In the mid-to-late 1980s, gaming was going through a major renaissance. After the massive industry crash in 1983, video games were coming back in style, mostly thanks to Nintendo’s efforts with the NES. At the time, a few other companies were trying to get back into the groove, including Atari, who decided to tackle the handheld market instead of releasing a new home console. Thus, the Atari Lynx was born in September 1989, an impressive portable system that checked all the boxes. Unfortunately, Nintendo’s iconic Game Boy came out the same year, slaughtering all competition and dominating the market. There’s simply no contending with how influential and amazing the Game Boy was (and still is), but looking back on things 35 years later, it’s clear that the Atari Lynx was light years ahead of Nintendo’s block-like baby in almost every single way.
Epyx and Atari Build the Future
In 1986, Epyx, a company that rose to fame thanks to their publishing efforts on the Commodore 64, started to look for a new path to success. Dave Morse, a software manager, suggested that the company develop a portable game console of their own, and recruited ex-Amiga co-workers RJ Mical and Dave Needle to join the project. Originally called the “Handy Game”, development on the handheld continued into the late-80s, and Atari took interest after seeing the product at the 1989 Consumer Electronics Show. With money tight on Epyx’s side, Atari took on manufacturing while Epyx handled game development for launch, and after a few months, the rebranded Atari Lynx was brought to market on September 1, 1989.
Although the Nintendo Game Boy had launched just a few months prior, the Atari Lynx was the better system by a simple glance. Compared to the Game Boy’s admittedly dull visuals, the Lynx showcased a beautiful array of colors on its back-lit, LCD screen. The form factor was far ahead of its time, now reminiscent of the Nintendo Switch, though it was a bit heavy. For fun with friends, the Lynx was the king of multiplayer, supporting an absurd 16 players at once via the Comlynx cable. While it was rare to see that many Lynx machines in one place, especially when you consider its high cost of $180, linking up with a few friends was still incredibly easy. With its pseudo-3D graphics, vivid display, and futuristic features, the Atari Lynx was a hell of a competitor.
71 Cartridges of Fun
An apt phrase to describe the library of Atari Lynx games would be “quality over quantity”, as the handheld only saw a total of 71 retail games released in its lifespan. While the Game Boy had a vast library of 500+ games in the US alone, the Lynx boasted some real gems to make up for the lack of third-party support. Action games aplenty dominate any list of the best Lynx titles, often utilizing advanced tech like the first-person battle racer, Battle Wheels, or the chaotic hybrid, S.T.U.N Runners. Excellent ports of arcade classics also fueled the Lynx library, with bangers like Xybots, Robotron: 2084, Rygar, and more. In fact, the Atari Lynx was the only handheld to receive a port of the classic Tecmo arcade game, Ninja Gaiden.
Everyone remembers playing Tetris on their Game Boy, but the Atari Lynx had some great puzzle games too. Klax was always better on the Lynx, and we can’t forget Chip’s Challenge, a top-down puzzle game that has become a cult classic over time. The Lynx also has a few action-platformers to compete with Nintendo’s red-capped plumber, including Toki, as well as Todd’s Adventures in Slime World. Many of these games were elevated by the Comlynx cable, and while there was never an official title that offered 16-player madness, most of the multiplayer offerings were far better than expected. This combination of quality and variety made the Atari Lynx a versatile platform with lots of appeal, and the succinct library just begs to be collected in completion.
The Legacy of Atari Lynx
Sadly, the heightened hardware and satisfying software library of the Atari Lynx was no match for the affordability and all-encompassing appeal of the Nintendo Game Boy. Like the Sega Game Gear and the NEC TurboExpress, the Lynx was stomped out of the competition in just a few years. Even after Atari released a second version of the Lynx in 1991, with a less bulky look and better battery life, there was no saving this system. By 1995, the Lynx was officially discontinued and Atari stepped out of the gaming industry a year later following the utter failure of their fifth-generation home console, the Jaguar.
Despite its grim end and subsequent disappearance from general pop culture, the Atari Lynx is still relevant 35 years after its initial release, thanks to a dedicated fanbase and consistent homebrew development. To date, dozens of unofficial games have been developed for the Lynx, some of which have even received limited physical releases. No matter how hard history tries to forget about the Atari Lynx, this underdog system still lives on, with new fans discovering the platform thanks to the homebrew and retro collection scenes. It burned fast and bright, but the Atari Lynx is a star of the retro handheld era that we won’t soon forget.
