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Well, you called him a thief. That's technically name-calling and not allowed on the forum, whether it's true or not.

Yep. Lucas lowered the bar as far as it will go with the prequels. Abrams has got it easy. He'd have to have 90 minutes of monkeys force-flinging their poo to screw this up.

Thanks! It's just one part of my old Mac museum.

I've got Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi pretty much memorized but I don't remember every episode of Star Trek. So, based on that, if I had to pick one franchise to keep me entertained I'd have to got with Star Trek. Specifically the Next Generation. Engage.

Thanks! What I really want to do is make a docking connector for VGA and controller system functions but there definitely isn't enough space in the Brightness slot for that. I'm considering a DB-25 port on the back of the Lynx below the cart port (if there's enough room, I'm not sure yet). Failing that, I may just go with more pin headers with some way of keying it. Yes, that's my first computer! Bought in 1996. Sounds like yours is very nicely upgraded. I didn't realize you could go that high with the RAM. I added a 250MHz Sonnet G3 upgrade to mine back in 2004 and it remained my main desktop computer until 2006. The highest OS I've put in it is 8.6 due to the limited RAM I have in it (80MB, IIRC). It shares the display/keyboard/mouse with my Blue & White G3. I played a lot of games and learned C programming on that Mac so it's a keeper. I boot it up every now and then. It's the only PowerPC Mac in my collection with its own distinct startup chime.

I'll second Guardians: Storm Over Doria. I remember seeing this in EGM and thinking it looked really cool. I'd also love to see some of the classic LucasArts point'n'click adventures like Maniac Mansion or Day of the Tentacle. I know it'd be near impossible to be able to use those IPs but to see an engine developed for that game play would be fantastic.

Success! I soldered another female pin header to two of the holes left by brightness dial to act as support for the main header sticking out of the slot. It helps hold everything together without having to use a glue. It does cause the header to angle a little bit but it isn't very noticeable.

Anything before PS1, Saturn, and N64, I'd say. When those arrived we saw entirely different styles of gameplay and presentation, which is how I prefer to define console generations. Before those systems we saw 2D gaming, which is retro now since we don't see much of that style of gameplay anymore (except on portable systems and computers). Retro (arcade-style gameplay): 2600/5200/7800, INTV, Colecovision Retro (2D platforming and presentation): NES, SNES, Master System, Genesis, SegaCD, 32X, Turbografx-16/CD, Neo-Geo/CD Recent (emphasis on 3D environments): Saturn, PS1, PS2, Xbox, N64, GameCube Modern (tighter online integration): 360, Xbone, PS3, PS4, Wii, WiiU The 32X is a tough one. It kinda walks the line between the 2D and 3D transition. I gotta give it the retro-nod though because it relies on retro consoles.

I'm trying something out for my VGA connector. I'm not sure I want to cut into my Lynx case yet so I found something that just barely fits in the slot left by the Brightness dial. If this works I'll post more pics. The one problem with the design is it isn't keyed so I'll need to put a label on the adapter cable that says "This side up" or something.

I would love to get some Mega Man games for my NES but there is no way I'm paying what those games go for. Especially when I have the MM Collections for GameCube and PS2. And can play it in emulation with save states. Not the same to me but it's a lot cheaper.

I finished my screen mod last night. There are simply not enough letters in "Wow!". My Lynx now feels like a new system. The colors are rich, the ghosting is gone, and the viewing angle is superb. And the one thing I can really rejoice in, as a longtime Lynx owner: the backlight is evenly distributed! I played Steel Talons last night and for the first time my eyes didn't strain at the low contrast colors. It was blissful. If you are on the fence about getting this, let this be an endorsement to get it. This is the screen the Lynx deserves. A big "Thank you!" to McWill for producing this mod and getting it distributed. It's a professional piece of kit that I think every in-service Lynx should have.

Saying "Jeff Minter is Tempest 2000" is completely beside the point. He was paid by Atari to program Tempest 2000 for the Jaguar. That doesn't give him permission to make Tempest on his own. He doesn't own the brand.

So you're saying Jeff Minter owns the Tempest brand and is allowed to make Tempest games. Ugh, didn't even notice.

If anything in TxK screams "That's Tempest!!!", it's the claw ship. If I make a Super Mario clone and the protagonist looks exactly like Mario, I would expect a call from Nintendo's lawyers. Also, there's an article on Ars Technica and one of the screen shots comparing TxK to Tempest 2000 shows similar in-game text ("Jump Enabled"), among other things. I'm not taking sides here but when Zynga was ripping off the games of indie developers the community was in an uproar. How is this any different? From what I've seen and read, TxK appears to be a straight up Tempest game. Not just a clone or "inspired by". It's a modern, evolved version of Tempest in the same vein as Space Invaders Extreme or Pac-Man Championship Edition. That said, TxK looks cool as hell and I'd love to play it. Too bad Atari and Minter couldn't work something out instead of involving lawyers.

Yep. I've started on the ribbon cable connector and smaller components but I'll wait for my soldering station for that transformer. Thanks for the nudge. For anybody still waiting on their kit, don't trust that tracking number. My domestic tracking number still says mine is in New York...a week ago.

Received my kit today! So excited! Not sure if I should wait for my variable-temp soldering station to arrive or just go for it with my soldering pen...

Right now it's mostly just sketches and rough prototyping. I'm exploring the feasibility and if I can even pull it off. I'm confident that I can develop the joystick controls and tie them into the Lynx board. It'd be arcade controls with four action buttons (B, A, Option 1, and Option 2). A pause button will be present somewhere on the front. A dedicated "restart" button would be handy, I think (no pun intended). There will also be a switch that "rotates" the controls for vertical-oriented games. You physically rotate the screen and just flip the switch to toggle the joystick control orientation. The coin-slot area would probably have the "on" and "off" buttons. I still need to lock down a source for the rotating screen hardware and figure out a reasonable case design. I'll start a thread if things get real serious.

Exactly. I'm imagining a bare Lynx II board inside a mini-arcade cabinet with arcade controls. I've already breadboarded a multiplexer that lets you switch the joystick between horizontal and vertical games. I've mapped the input controls on the Lynx board (On, off, pause, B, A, Option 1, Option 2, etc.). With a rotating monitor, small speakers, arcade controls, and some tactile buttons for On/off/pause, a fun little Lynx "luggable" can be had. I'm still waiting on my LCD kit so I'm taking this time to poke around the Lynx a little bit (and probably getting ahead of myself!). By the way, many of us heard about the high voltage pin that powers the Lynx backlight. For those that don't know which pin it is, I've attached a pic. It will literally burn your skin. Do not touch it while your Lynx is powered up.

@McWill: Any chance of selling the kit without the LCD screen? After poking around my Lynx a little bit I'm seriously considering getting another kit and dedicating it to a mini-arcade cabinet.

Mine was in New York on Wednesday. I hope to have it early next week if it doesn't get here by tomorrow. Can't wait!

I didn't notice. Was too young to care. My attention turned to GI Joes and Transformers. When the late-80s came around and my interest in the Atari was renewed, I bought a bunch of games at K-Bee for around $2 a pop. Didn't hear about a crash until the turn of the century. Was like, "Huh, really?".

@Trebor: Thanks for the link! My Mouser-fu must be weak because I could swear I looked on their site for that style of button. @Keatah: Hmm, I didn't think about melting down the plastic. I did consider the Dremel tool but thought I'd try drilling the hole first.

Joystick. Pac-Man games are just not right unless you have a joystick. I'd be happy to substitute any pad game with a stick but don't make me play a stick game with a pad.

I finally got around to ordering some new tactile switches for my 7800. The power button has been flaky for many years and it got worse just recently so I figured it was time. The old switch came off alright. Some desoldering wick, patience, and a little prying and it popped right out. The replacement switches have a tall profile and you can either cut the stem off the 7800's power button (which I didn't want to do) or shave the switch down somehow. I opted to hand-drill a hole into the new switch to recess the surface a bit. That way the 7800's switch stem sits right in it. It powers on and off like a champ now!

I don't normally pursue boxed copies but that artwork is fantastic and I'd love to have a version that's bigger than the cart label. And that logo is great! I'm glad I didn't throw my hat in the ring during the label contest. I would've been put to shame! Any chance for a poster of this?