Atari Gamer articles

[+davidcalgary29]

I am not letting this one go without putting in a plug for My Precious Loopz, even if it does repeat one of the three in-game tunes. And I also really like the title tune for Alpine Games: it's very Olympian.

[Igor]

I was rather pleased with Alpine Games music when I played it last week. Loops has a nice catchy tune too. I've asking for some feedback on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/lynxfans/permalink/2455546504515704/) on whether I should open up a voting/rating page for Atari Lynx games, if there is going to be enough interest I'll make that happen and music will be one of the categories.

[+davidcalgary29]

Loopz has three catchy tunes.

 

Bring on the poll! But not on Facebook, please.

[Igor]

It won't be on Facebook, it will be a permanent voting feature on atarigamer.com

The idea is that all of the votes will be accepted up to the end of August and then in September the results will be published.

 

These are the categories I'm thinking...

 

Graphics

Sound Effects

Music

Controls

Replay Value

[+davidcalgary29]

And how about: “vs.” (battle of the ports!); “arcade faithfulness”; “28 years later” (how has it held up?)

[Igor]

Not all games are arcade ports though, but that's a good idea for an article in its own right. I'll let Jon (the co-writer) know and see what he can come up with. Thanks for the suggestions!

[Igor]

We're getting ready to celebrate the Atari Lynx 30th birthday this year. Get your votes in for what you think are the best games on the console! Let the game voting wars begin! 😎

https://atarigamer.com/articles/vote-for-the-best-atari-lynx-games-in-time-for-lynx-s-30th-birthday

[LynxHandyCaster]

 

We're getting ready to celebrate the Atari Lynx 30th birthday this year. Get your votes in for what you think are the best games on the console! Let the game voting wars begin!

https://atarigamer.com/articles/vote-for-the-best-atari-lynx-games-in-time-for-lynx-s-30th-birthday

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Just cast my vote for my favorite Lynx game (at least for now). Great idea, Igor!

[+davidcalgary29]

 

Just cast my vote for my favorite Lynx game (at least for now). Great idea, Igor!

 

Agreed! I just wish there was a "comparative" rating so that users can rank it amongst the entire library. There are a number of titles that are great overall (Scrapyard Dog) that have weak overall individual attributes (music and sfx), and I hope that doesn't skew the overall ratings towards weaker games that score moderately well in all areas.

[Igor]

I've left it without comparison to other games on purpose. The big reveal will be in a few months, so get all your votes in, don't leave it at one vote, cast a few!

[Igor]

This is an exciting development for the Lynx, definitely a project worth following. Check out the interview with developers here - https://atarigamer.com/articles/lynxdoom-engine-pays-homage-to-its-2016-big-brother-with-a-feast-of-turkey-gore

 

[+davidcalgary29]

Love it! You should remove the tags, though.

[Igor]

We're having a look at some of the hidden gems from the Lynx game library. Here's the first three...https://atarigamer.com/articles/hidden-gems-from-the-atari-lynx-game-library

What are your hidden treasure games?

[Turbo Laser Lynx]

And of course ours

 

You guys have created the most fab Mikey chip sounds so far on the Lynx in my opinion. Your demo really blew my mind since I didn't even know the Lynx is capable of such sounds! I saw how chip "instruments" are made in one of the c16/plus4 trackers, and it made me understand it a bit better, in theory at least. Amazing getting to hear those "bubbly arpeggios" and other familiar c64/european styled "instruments"/sounds on the Lynx

 

Shadow of the Beast Overworld theme was also my favorite before your demo, because of the "reverb" on the lead, but I think you have even better sounding reverb/delay & instruments!

 

Klax seems to use sampled instruments in a really smart, minimal way. It sounds great! I wonder if it's the classic preset DX7 bass 2 that LX Rudis used, it sounds a lot like it at least

 

There's a lot of nice music on the Lynx, California games, Robotron intro, Blue Lightning intro, Checkered Flag intro, Electro Cop, Lemmings etc. and I've really started liking the Slime World intro music too, really funky. ^^

Edited April 8, 2019 by Turbo Laser Lynx

[Igor]

We're having a look at the different Atari Lynx flashable cartridges and making a wish list for what we'd like to see in the one cart to 'rule them all' https://atarigamer.com/articles/the-best-flash-sd-multi-cartridge-for-atari-lynx

What would your ideal flashable/multi ROM cart look like?

[thefred]

 

We're having a look at the different Atari Lynx flashable cartridges and making a wish list for what we'd like to see in the one cart to 'rule them all' https://atarigamer.com/articles/the-best-flash-sd-multi-cartridge-for-atari-lynx

What would your ideal flashable/multi ROM cart look like?

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Nice article. I would sugest more info like the Metaos needs the headers removed and needs to be padded. The Lynx SD will run the games in a lot more formats.

One feature i would like is a cheat funtion, like the game genie that most everdrives have built in. That isnt really a programers thing but more of a players thing.

[Igor]

nice suggestions, I think the cheat function would make a very nice addition!

[Igor]

It's Easter time and Atari Gamer has a new game for the Lynx for you all to play. Check it out - Eggsavier's Cackleberry Rescue!

https://atarigamer.com/articles/eggsavier-s-cackleberry-rescue---a-new-game-for-atari-lynx

[Igor]

This week we're doing something a little different - no article, but we're announcing the Atari Lynx 30th Birthday Programming Competition...https://atarigamer.com/pages/atari-lynx-30th-birthday-programming-competition

If we get enough registrations, the competition will formally start, so if you think you have what it takes to make a winning game/demo for the Lynx, register now!

[LordKraken]

Nice initiative that I hope I can join

 

(this rule is a bit tough though: "Your demo/game must be substantial i.e. short 1 minute demos or simple one-level type games will be disqualified" - I think this could be part of the evaluation, if you're game is finished with a lot of content, then you get bonus points, but if it's not that's ok to be part of the competition).

[Igor]

Nice initiative that I hope I can join

 

(this rule is a bit tough though: "Your demo/game must be substantial i.e. short 1 minute demos or simple one-level type games will be disqualified" - I think this could be part of the evaluation, if you're game is finished with a lot of content, then you get bonus points, but if it's not that's ok to be part of the competition).

 

 

What I was trying to get across with this rule is very simple games should not qualify i.e. you need to spend more than a few days making it

[Nop90]

 

 

What I was trying to get across with this rule is very simple games should not qualify i.e. you need to spend more than a few days making it

 

perhaps you could leave people present little games, judges will evaluate them for their real value but this could allow to enlarge the lynx homebrew scene, and maybe some rough gem could arise, and with the help of other developer cold became a fullgame. I higly believe in the power of cooperation, and a lot of hobby coders don't enter in the scene for the lack of time.

[+karri]

Yep. "On Duty" has been silently in the works for more than a year. And I coded several full days in this year already. Hopefully I get it done by September or November this year.

 

It is trivial to grab a game like minesweeper and just change the end game a little and claim it to be a new idea. (I wonder if anyone falls for this? )

 

But creating a playable game from scratch, balancing the play, writing the plot, graphics, music. It really takes time. I could not produce anything of quality in 3 months. Inventing new things is hard.

 

Baron Lovejoy has already been in the works for years. "Shaken, not stirred" took a few years to finally become a game.

 

But making a single level game like "Find a way to my heart" takes a week or two. It requires very little inventions. You just write it.

Edited April 29, 2019 by karri

[Fadest]

You mean that I can not make a lynx reinvention of Half minute Hero ?

(my son discovered and loved the concept of the game some weeks ago)

[Fadest]

 

 

What I was trying to get across with this rule is very simple games should not qualify i.e. you need to spend more than a few days making it

 

Tetris Raiden, A Bug's Lynx have been done in less than 24h

Edited April 29, 2019 by Fadest