POLL: Which early portable console would you go back to today?

[Atari Pogostick]

Of the major consoles in the first wave, Gameboy, Lynx, Gamegear, Supervision, which do you go back to PRESENTLY?

 

 

I recently played with all four of these machines and went through good chunks of their original libraries, however in 2018 I have come to conclusion that the Gameboy(as well as SV) has only a handful of games that are even playable. the rest were either always bad to mediocre, or have aged like cheese sitting out on a picnic table in 80 degree weather. Also the GB(and SV) have tons of technical issues.

 

Even at the time I also though of GB as outdated, but the prices of its games (and console) as well as the limited options back then, made it easy to let GB issues slide, especially for kids whos parents only brought them a gameboy.But in 2018? Ehhh.

 

As for the Lynx and Game Gear, there are a few issues. First is that the Gamegear does have some original games but a good chunk are SMS games. That in itself wouldn't be too much of a problem, if they reformatted the SMS games on GG to look and/or play well on the Game Gears smaller screen. Add to the fact it has the worst battery life of the three, and has a horribly tingy sound chip, the Game Gear hasn't age well.

 

Now that's not to say the Lynx also doesn't have it's issues, it's resolution is tiny and the first edition of it is quite large.

However I do believe the LYNX is much easier to go back to than the other three:

 

1. Resolution aside, it has a better backlight than the Game Gear, and has more reliable hardware because control issues and speaker issues hover over the Gamegear like the plague.

 

2. Graphics that match in ways, the SNES/GEN/TG16 era, on a portable, basically guarantee that it would graphically age better.

 

3. 2nd longest battery life.

 

4. Games that have replay-ability. In many cases, when finishing Gameboy and Game Gear games, even if they are arcade styled, I usually stop playable. Sure, the games aging better may help with that, but even back then it just seemed more fun to play link games multiple times than replaying Bugs crazy 2, or Mega Man II GB, or Sonic 1 or 2 SMS.

 

Of course that's just my opinion. What's yours?

 

[Flojomojo]

Yay, another "x vs y" thread, we don't have enough of these already.

 

Here is a picture of me from this morning. I carry my Osborne PBC everywhere I go ... I'm still stuck in the Zork labyrinth!

 

[Atari Pogostick]

Yay, another "x vs y" thread, we don't have enough of these already.

 

Here is a picture of me

Reported for not reading the thread.

Edited September 7, 2018 by Atari Pogostick

[+adamchevy]

I would go back to my turbo Grafx 16 TurboExpress handheld. I didn’t realize how lucky I was to have it. I was only 9 at the time. I think my Mom has it somewhere in storage. Or maybe I pawned it? Oh well.

Edited September 7, 2018 by adamchevy

[digdugnate]

Reported for not reading the thread.

lol- watch out!

[Jess Ragan]

The Game Boy Advance and the Neo Geo Pocket are as far as I care to go back. Having said that, the GBA plays old Game Boy games just fine, and with a backlight, so you can actually see them!

 

What people seem to forget about the Lynx is that while it had solid arcade ports and adaptations, a lot of the original titles were, uh, not very good? As shooters go, Gates of Zendocon was pretty weak... it's no Gradius, that's for sure. Then there's Gordo 106, Dirty Larry, Viking Child, Kung Food... bleech to them all.

[Atari Pogostick]

The Game Boy Advance and the Neo Geo Pocket are as far as I care to go back. Having said that, the GBA plays old Game Boy games just fine, and with a backlight, so you can actually see them!

 

What people seem to forget about the Lynx is that while it had solid arcade ports and adaptations, a lot of the original titles were, uh, not very good? As shooters go, Gates of Zendocon was pretty weak... it's no Gradius, that's for sure. Then there's Gordo 106, Dirty Larry, Viking Child, Kung Food... bleech to them all.

 

People like Dirty Larry though, it reviews well.

 

Also that's a weird comment to make, original titles like Awesome Golf, Toki, Super Asteroids Missile Command, Checkered Flag, Rampart, Turbo Sub, Switch II, Chips Challenge (at the time) were all pretty good. Then you had arcade hits that were not on other consoles.

 

I mean sure, it had some genres it lacked in (but to be honest that applies to the GB and GG as well) and it has some very odd titles, (Kung food as you mentioned) but I'd say the majority of its library is playable, and I think that may be one advantage of the small library of the Lynx, well small relative to the GB and GG anyway.

 

Now when you say Neo Geo Pocket, you mean Pocket Color right?

[Flojomojo]

Reported for not reading the thread.

 

[Flojomojo]

The Game Boy Advance and the Neo Geo Pocket are as far as I care to go back. Having said that, the GBA plays old Game Boy games just fine, and with a backlight, so you can actually see them!

 

What people seem to forget about the Lynx is that while it had solid arcade ports and adaptations, a lot of the original titles were, uh, not very good? As shooters go, Gates of Zendocon was pretty weak... it's no Gradius, that's for sure. Then there's Gordo 106, Dirty Larry, Viking Child, Kung Food... bleech to them all.

 

 

People like Dirty Larry though, it reviews well.

 

Also that's a weird comment to make, original titles like Awesome Golf, Toki, Super Asteroids Missile Command, Checkered Flag, Rampart, Turbo Sub, Switch II, Chips Challenge (at the time) were all pretty good. Then you had arcade hits that were not on other consoles.

I like Warbirds, Turbo Sub, and plenty of others ... his point is that the arcade ports were great, but many (but not all) of the original games were NOT. And Asteroids/Missile Command, and Rampart were not originals.

 

I think you'd have a better time here if you didn't make a point to obnoxiously disagree with people who have different opinions from your own, especially when you're creating not-so-original question threads ASKING for those very same opinions. If you want to pontificate without the input of others, start a blog.

[Atari Pogostick]

 

 

I like Warbirds, Turbo Sub, and plenty of others ... his point is that the arcade ports were great, but many (but not all) of the original games were NOT. And Asteroids/Missile Command, and Rampart were not originals.

 

I think you'd have a better time here if you didn't make a point to obnoxiously disagree with people who have different opinions from your own, especially when you're creating not-so-original question threads ASKING for those very same opinions. If you want to pontificate without the input of others, start a blog.

I think you'd have a better time here if you were not being a moron jumping in to treads specifically to derail them. I did not attack his opinion, I mentioned a different list of games that he did just to see if he liked any of those games or knew about them. Not everybody that had a Lynx know of all it's titles. I know what his point was.

 

If you have nothing to contribute you don't have to post. You can make these types of posts in the YouTube comments.

Edited September 7, 2018 by Atari Pogostick

[Tanooki]

Ok who set up this pro-Atari blinders on troll account?

 

One post after another and if you disagree, you get lack of charm school level responses.

 

On that four point bit on the Lynx, you can't be serious can you? More reliable hardware? 16bit console level output? Yay 2nd longest battery (which is still just a few hours)? Gameboy and Gamegear games having little to no replay value and aged worse??

 

 

I'm curious, what drugs are you on, and are the prescription or "prescription" type? I know those 4 points are opinion, but usually they have to be based in well you know, reality. Also if we're picking nits here, you left out the Turbo Express as it's a same period handheld too.

[Flojomojo]

*nods vigorously*

If you have nothing to contribute you don't have to post.

 

[BassGuitari]

*sidesteps the drama*

This is actually an interesting (and tough!) question to me.

 

I've always been more of a Game Boy guy, but having been recently reintroduced to the Game Gear (I also had one as a kid but it died at some point and I just forgot about it)--and simply introduced to the Lynx--it's a little murkier for me than I would have previously thought.

 

I still think I'd go with the Game Boy on the basis of its library--it just has more games that I really like. But I'd be lying if I said wasn't envious of the Lynx's and Game Gear's screen and graphics.

[Eltigro]

[digdugnate]

Of the major consoles in the first wave, Gameboy, Lynx, Gamegear, Supervision, which do you go back to PRESENTLY?

 

 

I recently played with all four of these machines and went through good chunks of their original libraries, however in 2018 I have come to conclusion that the Gameboy(as well as SV) has only a handful of games that are even playable. the rest were either always bad to mediocre, or have aged like cheese sitting out on a picnic table in 80 degree weather. Also the GB(and SV) have tons of technical issues.

 

Even at the time I also though of GB as outdated, but the prices of its games (and console) as well as the limited options back then, made it easy to let GB issues slide, especially for kids whos parents only brought them a gameboy.But in 2018? Ehhh.

 

As for the Lynx and Game Gear, there are a few issues. First is that the Gamegear does have some original games but a good chunk are SMS games. That in itself wouldn't be too much of a problem, if they reformatted the SMS games on GG to look and/or play well on the Game Gears smaller screen. Add to the fact it has the worst battery life of the three, and has a horribly tingy sound chip, the Game Gear hasn't age well.

 

Now that's not to say the Lynx also doesn't have it's issues, it's resolution is tiny and the first edition of it is quite large.

 

However I do believe the LYNX is much easier to go back to than the other three:

 

1. Resolution aside, it has a better backlight than the Game Gear, and has more reliable hardware because control issues and speaker issues hover over the Gamegear like the plague.

 

2. Graphics that match in ways, the SNES/GEN/TG16 era, on a portable, basically guarantee that it would graphically age better.

 

3. 2nd longest battery life.

 

4. Games that have replay-ability. In many cases, when finishing Gameboy and Game Gear games, even if they are arcade styled, I usually stop playable. Sure, the games aging better may help with that, but even back then it just seemed more fun to play link games multiple times than replaying Bugs crazy 2, or Mega Man II GB, or Sonic 1 or 2 SMS.

 

Of course that's just my opinion. What's yours?

 

I'll play along with anecdotal stories.

 

Back in the day at the 'school yard', Game Boy was king where I grew up (full disclosure, I was 12 when the Game Boy came out). I knew one kid with a Lynx, but the thing was always messing up or running out of battery power.

 

I don't have any attachment to that system, and really kind of like the Game Gear better.

[HoshiChiri]

Reported for not reading the thread.

 

… WHAT thread? Flojo was literally the first reply- the thread didn't exist until that post! Plus it's a fair complaint- you stuck a poll on here. We can only choose one option- that means it's a versus thread. Oh, I own everything on this list except the Supervision and pull ALL of them out on occasion? Too bad, pick ONE! And why isn't Microvision an option, anyway?

 

All joking aside- the Gameboy is better than the Lynx today, hands down. Yes, the Lynx LOOKS more impressive, and the couple of good games for it are great... but that's the problem, it's a couple of good games. I hit up Chip's Challenge, Stun Runner... and that's about it. As for the Gameboy? Yeah, there's more bad games, becuase there's more games in general. There's a ton more good games as a result- Kirby's Dreamland 1 and 2, Zelda: Link's Awakening, The awesome Donkey Kong port/expansion, Pyramids of Ra (not a common option but a personal favorite)… this is just a few from my personal collection, there's a ton of good stuff out there. Not to mention that, unlike the Lynx, it's very easy to find ways to play Gameboy games in an updated form. If you can get a early GameCube with a Gameboy player, you're good to go for some HD retro handheld goodness.

[Atari Pogostick]

*sidesteps the drama*

 

This is actually an interesting (and tough!) question to me.

 

I've always been more of a Game Boy guy, but having been recently reintroduced to the Game Gear (I also had one as a kid but it died at some point and I just forgot about it)--and simply introduced to the Lynx--it's a little murkier for me than I would have previously thought.

 

I still think I'd go with the Game Boy on the basis of its library--it just has more games that I really like. But I'd be lying if I said wasn't envious of the Lynx's and Game Gear's screen and graphics.

 

If it was cheaper to put in a back-lit screen back then and the GG and Lynx got lower prices things may have been a bit more competitive. I mean battery life would still be an issue though.

[+Sauron]

Anyone who doesn't have anything to contribute to the thread, please find your own way out, or I'll show you the door myself.

 

As for me...the Lynx wins hands down, not for any objective reason, but just for the fact that I'm an insufferable Atari fanboy who has always loved the Lynx.

[JaguarVision]

If I want to play Game Gear games I'll turn on my SMS. Between the Game Boy and Lynx, it's tough. If you include the Game Boy Color than It's difficult to choose. If you don't, then I lean toward the Lynx.

 

Also Sony Portable CD-I player was amazing back then. Sadly CD-I didn't start to have games that were worth it till 95. Turbo Express is a strong mention though. It can't play high-end games like Air Zonk though iirc, but most Hu-card games work on it. I used to play Bonk and Legendary Axe on the go all the time back in the day.

[akator]

Turbo Express is a strong mention though. It can't play high-end games like Air Zonk though iirc, but most Hu-card games work on it. I used to play Bonk and Legendary Axe on the go all the time back in the day.

 

Today TurboExpress would be my first choice, Game Gear second. Back in the day Game Gear was my choice because of the excellent game selection, SMS compatibility, and even the TV tuner accessory.

 

However, I voted for emulation. Load them on a PSP or GPD and reliably enjoy classic handheld gaming with a decent screen and awesome battery life.

[Eltigro]

game . com

[JaguarVision]

 

Today TurboExpress would be my first choice, Game Gear second. Back in the day Game Gear was my choice because of the excellent game selection, SMS compatibility, and even the TV tuner accessory.

 

However, I voted for emulation. Load them on a PSP or GPD and reliably enjoy classic handheld gaming with a decent screen and awesome battery life.

The biggest issue with a lot of consoles, not just handhelds, is they had features that were cool at the time but are no longer usable now. The TV tuner was on both GG and TGE iirc, and that was quite useful if you had rechargeable batteries or had a outlet in your car.

[Tanooki]

I had access to all three in some form back in the era, though I only owned two of them in the 90s and that one I didn't was the Lynx. The library was insufferably poor outside of a very select few unique titles it got. The other nice things it had, they were ports, Game Gear or otherwise. At least Sega had a far more wide and amusing range of games to pull from, and the Lynx really wasn't superior to it other than perhaps on tech spec spread sheet which to a kid ...YAWN. Gameboy caught hell from a few for no color, but it more than balanced it with an insane amount of console sequels/conversions/ports/spinoffs along with the unique stuff. Lots of garbage, but a lot of nicer things too and this isn't even factoring the GBC specific titles. In the end Gameboy proved one thing hands down much like the NES did too also against Sega and Atari - you don't need the best hardware, you need the best quality and diversity in games with an approachable piece of hardware. The other two just had barriers, and let's be serious, the supervision wasn't even a blip. Again, a little annoying the Turbo Express/PCE GT was not included as it made the GG/Lynx seem ridiculous.

[Video]

The only era handhelds I didn't own were turbo express, and supervision (didn't even know about supervision bitd)

 

I'd go with gameboy. Couple reasons, one, battery life. If your going handhelds, then that is a very important feature. Yes, power supplies, but as a kid in the back seat, that wasn't really an option then (people forget, cigarette lighter in the back are relatively new things) and if I'm at home, if rather play a console. And two, games. GG and gb have very different libraries, and I just prefer gb style of games. Yes, there is a LOT of crap, but of the games I like or love, even to this day, I own more of than the ENTIRE lynx library.or

 

Turbo express played turbo grafix cards, so that would have been cool, but again, the library really isn't my style. I have a grand total of one supervision cart, as a glutton for had things (I like game.com) I'd like to pick one of these things up sometime.

 

Anyhow, gameboy, original hardware, or a modern version of mod, makes no difference to me, if still take the dmg unmoded over the others. Give me tetris, mario, zelda, tmnt dk94 and I'm good for the weekend.

[Serguei2]

If Atari Lynx could be redone today, it could play it longer on batteries than in 1990s.