Archive-name: games/video-games/atari/lynx
Posting-Frequency: monthly
|||
||| ATARI Lynx "Frequently Asked
Questions" File! Updated: 10/1/2000
/ | \
Created by Darius Vaskelis, who saw the need and filled it.
Maintained by Robert Jung (rjung@mac.com)
==============================================================================
This file is not maintained by, overseen by,
endorsed, or otherwise
associated with Atari Corp. or any of its
subsidiaries. It's just a
collection of questions and answers, with
a few news tidbits thrown in.
This file is posted on a monthly basis to rec.games.video.atari,
alt.games.lynx, news.answers, and rec.answers
around the first of the month.
The latest version of this file is also available
on the world-wide web at
http://www.digiserve.com/eescape/atari/Atari.shtml.
It is maintained by
Robert Jung at rjung@mac.com on the Internet.
Send corrections, news,
updates, comments, questions, or other stuff
to that address. All mail is
welcome!
Updates since the last publically posted FAQ
have a percent sign (%) in the
first column.
Robert tries to get the latest news and information
into this FAQ; however,
he's only human, and might miss something
important due to real-life demands.
Feel free to send in news tidbits and announcements
to rjung@mac.com for
inclusion in this FAQ.
==============================================================================
Q. What was the Atari Lynx?
A. The Lynx was the world's first hand-held
color video game system. Sold by
Atari, the Lynx offered
true multi-player competition, built-in 3D and
distortion graphic effects,
reversible controls, and fast arcade action.
==============================================================================
Q. What was included when you bought a Lynx?
A. The Lynx was available in two packages:
Originally, the Lynx "Deluxe
Package" included the Lynx unit, a copy of
the CALIFORNIA GAMES game
card, a carrying case, a ComLynx cable, and an
AC adaptor. Later
the adaptor was replaced with six AA Alkaline
batteries. The Lynx
"Base Package" came with only the Lynx but no
accessories.
Near the end of the Lynx's
retail life, some stores were selling a
"maximum" Lynx package,
consisting of the Lynx itself and four games. It
was primarily a clearance/liquidation
move, and is no longer available.
==============================================================================
Q. What happened to Atari, anyway?
A. The trials and tribulations of Atari could
fill a small book (and, in
fact, once did). To
summarize VERY briefly, the history of Atari is as
follows:
1972
Atari Inc. founded by Nolan Bushnell from a $250 investment.
Pong arcade game becomes a smash sensation.
1976
Atari Inc. sold by Bushnell to Warner Inc. for $28 million.
1980
Atari Inc. posts record sales. $2 billion profits annually.
Atari occupies 80 offices in Sunnyvale, CA.
1983
Decline of video games and irresponsible spending by Atari Inc.
results in record losses ($536 million, up to $2 million
daily).
1984
Warner divides Atari Inc. Home division (Atari Corp.) is sold to
Jack Tramiel.
1985
Atari Corp. releases Atari ST home computer.
1989
Atari Corp. releases Atari Lynx, the world's first color
hand-held video game system.
1993
Atari Corp. releases Atari Jaguar, the world's first 64-bit home
video game system (see the Atari Jaguar FAQ).
1994
Atari Games becomes Time-Warner Interactive.
1996
Time-Warner Interactive (Atari Games) sold to WMS.
1996
Atari Corp. announces reverse merger with JTS Corporation.
1996
Atari Corp. and JTS connsumate deal on July 31 1996.
1998
Hasbro acquires the rights to Atari Corp.'s name and properties
1999
Hasbro releases their rights to the Jaguar to the public; Atari
is reborn as their new home video game label.
==============================================================================
Q. What was the relationship between the Atari Lynx and Epyx?
A. The Lynx was originally conceived by Epyx
in 1987. It was called the
"Handy" at that time.
Two creators of the system, Dave Needle and R.J.
Mical, were also members
of the Amiga design team. Atari bought the
rights to the Lynx and to
Epyx's library of titles, and the rest is
history. Epyx no longer
has any connection with Atari or the Lynx.
==============================================================================
Q. What are the specifications of the Lynx?
A. Physical dimensions:
Size:
9.25" x 4.25" x 2" (10.75" x 4.25" x 1.5" for original Lynx)
Screen: 3.5"
diagonal (3.25" x 1.88" approx.)
Speaker: 2" diameter
Buttons: Two sets of
fire buttons (A and B)
Two option buttons (OPTION 1 and OPTION 2)
Pause button
(OPTION 1 + Pause = Restarts the game
OPTION 2 + Pause = Flips the screen, which allows the Lynx
controls to be reversed)
Power on light (Not on original Lynx; indicates unit is on)
Power on button
Power off button
Backlight button (Not on original Lynx; turns off the screen,
but does not turn off the game. This saves electricity use
when a game is paused)
Joypad: Eight
directional
Controls: Volume
Brightness
Ports:
Headphones (mini-DIN 3.5mm stereo; wired for mono on the
original Lynx)
ComLynx (multiple unit communications)
Power (9V DC, 1 A)
Game card slot
Battery holder (six AA)
For the technically minded, the
Lynx has two basic chips that form a
cooperative set of co-processing
subsystems that maximize the Lynx's
performance by sharing the work
of executing a game program. These
chips are called Mikey and Suzy.
Mikey (16-bit custom CMOS chip
running at 16MHz)
- MOS 65C02 processor running
at up to 4MHz (~3.6MHz average)
8-bit
CPU, 16-bit address space
- Sound engine
4 channel sound
8-bit DAC for each channel
(4 channels x 8-bits/channel = 32 bits commonly quoted)
Atari reports the range is "100Hz to above the range of human
hearing"; spectrum analysis shows the range may go as low as 32Hz.
Stereo with panning (mono for original Lynx)
- Video DMA driver for LCD display
4096 color
(12-bit) palette
16 simultaneous
colors (4 bits) from palette per scanline (more than 16
colors
can be displayed by changing palettes after each scanline)
- System timers
- Interrupt controller
- UART (for ComLynx)
- 512 bytes of bootstrap and game-card
loading ROM
Suzy (16-bit custom CMOS chip running
at 16MHz)
- Blitter (bit-map block transfer)
unit
- Graphics engine
Hardware
drawing support
Unlimited
number of high-speed sprites with collision detection
Hardware
high-speed sprite scaling, distortion, and tilting effects
Hardware
decoding of compressed sprite data
Hardware
clipping and multi-directional scrolling
Variable
frame rate (up to 75 frames/second)
160 x
102 "triad" standard resolution (16,320 addressable pixels)
(A triad
is three LCD elements: red, green, and blue)
Capability
of 480 x 102 artificially high resolution
- Math co-processor
Hardware
16-bit multiply and divide (32-bit answer)
Parallel
processing of single multiply or divide instruction
The Lynx contains 64K (half
a megabit) of 120ns DRAM. Game cards
currently hold 128K (1 megabit)
or 256K (2 megabits) of ROM, but there
is a maximum capacity of
up to 2 megabytes (16 megabits) on one game card.
In theory, this limit can
be exceeded, either with bank-switching
hardware in the card, or
by using a ROM power on/off line as an extra
address line (up to 4 megabytes).
Most Lynx game cards are 256K ROMs.
Three games are on 512K
ROMs: NINJA GAIDEN 3, PIT FIGHTER, and JIMMY
CONNORS TENNIS, along with
the never-released EYE OF THE BEHOLDER.
The first few hundred bytes
of the game card is encrypted to prevent
unauthorized developers
from writing Lynx software. This scheme was
introduced by Epyx as an
effort to enforce game quality.
With alkaline batteries,
the reasonable average battery life is 5 hours.
(4 hours with the original
Lynx) The Lynx can run off rechargeable
Ni-Cad batteries, but average
battery life drops drastically to 1.5 hours
per recharge (1 hour for
the original Lynx). Your mileage may vary.
==============================================================================
Q. What were the differences between the original
Lynx ("Lynx Classic") and
the later-model Lynx ("Lynx
II")?
A. The Lynx II is a bit smaller and lighter
than the original Lynx. It had a
slightly longer battery
life, and can also just turn the screen off during
a game pause to save batteries.
(The original Lynx had a five minute
auto-power shut-off that
would have prevented this from being useful. It
was removed in the Lynx
II). A power LED was added (which also blinks
when battery power is low),
and cartridges are easier to insert.
The only differences in a
technical sense is that the Lynx II has a more
efficient internal design,
and the headphone jack supports stereo sound.
The speaker in the Lynx
II is also not as loud as the original Lynx,
though it's more than adequate
for all but the noisiest situations.
Also, the Lynx II can experience
what is called "blinking pixel syndrome".
With certain game cards,
one pixel on the screen (usually stationary)
cycles through all the colors
very quickly. It does not affect game play,
and isn't always noticed
unless it's looked for. It seems to be fixed in
later Lynxes, making it
even less of a factor.
The power consumption in
the Lynx II is about fifteen percent less than
that of the original Lynx.
Harry Dodgson (hdodgson@ford.com) shows
Classic using 343 mA, versus
296 mA for the Lynx II. Also, about
two-thirds of the Lynx power
use is for the backlight screen alone, as
using the Lynx II with the
backlight off used only 97 mA. He concludes,
"the 'battery life of five
hours' claim by Atari is realistic."
==============================================================================
Q. Is the Lynx an 8-bit or 16-bit system?
A. If 16-bit refers to the main CPU (such as
the Sega Genesis/MegaDrive),
then the Lynx is an 8-bit
system. If 16-bit refers to the graphics engine
(such as the NEC TurboDuo/PC-Engine),
then the Lynx is a 16-bit system.
==============================================================================
Q. Why does the Lynx use a 6502 and not a 68000?
A. "Some people believe it's less of a processor
than the 68000, for example.
That series of chip was
used in the Amiga, but it wouldn't make our
machine do things any better.
In fact, it would only make the unit larger
and more expensive.
It's also harder to write 68000 code, so we
definitely made the right
decision."
--R.J. Mical
"The real answer for the
choice for the 6502 vs. 68000 was price.
Secondary considerations
(that did not really enter into the decision
making process): 68000 code
is very fat compared to 6502 code. An
application that takes 1K
of 6502 code averages 2.5 to 3K of 68000 code.
The 6502 is very bus-efficient,
the 68000 has lots of dead time on the
bus. As for it being
harder to write 68000 code, that is probably not
true, and in any case was
not part of the reason the decision was made."
--Stephen Landrum
Additionally, inside sources
at Atari said that one major reason for the
6502 vs 68000 processor
choice was that the 6502 design was available as a
component that could be
plugged into a custom chip design. This allowed
engineers to build a chip
with a 6502 and other supporting hardware around
it all in one package.
It was not until 1993-1994 that Motorola offered
the 68000 as a design component.
==============================================================================
Q. What were all of the Lynx games released?
A. The following is a list of Lynx games released
in the United States. The
notation "(x)" means to
refer to footnote number x. All multiplayer games
use the ComLynx cable unless
otherwise indicated:
Title
Players Publisher Type
-----------------
------- ------------ ---------------------------
A.P.B.
1 Atari
Arcade
Awesome Golf
1-4 Atari
Sports
Baseball Heroes
1-2 Atari
Sports
Basketbrawl
1-2 Atari
Action/Sports
Batman Returns
1 Atari
Action/Platform
BattleWheels
1-6 Beyond Games Action/Driving
Battlezone 2000
1-4 Atari
Action/Arcade
Bill & Ted's
1-2 Atari
Action/Adventure
Excellent Adventure
Block Out
1 Atari
Action/Strategy
Blue Lightning
1 Atari
Action
Bubble Trouble
1 Telegames Action/Adventure
California Games
1-4(1) Atari Action/Sports
Checkered Flag
1-6 Atari
Sports
Chip's Challenge
1 Atari
Puzzle
Crystal Mines II
1 Atari
Puzzle
Crystal Mines II:
1 Songbird Prod. Puzzle
% Buried Treasure (Windows
CD)
Desert Strike
1 Telegames Action/Strategy
Dinolympics
1 Atari
Puzzle
Dirty Larry:
1 Atari
Action
Renegade Cop
Double Dragon
1-2 Telegames Arcade/Fighting
Dracula the Undead
1 Atari
Adventure
Electrocop
1 Atari
Action/Adventure
European Soccer
1-2 Telegames Sports
Challenge
Fat Bobby
1 Telegames Action/Platform
Fidelity Ultimate
1-2(2) Telegames Strategy
Chess Challenge
Gates of Zendocon
1 Atari
Action/Shooter
Gauntlet: The
1-4 Atari
Action/Adventure
Third Encounter
Gordo 106
1 Atari
Platform
Hard Drivin'
1 Atari
Arcade/Driving
Hockey
1-2 Atari
Sports
Hydra
1 Atari
Arcade
Hyperdrome
1-4 Atari
Action/Sports
Ishido: The Way of
1-n Atari
Strategy
the Stones
(2,3)
Jimmy Connors Tennis 1-4
Atari Sports
Joust
1-2 Shadowsoft Arcade
Klax
1 Atari
Arcade/Strategy
Krazy Ace Minature
1-4(2) Telegames Action
Golf
Kung Food
1 Atari
Action/Fighting
Lemmings
1 Atari
Strategy
Lexis
1 Songbird Prod. Puzzle
Lynx Casino
1-2 Atari
Strategy
Lynx Othello
1-2 Harry Dodgson Strategy
Malibu Bikini
1-4 Atari
Sports
Volleyball
Ms. Pac-Man
1 Atari
Arcade
NFL Football
1-2 Atari
Sports
Ninja Gaiden
1 Atari
Arcade
Ninja Gaiden III:
1 Atari
Action/Platform
The Ancient
Ship of Doom
Pac-Land
1-2(2) Atari Arcade
Paperboy
1 Atari
Arcade
Pinball Jam
1 Atari
Arcade/Action
Pit-Fighter
1-2 Atari
Arcade/Fighting
Ponx
1-2(4) Songbird Prod. Arcade
Power Factor
1 Atari
Action
Qix
1-2(2) Telegames Arcade
Raiden
1-2 Telegames Arcade/Shooter
Rampage
1-4 Atari
Arcade
Rampart
1-2 Atari
Arcade/Strategy
Remnant
1 Songbird Prod. Action/Arcade
RoadBlasters
1 Atari
Arcade/Driving
Robo-Squash
1-2 Atari
Action/Sports
Robotron:2084
1 Shadowsoft Arcade
Rygar
1 Atari
Arcade
Scrapyard Dog
1 Atari
Platform
SFX
1 Songbird Prod. Developer tool
Shadow of the Beast
1 Atari
Action/Strategy
Shanghai
1-2 Atari
Strategy
S.I.M.I.S.
1-2 B.Schick/Other Arcade/Action/Demo
Sokomania
1 Markus Wuehl Puzzle
Steel Talons
1 Atari
Arcade
S.T.U.N. Runner
1 Atari
Arcade
Super Asteroids/
1 Atari
Arcade/Action
Missile
Command
Super Off-Road
1-4 Telegames Arcade/Driving
Super Skweek
1-2 Atari
Action/Strategy
Switchblade II
1 Atari
Platform
T-Tris
1-8 B. Schick Puzzle
Todd's Adventures
1-8 Atari
Action/Adventure
in Slime World
Toki
1 Atari
Platform
Tournament
1-4 Atari
Arcade/Sports
Cyberball 2072
Turbo Sub
1-2(3) Atari Action/Shooter
Viking Child
1 Atari
Action/Adventure
Warbirds
1-4 Atari
Action/Strategy
World Class Soccer
1-2 Atari
Sports
Xenophobe
1-4 Atari
Arcade
Xybots
1-2 Atari
Arcade
Zarlor Mercenary
1-4 Atari
Shooter
Footnotes:
(1) Manual says 1-2 players,
1-4 is possible
(2) Multiple players on
one Lynx, alternating turns.
(3) Players can compare
scores, but not interact directly
(4) Multiple players on
one Lynx.
==============================================================================
Q. What were the unreleased Lynx games?
A: The following games were announced at one
time or another as being planned
for the Lynx. With
the dissolution of Atari, the chances are very slim
that any of these games
will ever be produced or released. However, a few
enterprising companies and
individuals have considered plans to either
finish their Lynx titles
for release, to sell finished-but-unreleased
games, or to produce new
games on their own.
Announced Lynx games (? = Uncertain entry):
Title
Players Publisher Type
-----------------
------- ------------ ------------------------------
720
1 Atari
Arcade
Aliens v. Predator
1? Atari
Action
Blood & Guts Hockey
1-2 Atari
Action/Sports
Bleaker
1? Dig. Thunder Action/Adventure/RPG
Blue Earth
1-2? Dig. Thunder Adventure/RPG
Cabal
1-2 Atari
Arcade
Centipede
1-2? Shadowsoft Arcade
Championship Rally
1-2 Songbird Prod. Action/Sports
Classics 2000
1? Teflon Soft. Arcade
Cybervirus
1 Songbird Prod. Action
Daemonsgate
1? Atari
Adventure
Defender/Stargate/
1? Atari
Action/Arcade
Defender
II
Demolition Derby
1-16 H. Dodgson Action/Arcade
Edward 2000
2 E. Castle Action/Arcade
Evergreen
1 JagSoft
???
Eye of the Beholder
1 Atari
Adventure
Full Court Press
1-2 Atari
Sports
Basketball
GeoDuel
1-4 Atari
Action/Arcade
Guardians: Storm
1-4 Teflon Soft. Adventure
Over Doria
Heavyweight
1-2 Atari
Sports
Contender
Iron Reign
1-5 Dig. Thunder Strategy/Simulation
Loopz
1-2 Atari
Puzzle
Mechtiles
1-4 Songbird Prod. Action/Strategy
Ninja Nerd
1? Atari
Action
Operation Desert
1 Atari
Strategy?
Storm
Paralemmings
1 L. Simonis Action/Arcade
Planar Wars 3D
1-4 Songbird Prod. Action/Arcade
Pounce
1? Atari
Strategy
Puzzler 2000
1 Markus Wuehl Strategy
R.C. Destruction
1-4 Telegames Action
Derby
R3K
1 Team 13
Arcade
Relief Pitcher
1-2 Atari
Arcade/Sports
Road Fury
1? Teflon Soft. Driving
Road Riot 4WD
1-2 Atari
Arcade/Action/Driving
Rolling Thunder
1-2 Atari
Arcade
Spacewar
1-2? Atari?
Action
The Furies
1? Dig. Thunder Action
TNT Terry
1-4 L. Simonis Action
Ultra Star Raiders
1? Atari
Action/Strategy
Ultravore
1-2 Songbird Prod. Fighting
Vindicators
1-2 Atari
Arcade
Wolfenstein 3D
1 Teflon Soft. Action
Zow
1? H. Dodgson Action/Strategy
==============================================================================
Q. Where can I get a review and/or comments
about <insert game name here>?
Q. Where can I find secrets, tips, and hints
for <insert game name here>?
A: Robert A. Jung (rjung@mac.com) has reviews
for (almost) every Lynx game
and peripheral available.
They are available on the world-wide web at his
web site, at http://www.digiserve.com/eescape/atari/Atari.shtml
A collection of Lynx cheats
and tricks is maintained by Peter Hvezda on
the web at http://www.kurtolsen.com/~kurto/lynx/index.html
==============================================================================
Q: Where can I get instructions for <insert
game name here>?
A: Bob Schwarzmann and Kurt Olsen have assembled
a collection of Lynx game
manuals. Bob currently
maintains the archive on the world-wide web at
http://home.inreach.com/bobbo/lynx/
==============================================================================
Q. What accessories are/were available for the Lynx?
A. The following products were available from Atari Corp.:
* ComLynx cable. Connects multiple Lynxes together for multiplayer games.
* AC adaptor. Powers the Lynx from any AC wall socket.
* Cigarette lighter adaptor.
Powers the Lynx from any automobile
cigarette lighter. Will support one or two Lynxes simultaneously.
* Atari Lynx Sun Shield.
Folds down to protect the Lynx screen, and pops
open to shade the Lynx screen from sunlight for outdoor play. (NOTE:
There are two models; you need the one appropriate for your Lynx)
* D-cell battery pack.
Holds six D-cell batteries, and can be attached
with a belt clip. Alkaline batteries provides power for up to 20
hours of playing.
* Atari Lynx carrying pouch.
Holds a Lynx, several game cards, and a
ComLynx cable. Attaches with a wrist strap/belt loop.
* Atari Lynx Kit Case.
Holds a Lynx, up to 24 game cards, and assorted
accessories. Padded interior with Velcro dividers, can be customized.
Carried with a handle or a shoulder strap.
Songbird Productions offers
the following Lynx accessories:
* Lynx/PC serial cable.
Connects your Lynx to a 9-pin serial port. Used in
Crystal Mines
II: Buried Treasure, and used with S.I.M.I.S. to allow
downloading
RAM-based homebrewed games to your Lynx.
* Lynx Game Wallet. Holds
9 games single-stacked, or 18 games
double-stacked.
Made of Dupont Cordua water-resistant exterior,
foam-backed
soft headliner interior, 9 clear Vinyl pockets and a Velcro
latch. Originally
produced by Realm exclusively for the Atari Lynx.
Naki Products also sold several Lynx accessories.
* Atari Lynx power pack.
Mounts on the back of the Lynx II, comes with
an AC adapter which allows recharging while playing. Comes in 110v
(USA), 220v (Europe), or 240v (UK) formats. Cost is $39.95, or
$33.95 for replacement battery packs.
* Eliminator cleaning kit.
Cleans game cards and cartridge slots. Comes
with swabs and cleaning solution. Cost is $7.95.
* AC adaptor. Powers the Lynx from any 110v outlet. Cost is $9.99.
* Car Power. Cigarette lighter DC adaptor. Cost is $7.95.
* Pro Pouch+. Holds
a Lynx and up to 20 game cartridges. Nylon with
adjustable carrying straps. Comes in Black, purple, or teal blue.
Cost is $14.99 each.
==============================================================================
Q. Was there a TV tuner option for the Lynx?
A. No. Atari's official position was
that market research showed that a TV
tuner, while a neat idea,
would not be bought by most players. The
unofficial word from Stephen
Landrum is that the Lynx screen display is
not capable of handling
a broadcast television picture.
==============================================================================
Q. How do you get a Lynx screen shot, anyway?
A. Atari had an experimental adaptor for the
Lynx that allowed graphics to
be shown on a conventional
television set. This was used to demonstrate
Lynx games for corporate
meetings, as well as providing videotape footage
and screen grabs for the
media. Reportedly, only two or three of the
adaptors were ever made,
and each one cost $3,000 to manufacture.
More enterprising players
may get "screen shots" of Lynx games by running
one of the Lynx emulators
on a personal computer, then taking screen shots
from there. More information
about Lynx emulators can be found elsewhere
in this FAQ.
In a show of ingenuity, Wizztronics
plans to release a Lynx-to-TV
converter for $199.95, and
allows a Lynx screen image to be displayed on a
television set. The
device requires a Lynx II, and must be installed in
order to work. More
details will be provided when they are available.
Wizztronics has a web site
devoted to the converter, at
http://www.wizztronics.com/lynx.htm
==============================================================================
Q. What can I use to carry my Lynx game cards?
A. A cheap and easy solution is the plastic
cases used to hold trading cards.
They're transparent, sturdy,
and lock shut when closed. Most hobby and
comic book stores will sell
them; a large case costs $0.50 to $1.00, and
can hold up to 14 Lynx cards.
For Lynx owners who don't
care about brand names, a Gameboy plastic
cartridge case holds two
Lynx cards easily. The cases can be bought from
Nintendo at 800-255-3700,
part number 21648.
==============================================================================
Q. What does "ComLynx" mean, exactly?
A. Some Lynx games allow multiple players to
play together simultaneously.
This works when each player
has a Lynx game machine, and all of the
machines are connected to
each other via cables. The connection is the
ComLynx port, and the cables
are ComLynx cables. Games that support this
mutiplayer simultaneous
play are usually identified by the phrase "1 to N
players Lynx up" on the
box, the instruction manual, and/or the game card.
==============================================================================
Q. Do all players "Lynxed up" via the ComLynx
need a copy of the game being
played?
A. Yes. All players need a copy of the
game card. An early idea that Epyx
had considered for the Lynx
was to use magnetic tapes(!) instead of
ROM cards, for lower costs
and to support multiple players with one copy
of the game (the idea was
that you could load the game into the first
Lynx, remove the tape, load
it into the second Lynx, and so on). This
idea was abandoned because
the Lynx's 64K of DRAM was insufficient to
store a game, but not before
spawning rumors that multi-player Lynx games
only needed one copy of
the title.
Developer Harry Dodgson has
invented the LGSS (Lynx Game Sharing System),
which allows a game cartridge
to use the ComLynx network to download
copies of itself to other
Lynx units. This would allow multiple players
to share one card.
The LGSS has already been implemented in "Lynx
Othello," and Harry has
plans to incorporate it in other games. Interested
developers should contact
Harry Dodgson at hdodgson@mail.oeonline.com
==============================================================================
Q. What's the ComLynx port like?
A. There is a limit of 18 players via ComLynx.
In practice it may be
possible to connect more
units together, but to operate within
specifications, the drivers
in the Lynx cannot drive over more than 17
units with pull-ups on the
serial ports. It's easier for the Lynx to
manage fewer players, however,
since each Lynx has to track all of the
others, and having more
players means more data must be exchanged (growth
is exponential). Also,
tracking more than 8 players requires an extra
byte to encode the Lynx
unit number with each data packet.
ComLynx runs from 300.5 to
62.5K baud. It works on a "listen and send"
structure. Data transmission
between Lynxes is done in the background,
freeing up the CPU to run
the game instead of communicating. It's called
"RedEye" in-house at Atari,
named after an early idea of having Lynxes
communicate with infra-red
transmissions.
It uses a three-wire cable
(+5V/Ground/Data) and allows for bi-directional
serial communications.
The system frames messages in terms of 11-bit
words, each consisting of
a start bit, eight data bits, a parity bit, and
a stop bit. The ComLynx
port is used solely for communications; it can't
be used to control other
aspects of the Lynx, though in theory it can be
used to send signals to
external devices.
==============================================================================
Q. Sometimes a multiplayer ComLynx game will freeze up. Why?
A. A ComLynxed game will freeze if communication
between the Lynxes is
interrupted. If communications
can be restored, the game will continue.
The most common cause of
this problem is a fray in one of the ComLynx
cables, or a loose seating
in one of the ComLynx jacks. Communication is
broken, and the game "freezes".
Jiggling the cable or reseating the jacks
may fix the solution temporarily,
but the best cure is a new cable.
==============================================================================
Q. I hear there was a ComLynx port on the Atari
Jaguar. How did that work?
Could I connect my Lynx
to it? Was there a Lynx adaptor for the Jaguar?
A. The Jaguar does not have a ComLynx port
per se, but has a ComLynx signal
on the system bus.
An expansion port add-on would have made the port
available, and developers
had announced plans for such accessories. It is
possible to daisy-chain
multiple Jaguars for multiplayer games into a
"Jaguar network".
In theory, it would have also been possible to connect
Jaguars and Lynxes, though
no plans for cross-system software were ever
finalized.
There was also talk that
the Jaguar's ComLynx signal could allow Lynxes to
be used as peripherals:
software could have been developed to allow Lynxes
to be part of a Jaguar game
as "smart" controllers. Again, no actual
plans were ever announced.
An adaptor to allow the Jaguar to play Lynx games was never planned.
==============================================================================
Q. My Lynx screen is badly scratched! How can I fix it, what can I do?
A. Get some "plastic scratch remover" or "plexiglass
scratch remover". You
can find it in hardware
stores, or look in your Yellow Pages under
"Plastics."
==============================================================================
Q. Agh! My Lynx is broken! How can I fix it?
A. Unforutnately, with the dissolution of Atari
Corp., repair of broken
Lynxes is no longer available.
Replacement units are currently available
from CWest for $45, until
quantities run out. CWest can be reached at
(800) GO-ATARI.
==============================================================================
Q. How do I disassemble my Lynx II (assuming I want to)?
A. The original Lynxes are easy to take apart,
for whatever reason you
needed. The new Lynx
IIs are more puzzling, but not impossible. The
following set of (edited)
instructions are provided by Ken Small
(kens@umich.edu):
* * *
"It's not hard, but there
are a lot of fragile pieces and the electronics
are sensitive to all the
things that electronics are usually sensitive to,
like static. PROCEED
AT YOUR OWN RISK.
"First, remove the rubber
pads from the bottom of the Lynx. They're glued
on, but they peel off pretty
easily. Beneath them are screw holes --
remove them. Note
that it's *very* easy to tell if your lynx has been
opened, since you leave
holes in the glue stuff. Take off the back of the
case.
"Remove the screw located
inside the battery area. Be careful when
replacing this; it can strip
easily. Mine is stripped, but the rest of
the case holds the battery
bay in place. Remove the battery bay piece.
"You will see a circuit board
with a couple of wires and circuit ribbons
attached to it. Carefully
unplug all of these. The ribbon in particular
seems flimsy. Do not
puncture or otherwise damage it. Remove the circuit
board.
"Beneath the circuit board
is an assembly screwed to the inside of the
case, which contains the
screen, button contacts and buttons. A warning
when unscrewing this-- the
are LOTS of small pieces in here, and they're
particular about how they
go back in. In particular, be careful about the
A/B buttons, which are slightly
different sizes, and the rubber mat around
the LCD screen, which has
nothing to hold it in place. (NOTE: Also, there
are contacts on the circuit
board hooked up to the high-voltage supply for
the backlight. They won't
do any damage, but can give a mild shock.)
"The last thing is the joypad
contact itself. This is a small rubber mat
held in place by a snap-on
piece of plastic. You can carefully remove the
plastic to get under the
apron, where the contacts can be cleaned. Clean
in-between the contacts,
being careful not to abrase the contacts
themselves. They look
like half-circles with a small (half-millimeter or
less) space between.
Grunge between them can register an intermittent
false contact, which looks
to the player like the joypad is being quickly,
repeatedly pressed in one
direction."
==============================================================================
Q: Where can I get detailed technical information
about the Lynx?
A: A number of Lynx schematics are available
on the world-wide web. While it
is uncertain at this time
whether these documents are taken from official
Atari developers' notes
or handmade reverse-engineered blueprints, they
can still offer a lot of
information for the highly curious.
Lynx Classic schematics
are at
http://rghx54.gp.fht-esslingen.de/students/elw5basc/lynx/misc.html
Lynx 2 schematics are at:
http://home.t-online.de/home/Matthias.Domin/lynx_pcb.htm
Lynx 2 repair information
(in German) is at:
http://www.rhein-main.de/people/robert/download.htm
==============================================================================
Q. I have some dust under my Lynx screen;
how can I clean it?
A. The original Lynxes are easy to take apart;
simply remove the screws,
disassemble the Lynx, then
wipe the screen clean.
It is possible to disassemble
the Lynx II and clean its screen in a
similar way, but there is
an easier alternative. According to John
Daniels, "The front screen
on the Lynx 2 snaps on and off (easier to snap
on than off though).
The transparent area and the area surrounding the
small buttons near the screen
is one big piece of plastic. It snaps on
with a lip on the top and
bottom edge. ... It takes a pretty sturdy sharp
edge, but once you start
it moving, it just pops off and then you can
clean the area between the
plastic screen and the LCD."
For cleaning, plain water
or cleaning liquid will work fine. It is
recommended that you allow
your screen to dry before reassembling the
Lynx, to reduce the danger
of damaging the electronics.
==============================================================================
Q. What's this about Lynx emulators? Can I play Lynx games on my computer?
A. Proving that old consoles never die, but
get transposed on other platforms
instead, a number of resourceful
folks have written emulators of the Atari
Lynx. This is not
as trivial as it sounds, as these authors are working
without official Atari/Epyx
documentation, and therefore spend a lot of
time reverse-engineering
the Lynx's processors. They've reached varying
degrees of success, but
the field is a fast-changing one, and what might
be insurmountable today
could seem trivial tomorrow.
Because these are software
emulators, there is no current method to run
Lynx cartridges directly
off your home computer. However, some folks have
managed to secure ROM dumps
of Lynx games, and the emulators can run those
images instead.
Here are some resources for further information about Lynx emulators:
- BLL
Homemade Lynx
development system
Bastian Schick
(elw5basc@gp.fht-esslingen.de)
URL: http://rgpc72.gp.fht-esslingen.de/students/elw5basc/
- Handy
Lynx emulator
for Windows 95/98/NT/2000
Keith Wilkins
(keith.wilkins@dysfunction.demon.co.uk)
URL: http://www.dysfunction.demon.co.uk
- Handy/MacOS
Lynx emulator
for Apple Macintosh/MacOS
Richard Bannister
URL: http://www.bannister.org/software
- Metalynx
Partially-completed
emulator in assembly
Ben Haynor (bch132@psu.edu)
URL: http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/b/c/bch132/lynx.html
==============================================================================
Q. What are other sources for Lynx information?
A. Publications:
- A.P.E. Newsletter
Dedicated Lynx newsletter ("A.P.E."
2104 N. Kostner
stands for "Atari Power
Chicago, IL
60639
Entertainment"). Write to Clinton
GEnie: C.SMITH89
Smith. Published five times per
year, cost is $6.00/year.
- Portable Atari Gaming System
PAGS is a quarterly newsletter with
P.O. Box 37692
reviews, editorials, news & info,
Raleigh, NC
27627-7692 and gaming
tips. One year costs
GEnie: E.SCHOFIELD
$12.00.
- Wild Cat
A one-man, home-made Atari video gaming
Phil Patton
"fanzine." Subscriptions are $12/year
131 Dake Ave.
for eight issues, at 12 pages each
Santa Cruz,
CA 95062
issue. Covers all Atari consoles and
computers.
Internet/USENET newsgroups and services:
- rec.games.video.atari
USENET newsgroup. Contains news of all Atari video-game systems.
- World-Wide Web Pages
The
Electric Escape is the official home of the Lynx FAQ.
http://www.digiserve.com/eescape/atari/Atari.shtml
Go
Atari is a web site that sells Atari software and hardware:
http://www.goatari.com/
Telegames
UK sells Lynx units, games, accessories:
http://www.telegames.co.uk
Atarinews:
On the Prowl is an electronic newsletter that reports the
newest developments in the Atari gaming community:
http://gem.atari.org/~atmosphere/atarinews.html
Harry
Dodgson is developing several Lynx titles of his own, and also
has rare screen shots, and a free demo ROM image for "Eye of the
Beholder":
http://oeonline.com/~hdodgson/dmp/pics.html
http://oeonline.com/~hdodgson/
Bastian
Schick has developed several Lynx titles of his own, and his
Web site includes information for other Lynx developers:
http://rgpc72.gp.fht-esslingen.de/students/elw5basc/
Laurens Simonis has started a web page on the development of his
upcoming Lynx game, TNT Terry (a Bomberman clone):
http://home.wxs.nl/~lsimonis/lynx/
Carl
Forhan's (Songbird Productions) numerous Lynx and Jaguar
projects can be found at:
http://homepage2.rconnect.com/forhan/
http://songbird.atari.org/
http://jagdomain.atari.org/
http://lynxdomain.atari.org/
JagSoft
has a web page for their products at:
http://underworld.fortunecity.com/warcraft/436/
Markus
Wuehl has a web site for his Lynx game development efforts
http://www.surf.to/lynxworld
The
Atari Lynx and Jaguar Club Deutschland is on the web:
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Park/6679/
Digital
Thunder is on the web:
http://www.1deltacenter.com/dthunder/
The
Atari Lynx Generation 2 Game Deveopment project is located at
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Towers/9446/LynxG2.html
Markus
Wuehl has a web page covering various aspects of the Lynx,
including his works-in-progress:
http://surf.to/lynxworld
General-purpose
Atari/Lynx Web pages:
http://www.mcs.usu.edu/~kurto/lynx/
http://math.ohio-state.edu:80/~harmon/lynx/
http://www.infinet.com/~rbatina
http://rzserv2.fh-lueneburg.de:8080/Lynx/
http://www.ereal.com/eds/
http://www.monroeworld.com/lynx/
Also,
Yahoo!'s list of Atari Lynx web sites can be found at
http://www.yahoo.com/Recreation/Games/Video_Games/Systems/Atari/Lynx/
Internet FTP sites:
- atari.archive.umich.edu or terminator.cc.umich.edu (141.211.164.8):
/atari/Magazines/Portadd
Has back-issues of Portable Addiction, a
newsletter about the Atari Lynx, Sega Game
Gear, and Atari Portfolio.
/atari/Lynx
Contains assorted Lynx-related files
Microsoft Windows Help File:
Jon Reinberg has compiled the Lynx cheats file and the Lynx FAQ into a
Microsoft Windows .HLP (Help) file. This allows Windows users to
use
active hypertext browsing to find game cheats for specific games.
The
Lynx Help File can be retrieved with anonymous FTP, at
atari.archive.umich.edu, in the file atari\lynx\cheathlp.zip.
Instructions are included.
BBS:
- CATScan
(209) 239-1552, baud rate/line information unknown
The
BBS is completely dedicated to Atari products and Atari video game
consoles.
- MADNIX BBS
(608) 273-2657, 300/1200/2400 bps
It's
located in Madison, Wisconsin (USA) and has a Lynx section.
Login as "bbs" and create an account. Once on the BBS enter "go
lynx". MADNIX has game reviews and hints from the net as well as
old
message threads from UseNet on LYNX related topics.
- Video Game Information Service.
(201) 509-7324, 300/1200/2400/9600/14400 bps. Multiple lines
Located
in West Orange, New Jersy (USA). The BBS is completely
dedicated to video gaming, and maintains files of cheats and reviews
for all game systems. Carries video-game-related conferences from
other computer networks, including Fidonet, Worldnet, and Globalnet.
Online services:
- America On-Line
The
PC Games/Video Games discussion group has areas devoted to the
Atari Lynx and the Atari Jaguar consoles. Use the keyword PC GAMES,
then go to the Video Games discussion board. From there, select Atari
Discussion, then the console of your choice.
- GEnie
Atari
ST Roundtable BBS, Category 36
International clubs:
- Netherlands: International
Lynx Club
Leon Stolk
Vanenburg 2
7339 DN Ugchelen
The Netherlands
- Austria:
Internationaler Lynx Club
Christian Lenikus
Obertraun 27
4831 Obertraun
Austria
- Switzerland: Swiss-Lynx-Info-Club
Eugene Rodel
Sangeliweg 45
4900 Langenthal
Switzerland
==============================================================================
Q. What was the Lynx developer's kit like?
A. Hardware:
- Commodore Amiga computer:
3M RAM and hard disk.
- "Howard" board: A parallel-interface
module that has the electronics
of the Lynx,
also with debugging tools. A large PC board inside of
a metal case
with power supply, and connections on the back for
cable to connect
to the Amiga, and to the "Howdy" unit ($5,000).
- "Howdy" unit: Either a
small PC board in a plastic case with buttons
and a Lynx display,
or a modified Lynx. Essentally a self-contained
"Handy" (Lynx)
unit, with cables to allow the "Howard" board to monitor
system behavior.
- "Pinky/Mandy": A discounted
"Howard" board setup that allows programs to
be loaded and
executed. Pinky and Mandy can only download and execute
programs that
are in Handy RAM or a simulated Handy ROM cart. Minimal
debugging support
($500).
Software:
- Handy-Bug: A powerful
symbolic debugger, also contains a disassembler.
- Handicraft: Graphics translator
that takes IFF files and turns them
into coded Lynx
sprite definitions.
- HSFX: Sound editor
- "HandyROM": Creates ROM
card images from code and data files.
- Other assorted tools,
including HandyAsm (a 65C02 assembler), a MIDI
music editor,
a paint program for creating/modifying sprites, a text
editor, and
HSPL (compiles music text files into Handy files).
- Macro libraries
- Example programs
- Notebook of system documentation
(approximately 270 double-sided pages,
weighs over
three pounds).
The cost of a full Lynx Developer's Kit was around $5,000.
==============================================================================