and more powerful shots. Once you're done shopping, you are taken down to the next level. As for the graphics, they're good but not anything super special, as is the sound. Overall, Xybots is a great game and a worthy addition to anyones collection.

 

Score: 8.5

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

Could someone review alien vs predator?

I'm not much of a reviewer, but here are my thoughts on AvP:

 

Performance-wise, Alien Vs Predator is one of the most impressive games on the Lynx. Perhaps the closest thing to it that's widely available is Xybots, which is already an impressive game. But AvP features awesomely smooth pseudo-3D scrolling that you would not expect from a platform released in 1989. You can only turn in 90 degree angles, just like in Xybots, but the walls scroll past you smoothly, not like in Xybots where the walls scroll one room at a time. The few missions available in the "demo" version have you wandering maze-like levels as the Marine or Predator. The environments mostly look the same, IIRC...they all look like you're on the Alien ship, although some of the mission briefing screens tell you you're on the Predator ship. You basically wander around completing objectives like finding a bomb or finding the exit. There's an auto-map feature that shows you all the places you've seen so far in each level. There's humans roaming around the levels too, and you can shoot at them but you can't kill them for good - apparently the sprite work wasn't quite complete in this version. There's also a motion tracker on-screen, but I think it's just there for decoration. You can switch weapons too, but the only ones available are the pulse rifle and flame thrower for the marine and the combi-stick and disc for the predator (I could be wrong about the disc, it's been awhile since I played the game thoroughly).

 

I once played about five missions into the marine game before I got stuck. I was surprised at how complete the soundtrack is. There's seven completed tracks, which is pretty far along for a game as early in development as the rest of the demo appears to be.

 

If you want a better idea about what the game is like, why not look up some gameplay videos on youtube? Avoid the emulator ones though...they make the game look and sound a lot choppier than it actually is.

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  • 6 months later...

 

Extras 10 : How about the biggest easter egg ever...a whole new version of the game in filled vector graphics!!!! I kid you not.

 

 

This caught my attention and made me want this game badly LOL. It's awesome that a developer hid this game and made a simpler version of it and not the real one that they made. It's like getting 2 games in one cartridge. Like playing Conker's Pocket Tales, there's 2 different quests in one cartridge. There are Gameboy version that's only accessible for Gameboy/Super Gameboy(has border wallpaper for it). Then there's a Color Gameboy version of it that's accessible only on the Color Gameboy/GBA/GBAplayer. Rare didn't want to throw away their Gameboy version of this game and already designed for, so they included it on the cartridge. The save files are not cross compatible, and will be erase if you want to play one a different version. This isn't really an easter egg, but I guess I'm not very good at this.

 

Xybots review/guide

 

Yes, another review of Xybots because I just beat this awesome game.

 

There's 52 levels to go through the games and it'll take you about 3-4 hours to go through in one go. There are warps that you can find and take to skip about 3 levels ahead.

 

This game is a corridor action game filled with items, robots, and guardians. Your mission is to go through the levels and defeat the Master Xybot. Do not get yourself neutralize! Otherwise, you have to start over from the beginning from level one. There's no continues or password!!! So you are warned!!!!! Charge those batteries, or plug the Lynx into the wall and endure the game til the end to neutralize Master Xybot once in, for all!!! MAHAHAHA!!!! sorry I got over dramatic.

 

Anyway, the game itself is an endurance run. The game is simple enough to get you to the end of the game. A full game should take a player about 3-4 hours to get through.

 

Graphics: Very close to the arcade game, which I played on MAME and PSP Midway's collection. I LOVE the fact that the health, map, and power-up are on a separate screen rather than have them all on the screen cluttering it up. The color palette seems to be chosen very carefully for this game. I believe the game walls are the reason for it since the pattern changes level per level. There's the corridor zoom in and animation, but the rotation animation had to be ditched. Giving this a 10.

 

Gameplay/controls: Doesn't run very smoothly, but playable! You will get hit by enemies' blaster whether you like it or not, that's the risk you take in this game. Each blaster hit only zap your life by 8 HP. The game will lag when there's a lot of objects on the screen. Also your controls are a bit delay. So dodging is a hit or a miss.

 

I find using the zapper is useless and takes 25% of your energy away. Don't use the zapper, unless you want to destroy the barrel to get gun(or other item) power-up. You can use them to stun the enemies. Make sure to check your map first to see if there's a health power-up nearby before use.

 

The games give you 30 coins at start while the arcade version only gives you one coin for each coin you insert. The More Zapper Power and More Shot Power are suppose to be permanent power-up. They are only good for one level and not worth investing in. I guess it makes sense for them to not make them permanent in this version, otherwise it'll make the game too easy. I find investing in maxing out Slow HP drain, double shot, and occasionally the speed-up power-up to be the most useful. Do not use speed power-up against Master Xybot since it takes about a 10-20 seconds to take down Master Xybot and 6 coins. Buy reflective shot power-up against him if you're at 25%+ Health. The 50HP power-up only can be brought if you're light on your back is red. 7 coins is worth it, so make sure you have that much on you at all time!

 

One of the monster from the arcade version didn't make it into this game. It is only replace by Saucer 2, that can fire blaster at you. I was hoping to fight him in this version. I just figured that the developer didn't have the processing cycle leftover to implant his attack animation, which is pretty complicated. It looks like bug and it flies in a circle while firing when it is near the ground and this is the only time that you can hit him with your blaster at this position.

 

I'll give this an 8, due to choppiness in controls.

 

Difficulty: It's a hard game. If you keep your Slow HP up and double shot up, then it'll be easier.

 

For who: For me of course!!! Just kidding. I think people who love to explore dungeon and such would love this game. Megaman Legend, the dungeon part of that game is the best part of this game.

 

My experience:

 

At the end of this game, I had to kinda rush at the end. I been playing this game for about 3-4 hours straight. I knew it was almost time for the batteries to run out of juice. Seeing level 47 screen and stating that Master Xybot is 2 level away. I rushed through that level, then level 48 said nothing about Master Xybot. At that time, the sounds sounded wierd. I figure I should able to beat Master Xybot the next level and get to the final boss at level 50. So I beat level 48, and started level 49. Where is Xybot? So I beat the next 2 levels, luckily the screen dimming of doom hasn't started yet. Seeing level 51 map screen made me smile when I completed the map for it. I won't spoil it so you guys need to play this game and see for yourself. After that level, I beat the last boss and got to the ending screen. \^o^/. I friggen love this game!

 

As for the batteries, I check them out using a ghetto method of checking their power. I dugged out the Wii-Mote with Classic controller attached to it. I put in a dead battery in one slot, then put a rechargeable battery in the other slot. This is the most accurate way of checking how much charge you have left. 5 of the batteries only had 2 light flashing on the Wii-mote, the last one only had 1 light flashing on the Wii-mote. The batteries probably had about 10 minute of juice left.

 

I'll give this game a 9 out of 10, because I wanted to play this game so badly on the Lynx and Atariage made it possible for me to buy this game!

Edited by Kiwi
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  • 4 months later...

Reviewing: Eye of the Beholder (beta version)

 

As this community is already aware of, soon, EricDeLee will be distributing copies of one of the most anticipated Lynx games since the system was released. Since I'm a big sucker for these type of games, I couldn't resist to get my hands on a beta version. Although labeled beta, I understand the only difference between the version I'm reviewing and the soon-to-be released version is mainly the label on the cart.

 

Welcome to Deepwater

If you are into dungeon crawlers since the early 90s, there's a big change you already played the PC version (or one of the many other ports) of this game. Surprisingly, the whole experience of that game has been ported completely to the Atari Lynx. After a small text introduction you'll get to the setup screen for your party. Here you have a wide range of possibilities to customize your 4 heroes. After setting up the party, a text intro tells some backstory, and you find yourself at the collapsed entrance of the Waterdeep sewers.

 

Gameplay

Movement of your party takes place in a 3D maze, with the D-pad to move forward/backward and strafe, the B and A buttons are used to turn left and right respectively. The game follows the typical dungeon crawler formula of finding loot, level up your character and descend deeper into the dungeon which is a huge maze. A pencil and some paper with squares is adviced if you want to find your way around.

Lots of different items and weapons can be found throughout the game, ranging from weapons and armor to spells and potions. Be sure to look into every corner of the dungeon since all is needed the more you descend.

 

The interface with respect to the original has been redesigned to fit and work on the Lynx, and the programmers have done this flawlessly. Granted, there is a small learning curve to get familiar with the controls, but it shouldn't take more than an hour to get used to it. A lot of item management is needed after every encounter with an enemy, but after each battle this will go faster and faster. A minor issue might be

the fact that the mouse cursor feels choppy on the in-game screen compared to the mouse cursor in the rest of the menus, but this is something to be expected from a game this complex on a system like this. But after some time it doesn't influence the gameplay anymore.

 

Graphics:

Everybody aware of this game probably has seen the slideshow. We are expecting some great graphics for this game, and all of this is true. The Lynx really shows off its capabilities here. Enemies sprites that wander around are animated neatly from walking to attack to casting magic. All items have their own designs and are scaled when approaching them on the dungeon floor. Magic fx is also crafted convincing. The design of the walls change between floors but some people might not like the monotonous repetition of walls for each floor seperately. However, this monotony

is true to the original, and I wouldn't like it any other way. What really struck me is how the full-screen enhances the claustrophobic atmosphere of the game over the original. Walking around in the dungeon getting lost feels more threatening than in the original because of the

absence of the big user interface of the original.

 

Sound:

The main game doesn't have any background music playing, but then again, the original also didn't have this. However, compared to the original, some sound effects to enhance the atmosphere have been removed. Plenty of other effects make this up though, and we're talking about a port to the Lynx, so its hard not to be amazed by the overal quality.

 

Replayability:

It'll take a lot of hours for someone to beat the game without any help of a walkthrough. I admit I'm using a walkthrough from time to time if I'm really lost. So far, every floor took me about 1 to 2 hours to beat. With 12 floors in the game this makes it an incredibly big playthrough. Thank god there's a save-feature available that works perfect. A nice thing about D&D games like this is that it has great replayability; choosing a different party will result in a different experience. There's also a few sidequests that you can dive into if you missed them on the first run, so playing the game a few times in a row should still be interesting.

 

Rating:

I easily give this game the highest rating of all the games of the system, but I am biased to this type of game. Because I been taught there's no such thing as 'perfect scores', I will give this game a big whopping 9.5 and its definitely my favorite game now on the system.

 

FINAL NOTE ON SAVEGAME FEATURE:

I have to address the saving system here. Its impossible to play this game without it, and it works as it should. However, it did give me some unexpected behavior when writing this review. I reached the 5th floor as I started writing the review, and wanted to see the start-up of the game again. I quickly setup the party, walked around for a minute for the sake of this review, and when I wanted to continue my save-game it was erased... I started at the entrance again with some default party. So a BIG WARNING to those who will play this game and don't want to lose their save game. If you have your save-game going on, don't start a new game whatever reason you have, because it will result in removing your save-game.

Edited by Ninjabba
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Reviewing: Eye of the Beholder (beta version)

FINAL NOTE ON SAVEGAME FEATURE:

I have to address the saving system here. Its impossible to play this game without it, and it works as it should. However, it did give me some unexpected behavior when writing this review. I reached the 5th floor as I started writing the review, and wanted to see the start-up of the game again. I quickly setup the party, walked around for a minute for the sake of this review, and when I wanted to continue my save-game it was erased... I started at the entrance again with some default party. So a BIG WARNING to those who will play this game and don't want to lose their save game. If you have your save-game going on, don't start a new game whatever reason you have, because it will result in removing your save-game.

 

 

Yes.... this is known and something that happens in the Proto as well. I really wish I could have caught you before you did that! It is part of the manual as well... something I only made as a small afternote. Perhaps I'll re-arrange it and make sure it has 'special attention' at the beginning of the manual. I will read the rest of the review now... LOL

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  • 2 months later...

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