Atari Lynx Handheld

Released in September 1989 in the US and the next year in Europe and Japan, the Atari Lynx is a fourth-generation handheld console and the first with a color LCD display. The system was discontinued in 1995.

• Initially sold for $179.99 ($440 in today's money)
• It is estimated that two (2) million units were sold worldwide

THE ATARI LYNX AT A GLANCE

There are two Lynx models, the original Lynx which was released in 1989, and the Lynx II which was released in 1991. Lynx II is smaller and features improved sound and a better-backlit color screen.

• The handheld system was developed by two former Amiga designers working for Epyx (RJ Mical and Dave Needle)
• In 1991, Lynx I was replaced by Lynx II
• The Lynx competed with Sega GameGear and TurboExpress from NEC

Tech Specs

• 3.5" diagonal LCD Screen
• VL65NC02 8-bit CPU (Mikey) running at 4 Mhz
• Custom 16-bit blitter
• 12-bit graphics (4,096 colors)
• 4 sound channels
• 64KB RAM (120ns)
• 512 bytes of bootstrap and game-card loading ROM
• 4–5 hours battery life for Lynx I and 5–6 hours for Lynx II
• Switchable between right/left-handed (upside down)

Graphics

• 4,096 color palette
• 160×102 pixels resolution
• 16 simultaneous colors on the screen
• Graphics co-processor
• Hardware support for zooming and distortion of sprites
• Pseudo-3D color graphics

Sound Capabilities

• 4 channel
• 8-bit DAC for each channel
• The 4 sound channels can also generate PSG sound

Expansions

• Ability to network via its “Comlynx” cable-based networking system
• The maximum stable connection allowed is eight players

Add-ons

• MicroSD Card for Atari Lynx (Plug&Play Gamecard)
• Atari Lynx LCD Screen Upgrade (Mod Kit)

I/O Ports

• Cartridge port (on the right)
• Headphone port (mono on the original Lynx I and 3.5 mm stereo on Lynx II) 
• ComLynx (multiple unit communications, serial)
• Battery holder (six AA)

Game Titles

• It is estimated that about 73 games were officially released for the system before it was discontinued in 1995
• There are more than 55 unlicensed games for the system
• New games for the console are still released today, by homebrew game creators

Shops

• https://k-retro.com/9-atari-lynx
• https://www.estarland.com/platforms/LYNX/57
• https://songbird-productions.com/product-category/lynx/
• https://www.etsy.com/market/atari_lynx

■ Atari Lynx Handheld Console

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