Lynx v. Other Handhelds

[bergbros]

I usually post on the 2600 board as I have one since 1982. I am interested in obtaining a portable system and I want to know how the Lynx stacks up to others especially the Game Boy Advanced. How are the controls, batterry life, graphics, game selection etc. compared withe the others? The system looks really good. How durable is the system? Is it good value for the money? Any input is appreciated

[berzerk]

My opinion is that the lynx compares with the game boy color more than anything except that it was ahead of the gameboy color several years. The plus's of the lynx over the gameboy color would be it has a backlight, so the screen is much easier seen and can be played in the dark or dark areas. This of course, uses more battery than the gameboy. The gameboy is smaller, but the lynx has a nice fit in your hands especially if they are bigger than a japanese kid's hands. lol, no offense. I havn't bought the gameboy advance because I refuse to until they put a backlight on it. I got rid of my gameboy color cause I got sick of trying to angle it so the light would hit it right so I could see the damn thing. Plus, it's fun to play in the dark sometimes or at least be able to.

[VidGameKing]

The only reson I bought the GameBoy Advance is because it has such inpresive hardware specifications. I bought some games for it, but only the one I thought wold clearly show the hardware superirroity. what can I say, I'm a hardware person.

 

as for the lynx, I bought it because it has games that no other system has, so if you want to experiance games that haven't been played on anything else you should get a lynx.

 

If you like your 2600 so much why dont you get one of those VCSp's I did it's great.

 

[ 02-12-2002: Message edited by: marialover ]

[Anthonyjherrera]

IMO I think back lights suck (no playing outside int he light), I would rather have a front light which I can turn off and on (cant wait till portale monopoly releases the front light kit for the GBA). The Lynx, well, I have never owned one but I have played one and in my experence its more of a handheld then a portable, the thing makes the game gear look small. But, the games on it are really good and since Song Bird is still making games for it you wouldnt hav eto worry about running out of games to play. But, if you want a REALLY powerful handheld I suggest you dish out the extra couple of bucks for a GP32, it has a HUGE screen, great sound, mp3 player, image viewer, and its about the same size as a GBA. But you will have to import from lik-sang.com since there the only place which importing them. But if you want the most bang for your buck I say go for a Neo Geo Pocket Color, it has the BEST LCD screen out there (no odd angles like the GBC), a little joystick instead of a cramped up D-pad, and there is not one bad game for it, it has a great library of games such as Sonic, Metal Slug 2, SNK Vs. Capcom (better then the DC version), Puyo Puyo Pop, Snk Vs. Capcom Card Fighters Clash, Faselie, King of Fighters R2, asnd I can go on and on. You can pick one up for cheap at therage.com but I suggest you spend 60 bucks on the newer model because its smaller and cooler looking (the original is already really small though).

 

I hope I help ya

[eric_ruck]

I would stay away from the Gameboy series, even the GBA is to small for grownup hands and eyes, and for that matter ears (the volume is too low for my taste).

 

I like the Lynx 2 for the size and comfort, although it is a little big to carry. Also decent battery life (5-6 real hours). Lots of cheap games that are for the most part very good, and great classic arcade ports. Something like 80 or so released games, most of which can be had for less than $10. Like most handhelds, the games aren't that deep, however.

 

I also like the Neo Geo Pocket Color, but the games will cost you more. It does have a nice screen, controls and size. Also not that many titles are available.

 

Eric

[berzerk]

The lynx backlight you can turn on and off, it's really an amazing handheld. That is exactly what gameboy's need. A backlight that can be turned on and off.

 

 

quote:

---

Originally posted by TheBrassMonkey:

IMO I think back lights suck (no playing outside int he light), I would rather have a front light which I can turn off and on (cant wait till portale monopoly releases the front light kit for the GBA). The Lynx, well, I have never owned one but I have played one and in my experence its more of a handheld then a portable, the thing makes the game gear look small. But, the games on it are really good and since Song Bird is still making games for it you wouldnt hav eto worry about running out of games to play. But, if you want a REALLY powerful handheld I suggest you dish out the extra couple of bucks for a GP32, it has a HUGE screen, great sound, mp3 player, image viewer, and its about the same size as a GBA. But you will have to import from lik-sang.com since there the only place which importing them. But if you want the most bang for your buck I say go for a Neo Geo Pocket Color, it has the BEST LCD screen out there (no odd angles like the GBC), a little joystick instead of a cramped up D-pad, and there is not one bad game for it, it has a great library of games such as Sonic, Metal Slug 2, SNK Vs. Capcom (better then the DC version), Puyo Puyo Pop, Snk Vs. Capcom Card Fighters Clash, Faselie, King of Fighters R2, asnd I can go on and on. You can pick one up for cheap at therage.com but I suggest you spend 60 bucks on the newer model because its smaller and cooler looking (the original is already really small though).

 

I hope I help ya

---

[Albert]

quote:

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Originally posted by berzerk:

The lynx backlight you can turn on and off, it's really an amazing handheld. That is exactly what gameboy's need. A backlight that can be turned on and off.

---

 

While the backlight can be turned off, this is more a power-saving mechanism more than anything else. The Lynx doesn't have a reflective LCD like the GBA, so when the backlight is off you won't see anything. In other words, you can only play the Lynx when the backlight is on. I guess it's useful if you want to pause your game for several minutes without turning the Lynx off..

 

A backlight for the Gameboy Advance that you could turn off would be more useful, since you can see the GBA's screen quite well in some conditions (when you're outside during the day, during a lightning flash in a thunderstorm, on the surface of the sun, for a few seconds after a nuclear blast, etc.)

 

..Al

[CosmicJoke]

Albert posted

quote

A backlight for the Gameboy Advance that you could turn off would be more useful, since you can see the GBA's screen quite well in some conditions (when you're outside during the day, during a lightning flash in a thunderstorm, on the surface of the sun, for a few seconds after a nuclear blast, etc.)

 

That's hilarious and unfortunately true I like the GBA. I think it really is worth the new lower price(or the original price I paid) but it does have its drawbacks and that is a big one.

[CosmicJoke]

bergbros said

quote

I usually post on the 2600 board as I have one since 1982. I am interested in obtaining a portable system and I want to know how the Lynx stacks up to others especially the Game Boy Advanced.  

 

The Sega Game Gear is a decent system that you might want to consider. You can buy a brand new Sega Game Gear at Ames Department Stores for $29.94.

 

You can find lots of games on eBay for decent prices and with a Master System Convertor you can play most Sega Master System games on it too. You could probably find Sega Master System games in the wild.

 

The Game Gear is a power hog, battery life really sucks(pun intended)

[Gunstar]

The gameboy and GBC would be my absolute last choices if looking for a handheld. If you must have Nintendo, go for the GBA. NEOGEO pocket is an interesting diversion but, to me, suffers from the same problem that the NEOGEO itself suffered from; far to few game genres and variety: 90% of all titles for the NEOGEO and Pocket are 2D fighters...blah! But personally, I would take the Game Gear or Lynx any day; The Gamegear has the advantage of the SMS adapter, so you get GameGear and SMS games to play. The Lynx is the best in my book over all of them except maybe the GBA; It is definately more powerful than the GB/C and GG, just look at Lynx games like Blue Lightning, Stun Runner, Battlewheels or Cybervirus and tell me the GG or GBC could do those...NOT! With it's 16-bit graphics chip, it definately falls in the middle between the GBC/GG (8-bit) and the GBA (32-bit). The price is a lot cheaper for most games and accesories than the GBA. So if you want a handheld that is more powerful than all but the GBA, go for the LYNX. It's also important to note that Atarians were enjoying this level of power in a portable over a decade ago, when GB B/W was still on the market. It took over Ten years for someone to out perform it overall! It's STILL, one of the most powerful, easily being compared to the NEOGEO (look at UltaVore-eat your heart out NGpocket!)pocket and GBA. With over 80 games and still growing with new stuff that looks BETTER than a lot coming out on the GBA (Battlewheels, Cybervirus, Championship Rally, Remanent, etc. -see Songbird's page).

What about the Lynx's size? Is that really important if you going to be dragging along a bunch of accessories anyway, for any system, then your going to end up with a carrying case anyway and a Lynx&case is just as portable as any other handheld with it's case...PLUS COLOR BACKLIGHTING!!! Screw battery power, I NEED BACKLIGHTING. I don't want to play my game out in the sun! I want to play it late at night in my bed, with the lights out and headphones so I don't disturb anyone!

[liveinabin]

Though it has some good titles, I must say I hate the build quality of both models of Lynx, it just feels like a big empty plastic box with klunky buttons. Same with the Game gear. GBA is pretty good (when you get the light sorted out) and fits in my fairly-big hands very nicely.

The neogeo pocket color didn't have many good titles but WHAT A CONSOLE! Gorgeous build quality, that little microswitch stick is heaven. I hope a homebrew culture develops around this cause I want one.

[HawgWyld]

quote:

---

Originally posted by bergbros:

I usually post on the 2600 board as I have one since 1982. I am interested in obtaining a portable system and I want to know how the Lynx stacks up to others especially the Game Boy Advanced. How are the controls, batterry life, graphics, game selection etc. compared withe the others? The system looks really good. How durable is the system? Is it good value for the money? Any input is appreciated

---

 

I have a Lynx II and absolutely love the thing. The system is durable, but the screen protector tends to get scratched. You can find a ton of great games for the system for next to nothing at eBay and local classic gaming shops (Game Xchange around here). Overall, it's a fantastic system that should have beat the Game Boy into the ground.

 

The Lynx isn't nearly as powerful as the Game Boy Advance, but that should surprise no one -- the Lynx is around 15 years older than the advance, so there you go. However, games for the Advance are a heck of a lot more expensive, and I've found the Lynx is ideal for cheap, portable fun.

 

The backlight on the Lynx is great as it allows you to play in the dark without that blasted glare from worm lights and such available for the Game Boy series. Sadly, the backlight contributes to the Lynx's insane amount of power consumption (4 or 5 hours from six "AA" batteries makes this system kind of expensive to feed).

 

However, I'd rank the Lynx as a good value. It was a great one for me because I swapped on old Commodore 64 that had been taking up space in my garage for a Lynx and five games. Very good trade.

[Noble Kale]

I currently have a gb, gbc, gg & a lynx.

 

I bought the gb because it was cheap ($5), and I bought the gbc for commander keen (which I haven't gotten yet)

 

I bought the gg because I wanted one as a kid, and hope to get the tv tuner soon enough. Plus, I found a few games in the shop next door for $2 each (making the purchase of the games & unit very cheap).

 

I bought my lynxes because I wanted something I could take to university with me to play during lectures (I'm sick of playing tetris on my TI-83). When you're studying things like mechanics of structure & engineering maths, you can get very bored, very quickly... three hour lectures could almost become lethal...

 

Since university starts in two weeks, I'm happy that I've managed to acquire the three portable systems I wanted. If you're concerned with the battery power of the lynx, I would suggest getting a lynx II, and a battery pack for it. The pack that I have uses 'D' cell batteries, and lasts for 17+ hours. I picked up one battery pack for $7 on ebay, and found one in the wild for $5 the day after it arrived (hey, its good to have a spare)

 

Just my thoughts,

Kale

[irata_99]

quote

If you're concerned with the battery power of the lynx, I would suggest getting a lynx II, and a battery pack for it. The pack that I have uses 'D' cell batteries, and lasts for 17+ hours. I picked up one battery pack for $7 on ebay, and found one in the wild for $5 the day after it arrived (hey, its good to have a spare)

If you want to know more about the Lynx battery pack, you´ll have to follow the link in the first message in the topic about Electric Boutique humor (or something like this.

 

For me I like the Lynx very much, but wouldn´t play much without a socket available to plug the AC-adaptor in. I´ve a Lynx since late 1990 or early 1991 and are so used to it now, that I think I can´t rate it from a neutral perspective. If I had to choose ONE system it would be the Atari Lynx. It´s library is not big, but I like many of it´s games. Shanghai, Klax, Lemmings for example are superb versions of classic games you can play again and again and there are many others I like to play from time to time.

 

I´ve got a GBC, too, and, yes, the screen is poorly choosen (color, is there any? Don´t trust these fancy screen shots in magazines and internet, they are not taken from the displays, colors are flat and rather poor, too). I got it a worm light once, but I´ve soon sold it again, because this was making things even worse. With the worm light I always had this bright white reflection on one part of the screen and I was, while playing, more busy with moving it but the joypad. BUT the GBC has a huge collection (of mostly very awful titles IMHO), you´ll get carts often very cheap and even new titles will be available for reasonable prices after a few months at ebay or as discounts in shops. I´ve got a few games I really like on the GBC, the Spy Hunter/ Moon Patrol cart for example: I love Moon Patrol and the GBC port is excellent. Kwirk and Dr. Mario are GB titles (no color), but they are very addictive puzzle games. I´m looking for Marble Madness (color version), of which I read it would be very playable. I have some other games, too, but many I sold after a short time playing them, even though some of them were not bad but I prefer to play more complex titles like RPGs on my Macintosh than on this little dim display.

 

I don´t have a GBA and I don´t want to buy one (as for now, maybe when it´s getting really cheap). I think there are a few brilliant titles available (Game Boy Wars), but only a few (in a very fast growing library). But if I didn´t have a GBC and I would think about buying a portable Nintendo the GBA would be the best choose, because you´ll have even more titles to choose from due to it´s backward compability.

 

When I first (and last´) had a game gear in my hands I was very dissapointed by it´s look and feel and soon after by the game I was shown (Addams Family). That´s all I can say about it.

 

The NGPC is absolutely brilliant in design and hardware. Batteries last LONG. The joypad is with micro-switches and feels good. The screen is far way better than the GBCs and I like the built-in biorythm (called horoscope), calendar and watch (There´s a little extra battery in it, that maintains time and date and some preferences). But yea, you should like 2D fighters, I didn´t, until I got SNK vs Capcom - brilliant! There are some other top notch games Metal Slug 1 and 2 (action shooter) and King of Fighters R2 for example. Bad thing: Games are often quite expensive and some are already rather rare collectors items and very expensive. The latest games published and some of the older titles are japanese only. Even if I found no game to be really bad, many are just above average and I can´t remember one game that has a backgroundmusic that doesn´t make me shiver from disgust.

[someguy]

I have had a pair of Lynxes for the last two years or so. I think that with its scaling sprites, colour palette, etc. it pretty much blows away any other portable made before the GBA.

 

BTW - I think of the Lynx more as a portable than a handheld. The battery life is terrible - but that's the price you pay for such a good backlight. And the AC adaptor is pretty small and easy to pack, so I always take it with me on trips.

 

Last spring I was camped out at the Grand Canyon for five days. The campsite had a power outlet, so it was kind of neat to be able to sit in my tent in the dark and play Ms. Pacman or Klax.

[Gunstar]

Portable, handheld...it's all the same difference to me. As long as you can take it with you to operate on batteries or a car lighter, and it doesn't require a TV or monitor, it's Portable/handheld.

[zanza]

Nobody is mentionning the Sega Nomad which is a cool portable too, no ?

Even if the backlighting sucks the cells like on the Lynx

 

Plus the fact that you can directly use Genesis games which are easy and cheap to find.

[AtariDude]

I haven't looked at the other models except for the GBA which was on display at Toys R US but I do own an Atari Lynx. It is a great system with a lot of cool games and most games are inexpensive unlike say GBA where it seems everything starts from $20 and up.

 

As for the fact that it is larger than GBA, I think it is a bonus, not a minus. Adult hands tend to bigger than a child's and thus would have trouble with the smaller GBA. And I have a carrying case that lets me bring 12 games plus the AC adapter so I can play it anywhere where there is an outlet.

[Atari-Jess]

I have been trying to get a lynx for a while with no luck as I have no money

 

I have never really had too much of a problem with the gbc but I always had the missing scanlines with the original GB.

 

I do want a lynx cause it does seem like a pretty damn good handheld and that it is an atari. if epyx had originally released it i most likely would not have cared for it much though.

[HawgWyld]

quote:

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Originally posted by z_a_n_z_a:

Nobody is mentionning the Sega Nomad which is a cool portable too, no ?

Even if the backlighting sucks the cells like on the Lynx

 

Plus the fact that you can directly use Genesis games which are easy and cheap to find.

---

 

The Nomad is, indeed, a fantastic system. However, you'll pay through the nose for it. The mere fact it's a portable Genesis, however, makes it great and you can even hook it up to your TV if you want and plug in another controller. Joy, joy.

[HawgWyld]

Oh, and speaking of odd-ball portables like the Nomad, does anyone know anything about the GameAxe, a portable NES? Saw one of those at Game Exchange the other day, and it looked darn cool.

[HawgWyld]

quote:

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Originally posted by Atari-Jess:

I have been trying to get a lynx for a while with no luck as I have no money

 

I have never really had too much of a problem with the gbc but I always had the missing scanlines with the original GB.

 

I do want a lynx cause it does seem like a pretty damn good handheld and that it is an atari. if epyx had originally released it i most likely would not have cared for it much though.

---

 

You might try over at Game Trading Zone if you have something to swap. I got a fantastic Lynx II, five games (four of them still unopened) and a carrying case for a beat-up Commodore SX-64 (no handle on it and plenty of scratches).

 

At any rate, I was thrilled with my trade and have swapped a thing or two over there since then.

[Glenn Atkinson]

ATARI LYNX was so much better than the game boy. It had coulour It had a back light and It also was very powerful. I can not beleave this thing was made in 80s. I feel sorry for atari It shoud won the hadnheld war it just did not get the seport from the people and Game makers.

 

If atari is Here today we be having 128bit handhelds today. Im so sad that atari Is not anymore.

 

[ 03-28-2002: Message edited by: Glenn Atkinson ]