Lynx reviews
From news Wed Mar 4 22:48:03 1992
Path: uwm.edu!linac!att!ucbvax!halluc.COM!Richard.Lawrence
From: Richard.Lawrence@halluc.COM (Richard Lawrence)
Newsgroups: rec.games.video
Subject: Lynx reviews part 1 of 6 [NOTE: all 6 were edited into one]
Message-ID: <UUCP.699018852@halluc>
Date: 25 Feb 92 08:04:00 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
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Release 3 - Rich's Light Reviews - quick Lynx game reviews for all games (C)
1992 by Richard Lawrence.Please attribute these when you quote them.
CI$: 71101,2272 GEnie: R.LAWRENCE14 Internet: rich@halluc.com BBS:
703-425-5824 (Hallucination, 5 nodes, 2 Gigs) Fido: 1:109/345
Abbreviations:
C-pad == Control pad A/B == A button or B button
Opt1 == Option 1 (Opt2 == Option2)
Other Lynx info: Eric Ng maintains a video game voting list at
video-request@irss.njit.edu (where you should mail him with questions,
voting is a seperate address). If everybody votes with Eric, we will have
the best measuring stick available for games. I am not associated with him
in any way, I just think it's a great idea.
Darius Vaskelis maintains an excellent Lynx FAQ list. Mail him at
U39648@uicvm.uic.edu for info.
The format of these reviews is designed to present the most amount of
information in the least amount of space. Each review is exactly one text
screen long (25 lines) so that many conventional text viewers for most PCs
will be able to flip forward one review at a time. Here is a break down of
the sections of the reviews and their meaning.
NAME - I think we can figure this one out. Top left hand corner.
MANUFACTURER: Who is responsible for this thing?!?
PLAYERS: The number of players supported in any form
STEREO: The Lynx II, as it is popularly called (Atari refuses to make a
distinction) is capable of producing stereo out of the headphone jack. You
have a Lynx II if you have a "Backlight" button on the bottom left hand
side of the display screen. If there is a ??? here, it means that Stereo is
produced but apparently by accident rather than design, as in RoboSquash.
RATING: An overall game rating from 1 to 10 (type unsigned int :-) )
Following my rating, in parenthesis, is the last rating I have obtained
from Eric Ng's video game rating list.
As you can see, I rate games on a scale of 1 to 10. I do not individually
rate the gameplay, graphics, sounds, sprite count, title screen, or any
other subdivision of the game. It detracts from the main point: do you LIKE
it or not? For the purpose of preserving this aspect of the reviews, I try
to make my RATING figure as ballpark, off the cuff as possible. When you
ask a friend if he/she liked a game or not, they give you a yes or no. In
my ratings scheme, anything above a 5 would be a yes, although there would
probably be a reservation or two about a 6 or 7 game. ****IMPORTANT
NOTE!*****: I will occasionally rate games 10, and occasionally rate them
1. I use the WHOLE range of the scale, unlike 98% of the game magazines out
there. There is no point in having a ten point scale when the only scores
given are 7+. Using my system, it is entirely possible that a game with
ho-hum graphics and sound would get a good rating, eg Scrapyard Dog.
Scrapyard Dog is not an impressive game technically, it is just fun to
play.
TYPE: A very generic attempt to describe the game play style
COMLYNX: If they game supports Comlynxing multiple players, this field will
have a "Yes". Note that it is possible to have multiple players but no
Comlynx, although a dumb design feature (Fidelity Chess).
BLINK: The Lynx II seems to have a small hardware incompatibility with the
original Lynx chip set. On some games there will appear a single pixel that
may blink or shine steady, depending on action on the screen. It is not
very noticeable, does not appear in the same place in all games, and is
included in the review more as trivia than anything else. If there is a
"Yes" here, then this game shows a blinking dot on my Lynx II at one point
or another.
WHAT: Describes as succinctly as possible the point (the "plot") of the
game. Lynx games can be deceptively original; this field helps identify the
original ones from the scroll-and-shoots.
HOW: Attempts to touch on as many aspects of the implementation of the game
as possible, describing control schemes, options available, ergonomics,
etc. I try to keep this section as objective as possible, a just the facts
type of approach.
SOAPBOX: is where I climb up on the Soapbox and either laud or rip the game
to shreds, depending on my mood, the phase of the moon, and on a related
note, my girlfriends mood that day. This is a completely subjective
analysis. You should correlate my feelings on games that you already own to
see if you generally agree with me or think I'm a total twit so you can
make the best use of this section.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A.P.B.
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: No RATING: 8 (7.4)
TYPE: Action COMLYNX: No BLINK: Yes
WHAT: Arrest criminals for crimes ranging from littering to drug dealing
HOW : You are officer Bob, and during your typical day you view your patrol
car from above as you chase after,apprehend, and take back to the police
station criminals. You drive through big symbolic donuts to get extra time,
stop at a gas station for extra fuel, pick up hidden stacks of cash now and
then to purchase enhancements for your veHICle, and generally bust the bad
guys. The B button accelerates your car, and the A button activates your
siren to make an arrest. At the start of each level you get your
assignments, which always include some simple quotas such as honkers or
litterbugs, but could include a special criminal whom you will have to
chase down and return to base. As in the arcades, this game features plenty
of digitized speech and some amusing graphics.
SOAPBOX: I find this game a lot of fun. The control scheme is not the best,
as it is necessary to constantly hold down the A button with the tip of my
thumb and rock the joint down on the B button to make an arrest (turn the
siren on), which is backwards from the way it should be. The cars on the
road don't behave exactly like the arcade, because your siren doesn't make
them head for the shoulder. But most aspects of the original are preserved,
including the very funny digitized sounds, and a light hearted game play
approach.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Awesome Golf
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 4 STEREO: No RATING: 9 (7.7)
TYPE: Sports COMLYNX: Yes BLINK: No
WHAT: A golf simulation, emphasizing realism and nice graphics
HOW : Teeing off is a view from behind the player, with animation of the
swing. Afterwards, view switches to an above the ball perspective, with the
green shrinking and growing underneath as the ball follows its ball- istic
curve. A full complement of clubs is available, with three courses of 18
holes. Various difficulty features including wind, etc. can be set from
intro screen. The game does not prompt you with the appropriate club for
the distance to the hole. Overhead view of the green before the tee allows
scrolling in any direction and user-controlled scaling of display. Bunkers,
water hazards, and trees are the main enemies.Skill in swing is simulated
by quick moving bar, requiring precise timing to hit.
SOAPBOX: This game is reminiscent of the arcade "Birdie King" and its
imitations. Awesome Golf is exactly that; awesome - with incredible use of
the Lynx scaling hardware and digitized sound (including laughs when you
miss the swing). A must buy for any remote sports fan, a great cart to show
off the Lynx. Comlynx with up to 4 players should satisfy comp- etition
urge. The game is no pushover, and does not give away hole-in- ones with
the ease many others do. The only potential problems are for serious
golfers:no ability to change your stance, or introduce backspin. But what
the heck, this game is FUN!
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Bill & Ted's Ex. Adv.
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 2 STEREO: No RATING: 6 (6.5)
TYPE: Adventure COMLYNX: Yes BLINK: No
WHAT:Bill & Ted wander through time trying to rescue the princess(es)
HOW :This is a "run about and gather items" game. The two key elements are
musical notes and pages from Rufus' phone book, which allow players to
continue on to other segments of the game- basically they are success
meters. Also to be found are musical instruments, used for soothing wild
beasts,and sometimes to trade with other characters,keys and other misc-
ellaneous items.Overhead perspective is used throughout,with independent
scrolling screens for each player (in a one player game,only one charac-
ter is used).A sixteen character password will save the players location
and inventory for later playing. The game is much too large to finish in
one sitting. Some timing puzzles are extremely close.
SOAPBOX: Despite the repetitive nature of these types of games, this one
has some fairly innovative ideas. The time theme is used well (players will
have to leave items for themselves to find in the future, etc.) and even
the worn Bill & Ted "bogus" terminology is funny at times.The prob- lem is
that game play can be very frustrating in certain timing puzzles, resulting
in a lot of aggravation (at least for me). The rating of this game went
down after I had played it through some more, mostly because game play
involved lots of thumb action and not a lot of cranium work.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blockout
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: No RATING: 8 (6.3)
TYPE: Tetris 3-D COMLYNX: No BLINK: No
WHAT: Drop various block shapes into a 3-d pit, attempting to create a
filled level at the bottom of the pit, much like Tetris but in 3-D.
HOW :Various difficulties,in terms of speed,complexity of block shapes, and
the size of the pit can be selected. The 3-D effect is well done, both with
receding lines to show depth and darker colors for far away blocks. A new
block enters the screen at the top of the well. New blocks are transparent,
with white outlines to show you their shape. The trick is to get the block
rotated in such a way that it will fit optimally into what already exists
in the well. When an x-y plane is complete, that level disappears,your
score goes up,and the game speeds up. Holding down the B button and moving
the C-pad left or right gives a Y-axis rotation, up or down is an X-axis
rotation. Z axis rotation is performed by pressing the A and B buttons
simultaneously. The A button drops a block into the well. Blocks will
proceed down themselves at various speeds depending on difficulty. An
indicator on the left will show how high up in levels the highest block in
the well is.
SOAPBOX: Z-axis rotation is difficult, which detracts slightly from the
game. But it is certainly playable, and fast paced, with great graphics and
good sound. This is not a game that suffers much from the lower resolution
of a handheld,but some players simply won't like the concept.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blue Lightning
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: No RATING: 7 (7.5)
TYPE: Afterburner clone COMLYNX: No BLINK: Yes
WHAT:Fly your super jet fighter against a variety of enemies
HOW :View is from slightly behind your plane. Left and right C-pad turn up
to 90 degrees - if you turn and then hit Option2 you will do a roll (no
real benefit though). A fires your guns, and B will fires homing missiles.
When a target is bracketed on your screen, you can fire a missile, the
bracket turns red and you can then move on to your next target. The horizon
does NOT tilt with your turns, just the plane,so you always see a level
horizon. There is no cockpit instrumentation; just indications of the score
and number of missiles left. It is impossible to crash into the ground, but
you can hit landscape features like hills or buttes in the canyon area.
There is a password option to start over.
SOAPBOX:Blue Lightning doesn't really offer much in the way of game play
and is pretty easy, but it has great graphics that really give it value.
The pity is that you don't see the better graphics right away, so many
people pick it up and play it a little while without being impressed. Once
you get to the canyon sequence (with all the Close Encounters mountains)
you'll see some neat scaling effects. And the game does offer fast action.
See if you can find it discounted; it was one of the first four games out
and should be pretty cheap nowadays.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
California Games
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 2 STEREO: No RATING: 6 (5.8)
TYPE: Sports COMLYNX: Yes BLINK: No
WHAT: 4 games in one - BMX racing, Surfing, Half pipe, and Footbag
HOW :BMX Racing is a side view scrolling racetrack.The A button pulls a
wheelie, the B button attempts a flip. Right control pad moves forward,
up/down moves towards top/bottom of track. The trick is timing the two
basic maneuvers to cause "cool" things to happen,which result in points.
Surfing is also a side view. C-pad left and right turns your board. Pushing
A will result in a sharper turn. Banking on the wave correctly will build
velocity to the point that you can do multiple 360's in the air, which
gives you the most points. Trivia: if you die at just the right time, you
can land on the bird. Half-pipe is a skateboard game, where you perform
tricks like flipping direction, hand standing at the top of the pipe, and
more. Timing is crucial; use the cement lines to judge your moves. In
footbag you try to keep the ball in the air as long as possible using your
feet, hands and head. The control pad to moves around and A hits the ball.
C-pad down gives a special "spin" move for extra points. Timing special
shots will also increase your score.
SOAPBOX:The original packaged Lynx game,came with all the first run Lynx
units.The games are simple and are all based on timing. They get old pretty
quickly, but Comlynxing makes them fun again, especially BMX. It is
possible to "surf the bird" in surfing. Suuuuurfffer biiiirddd..
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Checkered Flag
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 6 STEREO: Yes RATING: 8 (9.0)
TYPE: Arcade Racing COMLYNX: Yes BLINK: No
WHAT: Fast paced Formula 1 racing
HOW :View is from within a cockpit of sorts, but with your car directly in
front of you. Side view mirrors to either side accurately depict any
following cars, and a simple instrument panel shows speed and an analog
graph of the RPM. The road display is a basic single lane that dwindles to
a point on the horizon, much like that used in Super Monaco et al at the
arcades.When turning the entire horizon shifts left to right or vice versa,
complete with trees and the occasional billboard. Up to six players can
link and play, but a total of ten cars can be on the track (the others
controlled by computer). A wide variety (18) of tracks are provided.
Shifting can be automatic or manual,with either 5 or 7 speeds. Shifting is
accomplished by control pad up or down.
SOAPBOX: A great competition game, either against the computer or fellow
players. Up to nine computer drones with up to fifty tracks makes for a
wide variety of difficulties. Several nice touches include scaleable Atari
ads on the billboards, and the ability to select the color of your car and
(this is original) the sex of the driver, which effects your reward at the
end of a race.Computer cars drive well, particularly after you pass them
(they never fall far behind). Rivals Warbirds in the Comlynx fun department
- I wish I could find five other players!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chip's Challenge
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: No RATING:10 (8.2)
TYPE: Strategy Puzzle COMLYNX: No BLINK: Yes
WHAT:Help Chip win the respect of Melinda by completing 144 chip puzzles
HOW : Chip is viewed from overhead, typically in a maze configuration.He
can see all parts of the maze.Basically,all Chip can do is move and pick
things up; by his actions he can cause many things to happen, though.His
objective is collect enough computer chips on each level to pass through
the chip gate. There are tens of objects in the game; basic blocks that are
immovable, blocks of fire, water, ice, dirt (can be moved around),
invisible blocks, magnetic ones that tug Chip along against his will,and
more.Mix these in with monsters, nasty ones and mostly harmless ones and
even a few friendly ones,and you have the building blocks of some fiend-
ish puzzles.If that's not enough, the clock is ticking, and the time you
have per level can vary from plenty to split seconds available.
SOAPBOX: Some will inevitably argue with my 10 rating on this game. But to
me, this is the perfect Lynx game. Simple in concept, but with enough
variety to provide for high replay value. Good graphics and sound,
excellent mix of strategy and reflexes. This game is original,well done,
and FUN.Since it was one of the original Lynx carts,it's often available
discounted. Buy it, it's worth it. Has the best "hidden feature" I've found
in any Lynx game: type MAND for a password and play with a very complete
implementation of the Mandelbrot.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Electro-Cop
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: No RATING: 7 (6.6)
TYPE: Adventure COMLYNX: No BLINK: Yes
WHAT: Rescue the President's daughter, kidnapped by an evil robot
HOW : You are electro-cop, a computer analog brain running a powerful
mechanical body. Since you have hyper fast reactions etc, you have been
selected to rescue the President's daughter. The C-pad moves you around, A
fires, B will make you jump when running or squat when standing still. You
have the ability to run side to side or front to back. Occasionally you
will find doors, or corridors, always front to back - when you run through
these the screen scales that level closer, and you are on it.You can also
see the level you were JUST ON in a sort of outline mode as a light white
overlay.This is helpful if you have to run backwards,because you will see a
robot before you run into it.View takes some getting used to, but is unique
and makes good use of Lynx capabilities. Various power ups are to be found,
mostly for more firepower. Computer nodes will help open doors and give you
information- including three small "hidden" game programs. Door
combinations are always the same. You have one hour to rescue the princess,
real time. There are a wide variety of enemies.
SOAPBOX: Surprisingly, I still haven't finished this game. I keep loosing
my list of door combos. It's fun though, and fast paced. Give it a try.
This is another one of the original four, so look for it cheap.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Fidelity Ultimate Chess
MANUFACTURER:Telegames PLAYERS: 2 STEREO: No RATING: 7 (6.2)
TYPE: Chess COMLYNX: No BLINK: No
WHAT: Classic no-frills chess
HOW :The traditional chess board can viewed either from overhead (2D) or
from an angle (3D).While the 3D view is a nice feature,it is often hard to
properly distinguish pieces. Play can either be against the computer or a
human opponent, but not through a Comlynx cable - the unit must be handed
back and forth. The computer appears to play a solid game,compar- able to
many 6502 based dedicated chess sets. It seems to have a library of several
openings, but they must be played through; as there is no option to start a
game at a given move. A colored square selects a piece to be placed, and
the player then moves to the desired destination and pushes a button to
make the move.The computer signals its own moves in the same manner.
Various difficulties can be selected.
SOAPBOX: I'm no good at chess. I know how to move the pieces around.
Consequently Chess Challenge beats the pants off me every time; I think
I've come close once. I did at one point match it against various levels of
a dedicated chess set and it played well. A big annoyance is the wait after
the computer signals a move,which is totally unnecessary and can't be
skipped. Also desireable would be a Comlynx feature. This game has special
programming to prevent Lynx auto-shutdown from loosing a match. I just wish
they would get with it on the pause issue.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gates of Zendocon
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: No RATING: 8 (6.8)
TYPE: Side scroll shoot COMLYNX: No BLINK: No
WHAT: A side scrolling shoot-em-up reminiscent of Scramble
HOW :The average gamer knows the controls for this one before he even sits
down to play it. The C-pad moves around, B fires your laser, and A
activates a limited time shield. Holding B will continuously fire the
laser, but pushing it on and off quickly will also drop slightly more
powerful bombs.There are 51 levels to blast through plus a hidden level.
Opponents are too varied to list, but be assured they have different
characteristics, so there is a minimal element of strategy involved in how
you fight particular opponents. There are also, of course, a variety of
power ups in the form of "friends" you can find to aid you in your combat.
In all you can have four friends around your ship, which makes you quite a
blast center.
SOAPBOX: We all know the drill on this one. Everybody involved in video
games has played a shooter. Gates delivers on several fronts; neat
graphics, game play and frantic action. In particular I like the variety of
"enemies" - there is one level where you fight growing crystals, one where
you fly through an example of the Life pattern, etc. The hidden level
contains faces of the designers of the Lynx and the game. There is a lot of
attention to detail in this cart.Good as a thumbbuster shooter.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gauntlet III
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 4 STEREO: No RATING: 6 (5.1)
TYPE: Dungeon explore COMLYNX: Yes BLINK: No
WHAT: A top view dungeon exploration, with lots of monsters and levels
HOW : Gauntlet 3 only very superficially resembles the arcade Gauntlets; so
don't buy it on the assumption they are alike. They are both top down view
and multiple players with different fight/magic characteristics,but that's
about where it ends.There is actually more depth to Gauntlet 3 in many
respects; there are many more potions; lots of different character classes
to choose from (the Robot is the best in the long haul).Controls are what
you might expect - C-pad moves (diagonals work) and A fires. B activates an
inventory view, which allows you to use, drop or just look at items you
carry. 3/4ths of the screen is an overhead view of the dungeon,to the
bottom left is a unique first person view of what you are approaching (for
instance, monsters will appear in close up here during combat) and to the
bottom right are your vital stats. There are secret doors, keys, potions,
gold, and other goodies spread throughout the game.
SOAPBOX: The only quibble I have with Gauntlet is that it is too easy, even
though it's quite large. I beat it in four days, but that last game was
long. There is no password feature. It gets VERY easy with multiple
players, and it doesn't have a high replay value, since nothing changes
from game to game. The "plot" is pretty weak, but at least the levels have
a fair amount of variety.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hard Drivin'
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: No RATING: 1 (4.7)
TYPE: Driving sim COMLYNX: No BLINK: No
WHAT: Polygon-rendered driving simulation
HOW : View is from within the car when driving. Two methods of control are
available, one with automatic transmission (C-pad steers) and one with
manual shift, which requires the use of the Opt1 and Opt2 buttons for
up/down shifting. After wrecks, a non-controllable replay view of the wreck
is shown. B button accelerates. There is one course with two loops - the
speed track and the stunt track. The speed track allows high MPH but has
little excitement, the stunt track features loops, jumps and inclined
turns. Faster lap times are to be had on the stunt track, assuming one can
handle it.
SOAPBOX: Hard Drivin' is a total dud.I was fairly addicted to the arcade
version- it's high resolution polygon graphics and tactile feedback were
revolutionary.The Lynx version preserves none of that, and is so pathet-
ically slow it makes you wonder why Atari ever let it out of the gate. I
have to believe the machine itself is not at fault here, but rather the
program. If the frame rate were higher this would be an ok game, but the
difficult control in shift mode and slow as molasses response kill it.
Don't buy this.I mean it. Did I mention that the control is impossibly
touchy on steering? Avoid this game like the plague. Nada. Do not buy.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ishido
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 2 STEREO: No RATING: 8 (6.7)
TYPE: Strategy COMLYNX: No BLINK: Yes
WHAT:Heavy thinking game,requiring placing of colored stones for points.
HOW :The game board is a 12x8 grid.Game pieces have two distinct charac-
teristics: color and shape. Pieces must be laid down in such a way that
either of these two traits is shared with the piece you place next to.
Certain combinations result in points, with highest points being awarded
for difficult three-way formations of both color and shape. The outside rim
of the board is a "no score" area, and is used to set up potential scoring
formations on the inside. Rules are easy to learn but very diff- icult to
master. The Lynx can show you potential placements, as well as stones yet
to placed at the cost of your chance for a high score. Completing certain
formations results in tidbits of wisdom from the "Oracle" (basically an
electronic fortune cookie).
SOAPBOX: The key to this game is whether you enjoy the type. It is an
excellent IMPLEMENTATION, with distinctive graphics and good sound, what
there is of it. But keep in mind this is a simple colored stones game with
very few gee-whiz features about it. Unfortunately the buxom lady on the
cover is nowhere to be found in the game. Those who appreciate games such
as Go or Shanghai will like this as well. If you do like this style, you
will get hours of fun out of this one. There seems to be a bug in the
Oracle: he only gives you ONE fortune per play session.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Klax
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO:YES! RATING: 10 (8.5)
TYPE: Tetris action COMLYNX: No BLINK: No
WHAT: Catch falling tiles on a moving platform,and then attempt to stack
them in special scoring configurations.
HOW : Klax is a sideways-viewed game (you hold the Lynx with the c-pad
either at the top or bottom of the display). The playfield consists of a
top section which is a conveyor belt 5 spaces wide, down which will flop
colored tiles. You have a tile holder in the middle of the screen which can
hold up to five tiles, and can flip them back onto the conveyor or drop
them below, into a 5x5 grid. Completing certain configurations of tiles
will result in points and the tiles disappearing. The most basic winning
combination is three tiles in a row, vertically, diagonally, or
horizontal.Much more complex winning structures are possible, e.g. a 5x3
"X". You have a certain quota of Klaxes (winning combos) per level.Some-
times levels will have special requirements,like the aforementioned X,to be
completed before moving on. The further you get, the faster the tiles come
down the belt and the more complicated the winning conditions.
SOAPBOX: I love this game. It's loads of fun, can be understood easily, and
is easy to get into in a short time. It requires both fast reflexes and
quick thinking for high scores, and features good graphics and
*spectacular* sound to boot. This is *the* demo for Lynx stereo sound, so
hook it up into your amp and crank it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ms. Pac-Man
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 2 STEREO: No RATING: 8 (7.0)
TYPE: Pac-man COMLYNX: No BLINK: No
WHAT: Classic Ms. Pac-man game, with a few enhancements
HOW :If you don't know what this game is like,then you've been in a cave
for the past ten years.But for the benefit of those in caves,the Pac-Man
games are mazes viewed from overhead that take up one screen each.In the
maze is Ms. Pac-Man, a bunch of dots worth points, four ghosts intent on
eating Ms.Pac-Man,and four power pills that temporarily allow Ms.Pac-Man to
eat ghosts.In Ms.Pac-Man, unlike the original Pac-Man,there are paths off
and on screen again to the sides.Also,the "fruit" (high points item)
bounces and moves in Ms.Pac-Man.The c-pad moves, and that's about it for
controls (you can view the high scores with Opt2 and the regular pause,
flip etc. work). Ms. Pac-Mac moves slower when eating dots, the Ghosts move
slower in the side corridors, and at higher levels the ghosts won't stay
blue when you eat a power pill.This game adds a little variety from the
original with the option for more complex mazes, and a special lightning
power-up that lets Ms. Pac-Man move much faster.
SOAPBOX: A classic. Yes, the intermissions are there. Hampered slightly by
the c-pad (it plays significantly better on a LynxII versus the older Lynx)
but still very playable. Sounds and graphics are very faithful to the
arcade original. Wocka wocka.
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Robotron:2084
MANUFACTURER:Shadowsoft PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: Yes RATING: 7 (8.7)
TYPE: Arcade shoot'em COMLYNX: No BLINK: Yes
WHAT: Save humanity from evil robots bent on destruction
HOW : Another faithful arcade port, Robotron places the player, a lone
human with a big ray gun,in the center of a rectangular field surrounded by
various killer robots and some other humans.The object is to save the
humans (by touching them) and shoot the robots. The humans aren't harmed by
the ray gun,but the robots can kill them in various ways.The original
arcade featured two joysticks; one for movement and one for firing. This
version has three methods to suit different tastes;either the ability to
fire in the direction of movement/opposite of it;the ability to rotate a
continuous fire stream in a circle with A/B, or a permanently rotating
stream.
SOAPBOX: No question about it,the control schemes detract from the game.
After you pick one you can get used to it; but you'll never get the high
scores you did in the arcade.That aside, this is a fabulous translation,
with all the sounds reproduced exactly as they were in the arcade, and
graphics faithfully recreated as well. It's as if a Robotron machine has
been shrunk down and stuck in your Lynx. Two bad Shadowsoft didn't program
a two player cooperative mode for moving and firing at the same time, it
would have made this cartridge a 10 of 10. The only stereo effect is when
you get killed, as far as I can determine.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rygar
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: No RATING: 6 (6.4)
TYPE: Hack n' Slay COMLYNX: No BLINK: No
WHAT: Free the land from the evil creatures (hack n' slay)
HOW : Rygar was a fairly popular arcade game in '86 or so.Basically,it's a
left to right scrolling hack and slay. C-pad left and right moves,down
makes you squat down, A slashes and B jumps. You can jump on top of
critters to temporarily disable them. Levels are pre-defined,so repeated
play will teach you where to expect creatures and how to beat them.There
are a plethora of power ups; you can make your weapon stronger, double your
points for a period,get more time,destroy everything on the screen, etc.
Getting hit ONCE kills your character. You start with three lives, and can
get others with points.On each level you start with 100 seconds, but you
can often find time increasing power ups.
SOAPBOX: Rygar is not what you would call a complex game. As one of the
first in the hack and slay category, it is a classic to many people, and
those looking for a recreation will be well pleased by this conversion,
which does a good job of replicating the arcade game.Graphics are rather
plain (they were that way in the arcade), but there is some parallax
scrolling and a few other touches that make up for the bland colors.
Tidbit: Lynx games I'd like to see - Berserk, Moon Buggy, Gyruss (with the
great soundtrack intact!)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scrapyard Dog
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: No RATING: 7 (7.8)
TYPE: Adventure COMLYNX: No BLINK: No
WHAT: Pursue the evil Mr. Big who has stolen your dog
HOW : A side-scrolling jump and shoot game. A jumps, B "fires" (Louie, the
main character, throws soda cans as his main and only weapon). Opt1 and
Opt2 also launch soda cans. Generally the character moves left to right,
jumping over various obstacles and unleashing torrents of cans at Mr. Big's
henchmen. At various points in the game shops can be found to purchase
options with money discovered along the way,such as shields and other
helpful abilities. Also to be found are special bonus areas, with different
tasks, such as jumping on a huge piano to play a particular tune or playing
the old shell game.
SOAPBOX: I can't figure out its specific appeal, but this game is fun if
you bother to give it a try. The cartoon graphics are simple but effective,
and make sense given the theme of the game.Music is light and manages to
not get on your nerves after extended play. This game needs a password
feature, because the 15 levels are NOT a breeze, despite the apparent
"childrens" nature of the game. Don't dismiss it because of the graphics or
the theme; the graphics are actually pretty well done, and the theme is
just a non-violent platform game, ala Pac-Land.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shanghai
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 2 STEREO: No RATING: 8 (8.6)
TYPE: Strategy COMLYNX: Yes BLINK: No
WHAT: Ancient game of strategy, removing matching tiles from a pile
HOW : Shanghai is based on an ancient Chinese strategy game of the same
name. The concept is simple - a large pile of "tiles", with different
symbols and numbers on them, is created. You remove tiles in matching
pairs, making sure each tile selected is not partially obscured by another
tile on top of it. Piles can be of different shapes; named after real or
mythical beasts they resemble-for instance,the dragon formation. When
selecting a tile, you move a pointer above it with the control pad and
press either button. Then you must find another that matches it, click on
it, and both will be removed from the playing board. The board is
represented in a reduced view because of resolution limitations, so
whichever tile you have the pointer over is magnified for eas of ident-
ification. Two player games can be cooperative or competition.
SOAPBOX: This is an excellent implementation of Shanghai. For a game to
have survived this long means it has lasting value, and Shanghai certainly
delivers in the play area. Graphics are also well done, with the only
disappointment of this cartridge being the mediocre sound, which thank
heaven you can turn off. A good strategy cartridge that requires patience
and careful thinking to complete. Good cartridge to take on a trip.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Slime World
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 8 STEREO: No RATING: 9 (7.7)
TYPE: Weird adventure COMLYNX: Yes BLINK: No
WHAT: Explore a world full of slime infested critters in search of gems
HOW :You are Todd, exploring the Slime World for Slime Gems. Todd has a
water pack on his back and a squirt gun - yes, you fight with a squirt gun
- that the aliens find deadly. He can move around via the c-pad, and fires
with A, jumpa with B.Opt1 cycles through special items or actions, and Opt2
executes what you selected with Opt1.You have by default a com- puter that
will map the area as you go along.You can pick up mega-bombs, cleansers
(turn slime infested pools into water), gun enhancements, jet packs, slime
gems (points), super slime gems (invincible) and some other items. If you
get slimed, you are injured, but you can clean yourself in the occasional
pool of water.If you are slimed too heavily you will die, and there are
aliens that kill you with a single evil red slime glob.
SOAPBOX: Talk about your original games, Slime World is it. This must be
the place where all aliens from horror movies come from,because they all
seem to have the gooey slime you find all over in this world.SW is loads of
fun to play, humorous, and has some tricky sections requiring quick
thinking on your slimy feet to get out of. Lots of options. Another MUST
PLAY with the Comlynx - especially with several other players. There is
reason this is being ported to other platforms - it's lots of fun.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
S.T.U.N. Runner
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: No RATING: 8 (8.4)
TYPE: Action racing COMLYNX: No BLINK: No
WHAT: The player is a pilot of an ultra-fast tunnel traveling vehicle
HOW : STUN Runner is a faithful adaptation of the arcade (the author of the
arcade version has said on UseNet that he feels this it is an excellent
job). The player is propelled at high speeds down twisting tunnels, some
that enclose completely, some that are open with see through scenery.
Controls are simple: left, right, and fire. Some travelers of the tunnels
cannot be destroyed. Occasional helpful objects such as speed boosters can
be found, important in making time against the ever ticking clock.
Occasional not-so-helpful objects will be found as well, such as hover
craft that shoot at you and slow you down.
SOAPBOX: This is an _extremely_ fast game. One of the most enjoyable
aspects of the arcade version was the feeling of barely being in control of
the incredible speed of the vehicle,and that is well translated here.
Although the game is by nature repetitious, it has high replay value
because of increasingly difficult levels and different opponents or
obstacles. Sound quality is high as well, with some digitized speech, so
this is a good demonstration cartridge.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tournament Cyberball
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 4 STEREO: No RATING: 4 (4.0)
TYPE: Arcade sports COMLYNX: Yes BLINK: No
WHAT: Futuristic football with robot players
HOW : View is from above the field at an angle,allowing the width of the
field but not the entire length to be seen at once. Play is similar to
football, with basic running and passing plays. There are no downs as in
football, but the ball will get "hotter" unless a specific goal in terms of
yardage is reached; if it gets too hot it explodes.A quick time limit
forces fast play selection;emphasis is on thinking fast on your feet.The
player also controls one of the robots on the field,usually the quarter-
back at first and then a receiver/running back, or a chosen defensive
linerobot. Comlynxing results in several players cooperating on a team.
SOAPBOX: Although I played this occasionally in the arcade, I don't have a
solid feel for that version, so I can't tell if this is a good port or not.
It has poor control, especially when running the ball (I've never been able
to with much success) so I'm guessing this is not a great ver- sion.
Graphics are not great either, with the small bitmapped players hard to see
in the 3/4 overhead perspective. Sound is equally ho-hum.The cooperative
Comlynx feature sounds fun, but I haven't been able to find anyone to try
it, so someone feel free to contact me on how enjoyable it is. As the
rating says, I consider this a low cart. Buy others first.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ninja Gaiden
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: No RATING: 6 (6.5)
TYPE: Chop Suki COMLYNX: No BLINK: No
WHAT: Ninjutsu everybody to death
HOW : In this left-to-right scrolling hack and slay, you are the lone Ninja
against a horde of weird bad guys inhabiting your city. From the basic
punch and kick to the ill-explained ninjutsu attacks, you have a variety of
moves to use against this ill ilk to waste them in classic Ninja fashion.
SOAPBOX: I don't really like this type of game, but this is a passable
version of it. The biggest problem is the short length; I was able to
complete the entire game (while never getting a firm handle on any of the
special moves) in about three days. There is no problem solving or even
thinking involved; you just bang away at the buttons until things are dead.
The graphics are well done, with often humorous enemies (a bunch of
Jason-types, and biker/loggers!). The dreaded Atari instruc- tion "poster"
does a terrible job of hinting how to make special attacks. This game cries
out for a Comlynx ability with multiple players at once.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pac-Land
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: No RATING: 6 (6.3)
TYPE: Mario clone COMLYNX: No BLINK: Yes
WHAT: PacMan must safely escort the princess through ghost-infested areas
HOW : The princess is under Pac-Mans hat (don't ask). As with most plat-
form games, the c-pad is directional, and the button jumps. Pac-Man has no
weapons to speak of. Pressing the control pad twice in succession makes
Pac-Man run, most of the time required because of a time limit on each
level. Fruits will appear along the way to gobble up, and the occasional
power pill from the arcade will make an appearance, at which point Pac-Man
can go chasing after and eat the ghosts trying to get him. The challenge is
mostly getting timing right for various jumps and weaving your way between
threatening ghosts.
SOAPBOX: This game bears no relationship to any of overhead perspective
Pac-Man games from the arcade. Mario has a new set of clothes, in other
words. Unfortunately the Pac-Meister just doesn't bring off Mario very
well; Pac-Man doesn't have a lot of variety or replay value.The graphics
are simple, true to the Pac-Man tradition, but don't have the neat
intermission scenes. This game has none of the strange appeal for me that
Scrapyard Dog did, for instance. I don't like it; maybe you will.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paperboy
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: No RATING: 6 (5.5)
TYPE: Scroll & "shoot" COMLYNX: No BLINK: No
WHAT: Deliver papers on the toughest street in town
HOW : A good conversion. You see a 3/4 perspective of the screen, with
scrolling from top to bottom. The objective is to deliver papers to your
loyal subscribers, and do willful destruction to non subscribers.You can
carry ten papers at a time, and launch them with either A or B. C-pad left
or right steers, up accelerates and B brakes.Since you must stay on your
bike, you cannot come to a full stop.Time is limited,so moving fast is
preferred. You have many more papers than you need, so you can take a few
extra and break a window here and there in a non-subscribers house, or bean
an innocent pedestrian.If you finish a course perfectly,you will gain a
customer; customers are lost by missing a delivery. At the end of each
level you face the fanciful "paper boy training course", where you must hit
bullseyes with papers and jump over ramps.
SOAPBOX: Well,it IS a good conversion.While this game plays well and has
decent control, it just doesn't cut it for me. The sound is hopelessly
annoying,which probably has something to do with it.It's not a bad game,
but it's not a great one either, so I put it in the middle of the pack,
ratings wise.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qix
MANUFACTURER:Telegames PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: No RATING: 7 (6.7)
TYPE: Arcade COMLYNX: No BLINK: No
WHAT: Segment off sections of a rectangle while avoiding bad guys
HOW : Exactly like the arcade game. The player moves a cursor around the
screen, attempting to draw lines that complete an enclosed area,which is
then claimed for points. In the open space is an abstract set of colored
lines called the Qix, which is instant death for the player if touched.
Along the edges of the open area travel the Sparx, which also kill the
player with a touch. The only escape from them is to venture into the open
area, thus exposing yourself to the Qix. Either button allows the player to
leave the edges and move into the open area,and holding down a button will
move the cursor slowly, resulting in higher points but greater risk from
the Qix.
SOAPBOX: Much as the box advertises, this is a very faithful version of the
classic, especially in the sound department. It is plagued by the Lynx
control system, however, as it is often difficult to make precise turns and
reversals using the c-pad. This makes later levels where the Qix splits
especially frantic. Perhaps the most faithful feature of this recreation is
the movement of the Qix; just like in the arcades it has a maddening
tendency to always be nearby when you need to leave a wall, despite its
apparently random movement.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rampage
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 4 STEREO: No RATING: 8 (6.8)
TYPE: Destruction COMLYNX: Yes BLINK: No
WHAT: Take the role of a movie monster, destroying a city
HOW : View is from the side with horizontal scrolling. You can use the
c-pad to move your monster around, and when beside a building up or down
will climb the building in that direction. Pressing A will either punch a
building, grab a human to eat, or destroy a tank/helicopter depending on
the timing (whichever is right in front of you). You have a limited amount
of health against an almost unlimited amount of human opponents. Luckily,
eating humans and some potions restore your health. You have to be careful
of what you eat, however,because some things that you uncover in the
buildings are bad even for a monster. While you are climbing and destroying
buildings, sometimes humans will plant a bomb on the building to try to
hurt you - you can either jump down and throw the bomb away or jump off the
building as it disintegrates.Multi-players can either fight each other or
play a cooperative game.The object? Find the technician at the end of the
game who can cure your condition-you may be a monster now, but you used to
be human!
SOAPBOX: This game is a hopelessly infantile release of hostile energy.I
love it.It is very like the arcade, with slightly different graphics and an
additional monster (a rat). Easy control and very funny Comlynx play,
especially when you give up on cooperating.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Road Blasters
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: ??? RATING: 7 (7.3)
TYPE: Combat racing COMLYNX: No BLINK: Yes
WHAT: Fight evil Death Squad cars in a post nuclear war road rally
HOW : View is very similar to that in Checkered Flag. You see your car from
slightly above and behind, sitting on a road that diminishes to a point on
the horizon. The c-pad up and down accelerates or brakes, left or right
steers, and A fires your laser. Periodically a jet will drop a special
weapon for you, which you can catch and then use with B. The object is to
shoot enemies that can be destroyed (blue cars can't be by conventional
weapons) as accurately as possible,as bonus multipliers are given for
accuracy. You must also be careful to conserve your fuel,which depletes
rapidly. Luckily there are fuel globes on the course that you can pick up
and use.Other obstacles include mines,gun turrets on the side of the road,
and helpless motorists who don't appear to understand there is a death race
on.
SOAPBOX: This game has great graphics and sound, but isn't very easy to
control. This was one of my favorites in the arcades, but I just can't get
the hang of the pad to steer, so it keeps the game from getting high marks.
It is extremely well done however. If you already have Checkered Flag you
might want to think twice, or vice versa,because they have many
similarities in play,the exception being you don't kill people in CF. Watch
out for the motorcycles.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
RoboSquash
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 2 STEREO: ??? Rating: 2 (3.4)
Type: 3-D Pong COMLYNX: Yes BLINK: Yes
WHAT: Play pong/air hockey against an opponent in a 3-D field
HOW : Picture a zero-gravity cube, with you at one end and an opponent at
the other. You both have magnetic paddles that you can move in two
dimensions on your end, but not on the Z access (towards the other player).
A ball bounces back and forth. If you miss the ball with your paddle it
"splats" across your field of vision (maybe it's a tomato?) and makes it
harder to see. Sometimes there are icons floating in the middle of the room
that give you extra paddles, special characteristics like being able to
catch the ball, etc., and if you hit these with the ball then you receive
that special ability. The ball goes faster as time goes by. Winning a round
will give you a colored ball on a sort of large tic-tac-toe playing grid;
if you win several rounds in a row to complete a line on the grid then you
get more points. Thus there is minimal "strategy" (if you can call
tic-tac-toe that) involved in picking spots.
SOAPBOX: Until Hard Drivin', Robo-Squash had the dubious honor of being the
worst Lynx cartridge in existence. To complement its pathetic game play and
truly ancient concept (come on folks, Pong was the FIRST VIDEO GAME!!) it
has ho-hum sound (and really messed up stereo) and mediocre graphics. It
might be fun in Comlynx mode, but I've never found another person who
bought it. Not recommended at all.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Turbo Sub
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 2 STEREO: No RATING: 6 (4.5)
TYPE: Arcade sports COMLYNX: Yes BLINK: Yes
WHAT: The player pilots a underwater/air vehicle and blows things away
HOW : View is from within the cockpit of the Turbo Sub,a vehicle capable of
both flying and operating underwater, with the ability to dive or surface
at will. The distinction is more or less arbitrary, since the objective is
the same in either environment: shoot just about anything you see. The
c-pad is a standard directional, A fires an endless supply of shots, and B
unleashes the ever popular smart bomb, which the player can collect more of
over time. The horizon does not slant when turning, but rather moves right
to left or vice versa. Varying degrees of success will lead to more points,
which can be used to purchase armament at the end of a level. Two player
mode is basically a points competition.
SOAPBOX: TS is certainly fast paced and features some good graphics. If you
ever played Buck Rogers (the shoot 'em up) of some time ago, you've got the
basic idea. Move the display around and shoot everything, avoid the
immovable objects like pillars underwater.The idea of a sea monster that
could eat a submarine is kind of stretched, but it gives you more things to
obliterate. What TS is short on is replay value; especially if you already
own Blue Lightning, which is much the same game. Some nice graphical
touches (windshield wipers) make this a fun game to watch.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Viking Child
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: No RATING: 5 (6.3)
TYPE: Jump,hack,slay COMLYNX: No BLINK: No
WHAT: Run about and hack enemies, jumping to and fro on platforms
HOW : The c-pad moves Brian (the main character) left and right. A hacks
his sword, B makes him jump.There are various hills and moving platforms to
jump on and off.Some special items can be bought with gold found when
killing monsters. The special items are mostly weapons, selected in
rotation by using Opt2 and activated by using Opt1. A password feature
exists to resume play after extended play time.
SOAPBOX: This is a very basic hack and slay. While the graphics are fairly
well done and expressive (Brian looks comical when he falls, and the enemy
critters are discernible but not believable as armed turtles, etc) the
sound is strictly second rate and seems like it has mostly been recycled
from Gauntlet III. You can only program Mario so many times,and this game
offers nothing new that I can see over any of the other thousands in this
genre. Don't be fooled by the neat map on the back; this is not a thinking
game, but a mindless one. Lots of hacking and slaying, if that's your bag.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Warbirds
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 4 STEREO: No RATING: 9* (8.5)
TYPE: Combat flight sim COMLYNX: Yes BLINK: Yes
WHAT: Fly in a WWI rotary engine prop plane, shooting down enemies
HOW : View is from within the cockpit.Pressing down B allows the view to be
changed with the c-oad; you can look out either side, down at your
instrument panel, or out the back. Release B and the c-pad is a standard
directional. There is no throttle control, but Opt2 can be used to turn the
engine on and off which sometimes allows for tighter turns. A fires a
stream of bullets. Options can determine number of opponents, their skill,
amount of ammo, how damage is assessed, and where you start the game
relative to your enemies. You have the ability to land to rearm,but you can
be shot while helpless on the runway.Limited terrain (mountains) exists and
extensive clouds provide cover.
SOAPBOX: The * is a caveat about number of players. With four players,
Warbirds is a 10 and can't be equaled. With 2 it's a 9,and with 1 player it
can be an 8 or a 7 depending on who you are talking to. As a flight
simulator it isn't very impressive;but it's running on a small handheld,
after all. As a fun combat game it is great, with good graphics but poor
sound (the rat-a-tat of the machine guns is more of a beep-a-beep). Most of
the arguments about this game, however, seem to be whether it's a must buy
or a really really must buy. Either way, you need this cart.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xenophobe
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 4 STEREO: Yes RATING: 8 (7.9)
TYPE: Side view shoot COMLYNX: Yes BLINK: Yes
WHAT: Rid the space station of nasty phlegm spitting Xenos
HOW : Basically,this game is an early, unlicensed rip off of the concept in
Aliens. Luckily, it's a GOOD rip off! You (and possibly your friends) are
charged with the duty of cleaning up your space stations, which have been
infested with Xenos. You play one of many characters, each equipped at the
beginning of the game with a phasar (more powerful weapons can be found).
You get a side view of the station,with each segment coincident- ally one
Lynx screen wide.There are many segments to a level,many levels to a
station,and 23 stations in all.Translation:lots of aliens to blast. C-pad
left/right moves you in those directions, down makes you crouch and crawl,
up makes you stand up. A fires, and while firing you can adjust the angle
of your gun with the c-pad. B makes you jump, Opt1 throws bombs. A variety
of aliens exist, including the nasty and hard to kill Phester, who can be
played by another player Comlynxed!
SOAPBOX: One of the good early games for the Lynx,this conversion proved
that you can capture the essence of an arcade classic in a hand held.
Multiplayer options are great, especially with a human playing Phester. The
game is hard solo; I have yet to make it to the Mother Phester (anybody
that has,e-mail me and tell me what it is like).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xybots
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 2 STEREO: No RATING: 7 (7.0)
TYPE: Maze action/shoot COMLYNX: Yes BLINK: No
WHAT: Eradicate the Xybots infesting a space station with your blaster
HOW : Xybots is another faithful arcade port. View is more or less first
person, although you can see yourself directly in front of your view.You
are in a maze full of Xybots, killer robots, and you must destroy them with
your blaster. You have a limited amount of energy, and loose it by getting
shot, using your "zap" (more powerful shot), or just by sitting around. You
may find energy boosts and keys to short cuts to help you on your way. A
fires your regular blast, Opt1 fires a "zap", and Opt2 shows you an
overhead map of the maze. The c-pad moves. Pressing B and c-pad right or
left will turn you in that direction,since you can have enemies on all four
sides.You can move while the map is displayed, but it's not a smart thing
to do. You can also pick up coins, used at vending machines between levels
to purchase various ability enhancements.
SOAPBOX: I never saw the attraction of this game, so I wasn't really
jumping up and down about the Lynx version. It's a good job though;
graphics are fine and speed is no problem. It may be too easy -the first
time I played I made it to level 16 and killed a Master Xybot on the way.
You wouldn't be able to do that in the arcades, certainly. Two player
Comlynx is fun but makes the game even more easy.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zarlor Mercenary
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 4 STEREO: No RATING: 8 (7.7)
TYPE: Shooter COMLYNX: Yes BLINK: No
WHAT: Shoot everything. I mean EVERYTHING.
HOW : An overhead view scrolling shooter, with the screen scrolling from
top to bottom.The c-pad moves your ship, A fires missiles, and B fires a
laser (which will always shoot at something airborne, doesn't have to be
aimed).The best arrangement seems to be holding the middle of your thumb
down over A, and using the tip to push B when something is on the screen
for the laser, since the laser doesn't auto repeat. This game was
programmed by the same person who did Gates of Zendocon,and has much the
same approach - a wide variety of enemies, a large number of options to
help you blast them, and lots and lots of explosions on the screen.There
are too many enemies and assistance options to list here; you name it, this
game has got it.
SOAPBOX: Well, this game will make your thumb tired. It's pretty hard solo,
but with four players I imagine it would be pretty easy. There's not much
to be said to it because there is no depth - it doesn't profess to be a
thinking game, and it isn't. As the manual says - "Shoot everything that
moves. Shoot everything that doesn't move". Pretty much sums it up.
Path: uwm.edu!linac!att!ucbvax!halluc.COM!Richard.Lawrence
From: Richard.Lawrence@halluc.COM (Richard Lawrence)
Newsgroups: rec.games.video
Subject: Lynx reviews part 1 of 6 [NOTE: all 6 were edited into one]
Message-ID: <UUCP.699018852@halluc>
Date: 25 Feb 92 08:04:00 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Lines: 143
Release 3 - Rich's Light Reviews - quick Lynx game reviews for all games (C)
1992 by Richard Lawrence.Please attribute these when you quote them.
CI$: 71101,2272 GEnie: R.LAWRENCE14 Internet: rich@halluc.com BBS:
703-425-5824 (Hallucination, 5 nodes, 2 Gigs) Fido: 1:109/345
Abbreviations:
C-pad == Control pad A/B == A button or B button
Opt1 == Option 1 (Opt2 == Option2)
Other Lynx info: Eric Ng maintains a video game voting list at
video-request@irss.njit.edu (where you should mail him with questions,
voting is a seperate address). If everybody votes with Eric, we will have
the best measuring stick available for games. I am not associated with him
in any way, I just think it's a great idea.
Darius Vaskelis maintains an excellent Lynx FAQ list. Mail him at
U39648@uicvm.uic.edu for info.
The format of these reviews is designed to present the most amount of
information in the least amount of space. Each review is exactly one text
screen long (25 lines) so that many conventional text viewers for most PCs
will be able to flip forward one review at a time. Here is a break down of
the sections of the reviews and their meaning.
NAME - I think we can figure this one out. Top left hand corner.
MANUFACTURER: Who is responsible for this thing?!?
PLAYERS: The number of players supported in any form
STEREO: The Lynx II, as it is popularly called (Atari refuses to make a
distinction) is capable of producing stereo out of the headphone jack. You
have a Lynx II if you have a "Backlight" button on the bottom left hand
side of the display screen. If there is a ??? here, it means that Stereo is
produced but apparently by accident rather than design, as in RoboSquash.
RATING: An overall game rating from 1 to 10 (type unsigned int :-) )
Following my rating, in parenthesis, is the last rating I have obtained
from Eric Ng's video game rating list.
As you can see, I rate games on a scale of 1 to 10. I do not individually
rate the gameplay, graphics, sounds, sprite count, title screen, or any
other subdivision of the game. It detracts from the main point: do you LIKE
it or not? For the purpose of preserving this aspect of the reviews, I try
to make my RATING figure as ballpark, off the cuff as possible. When you
ask a friend if he/she liked a game or not, they give you a yes or no. In
my ratings scheme, anything above a 5 would be a yes, although there would
probably be a reservation or two about a 6 or 7 game. ****IMPORTANT
NOTE!*****: I will occasionally rate games 10, and occasionally rate them
1. I use the WHOLE range of the scale, unlike 98% of the game magazines out
there. There is no point in having a ten point scale when the only scores
given are 7+. Using my system, it is entirely possible that a game with
ho-hum graphics and sound would get a good rating, eg Scrapyard Dog.
Scrapyard Dog is not an impressive game technically, it is just fun to
play.
TYPE: A very generic attempt to describe the game play style
COMLYNX: If they game supports Comlynxing multiple players, this field will
have a "Yes". Note that it is possible to have multiple players but no
Comlynx, although a dumb design feature (Fidelity Chess).
BLINK: The Lynx II seems to have a small hardware incompatibility with the
original Lynx chip set. On some games there will appear a single pixel that
may blink or shine steady, depending on action on the screen. It is not
very noticeable, does not appear in the same place in all games, and is
included in the review more as trivia than anything else. If there is a
"Yes" here, then this game shows a blinking dot on my Lynx II at one point
or another.
WHAT: Describes as succinctly as possible the point (the "plot") of the
game. Lynx games can be deceptively original; this field helps identify the
original ones from the scroll-and-shoots.
HOW: Attempts to touch on as many aspects of the implementation of the game
as possible, describing control schemes, options available, ergonomics,
etc. I try to keep this section as objective as possible, a just the facts
type of approach.
SOAPBOX: is where I climb up on the Soapbox and either laud or rip the game
to shreds, depending on my mood, the phase of the moon, and on a related
note, my girlfriends mood that day. This is a completely subjective
analysis. You should correlate my feelings on games that you already own to
see if you generally agree with me or think I'm a total twit so you can
make the best use of this section.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A.P.B.
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: No RATING: 8 (7.4)
TYPE: Action COMLYNX: No BLINK: Yes
WHAT: Arrest criminals for crimes ranging from littering to drug dealing
HOW : You are officer Bob, and during your typical day you view your patrol
car from above as you chase after,apprehend, and take back to the police
station criminals. You drive through big symbolic donuts to get extra time,
stop at a gas station for extra fuel, pick up hidden stacks of cash now and
then to purchase enhancements for your veHICle, and generally bust the bad
guys. The B button accelerates your car, and the A button activates your
siren to make an arrest. At the start of each level you get your
assignments, which always include some simple quotas such as honkers or
litterbugs, but could include a special criminal whom you will have to
chase down and return to base. As in the arcades, this game features plenty
of digitized speech and some amusing graphics.
SOAPBOX: I find this game a lot of fun. The control scheme is not the best,
as it is necessary to constantly hold down the A button with the tip of my
thumb and rock the joint down on the B button to make an arrest (turn the
siren on), which is backwards from the way it should be. The cars on the
road don't behave exactly like the arcade, because your siren doesn't make
them head for the shoulder. But most aspects of the original are preserved,
including the very funny digitized sounds, and a light hearted game play
approach.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Awesome Golf
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 4 STEREO: No RATING: 9 (7.7)
TYPE: Sports COMLYNX: Yes BLINK: No
WHAT: A golf simulation, emphasizing realism and nice graphics
HOW : Teeing off is a view from behind the player, with animation of the
swing. Afterwards, view switches to an above the ball perspective, with the
green shrinking and growing underneath as the ball follows its ball- istic
curve. A full complement of clubs is available, with three courses of 18
holes. Various difficulty features including wind, etc. can be set from
intro screen. The game does not prompt you with the appropriate club for
the distance to the hole. Overhead view of the green before the tee allows
scrolling in any direction and user-controlled scaling of display. Bunkers,
water hazards, and trees are the main enemies.Skill in swing is simulated
by quick moving bar, requiring precise timing to hit.
SOAPBOX: This game is reminiscent of the arcade "Birdie King" and its
imitations. Awesome Golf is exactly that; awesome - with incredible use of
the Lynx scaling hardware and digitized sound (including laughs when you
miss the swing). A must buy for any remote sports fan, a great cart to show
off the Lynx. Comlynx with up to 4 players should satisfy comp- etition
urge. The game is no pushover, and does not give away hole-in- ones with
the ease many others do. The only potential problems are for serious
golfers:no ability to change your stance, or introduce backspin. But what
the heck, this game is FUN!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill & Ted's Ex. Adv.
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 2 STEREO: No RATING: 6 (6.5)
TYPE: Adventure COMLYNX: Yes BLINK: No
WHAT:Bill & Ted wander through time trying to rescue the princess(es)
HOW :This is a "run about and gather items" game. The two key elements are
musical notes and pages from Rufus' phone book, which allow players to
continue on to other segments of the game- basically they are success
meters. Also to be found are musical instruments, used for soothing wild
beasts,and sometimes to trade with other characters,keys and other misc-
ellaneous items.Overhead perspective is used throughout,with independent
scrolling screens for each player (in a one player game,only one charac-
ter is used).A sixteen character password will save the players location
and inventory for later playing. The game is much too large to finish in
one sitting. Some timing puzzles are extremely close.
SOAPBOX: Despite the repetitive nature of these types of games, this one
has some fairly innovative ideas. The time theme is used well (players will
have to leave items for themselves to find in the future, etc.) and even
the worn Bill & Ted "bogus" terminology is funny at times.The prob- lem is
that game play can be very frustrating in certain timing puzzles, resulting
in a lot of aggravation (at least for me). The rating of this game went
down after I had played it through some more, mostly because game play
involved lots of thumb action and not a lot of cranium work.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blockout
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: No RATING: 8 (6.3)
TYPE: Tetris 3-D COMLYNX: No BLINK: No
WHAT: Drop various block shapes into a 3-d pit, attempting to create a
filled level at the bottom of the pit, much like Tetris but in 3-D.
HOW :Various difficulties,in terms of speed,complexity of block shapes, and
the size of the pit can be selected. The 3-D effect is well done, both with
receding lines to show depth and darker colors for far away blocks. A new
block enters the screen at the top of the well. New blocks are transparent,
with white outlines to show you their shape. The trick is to get the block
rotated in such a way that it will fit optimally into what already exists
in the well. When an x-y plane is complete, that level disappears,your
score goes up,and the game speeds up. Holding down the B button and moving
the C-pad left or right gives a Y-axis rotation, up or down is an X-axis
rotation. Z axis rotation is performed by pressing the A and B buttons
simultaneously. The A button drops a block into the well. Blocks will
proceed down themselves at various speeds depending on difficulty. An
indicator on the left will show how high up in levels the highest block in
the well is.
SOAPBOX: Z-axis rotation is difficult, which detracts slightly from the
game. But it is certainly playable, and fast paced, with great graphics and
good sound. This is not a game that suffers much from the lower resolution
of a handheld,but some players simply won't like the concept.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blue Lightning
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: No RATING: 7 (7.5)
TYPE: Afterburner clone COMLYNX: No BLINK: Yes
WHAT:Fly your super jet fighter against a variety of enemies
HOW :View is from slightly behind your plane. Left and right C-pad turn up
to 90 degrees - if you turn and then hit Option2 you will do a roll (no
real benefit though). A fires your guns, and B will fires homing missiles.
When a target is bracketed on your screen, you can fire a missile, the
bracket turns red and you can then move on to your next target. The horizon
does NOT tilt with your turns, just the plane,so you always see a level
horizon. There is no cockpit instrumentation; just indications of the score
and number of missiles left. It is impossible to crash into the ground, but
you can hit landscape features like hills or buttes in the canyon area.
There is a password option to start over.
SOAPBOX:Blue Lightning doesn't really offer much in the way of game play
and is pretty easy, but it has great graphics that really give it value.
The pity is that you don't see the better graphics right away, so many
people pick it up and play it a little while without being impressed. Once
you get to the canyon sequence (with all the Close Encounters mountains)
you'll see some neat scaling effects. And the game does offer fast action.
See if you can find it discounted; it was one of the first four games out
and should be pretty cheap nowadays.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
California Games
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 2 STEREO: No RATING: 6 (5.8)
TYPE: Sports COMLYNX: Yes BLINK: No
WHAT: 4 games in one - BMX racing, Surfing, Half pipe, and Footbag
HOW :BMX Racing is a side view scrolling racetrack.The A button pulls a
wheelie, the B button attempts a flip. Right control pad moves forward,
up/down moves towards top/bottom of track. The trick is timing the two
basic maneuvers to cause "cool" things to happen,which result in points.
Surfing is also a side view. C-pad left and right turns your board. Pushing
A will result in a sharper turn. Banking on the wave correctly will build
velocity to the point that you can do multiple 360's in the air, which
gives you the most points. Trivia: if you die at just the right time, you
can land on the bird. Half-pipe is a skateboard game, where you perform
tricks like flipping direction, hand standing at the top of the pipe, and
more. Timing is crucial; use the cement lines to judge your moves. In
footbag you try to keep the ball in the air as long as possible using your
feet, hands and head. The control pad to moves around and A hits the ball.
C-pad down gives a special "spin" move for extra points. Timing special
shots will also increase your score.
SOAPBOX:The original packaged Lynx game,came with all the first run Lynx
units.The games are simple and are all based on timing. They get old pretty
quickly, but Comlynxing makes them fun again, especially BMX. It is
possible to "surf the bird" in surfing. Suuuuurfffer biiiirddd..
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Checkered Flag
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 6 STEREO: Yes RATING: 8 (9.0)
TYPE: Arcade Racing COMLYNX: Yes BLINK: No
WHAT: Fast paced Formula 1 racing
HOW :View is from within a cockpit of sorts, but with your car directly in
front of you. Side view mirrors to either side accurately depict any
following cars, and a simple instrument panel shows speed and an analog
graph of the RPM. The road display is a basic single lane that dwindles to
a point on the horizon, much like that used in Super Monaco et al at the
arcades.When turning the entire horizon shifts left to right or vice versa,
complete with trees and the occasional billboard. Up to six players can
link and play, but a total of ten cars can be on the track (the others
controlled by computer). A wide variety (18) of tracks are provided.
Shifting can be automatic or manual,with either 5 or 7 speeds. Shifting is
accomplished by control pad up or down.
SOAPBOX: A great competition game, either against the computer or fellow
players. Up to nine computer drones with up to fifty tracks makes for a
wide variety of difficulties. Several nice touches include scaleable Atari
ads on the billboards, and the ability to select the color of your car and
(this is original) the sex of the driver, which effects your reward at the
end of a race.Computer cars drive well, particularly after you pass them
(they never fall far behind). Rivals Warbirds in the Comlynx fun department
- I wish I could find five other players!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chip's Challenge
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: No RATING:10 (8.2)
TYPE: Strategy Puzzle COMLYNX: No BLINK: Yes
WHAT:Help Chip win the respect of Melinda by completing 144 chip puzzles
HOW : Chip is viewed from overhead, typically in a maze configuration.He
can see all parts of the maze.Basically,all Chip can do is move and pick
things up; by his actions he can cause many things to happen, though.His
objective is collect enough computer chips on each level to pass through
the chip gate. There are tens of objects in the game; basic blocks that are
immovable, blocks of fire, water, ice, dirt (can be moved around),
invisible blocks, magnetic ones that tug Chip along against his will,and
more.Mix these in with monsters, nasty ones and mostly harmless ones and
even a few friendly ones,and you have the building blocks of some fiend-
ish puzzles.If that's not enough, the clock is ticking, and the time you
have per level can vary from plenty to split seconds available.
SOAPBOX: Some will inevitably argue with my 10 rating on this game. But to
me, this is the perfect Lynx game. Simple in concept, but with enough
variety to provide for high replay value. Good graphics and sound,
excellent mix of strategy and reflexes. This game is original,well done,
and FUN.Since it was one of the original Lynx carts,it's often available
discounted. Buy it, it's worth it. Has the best "hidden feature" I've found
in any Lynx game: type MAND for a password and play with a very complete
implementation of the Mandelbrot.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Electro-Cop
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: No RATING: 7 (6.6)
TYPE: Adventure COMLYNX: No BLINK: Yes
WHAT: Rescue the President's daughter, kidnapped by an evil robot
HOW : You are electro-cop, a computer analog brain running a powerful
mechanical body. Since you have hyper fast reactions etc, you have been
selected to rescue the President's daughter. The C-pad moves you around, A
fires, B will make you jump when running or squat when standing still. You
have the ability to run side to side or front to back. Occasionally you
will find doors, or corridors, always front to back - when you run through
these the screen scales that level closer, and you are on it.You can also
see the level you were JUST ON in a sort of outline mode as a light white
overlay.This is helpful if you have to run backwards,because you will see a
robot before you run into it.View takes some getting used to, but is unique
and makes good use of Lynx capabilities. Various power ups are to be found,
mostly for more firepower. Computer nodes will help open doors and give you
information- including three small "hidden" game programs. Door
combinations are always the same. You have one hour to rescue the princess,
real time. There are a wide variety of enemies.
SOAPBOX: Surprisingly, I still haven't finished this game. I keep loosing
my list of door combos. It's fun though, and fast paced. Give it a try.
This is another one of the original four, so look for it cheap.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Fidelity Ultimate Chess
MANUFACTURER:Telegames PLAYERS: 2 STEREO: No RATING: 7 (6.2)
TYPE: Chess COMLYNX: No BLINK: No
WHAT: Classic no-frills chess
HOW :The traditional chess board can viewed either from overhead (2D) or
from an angle (3D).While the 3D view is a nice feature,it is often hard to
properly distinguish pieces. Play can either be against the computer or a
human opponent, but not through a Comlynx cable - the unit must be handed
back and forth. The computer appears to play a solid game,compar- able to
many 6502 based dedicated chess sets. It seems to have a library of several
openings, but they must be played through; as there is no option to start a
game at a given move. A colored square selects a piece to be placed, and
the player then moves to the desired destination and pushes a button to
make the move.The computer signals its own moves in the same manner.
Various difficulties can be selected.
SOAPBOX: I'm no good at chess. I know how to move the pieces around.
Consequently Chess Challenge beats the pants off me every time; I think
I've come close once. I did at one point match it against various levels of
a dedicated chess set and it played well. A big annoyance is the wait after
the computer signals a move,which is totally unnecessary and can't be
skipped. Also desireable would be a Comlynx feature. This game has special
programming to prevent Lynx auto-shutdown from loosing a match. I just wish
they would get with it on the pause issue.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gates of Zendocon
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: No RATING: 8 (6.8)
TYPE: Side scroll shoot COMLYNX: No BLINK: No
WHAT: A side scrolling shoot-em-up reminiscent of Scramble
HOW :The average gamer knows the controls for this one before he even sits
down to play it. The C-pad moves around, B fires your laser, and A
activates a limited time shield. Holding B will continuously fire the
laser, but pushing it on and off quickly will also drop slightly more
powerful bombs.There are 51 levels to blast through plus a hidden level.
Opponents are too varied to list, but be assured they have different
characteristics, so there is a minimal element of strategy involved in how
you fight particular opponents. There are also, of course, a variety of
power ups in the form of "friends" you can find to aid you in your combat.
In all you can have four friends around your ship, which makes you quite a
blast center.
SOAPBOX: We all know the drill on this one. Everybody involved in video
games has played a shooter. Gates delivers on several fronts; neat
graphics, game play and frantic action. In particular I like the variety of
"enemies" - there is one level where you fight growing crystals, one where
you fly through an example of the Life pattern, etc. The hidden level
contains faces of the designers of the Lynx and the game. There is a lot of
attention to detail in this cart.Good as a thumbbuster shooter.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gauntlet III
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 4 STEREO: No RATING: 6 (5.1)
TYPE: Dungeon explore COMLYNX: Yes BLINK: No
WHAT: A top view dungeon exploration, with lots of monsters and levels
HOW : Gauntlet 3 only very superficially resembles the arcade Gauntlets; so
don't buy it on the assumption they are alike. They are both top down view
and multiple players with different fight/magic characteristics,but that's
about where it ends.There is actually more depth to Gauntlet 3 in many
respects; there are many more potions; lots of different character classes
to choose from (the Robot is the best in the long haul).Controls are what
you might expect - C-pad moves (diagonals work) and A fires. B activates an
inventory view, which allows you to use, drop or just look at items you
carry. 3/4ths of the screen is an overhead view of the dungeon,to the
bottom left is a unique first person view of what you are approaching (for
instance, monsters will appear in close up here during combat) and to the
bottom right are your vital stats. There are secret doors, keys, potions,
gold, and other goodies spread throughout the game.
SOAPBOX: The only quibble I have with Gauntlet is that it is too easy, even
though it's quite large. I beat it in four days, but that last game was
long. There is no password feature. It gets VERY easy with multiple
players, and it doesn't have a high replay value, since nothing changes
from game to game. The "plot" is pretty weak, but at least the levels have
a fair amount of variety.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hard Drivin'
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: No RATING: 1 (4.7)
TYPE: Driving sim COMLYNX: No BLINK: No
WHAT: Polygon-rendered driving simulation
HOW : View is from within the car when driving. Two methods of control are
available, one with automatic transmission (C-pad steers) and one with
manual shift, which requires the use of the Opt1 and Opt2 buttons for
up/down shifting. After wrecks, a non-controllable replay view of the wreck
is shown. B button accelerates. There is one course with two loops - the
speed track and the stunt track. The speed track allows high MPH but has
little excitement, the stunt track features loops, jumps and inclined
turns. Faster lap times are to be had on the stunt track, assuming one can
handle it.
SOAPBOX: Hard Drivin' is a total dud.I was fairly addicted to the arcade
version- it's high resolution polygon graphics and tactile feedback were
revolutionary.The Lynx version preserves none of that, and is so pathet-
ically slow it makes you wonder why Atari ever let it out of the gate. I
have to believe the machine itself is not at fault here, but rather the
program. If the frame rate were higher this would be an ok game, but the
difficult control in shift mode and slow as molasses response kill it.
Don't buy this.I mean it. Did I mention that the control is impossibly
touchy on steering? Avoid this game like the plague. Nada. Do not buy.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ishido
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 2 STEREO: No RATING: 8 (6.7)
TYPE: Strategy COMLYNX: No BLINK: Yes
WHAT:Heavy thinking game,requiring placing of colored stones for points.
HOW :The game board is a 12x8 grid.Game pieces have two distinct charac-
teristics: color and shape. Pieces must be laid down in such a way that
either of these two traits is shared with the piece you place next to.
Certain combinations result in points, with highest points being awarded
for difficult three-way formations of both color and shape. The outside rim
of the board is a "no score" area, and is used to set up potential scoring
formations on the inside. Rules are easy to learn but very diff- icult to
master. The Lynx can show you potential placements, as well as stones yet
to placed at the cost of your chance for a high score. Completing certain
formations results in tidbits of wisdom from the "Oracle" (basically an
electronic fortune cookie).
SOAPBOX: The key to this game is whether you enjoy the type. It is an
excellent IMPLEMENTATION, with distinctive graphics and good sound, what
there is of it. But keep in mind this is a simple colored stones game with
very few gee-whiz features about it. Unfortunately the buxom lady on the
cover is nowhere to be found in the game. Those who appreciate games such
as Go or Shanghai will like this as well. If you do like this style, you
will get hours of fun out of this one. There seems to be a bug in the
Oracle: he only gives you ONE fortune per play session.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Klax
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO:YES! RATING: 10 (8.5)
TYPE: Tetris action COMLYNX: No BLINK: No
WHAT: Catch falling tiles on a moving platform,and then attempt to stack
them in special scoring configurations.
HOW : Klax is a sideways-viewed game (you hold the Lynx with the c-pad
either at the top or bottom of the display). The playfield consists of a
top section which is a conveyor belt 5 spaces wide, down which will flop
colored tiles. You have a tile holder in the middle of the screen which can
hold up to five tiles, and can flip them back onto the conveyor or drop
them below, into a 5x5 grid. Completing certain configurations of tiles
will result in points and the tiles disappearing. The most basic winning
combination is three tiles in a row, vertically, diagonally, or
horizontal.Much more complex winning structures are possible, e.g. a 5x3
"X". You have a certain quota of Klaxes (winning combos) per level.Some-
times levels will have special requirements,like the aforementioned X,to be
completed before moving on. The further you get, the faster the tiles come
down the belt and the more complicated the winning conditions.
SOAPBOX: I love this game. It's loads of fun, can be understood easily, and
is easy to get into in a short time. It requires both fast reflexes and
quick thinking for high scores, and features good graphics and
*spectacular* sound to boot. This is *the* demo for Lynx stereo sound, so
hook it up into your amp and crank it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ms. Pac-Man
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 2 STEREO: No RATING: 8 (7.0)
TYPE: Pac-man COMLYNX: No BLINK: No
WHAT: Classic Ms. Pac-man game, with a few enhancements
HOW :If you don't know what this game is like,then you've been in a cave
for the past ten years.But for the benefit of those in caves,the Pac-Man
games are mazes viewed from overhead that take up one screen each.In the
maze is Ms. Pac-Man, a bunch of dots worth points, four ghosts intent on
eating Ms.Pac-Man,and four power pills that temporarily allow Ms.Pac-Man to
eat ghosts.In Ms.Pac-Man, unlike the original Pac-Man,there are paths off
and on screen again to the sides.Also,the "fruit" (high points item)
bounces and moves in Ms.Pac-Man.The c-pad moves, and that's about it for
controls (you can view the high scores with Opt2 and the regular pause,
flip etc. work). Ms. Pac-Mac moves slower when eating dots, the Ghosts move
slower in the side corridors, and at higher levels the ghosts won't stay
blue when you eat a power pill.This game adds a little variety from the
original with the option for more complex mazes, and a special lightning
power-up that lets Ms. Pac-Man move much faster.
SOAPBOX: A classic. Yes, the intermissions are there. Hampered slightly by
the c-pad (it plays significantly better on a LynxII versus the older Lynx)
but still very playable. Sounds and graphics are very faithful to the
arcade original. Wocka wocka.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robotron:2084
MANUFACTURER:Shadowsoft PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: Yes RATING: 7 (8.7)
TYPE: Arcade shoot'em COMLYNX: No BLINK: Yes
WHAT: Save humanity from evil robots bent on destruction
HOW : Another faithful arcade port, Robotron places the player, a lone
human with a big ray gun,in the center of a rectangular field surrounded by
various killer robots and some other humans.The object is to save the
humans (by touching them) and shoot the robots. The humans aren't harmed by
the ray gun,but the robots can kill them in various ways.The original
arcade featured two joysticks; one for movement and one for firing. This
version has three methods to suit different tastes;either the ability to
fire in the direction of movement/opposite of it;the ability to rotate a
continuous fire stream in a circle with A/B, or a permanently rotating
stream.
SOAPBOX: No question about it,the control schemes detract from the game.
After you pick one you can get used to it; but you'll never get the high
scores you did in the arcade.That aside, this is a fabulous translation,
with all the sounds reproduced exactly as they were in the arcade, and
graphics faithfully recreated as well. It's as if a Robotron machine has
been shrunk down and stuck in your Lynx. Two bad Shadowsoft didn't program
a two player cooperative mode for moving and firing at the same time, it
would have made this cartridge a 10 of 10. The only stereo effect is when
you get killed, as far as I can determine.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rygar
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: No RATING: 6 (6.4)
TYPE: Hack n' Slay COMLYNX: No BLINK: No
WHAT: Free the land from the evil creatures (hack n' slay)
HOW : Rygar was a fairly popular arcade game in '86 or so.Basically,it's a
left to right scrolling hack and slay. C-pad left and right moves,down
makes you squat down, A slashes and B jumps. You can jump on top of
critters to temporarily disable them. Levels are pre-defined,so repeated
play will teach you where to expect creatures and how to beat them.There
are a plethora of power ups; you can make your weapon stronger, double your
points for a period,get more time,destroy everything on the screen, etc.
Getting hit ONCE kills your character. You start with three lives, and can
get others with points.On each level you start with 100 seconds, but you
can often find time increasing power ups.
SOAPBOX: Rygar is not what you would call a complex game. As one of the
first in the hack and slay category, it is a classic to many people, and
those looking for a recreation will be well pleased by this conversion,
which does a good job of replicating the arcade game.Graphics are rather
plain (they were that way in the arcade), but there is some parallax
scrolling and a few other touches that make up for the bland colors.
Tidbit: Lynx games I'd like to see - Berserk, Moon Buggy, Gyruss (with the
great soundtrack intact!)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scrapyard Dog
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: No RATING: 7 (7.8)
TYPE: Adventure COMLYNX: No BLINK: No
WHAT: Pursue the evil Mr. Big who has stolen your dog
HOW : A side-scrolling jump and shoot game. A jumps, B "fires" (Louie, the
main character, throws soda cans as his main and only weapon). Opt1 and
Opt2 also launch soda cans. Generally the character moves left to right,
jumping over various obstacles and unleashing torrents of cans at Mr. Big's
henchmen. At various points in the game shops can be found to purchase
options with money discovered along the way,such as shields and other
helpful abilities. Also to be found are special bonus areas, with different
tasks, such as jumping on a huge piano to play a particular tune or playing
the old shell game.
SOAPBOX: I can't figure out its specific appeal, but this game is fun if
you bother to give it a try. The cartoon graphics are simple but effective,
and make sense given the theme of the game.Music is light and manages to
not get on your nerves after extended play. This game needs a password
feature, because the 15 levels are NOT a breeze, despite the apparent
"childrens" nature of the game. Don't dismiss it because of the graphics or
the theme; the graphics are actually pretty well done, and the theme is
just a non-violent platform game, ala Pac-Land.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shanghai
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 2 STEREO: No RATING: 8 (8.6)
TYPE: Strategy COMLYNX: Yes BLINK: No
WHAT: Ancient game of strategy, removing matching tiles from a pile
HOW : Shanghai is based on an ancient Chinese strategy game of the same
name. The concept is simple - a large pile of "tiles", with different
symbols and numbers on them, is created. You remove tiles in matching
pairs, making sure each tile selected is not partially obscured by another
tile on top of it. Piles can be of different shapes; named after real or
mythical beasts they resemble-for instance,the dragon formation. When
selecting a tile, you move a pointer above it with the control pad and
press either button. Then you must find another that matches it, click on
it, and both will be removed from the playing board. The board is
represented in a reduced view because of resolution limitations, so
whichever tile you have the pointer over is magnified for eas of ident-
ification. Two player games can be cooperative or competition.
SOAPBOX: This is an excellent implementation of Shanghai. For a game to
have survived this long means it has lasting value, and Shanghai certainly
delivers in the play area. Graphics are also well done, with the only
disappointment of this cartridge being the mediocre sound, which thank
heaven you can turn off. A good strategy cartridge that requires patience
and careful thinking to complete. Good cartridge to take on a trip.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Slime World
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 8 STEREO: No RATING: 9 (7.7)
TYPE: Weird adventure COMLYNX: Yes BLINK: No
WHAT: Explore a world full of slime infested critters in search of gems
HOW :You are Todd, exploring the Slime World for Slime Gems. Todd has a
water pack on his back and a squirt gun - yes, you fight with a squirt gun
- that the aliens find deadly. He can move around via the c-pad, and fires
with A, jumpa with B.Opt1 cycles through special items or actions, and Opt2
executes what you selected with Opt1.You have by default a com- puter that
will map the area as you go along.You can pick up mega-bombs, cleansers
(turn slime infested pools into water), gun enhancements, jet packs, slime
gems (points), super slime gems (invincible) and some other items. If you
get slimed, you are injured, but you can clean yourself in the occasional
pool of water.If you are slimed too heavily you will die, and there are
aliens that kill you with a single evil red slime glob.
SOAPBOX: Talk about your original games, Slime World is it. This must be
the place where all aliens from horror movies come from,because they all
seem to have the gooey slime you find all over in this world.SW is loads of
fun to play, humorous, and has some tricky sections requiring quick
thinking on your slimy feet to get out of. Lots of options. Another MUST
PLAY with the Comlynx - especially with several other players. There is
reason this is being ported to other platforms - it's lots of fun.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
S.T.U.N. Runner
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: No RATING: 8 (8.4)
TYPE: Action racing COMLYNX: No BLINK: No
WHAT: The player is a pilot of an ultra-fast tunnel traveling vehicle
HOW : STUN Runner is a faithful adaptation of the arcade (the author of the
arcade version has said on UseNet that he feels this it is an excellent
job). The player is propelled at high speeds down twisting tunnels, some
that enclose completely, some that are open with see through scenery.
Controls are simple: left, right, and fire. Some travelers of the tunnels
cannot be destroyed. Occasional helpful objects such as speed boosters can
be found, important in making time against the ever ticking clock.
Occasional not-so-helpful objects will be found as well, such as hover
craft that shoot at you and slow you down.
SOAPBOX: This is an _extremely_ fast game. One of the most enjoyable
aspects of the arcade version was the feeling of barely being in control of
the incredible speed of the vehicle,and that is well translated here.
Although the game is by nature repetitious, it has high replay value
because of increasingly difficult levels and different opponents or
obstacles. Sound quality is high as well, with some digitized speech, so
this is a good demonstration cartridge.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tournament Cyberball
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 4 STEREO: No RATING: 4 (4.0)
TYPE: Arcade sports COMLYNX: Yes BLINK: No
WHAT: Futuristic football with robot players
HOW : View is from above the field at an angle,allowing the width of the
field but not the entire length to be seen at once. Play is similar to
football, with basic running and passing plays. There are no downs as in
football, but the ball will get "hotter" unless a specific goal in terms of
yardage is reached; if it gets too hot it explodes.A quick time limit
forces fast play selection;emphasis is on thinking fast on your feet.The
player also controls one of the robots on the field,usually the quarter-
back at first and then a receiver/running back, or a chosen defensive
linerobot. Comlynxing results in several players cooperating on a team.
SOAPBOX: Although I played this occasionally in the arcade, I don't have a
solid feel for that version, so I can't tell if this is a good port or not.
It has poor control, especially when running the ball (I've never been able
to with much success) so I'm guessing this is not a great ver- sion.
Graphics are not great either, with the small bitmapped players hard to see
in the 3/4 overhead perspective. Sound is equally ho-hum.The cooperative
Comlynx feature sounds fun, but I haven't been able to find anyone to try
it, so someone feel free to contact me on how enjoyable it is. As the
rating says, I consider this a low cart. Buy others first.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ninja Gaiden
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: No RATING: 6 (6.5)
TYPE: Chop Suki COMLYNX: No BLINK: No
WHAT: Ninjutsu everybody to death
HOW : In this left-to-right scrolling hack and slay, you are the lone Ninja
against a horde of weird bad guys inhabiting your city. From the basic
punch and kick to the ill-explained ninjutsu attacks, you have a variety of
moves to use against this ill ilk to waste them in classic Ninja fashion.
SOAPBOX: I don't really like this type of game, but this is a passable
version of it. The biggest problem is the short length; I was able to
complete the entire game (while never getting a firm handle on any of the
special moves) in about three days. There is no problem solving or even
thinking involved; you just bang away at the buttons until things are dead.
The graphics are well done, with often humorous enemies (a bunch of
Jason-types, and biker/loggers!). The dreaded Atari instruc- tion "poster"
does a terrible job of hinting how to make special attacks. This game cries
out for a Comlynx ability with multiple players at once.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pac-Land
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: No RATING: 6 (6.3)
TYPE: Mario clone COMLYNX: No BLINK: Yes
WHAT: PacMan must safely escort the princess through ghost-infested areas
HOW : The princess is under Pac-Mans hat (don't ask). As with most plat-
form games, the c-pad is directional, and the button jumps. Pac-Man has no
weapons to speak of. Pressing the control pad twice in succession makes
Pac-Man run, most of the time required because of a time limit on each
level. Fruits will appear along the way to gobble up, and the occasional
power pill from the arcade will make an appearance, at which point Pac-Man
can go chasing after and eat the ghosts trying to get him. The challenge is
mostly getting timing right for various jumps and weaving your way between
threatening ghosts.
SOAPBOX: This game bears no relationship to any of overhead perspective
Pac-Man games from the arcade. Mario has a new set of clothes, in other
words. Unfortunately the Pac-Meister just doesn't bring off Mario very
well; Pac-Man doesn't have a lot of variety or replay value.The graphics
are simple, true to the Pac-Man tradition, but don't have the neat
intermission scenes. This game has none of the strange appeal for me that
Scrapyard Dog did, for instance. I don't like it; maybe you will.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paperboy
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: No RATING: 6 (5.5)
TYPE: Scroll & "shoot" COMLYNX: No BLINK: No
WHAT: Deliver papers on the toughest street in town
HOW : A good conversion. You see a 3/4 perspective of the screen, with
scrolling from top to bottom. The objective is to deliver papers to your
loyal subscribers, and do willful destruction to non subscribers.You can
carry ten papers at a time, and launch them with either A or B. C-pad left
or right steers, up accelerates and B brakes.Since you must stay on your
bike, you cannot come to a full stop.Time is limited,so moving fast is
preferred. You have many more papers than you need, so you can take a few
extra and break a window here and there in a non-subscribers house, or bean
an innocent pedestrian.If you finish a course perfectly,you will gain a
customer; customers are lost by missing a delivery. At the end of each
level you face the fanciful "paper boy training course", where you must hit
bullseyes with papers and jump over ramps.
SOAPBOX: Well,it IS a good conversion.While this game plays well and has
decent control, it just doesn't cut it for me. The sound is hopelessly
annoying,which probably has something to do with it.It's not a bad game,
but it's not a great one either, so I put it in the middle of the pack,
ratings wise.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qix
MANUFACTURER:Telegames PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: No RATING: 7 (6.7)
TYPE: Arcade COMLYNX: No BLINK: No
WHAT: Segment off sections of a rectangle while avoiding bad guys
HOW : Exactly like the arcade game. The player moves a cursor around the
screen, attempting to draw lines that complete an enclosed area,which is
then claimed for points. In the open space is an abstract set of colored
lines called the Qix, which is instant death for the player if touched.
Along the edges of the open area travel the Sparx, which also kill the
player with a touch. The only escape from them is to venture into the open
area, thus exposing yourself to the Qix. Either button allows the player to
leave the edges and move into the open area,and holding down a button will
move the cursor slowly, resulting in higher points but greater risk from
the Qix.
SOAPBOX: Much as the box advertises, this is a very faithful version of the
classic, especially in the sound department. It is plagued by the Lynx
control system, however, as it is often difficult to make precise turns and
reversals using the c-pad. This makes later levels where the Qix splits
especially frantic. Perhaps the most faithful feature of this recreation is
the movement of the Qix; just like in the arcades it has a maddening
tendency to always be nearby when you need to leave a wall, despite its
apparently random movement.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rampage
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 4 STEREO: No RATING: 8 (6.8)
TYPE: Destruction COMLYNX: Yes BLINK: No
WHAT: Take the role of a movie monster, destroying a city
HOW : View is from the side with horizontal scrolling. You can use the
c-pad to move your monster around, and when beside a building up or down
will climb the building in that direction. Pressing A will either punch a
building, grab a human to eat, or destroy a tank/helicopter depending on
the timing (whichever is right in front of you). You have a limited amount
of health against an almost unlimited amount of human opponents. Luckily,
eating humans and some potions restore your health. You have to be careful
of what you eat, however,because some things that you uncover in the
buildings are bad even for a monster. While you are climbing and destroying
buildings, sometimes humans will plant a bomb on the building to try to
hurt you - you can either jump down and throw the bomb away or jump off the
building as it disintegrates.Multi-players can either fight each other or
play a cooperative game.The object? Find the technician at the end of the
game who can cure your condition-you may be a monster now, but you used to
be human!
SOAPBOX: This game is a hopelessly infantile release of hostile energy.I
love it.It is very like the arcade, with slightly different graphics and an
additional monster (a rat). Easy control and very funny Comlynx play,
especially when you give up on cooperating.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Road Blasters
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: ??? RATING: 7 (7.3)
TYPE: Combat racing COMLYNX: No BLINK: Yes
WHAT: Fight evil Death Squad cars in a post nuclear war road rally
HOW : View is very similar to that in Checkered Flag. You see your car from
slightly above and behind, sitting on a road that diminishes to a point on
the horizon. The c-pad up and down accelerates or brakes, left or right
steers, and A fires your laser. Periodically a jet will drop a special
weapon for you, which you can catch and then use with B. The object is to
shoot enemies that can be destroyed (blue cars can't be by conventional
weapons) as accurately as possible,as bonus multipliers are given for
accuracy. You must also be careful to conserve your fuel,which depletes
rapidly. Luckily there are fuel globes on the course that you can pick up
and use.Other obstacles include mines,gun turrets on the side of the road,
and helpless motorists who don't appear to understand there is a death race
on.
SOAPBOX: This game has great graphics and sound, but isn't very easy to
control. This was one of my favorites in the arcades, but I just can't get
the hang of the pad to steer, so it keeps the game from getting high marks.
It is extremely well done however. If you already have Checkered Flag you
might want to think twice, or vice versa,because they have many
similarities in play,the exception being you don't kill people in CF. Watch
out for the motorcycles.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
RoboSquash
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 2 STEREO: ??? Rating: 2 (3.4)
Type: 3-D Pong COMLYNX: Yes BLINK: Yes
WHAT: Play pong/air hockey against an opponent in a 3-D field
HOW : Picture a zero-gravity cube, with you at one end and an opponent at
the other. You both have magnetic paddles that you can move in two
dimensions on your end, but not on the Z access (towards the other player).
A ball bounces back and forth. If you miss the ball with your paddle it
"splats" across your field of vision (maybe it's a tomato?) and makes it
harder to see. Sometimes there are icons floating in the middle of the room
that give you extra paddles, special characteristics like being able to
catch the ball, etc., and if you hit these with the ball then you receive
that special ability. The ball goes faster as time goes by. Winning a round
will give you a colored ball on a sort of large tic-tac-toe playing grid;
if you win several rounds in a row to complete a line on the grid then you
get more points. Thus there is minimal "strategy" (if you can call
tic-tac-toe that) involved in picking spots.
SOAPBOX: Until Hard Drivin', Robo-Squash had the dubious honor of being the
worst Lynx cartridge in existence. To complement its pathetic game play and
truly ancient concept (come on folks, Pong was the FIRST VIDEO GAME!!) it
has ho-hum sound (and really messed up stereo) and mediocre graphics. It
might be fun in Comlynx mode, but I've never found another person who
bought it. Not recommended at all.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Turbo Sub
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 2 STEREO: No RATING: 6 (4.5)
TYPE: Arcade sports COMLYNX: Yes BLINK: Yes
WHAT: The player pilots a underwater/air vehicle and blows things away
HOW : View is from within the cockpit of the Turbo Sub,a vehicle capable of
both flying and operating underwater, with the ability to dive or surface
at will. The distinction is more or less arbitrary, since the objective is
the same in either environment: shoot just about anything you see. The
c-pad is a standard directional, A fires an endless supply of shots, and B
unleashes the ever popular smart bomb, which the player can collect more of
over time. The horizon does not slant when turning, but rather moves right
to left or vice versa. Varying degrees of success will lead to more points,
which can be used to purchase armament at the end of a level. Two player
mode is basically a points competition.
SOAPBOX: TS is certainly fast paced and features some good graphics. If you
ever played Buck Rogers (the shoot 'em up) of some time ago, you've got the
basic idea. Move the display around and shoot everything, avoid the
immovable objects like pillars underwater.The idea of a sea monster that
could eat a submarine is kind of stretched, but it gives you more things to
obliterate. What TS is short on is replay value; especially if you already
own Blue Lightning, which is much the same game. Some nice graphical
touches (windshield wipers) make this a fun game to watch.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Viking Child
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: No RATING: 5 (6.3)
TYPE: Jump,hack,slay COMLYNX: No BLINK: No
WHAT: Run about and hack enemies, jumping to and fro on platforms
HOW : The c-pad moves Brian (the main character) left and right. A hacks
his sword, B makes him jump.There are various hills and moving platforms to
jump on and off.Some special items can be bought with gold found when
killing monsters. The special items are mostly weapons, selected in
rotation by using Opt2 and activated by using Opt1. A password feature
exists to resume play after extended play time.
SOAPBOX: This is a very basic hack and slay. While the graphics are fairly
well done and expressive (Brian looks comical when he falls, and the enemy
critters are discernible but not believable as armed turtles, etc) the
sound is strictly second rate and seems like it has mostly been recycled
from Gauntlet III. You can only program Mario so many times,and this game
offers nothing new that I can see over any of the other thousands in this
genre. Don't be fooled by the neat map on the back; this is not a thinking
game, but a mindless one. Lots of hacking and slaying, if that's your bag.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Warbirds
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 4 STEREO: No RATING: 9* (8.5)
TYPE: Combat flight sim COMLYNX: Yes BLINK: Yes
WHAT: Fly in a WWI rotary engine prop plane, shooting down enemies
HOW : View is from within the cockpit.Pressing down B allows the view to be
changed with the c-oad; you can look out either side, down at your
instrument panel, or out the back. Release B and the c-pad is a standard
directional. There is no throttle control, but Opt2 can be used to turn the
engine on and off which sometimes allows for tighter turns. A fires a
stream of bullets. Options can determine number of opponents, their skill,
amount of ammo, how damage is assessed, and where you start the game
relative to your enemies. You have the ability to land to rearm,but you can
be shot while helpless on the runway.Limited terrain (mountains) exists and
extensive clouds provide cover.
SOAPBOX: The * is a caveat about number of players. With four players,
Warbirds is a 10 and can't be equaled. With 2 it's a 9,and with 1 player it
can be an 8 or a 7 depending on who you are talking to. As a flight
simulator it isn't very impressive;but it's running on a small handheld,
after all. As a fun combat game it is great, with good graphics but poor
sound (the rat-a-tat of the machine guns is more of a beep-a-beep). Most of
the arguments about this game, however, seem to be whether it's a must buy
or a really really must buy. Either way, you need this cart.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xenophobe
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 4 STEREO: Yes RATING: 8 (7.9)
TYPE: Side view shoot COMLYNX: Yes BLINK: Yes
WHAT: Rid the space station of nasty phlegm spitting Xenos
HOW : Basically,this game is an early, unlicensed rip off of the concept in
Aliens. Luckily, it's a GOOD rip off! You (and possibly your friends) are
charged with the duty of cleaning up your space stations, which have been
infested with Xenos. You play one of many characters, each equipped at the
beginning of the game with a phasar (more powerful weapons can be found).
You get a side view of the station,with each segment coincident- ally one
Lynx screen wide.There are many segments to a level,many levels to a
station,and 23 stations in all.Translation:lots of aliens to blast. C-pad
left/right moves you in those directions, down makes you crouch and crawl,
up makes you stand up. A fires, and while firing you can adjust the angle
of your gun with the c-pad. B makes you jump, Opt1 throws bombs. A variety
of aliens exist, including the nasty and hard to kill Phester, who can be
played by another player Comlynxed!
SOAPBOX: One of the good early games for the Lynx,this conversion proved
that you can capture the essence of an arcade classic in a hand held.
Multiplayer options are great, especially with a human playing Phester. The
game is hard solo; I have yet to make it to the Mother Phester (anybody
that has,e-mail me and tell me what it is like).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xybots
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 2 STEREO: No RATING: 7 (7.0)
TYPE: Maze action/shoot COMLYNX: Yes BLINK: No
WHAT: Eradicate the Xybots infesting a space station with your blaster
HOW : Xybots is another faithful arcade port. View is more or less first
person, although you can see yourself directly in front of your view.You
are in a maze full of Xybots, killer robots, and you must destroy them with
your blaster. You have a limited amount of energy, and loose it by getting
shot, using your "zap" (more powerful shot), or just by sitting around. You
may find energy boosts and keys to short cuts to help you on your way. A
fires your regular blast, Opt1 fires a "zap", and Opt2 shows you an
overhead map of the maze. The c-pad moves. Pressing B and c-pad right or
left will turn you in that direction,since you can have enemies on all four
sides.You can move while the map is displayed, but it's not a smart thing
to do. You can also pick up coins, used at vending machines between levels
to purchase various ability enhancements.
SOAPBOX: I never saw the attraction of this game, so I wasn't really
jumping up and down about the Lynx version. It's a good job though;
graphics are fine and speed is no problem. It may be too easy -the first
time I played I made it to level 16 and killed a Master Xybot on the way.
You wouldn't be able to do that in the arcades, certainly. Two player
Comlynx is fun but makes the game even more easy.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zarlor Mercenary
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 4 STEREO: No RATING: 8 (7.7)
TYPE: Shooter COMLYNX: Yes BLINK: No
WHAT: Shoot everything. I mean EVERYTHING.
HOW : An overhead view scrolling shooter, with the screen scrolling from
top to bottom.The c-pad moves your ship, A fires missiles, and B fires a
laser (which will always shoot at something airborne, doesn't have to be
aimed).The best arrangement seems to be holding the middle of your thumb
down over A, and using the tip to push B when something is on the screen
for the laser, since the laser doesn't auto repeat. This game was
programmed by the same person who did Gates of Zendocon,and has much the
same approach - a wide variety of enemies, a large number of options to
help you blast them, and lots and lots of explosions on the screen.There
are too many enemies and assistance options to list here; you name it, this
game has got it.
SOAPBOX: Well, this game will make your thumb tired. It's pretty hard solo,
but with four players I imagine it would be pretty easy. There's not much
to be said to it because there is no depth - it doesn't profess to be a
thinking game, and it isn't. As the manual says - "Shoot everything that
moves. Shoot everything that doesn't move". Pretty much sums it up.
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