Scanned from 2000AD Prog 710 cover date 22/12/1990

GAMES ON THE MOVE
2: ATARI LYNX

Atari's Lynx is a different armada of aliens altogether. Where the Game Boy is compact, pocket-sized and easily held in one hand, the Lynx is larger, heavier, suitable only for the deepest of pockets and requires two-handed support in operation. However, it scores over its minute rival in one key area - it sports a full-colour LCD dot-matrix screen. The picture on this is sharp and flicker-free providing a new level of excitement to games played on it.
Apart from the unique feature of a "flippable" screen to allow left or right-hand gamers to play with equal comfort, the Lynx falls down badly in nearly every other area when compared to the Game Boy.
It is nearly three times as expensive as the Nintendo hand-held, has mono sound, eats batteries for breakfast (average 3 hours playing time compared to 24 for the Game Boy) and has poor software support.
Each Lynx comes with California Games, and currently there are only five other cartridges, priced between £30 and £35 each, available for it including Blue Lightning, Electrocop and Gauntlet 111. "Many more" are promised over the next few months but on a recent trip to America I saw very few Lynx carts against dozens of Game Boy carts.
The Lynx also has the ability to link up units to form multi-player games - a total of eight players can play at one time.
Word has it that Atari is already working on a downsized Lynx, still with a colour screen. Until then, the Lynx remains very much a "Goliath" to Game Boy's "David".

COMING SOON.

So, the Game Boy and Lynx hold the centre stage in the exciting new world of portable video gaming for now. But the real challenge for pocket power will heat up next summer when Sega's hand-held Game Gear machine is scheduled to arrive in Britain. Only marginally bigger than the Game Boy, the Game Gear (where do they get these names?) will boast a full colour screen and access to some of the best original games in the world - it will even double as a fully-fledged TV with an optional add-on tuner!
And you can be sure that, as you read these words, smaller and better hand-held units are on the CAD screens. As a smart detective once said, the game is afoot! - BIG K.
NEXT PROG: Console action!

Made by: Atari.
Dimensions: 275 x 108 x 38 mm
Screen: Colour. LCD dot-matrix. 16 colours.
Sound: Mono, built-in speaker.
CPU: 8-bit. 64K RAM internal.
Features: Link to connect up to 8 Lynx units with
suitable cartridges. Screen flips horizontally.
Supplied with: California Games cartridge, AC adaptor.
ComLynx cable
Accessories: Car power adaptor.
Software support: Six game carts available now. 'many
more' promised over next six months.
Recommended price: £179.95
Game cartridge prices: £30 - £35
Positives: Colour screen, link-up facility enabling up to
eight players to share the same game area.
Negatives: Bulky. Short battery life. Limited range of
games.
Remarks: The only colour hand-held video game system
currently available. Limited range of games with no
real idea of when new ones will become available.
Likely to be replaced by smaller unit to compete with
other hand-held consoles on the way.

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