5200, 7800, or Lynx?

[lisalover1]

I'm going to buy a new Atari console, but I'm having trouble deciding which one to get. I want to get the system with a lot of games, so I can only choose 1 of these 3. On one hand, I'm really interested in the 5200 as a system, due to the amazing graphics and sound it could produce in a game if programmed by someone who knew what they were doing. I'm also absolutely amazed by Adventure 2; if I do get a 5200, that will be one of the first games I get after the initial games that come with the system. The 7800 has more games that I am interested in, like Ballblazer [Yeah, I know it is also for the 5200], and Dark Chambers. However, I'm not very interested in the system itself, and I don't like the looks of the stick-like controller. Finally, the Lynx; I am always stunned by the graphics the Lynx can put out, so that makes it a very cool system for a potential purchase. There are a fair amount of games that I am interested in for the Lynx, such as Basketbrawl, Blue Lightning, Chip's Challenge, and Hydra. One more extra option, I could just skip buying a system, and spend it all on Jaguar and 2600 games. What is your opinion?

Edited July 9, 2010 by lisalover1

[+GroovyBee]

I say 7800 but then again I'm biased .

[lisalover1]

I say 7800 but then again I'm biased .

So, why should I pick the 7800? It would greatly help my decision if you could give some reasons why the system is a good choice.

[+GroovyBee]

So, why should I pick the 7800? It would greatly help my decision if you could give some reasons why the system is a good choice.

 

I write games for it. Check out my profile for games that are being worked on or have already been released on cart.

 

It has a healthy homebrew scene, as does the Lynx. From what I can see the 5200 doesn't get much homebrew love.

 

If you don't like the Proline sticks you can opt for the Euro controllers which are a bit NES like.

[+save2600]

+1 for the 7800 as well. Great arcade titles, new games still coming out for it and it's backwards compatible w/ 2600.

 

5200 is just a big/hefty Atari 8-bit with horrible controllers that require a lot of care.

 

Lynx's screen is washed out and blurs big time. Probably has the worst picture quality of any handheld ever made, next to Lame.com's And it's a portable. Are you really going to play games on the go, or desire to look at a tiny screen? Portability is one thing, but I've never been too impressed with the Lynx's library either.

 

...hey, you asked! lol

[The_Laird]

The Lynx, pure and simple.

 

It has the best good to bad ratio of games on any console or handheld in my opinion and as well as a host of great unique games, like the Epyx titles, it also has some of the best arcade conversions you will find anywhere.

 

I love the 7800 but it dosn't have many unique games that you can't play elsewhere and my Lynx is portable too and if go away anywhere it goes with me.

 

Oh and for the record the Lynx has far far better screen than the awful one on the Gamegear.

[accousticguitar]

7800. It plays about 99% of all the 2600 games ever made, and all the 7800 games. You can use the 2600 joystick on it for many of the 7800 games and all the 2600 games. It's a great system!

 

The Lynx is OK for a portable system on the go. I just don't care for that small screen.

 

The 5200 has a lot less games on it than the 7800 (when counting 2600 games) and the controllers are even worse. It's huge so it takes up a lot of space. If you use adapters so you can use better joysticks you have wires strung out all over the place. Really, a better choice than the 5200 is the 800xl computer. It has pretty much all the 5200 games and tons more besides. It takes up less room too.

[stinkoman]

You should buy my lynx so I can buy a 5200 that Im thinking about.The lynx is actualy pretty fun I have 2 otherwise I wouldnt sell it.I thinik you should buy them all since they can be add for cheap.If you get the 7800 sell your 2600 since you can play both games on it.

[roland p]

Lynx. I enjoyed its games very much. And the lynx' games are made to play on a lynx. Emulation somehow doesn't cut it. It is a unique system

[Austin]

The Lynx will impress the most out of either of the other choices, for sure.. All the SNES-like scaling, colorful visuals, etc., will probably make your jaw drop if you have never played one before. And like it's been said before, it has a great ratio of good to bad games, and a good majority can be found cheap. I often see CIB Lynx 1 or 2 systems going for under a hundred bucks with 20 or so games. Talk about a steal!

 

The 7800 is a nifty little platform, and it does have a very strong homebrew scene (Just visit the 7800 portion of the forums to see). I think a lot of the ports it has though are better (and cheaper) on other platforms. On the other hand, it does have a handful of unique originals (Ninja Golf, Midnight Mutants), and many of its R1/R2 games are very, very cheap, and can still be had new, sealed, at very good prices.. Asides from 2600 compatibility though, the newer homebrews are what really makes the system these days, IMO. Super Pac-Man, anyone? Oh.. And please, please do not buy it strictly for Dark Chambers. You will probably be disappointed with it.

 

I have never owned a *working* 5200. It looks like a neat system, but if you are trying to go with a system that has a much larger library with roughly the same kind of titles, maybe a XEGS would be a better choice (It plays all the 400/800 computer games, or something along those lines?). Regardless, the 5200 is surely a unique part of gaming history. If you buy it CIB, it's box is MASSIVE. Also, its arcade ports look to be quality, for sure.

Edited July 10, 2010 by Austin

[+TrekMD]

That is a hard choice. I all depends on what you're looking for. If you want a console to play on your TV, I'd recommend the 7800. The backwards compatibility to the 2600 alone gives you a very large library of games. Also, as mentioned by others, there are a number of excellent homebrews for the 7800 out there and there are more on the way. The games are usually easy to get as well.

 

If you want a portable, then the Lynx is the way to go. It has a large library of games and there are also homebrews available for it. One of the best recent releases is Zaku.

 

I've never owned a 5200. I've played the games via emulation, however. The 7800 beats the graphics of the 5200 but the 5200 has better sound (unless the 7800 games have a POKEY chip. A new expansion module is being developed for the 7800 here within the community which will add capabilities to the 7800 to make even better homebrew games for it.

 

Good luck making your choice!

[kool kitty89]

The Lynx will impress the most out of either of the other choices, for sure.. All the SNES-like scaling, colorful visuals, etc., will probably make your jaw drop if you have never played one before. And like it's been said before, it has a great ratio of good to bad games, and a good majority can be found cheap. I often see CIB Lynx 1 or 2 systems going for under a hundred bucks with 20 or so games. Talk about a steal!

Why do people keep saying that? The Lynx's scaling is nothing like the SNES... SNES's mode 7 is very limited, a single tile (or 2 with more limits) and the only BG layer present (can change on a line by line basis and sprites can be used to simulate a BG) with limit of 256 8x8 tiles. It's 256 colors though and can be scales and rotated (and warped with a little more overhead I think -warping is what's done for the 3D perspective ground/road and such).

 

Lynx does scaling of multiple objects of various sizes but the same 16 colors as the rest of the display, a bit more like scaling in arcades or maybe like the Amiga. (or software scaling on similar PC games like Wing Commander and some racing games)

No rotation though, just scaling, like Space Harrier, Our Run, or After Burner. (a mode 7 like layer would have to be done with a lot of added CPU grunt, and I've seen demos of such on the Lynx, but it's not a hardware feature afik)

 

That says nothing about the machine itself though, lots of good games to look for, but it and much of the games are not particularly cheap. (the 7800 is easily the best in that regard)

[Austin]

Why do people keep saying that? The Lynx's scaling is nothing like the SNES...

 

Um, instead of burrying yourself in the underlying systematic details, try using your eyes. Mode 7 is surely different from how the Lynx processes its scaling, but much of the same effect can be achieved via either method.

[DracIsBack]

I write games for it. Check out my profile for games that are being worked on or have already been released on cart.

 

That in itself should do it! Plus Cuttle Cart 2, Expension Module, PacMan Plus's games, Kenfused games etc.

 

7800 is suddenly having a new lease in life!

 

 

From what I can see the 5200 doesn't get much homebrew love.

 

It went through a phase before where it got awesome homebrews. Adventure II comes to mind.

[Blur2040]

Of those systems, I have to vote Lynx.

 

Lynx games are mostly awesome. Many games are cheap, as is the system. I love the thing to death. Hard to find flaw in the Lynx.

 

7800 is fun, but most of what is there are things that you can see elsewhere on other consoles. Makes an excellent 2600 player, though.

 

5200. Shit controls, giant system. Really pointless considering the fact that Atari 8 Bit computers exist.

 

So, though Lynx would be my #1 choice out of those, I'd recommend an Atari 8 bit, too. You get practically everything the 5200 has plus MANY more games, with awesome digital controllers, plus SIO2PC...and all the other homebrew peripherals. My personal favorite is the ever cheesy XEGS.

[BydoEmpire]

I voted 5200. There are lots of great games, including some unique stuff, games are cheap, and there are some great new release (Sinistar, Adventure 2). Yeah, you can get a lot the games for the A8, but that wasn't a poll option (I probably would have picked that). Still, the 5200 has a somewhat undefinable "fun/cool" quality to it. I just seem to enjoy the games on it - they play fast and smooth and look good. I picked up a rebuilt controller from Best Electronics and haven't had a single issue with it in 3 years.

[4Ks]

Lynx all the way. It's got ports, unique games, homebrews, and whatever else. It's also really cheap at the moment.

[Video]

It's not really fair to compare the Lynx to a console....

 

Personally, I'd say the 7800. The 5200 does indeed have nice graphics (and better sound) when someone knew what they were doing....that being said, most of the 5200 library was just 2600 games upconverted to 5200 (and quite often, not updated at all) The 7800 is from a different era, and while it does sufffer from the "me to" ports that are available fon the 5200 and 2600 (and other consoles at the time) it also has the widest range of console games that are unique to it, and many of them are great games you won't find anywhere else. Add to that, you got the almost full support of the 2600 as well, and it's a really great deal IMO.

 

All three consoles have homebrew for them, probably about the same for each, though again, the 7800 gets all the 2600 love too, so it'll have the largest ammount of games, even if they aren't technically made for it

 

Now the Lynx, as I said, it's handheld, it's more modern still, and it has a wide range of games on it too, and far fewer arcade ports (more unique titles) but it's a battery hog, and really is more suited to a home system. But when you take it on the go, it's pretty cool, but get some good rechargeables.

 

If you could get two systems, I'd say get the 7800 and the lynx, the best of both handheld and console worlds.

[kool kitty89]

Why do people keep saying that? The Lynx's scaling is nothing like the SNES...

 

Um, instead of burrying yourself in the underlying systematic details, try using your eyes. Mode 7 is surely different from how the Lynx processes its scaling, but much of the same effect can be achieved via either method.

 

No, they're very, very different... The SNES's Mode 7 scaling is no good for doing the kind of effects seen in Blue Lightning for instance, or any arcade style racers with conventional line scrolled tracks and scaled "sprites" (objects) like Out Run, Lotus (I think the Amiga and PC versions have actual scaling not choppy animation of the console ports) or jaguar XJ220. (I know there's some examples on the lynx but I can't name them at the moments, maybe Checkered Flag)

 

The lynx can't due the rotating texture layer the SNES can and neither can the scaling arcade machines I mentioned (I think some did later on, but games like Out Run, Afterburner, Space Harrier, Thunder Blade, Galaxy Force, etc are all straight "zoom" type scaling). To put it another way: the Atari Jaguar's object processor produced "sprites" which can be scaled (zoomed), but not rotated or warped, but the blitter can use texture mapping to create roatating and warped objects, but not nearly as fast as the object processor. (Super Burnout on the Jag is almost all object processor sprites I believe, maybe even the track/ground -seems to be a simple linescroll/warping effect, not some of the more complex features on the blitter -as with Atari Carts, for example)

 

Now the SNES ONLY has that single tile layer, so in games like Mario Kart and F-Zero you have typical super choppy sprite animation "jummping" from one frame to the next.

Then you have cases like the Sega CD, Jaguar, or later consoles (or PC with software rendering) that can do both and more: multiple scaled/rotated/warped objects, the latter 2 utilizing texture rendering the former not necessarily. (on the Sega CD I think it has to use the same type of rendering for that too, no more dedicated hardware like the jaguar's object processor -same for 3DO, PSX, Saturn and such, all texture mapped surfaces being used, though PC or 32x doing only zooming could be using a simpler method given the flexible nature of software rendering)

In the Sega CD's case it generally won't have the 60 Hz framerate of mode 7 due to DMA bandwidth limitations (more competitive for PAL regions) and it's limited to the Genesis color palettes (renders bitmap images onto background or sprite tiles), but is far more flexible.

BC Racers and Atari Karts have fully scaled objects as wells as a rotating/warped texture surface compared to Mario Kart's choppy pseudo-scaled sprites. (and the same feature used to render the ground on the Jaguar and Sega CD is also useful for texture mapping polygons, which several games use it for -very few on the Sega CD, but the Batman and Robin and Batman Returns, Joe Montana NFL, and Formula One Beyond the Limit do that to a limited extent; and of course, the 3DO, Saturn, Playstation, etc use it for that quite frequently)

 

And back to the Lynx: it wouldn't be able to do that SNES type layer at all save for using a ton of CPU resource (as shown in some demos), but again, gales that solely used zooming effects cater well to the Lynx.

 

 

I don't mean to be a jerk or anything, but it really is a lot more than semantics, it's the difference between entire genres (or at least specific mechanics in subsets of genres). So saying scaling is fine, but "scaling and rotation" and especially "SNES style scaling" would be very wrong and, more importantly: misleading.

That's how I got the initial impression that the Lynz could do hardware scaling AND rotation a while back, when that's certainly not the case.

[shadow460]

I'd probably go for the Lynx myself. That's because it's the last one of those systems I purchased.

 

Seems to me each has a different set of arcade ports. Some are on more than one system, but there are exclusives. Not counting any other Atari systems besides the ones mentioned, you have Qix and Kangaroo for the 5200, Food Fight and Galaga for the 7800, and the Lynx has RoadBlasters and STUN Runner. Which of those do you prefer?

 

Also consider, do you want to spend tons of money on good controllers or do you want to spend it on batteries?

[DeathAdderSF]

Lynx. It's a very impressive machine, plus its compact. As well, it's the only system that Zaku was released for.

[pinball22]

I picked the 5200, though as people have said, you can get much the same effect with an A8. Great arcade ports (Qix, Pengo, Joust), great versions of the Activision games (plus some that don't have 2600 versions, like Zenji).

[jetset]

5200 hands down. It's a much more fun system overall than the other two. I'll avoid the usual 5200 v 7800 debate, and the Lynx is a handheld, so it's kind of unfair to compare them. Gaming is about having fun playing the games. Given the three choices, the 5200 is miles above the other two when you get right down to it, and that's what counts.

[famicommander]

I love all three platforms.

 

Lynx has the best unique library, and some cool features. You can also find an ass ton of still sealed games for it, which is sweet.

 

5200 has a lot of great titles, but it's limited by its controller reliability, cost, size, and connection method (on the four port, anyway). It's for enthusiasts only.

 

7800 is mostly home to great arcade ports. It has the advantage of being the least expensive of the three and it is also backwards compatible with 2600 out of the box. It's also very easy to find sealed games. Definitely the most accessible of the three.

 

It really depends on which way you want to go with it. If you want a system that's going to be cheap and easy to find great titles for, go with 7800.

[Video]

Zaku would have been impressive for a Rare title bitd. Any Idea just how "back" the backorder goes? I'd love to get one.