Subject: FAQ: Atari Lynx Frequently-Asked Questions From: rjung@netcom.com (Robert A. Jung) Date: Sun, 2 Feb 1997 02:04:42 GMT Archive-name: games/video-games/atari/lynx Posting-Frequency: monthly ||| ||| ATARI Lynx "Frequently Asked Questions" File! Updated: 1/3/97 / | \ Created by Darius Vaskelis, who saw the need and filled it. Maintained by Robert Jung (rjung@netcom.com) ============================================================================== This file is not maintained by, overseen by, endorsed, or otherwise associated with Atari Corp. or any of its subsidiaries. It's just a collection of questions and answers, with a few news tidbits thrown in. This file is posted on a monthly basis to rec.games.video.atari, alt.games.lynx, news.answers, and rec.answers around the first of the month. The latest version of this file is also available via anonymous FTP at ftp.netcom.com in the /pub/rj/rjung directory. It is maintained by Robert Jung at rjung@netcom.com on the Internet. Send corrections, news, updates, comments, questions, or other stuff to that address. All mail is welcome! Updates since the last publically posted FAQ have a percent sign (%) in the first column. ============================================================================== Q. What was the Atari Lynx? A. The Lynx was the world's first hand-held color video game system. Sold by Atari, the Lynx offered true multi-player competition, built-in 3D and distortion graphic effects, reversible controls, and fast arcade action. ============================================================================== Q. What was included when you bought a Lynx? A. The Lynx was available in two packages: The Lynx "Deluxe Package" included the Lynx unit, a copy of the CALIFORNIA GAMES game card, a carrying case, a ComLynx cable, and six AA Alkaline batteries. The Lynx "Base Package" came with only the Lynx but no accessories. Near the end of the Lynx's retail life, some stores were selling a "maximum" Lynx package, consisting of the Lynx itself and four games. It was primarily a clearance/liquidation move, and is no longer available. ============================================================================== Q. What happened to Atari, anyway? A. The trials and tribulations of Atari could fill a small book (and, in fact, once did). To summarize VERY briefly, the history of Atari is as follows: 1972 Atari Inc. founded by Nolan Bushnell from a $250 investment. Pong arcade game becomes a smash sensation. 1976 Atari Inc. sold by Bushnell to Warner Inc. for $28 million. 1980 Atari Inc. posts record sales. $2 billion profits annually. Atari occupies 80 offices in Sunnyvale, CA. 1983 Decline of video games and irresponsible spending by Atari Inc. results in record losses ($536 million, up to $2 million daily). 1984 Warner divides Atari Inc. Home division (Atari Corp.) is sold to Jack Tramiel. Arcade division (Atari Games/Tengen) becomes its own company. 1986 Atari Corp. releases Atari ST home computer. 1989 Atari Corp. releases Atari Lynx, the world's first color hand-held video game system. 1993 Atari Games bought by Time-Warner, became Time-Warner Interactive. 1993 Atari Corp. releases Atari Jaguar, the world's first 64-bit home video game system (see the Atari Jaguar FAQ). 1996 Time-Warner Interactive (Atari Games) sold to WMS. 1996 Atari Corp. announces reverse merger with JTS Corporation. 1996 Atari Corp. and JTS connsumate deal on July 31 1996. The deal was beneficial to both parties; JTS needed Atari's $50 million to shore up their financial situation, and the Tramiels needed some way to liquidate their SEC Rule 144 holdings in Atari. The Tramiels are now obligated to find fiances for JTS, and the Atari "profit center" in JTS must continue to do some business to validate the tax loss carryforward. Hence, the name Atari continues to live on for tax purposes, and the odds are very good that the licensing of titles and patents under the Atari name will continue for several years, at least. ============================================================================== Q. Who now owns/handles Atari's properties? A. At the time of this writing, Atari Corp.'s licenses and intellectual property are now owned by JTS. Whether Atari/JTS has plans to license or sell these properties to other companies is unknown. CWest has been contacted to sell Atari Jaguar software and hardware. CWest can be reached via electronic mail at atari@cwest.com, or on their WWW page at http://www.cwest.com/atari/ ============================================================================== Q. What was the relationship between the Atari Lynx and Epyx? A. The Lynx was originally conceived by Epyx in 1987. It was called the "Handy" at that time. Two creators of the system, Dave Needle and R.J. Mical, were also members of the Amiga design team. Atari bought the rights, and the rest is history. Epyx no longer has any connection with the Lynx. ============================================================================== Q. What are the specifications of the Lynx? A. Physical dimensions: Size: 9.25" x 4.25" x 2" (10.75" x 4.25" x 1.5" for original Lynx) Screen: 3.5" diagonal (3.25" x 1.88" approx.) Speaker: 2" diameter Buttons: Two sets of fire buttons (A and B) Two option buttons (OPTION 1 and OPTION 2) Pause button (OPTION 1 + Pause = Restarts the game OPTION 2 + Pause = Flips the screen, which allows the Lynx controls to be reversed) Power on light (Not on original Lynx; indicates unit is on) Power on button Power off button Backlight button (Not on original Lynx; turns off the screen, but does not turn off the game. This saves electricity use when a game is paused) Joypad: Eight directional Controls: Volume Brightness Ports: Headphones (mini-DIN 3.5mm stereo; wired for mono on the original Lynx) ComLynx (multiple unit communications) Power (9V DC, 1 A) Game card slot Battery holder (six AA) For the technically minded, the Lynx has two basic chips that form a cooperative set of co-processing subsystems that maximize the Lynx's performance by sharing the work of executing a game program. These chips are called Mikey and Suzy. Mikey (16-bit custom CMOS chip running at 16MHz) - MOS 65C02 processor running at up to 4MHz (~3.6MHz average) 8-bit CPU, 16-bit address space - Sound engine 4 channel sound 8-bit DAC for each channel (4 channels x 8-bits/channel = 32 bits commonly quoted) Atari reports the range is "100Hz to above the range of human hearing"; spectrum analysis shows the range may go as low as 32Hz. Stereo with panning (mono for original Lynx) - Video DMA driver for LCD display 4096 color (12-bit) palette 16 simultaneous colors (4 bits) from palette at one time - System timers - Interrupt controller - UART (for ComLynx) - 512 bytes of bootstrap and game-card loading ROM Suzy (16-bit custom CMOS chip running at 16MHz) - Blitter (bit-map block transfer) unit - Graphics engine Hardware drawing support Unlimited number of high-speed sprites with collision detection Hardware high-speed sprite scaling, distortion, and tilting effects Hardware decoding of compressed sprite data Hardware clipping and multi-directional scrolling Variable frame rate (up to 75 frames/second) 160 x 102 "triad" standard resolution (16,320 addressable pixels) (A triad is three LCD elements: red, green, and blue) Capability of 480 x 102 artificially high resolution - Math co-processor Hardware 16-bit multiply and divide (32-bit answer) Parallel processing of single multiply or divide instruction The Lynx contains 64K (half a megabit) of 120ns DRAM. Game-cards currently hold 128K (1 megabit) or 256K (2 megabits) of ROM, but there is a capability of up to 1 megabyte (8 megabits) on one game-card. In theory, this limit can be exceeded with extra bank-switching hardware in the card. The first few hundred bytes of the game card is encrypted to prevent unauthorized developers from writing Lynx software. This scheme was introduced by Epyx as an effort to enforce game quality. With alkaline batteries, the reasonable average battery life is 5 hours. (4 hours with the original Lynx) The Lynx can run off rechargeable Ni-Cad batteries, but average battery life drops drastically to 1.5 hours per recharge (1 hour for the original Lynx). Your mileage may vary. ============================================================================== Q. What were the differences between the original Lynx ("Lynx Classic") and the later-model Lynx ("Lynx II")? A. The Lynx II is a bit smaller and lighter than the original Lynx. It had a slightly longer battery life, and can also just turn the screen off during a game pause to save batteries. (The original Lynx had a five minute auto-power shut-off that would have prevented this from being useful. It was removed in the Lynx II). A power LED was added (which also blinks when battery power is low), and cartridges are easier to insert. The only differences in a technical sense is that the Lynx II has a more efficient internal design, and the headphone jack supports stereo sound. The speaker in the Lynx II is also not as loud as the original Lynx, though it's more than adequate for all but the noisiest situations. Also, the Lynx II can experience what is called "blinking pixel syndrome". With certain game cards, one pixel on the screen (usually stationary) cycles through all the colors very quickly. It does not affect game play, and isn't always noticed unless it's looked for. It seems to be fixed in later Lynxes, making it even less of a factor. The power consumption in the Lynx II is about fifteen percent less than that of the original Lynx. Harry Dodgson (hdodgson@ford.com) shows Classic using 343 mA, versus 296 mA for the Lynx II. Also, about two-thirds of the Lynx power use is for the backlight screen alone, as using the Lynx II with the backlight off used only 97 mA. He concludes, "the 'battery life of five hours' claim by Atari is realistic." ============================================================================== Q. Is the Lynx an 8-bit or 16-bit system? A. If 16-bit refers to the main CPU (such as the Sega Genesis/MegaDrive), then the Lynx is an 8-bit system. If 16-bit refers to the graphics engine (such as the NEC TurboDuo/PC-Engine), then the Lynx is a 16-bit system. ============================================================================== Q. Why does the Lynx use a 6502 and not a 68000? A. "Some people believe it's less of a processor than the 68000, for example. That series of chip was used in the Amiga, but it wouldn't make our machine do things any better. In fact, it would only make the unit larger and more expensive. It's also harder to write 68000 code, so we definitely made the right decision." --R.J. Mical "The real answer for the choice for the 6502 vs. 68000 was price. Secondary considerations (that did not really enter into the decision making process): 68000 code is very fat compared to 6502 code. An application that takes 1K of 6502 code averages 2.5 to 3K of 68000 code. The 6502 is very bus-efficient, the 68000 has lots of dead time on the bus. As for it being harder to write 68000 code, that is probably not true, and in any case was not part of the reason the decision was made." --Stephen Landrum Additionally, inside sources at Atari said that one major reason for the 6502 vs 68000 processor choice was that the 6502 design was available as a component that could be plugged into a custom chip design. This allowed engineers to build a chip with a 6502 and other supporting hardware around it all in one package. It was not until 1993-1994 that Motorola offered the 68000 as a design component. ============================================================================== Q. What were all of the Lynx games released? A. The following is a list of Lynx games released in the United States. The notation "(x)" means to refer to footnote number x. All multiplayer games use the ComLynx cable unless otherwise indicated: Title Players Publisher Type ----------------- ------- ------------ --------------------------- A.P.B. 1 Atari Arcade Awesome Golf 1-4 Atari Sports Baseball Heroes 1-2 Atari Sports Basketbrawl 1-2 Atari Action/Sports Batman Returns 1 Atari Action/Platform BattleWheels 1-6 Beyond Games Action/Driving Battlezone 2000 1-4 Atari Action/Arcade Block Out 1 Atari Action/Strategy Blue Lightning 1 Atari Action Bill & Ted's 1-2 Atari Action/Adventure Excellent Adventure Bubble Trouble 1 Telegames Action/Adventure California Games 1-4(1) Atari Action/Sports Checkered Flag 1-6 Atari Sports Chip's Challenge 1 Atari Puzzle Crystal Mines II 1 Atari Puzzle Desert Strike 1 Telegames Action/Strategy Dinolympics 1 Atari Puzzle Dirty Larry: 1 Atari Action Renegade Cop Double Dragon 1-2 Telegames Arcade/Fighting Dracula the Undead 1 Atari Adventure Electrocop 1 Atari Action/Adventure European Soccer 1-2 Telegames Sports Challenge Fidelity Ultimate 1-2(2) Telegames Strategy Chess Challenge Gates of Zendocon 1 Atari Action/Shooter Gauntlet: The 1-4 Atari Action/Adventure Third Encounter Gordo 106 1 Atari Platform Hard Drivin' 1 Atari Arcade/Driving Hockey 1-2 Atari Sports Hydra 1 Atari Arcade Ishido: The Way of 1-n Atari Strategy the Stones (2,3) Jimmy Connors Tennis 1-4 Atari Sports Joust 1-2 Shadowsoft Arcade Klax 1 Atari Arcade/Strategy Krazy Ace Minature 1-4(2) Telegames Action Golf Kung Food 1 Atari Action/Fighting Lemmings 1 Atari Strategy Lynx Casino 1-2 Atari Strategy Malibu Bikini 1-4 Atari Sports Volleyball Ms. Pac-Man 1 Atari Arcade NFL Football 1-2 Atari Sports Ninja Gaiden 1 Atari Arcade Ninja Gaiden III: 1 Atari Action/Platform The Ancient Ship of Doom Pac-Land 1-2(2) Atari Arcade Paperboy 1 Atari Arcade Pinball Jam 1 Atari Arcade/Action Pit-Fighter 1-2 Atari Arcade/Fighting Power Factor 1 Atari Action Qix 1-2(2) Telegames Arcade Rampage 1-4 Atari Arcade Rampart 1-2 Atari Arcade/Strategy RoadBlasters 1 Atari Arcade/Driving Robo-Squash 1-2 Atari Action/Sports Robotron:2084 1 Shadowsoft Arcade Rygar 1 Atari Arcade Scrapyard Dog 1 Atari Platform Shadow of the Beast 1 Atari Action/Strategy Shanghai 1-2 Atari Strategy Steel Talons 1 Atari Arcade S.T.U.N. Runner 1 Atari Arcade Super Asteroids/ 1 Atari Arcade/Action Missile Command Super Off-Road 1-4 Telegames Arcade/Driving Super Skweek 1-2 Atari Action/Strategy Switchblade II 1 Atari Platform T-Tris 1-8 B. Schick Puzzle Todd's Adventures 1-8 Atari Action/Adventure in Slime World Toki 1 Atari Platform Tournament 1-4 Atari Arcade/Sports Cyberball 2072 Turbo Sub 1-2(3) Atari Action/Shooter Viking Child 1 Atari Action/Adventure Warbirds 1-4 Atari Action/Strategy World Class Soccer 1-2 Atari Sports Xenophobe 1-4 Atari Arcade Xybots 1-2 Atari Arcade Zarlor Mercenary 1-4 Atari Shooter Footnotes: (1) Manual says 1-2 players, 1-4 is possible (2) Multiple players on one Lynx, alternating turns. (3) Players can compare scores, but not interact directly ============================================================================== Q. What were the unreleased Lynx games? A: The following games were announced at one time or another as being planned for the Lynx. With the dissolution of Atari, the chances are very slim that any of these games will ever be produced or released. However, a few enterprising companies and individuals have considered plans to either finish their Lynx titles for release, to sell finished-but-unreleased games, or to produce new games on their own. Announced Lynx games (? = Uncertain entry): Title Players Publisher Type ----------------- ------- ------------ --------------------------- Aliens v. Predator 1? Atari Action Blood & Guts Hockey 1-2 Atari Action/Sports Classics 2000 1? Teflon Soft. Arcade Cybervirus 1 Beyond Games Action Daemonsgate 1? Atari Adventure Defender/Stargate/ 1? Atari Action/Arcade Defender II Edward 2000 2 E. Castle Action/Arcade Eye of the Beholder 1 Atari Adventure Fat Bobby 1? Atari Action/Platform Full Court Press 1-2 Atari Sports Basketball Guardians: Storm 1-4 Teflon Soft. Adventure Over Doria Heavyweight 1-2 Atari Sports Contender Lexis 1? Teflon Soft. Puzzle Mechtiles 1-4 Beyond Games Action/Strategy Operation Desert 1 Atari Strategy? Storm % Project H2 1-2? Dig. Thunder Adventure/RPG R.C. Destruction 1-4 Telegames Action Derby Relief Pitcher 1-2 Atari Arcade/Sports Raiden 1-2 Atari Arcade/Shooter Road Fury 1? Teflon Soft. Driving Road Riot 4WD 1-2 Atari Arcade/Action/Driving Spacewar 1-2? Atari? Action Ultra Star Raiders 1? Atari Action/Strategy Ultra Vortex 1-2 Beyond Games Fighting Wolfenstein 3D 1 Teflon Soft. Action Zow 1? H. Dodgson ??? ============================================================================== Q. Where can I get a review and/or comments about ? Q. Where can I find secrets, tips, and hints for ? A. Robert A. Jung (rjung@netcom.com) has reviews for (almost) every Lynx game and peripheral available. They are available on the Internet via anonymous ftp from ftp.netcom.com, in the /pub/rj/rjung/reviews/lynx directory. ============================================================================== Q. What accessories were available for the Lynx? A. The following products were available from Atari Corp.: * ComLynx cable. Connects multiple Lynxes together for multiplayer games. * AC adaptor. Powers the Lynx from any AC wall socket. * Cigarette lighter adaptor. Powers the Lynx from any automobile cigarette lighter. Will support one or two Lynxes simultaneously. * Atari Lynx Sun Shield. Folds down to protect the Lynx screen, and pops open to shade the Lynx screen from sunlight for outdoor play. (NOTE: There are two models; you need the one appropriate for your Lynx) * D-cell battery pack. Holds six D-cell batteries, and can be attached with a belt clip. Alkaline batteries provides power for up to 20 hours of playing. * Atari Lynx carrying pouch. Holds a Lynx, several game cards, and a ComLynx cable. Attaches with a wrist strap/belt loop. * Atari Lynx Kit Case. Holds a Lynx, up to 24 game cards, and assorted accessories. Padded interior with Velcro dividers, can be customized. Carried with a handle or a shoulder strap. Naki Products also sold several Lynx accessories. Some of them (depending on quantities) are available from Hardysoft: * Atari Lynx power pack. Mounts on the back of the Lynx II, comes with an AC adapter which allows recharging while playing. Comes in 110v (USA), 220v (Europe), or 240v (UK) formats. Cost is $39.95, or $33.95 for replacement battery packs. * Eliminator cleaning kit. Cleans game cards and cartridge slots. Comes with swabs and cleaning solution. Cost is $7.95. * AC adaptor. Powers the Lynx from any 110v outlet. Cost is $9.99. * Car Power. Cigarette lighter DC adaptor. Cost is $7.95. * Pro Pouch+. Holds a Lynx and up to 20 game cartridges. Nylon with adjustable carrying straps. Comes in Black, purple, or teal blue. Cost is $14.99 each. ============================================================================== Q. Was there a TV tuner option for the Lynx? A. No. Atari's official position was that market research showed that a TV tuner, while a neat idea, would not be bought by most players. The unofficial word from Stephen Landrum is that the Lynx screen display is not capable of handling a broadcast television picture. ============================================================================== Q. What can I use to carry my Lynx game cards? A. A cheap and easy solution is the plastic cases used to hold trading cards. They're transparent, sturdy, and lock shut when closed. Most hobby and comic book stores will sell them; a large case costs $0.50 to $1.00, and can hold up to 14 Lynx cards. Another solution are Lynx card wallets. Sold by Hardysoft, a wallet costs $7.50 each, or you can buy three for $20. Each wallet holds 9 cards firmly. To order, write to: Charlie Hardy Hardysoft 24 Lawnside Drive Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 Telephone: (609) 883-1083 E-mail: hardysoft@genie.com or 72604.2201@compuserve.com http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/hardysoft For Lynx owners who don't care about brand names, a Gameboy plastic cartridge case holds two Lynx cards easily. The cases can be bought from Nintendo at 800-255-3700, part number 21648. ============================================================================== Q. What does "ComLynx" mean, exactly? A. Some Lynx games allow multiple players to play together simultaneously. This works when each player has a Lynx game machine, and all of the machines are connected to each other via cables. The connection is the ComLynx port, and the cables are ComLynx cables. Games that support this mutiplayer simultaneous play are usually identified by the phrase "1 to N players Lynx up" on the box, the instruction manual, and/or the game card. ============================================================================== Q. Do all players "Lynxed up" via the ComLynx need a copy of the game being played? A. Yes. All players need a copy of the game card. ============================================================================== Q. What's the ComLynx port like? A. There is a limit of 18 players via ComLynx. In practice it may be possible to connect more units together, but to operate within specifications, the drivers in the Lynx cannot drive over more than 17 units with pull-ups on the serial ports. It's easier for the Lynx to manage fewer players, however, since each Lynx has to track all of the others, and having more players means more data must be exchanged (growth is exponential). Also, tracking more than 8 players requires an extra byte to encode the Lynx unit number with each data packet. ComLynx runs from 300.5 to 62.5K baud. It works on a "listen and send" structure. Data transmission between Lynxes is done in the background, freeing up the CPU to run the game instead of communicating. It's called "RedEye" in-house at Atari, named after an early idea of having Lynxes communicate with infra-red transmissions. It uses a three-wire cable (+5V/Ground/Data) and allows for bi-directional serial communications. The system frames messages in terms of 11-bit words, each consisting of a start bit, eight data bits, a parity bit, and a stop bit. The ComLynx port is used solely for communications; it can't be used to control other aspects of the Lynx, though in theory it can be used to send signals to external devices. ============================================================================== Q. Sometimes a multiplayer ComLynx game will freeze up. Why? A. A ComLynxed game will freeze if communication between the Lynxes is interrupted. If communications can be restored, the game will continue. The most common cause of this problem is a fray in one of the ComLynx cables, or a loose seating in one of the ComLynx jacks. Communication is broken, and the game "freezes". Jiggling the cable or reseating the jacks may fix the solution temporarily, but the best cure is a new cable. ============================================================================== Q. I hear there was a ComLynx port on the Atari Jaguar. How did that work? Could I connect my Lynx to it? Was there a Lynx adaptor for the Jaguar? A. The Jaguar does not have a ComLynx port per se, but has a ComLynx signal on the system bus. An expansion port add-on would have made the port available, and developers had announced plans for such accessories. It is possible to daisy-chain multiple Jaguars for multiplayer games into a "Jaguar network". In theory, it would have also been possible to connect Jaguars and Lynxes, though no plans for cross-system software were ever finalized. There was also talk that the Jaguar's ComLynx signal could allow Lynxes to be used as peripherals: software could have been developed to allow Lynxes to be part of a Jaguar game as "smart" controllers. Again, no actual plans were ever announced. An adaptor to allow the Jaguar to play Lynx games was never planned. ============================================================================== Q. My Lynx screen is badly scratched! How can I fix it, what can I do? A. Get some "plastic scratch remover" or "plexiglass scratch remover". You can find it in hardware stores, or look in your Yellow Pages under "Plastics." ============================================================================== Q. Agh! My Lynx is broken! How can I fix it? A. Unforutnately, with the dissolution of Atari Corp., repair of broken Lynxes is no longer available. Replacement units are currently available from CWest for $45, until quantities run out. CWest can be reached at (800) GO-ATARI. ============================================================================== Q. How do I disassemble my Lynx II (assuming I want to)? A. The original Lynxes were easy to take apart, for whatever reason you needed. The new Lynx IIs were more puzzling, but not impossible. The following set of (edited) instructions are provided by Ken Small (kens@umich.edu): * * * "It's not hard, but there are a lot of fragile pieces and the electronics are sensitive to all the things that electronics are usually sensitive to, like static. PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK. "First, remove the rubber pads from the bottom of the Lynx. They're glued on, but they peel off pretty easily. Beneath them are screw holes -- remove them. Note that it's *very* easy to tell if your lynx has been opened, since you leave holes in the glue stuff. Take off the back of the case. "Remove the screw located inside the battery area. Be careful when replacing this; it can strip easily. Mine is stripped, but the rest of the case holds the battery bay in place. Remove the battery bay piece. "You will see a circuit board with a couple of wires and circuit ribbons attached to it. Carefully unplug all of these. The ribbon in particular seems flimsy. Do not puncture or otherwise damage it. Remove the circuit board. "Beneath the circuit board is an assembly screwed to the inside of the case, which contains the screen, button contacts and buttons. A warning when unscrewing this-- the are LOTS of small pieces in here, and they're particular about how they go back in. In particular, be careful about the A/B buttons, which are slightly different sizes, and the rubber mat around the LCD screen, which has nothing to hold it in place. (NOTE: Also, there are contacts on the circuit board hooked up to the high-voltage supply for the backlight. They won't do any damage, but can give a mild shock.) "The last thing is the joypad contact itself. This is a small rubber mat held in place by a snap-on piece of plastic. You can carefully remove the plastic to get under the apron, where the contacts can be cleaned. Clean in-between the contacts, being careful not to abrase the contacts themselves. They look like half-circles with a small (half-millimeter or less) space between. Grunge between them can register an intermittent false contact, which looks to the player like the joypad is being quickly, repeatedly pressed in one direction." ============================================================================== Q. What are other sources for Lynx information? A. Publications: - A.P.E. Newsletter Dedicated Lynx newsletter ("A.P.E." 2104 N. Kostner stands for "Atari Power Chicago, IL 60639 Entertainment"). Write to Clinton GEnie: C.SMITH89 Smith. Published five times per year, cost is $6.00/year. - Portable Atari Gaming System PAGS is a quarterly newsletter with P.O. Box 37692 reviews, editorials, news & info, Raleigh, NC 27627-7692 and gaming tips. One year costs GEnie: E.SCHOFIELD $12.00. - Wild Cat A one-man, home-made Atari video gaming Phil Patton "fanzine." Subscriptions are $12/year 131 Dake Ave. for eight issues, at 12 pages each issue. Santa Cruz, CA 95062 Covers all Atari consoles and computers. Internet/USENET newsgroups and services: - rec.games.video.atari USENET newsgroup. Contains news of all Atari video-game systems. - World-Wide Web Pages CWest is now handling the sales of Atari software and hardware: http://www.cwest.com/atari/ Hardysoft now sells assorted Lynx games and merchandise: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/hardysoft General-purpose Atari/Lynx Web pages: http://www.ecastle.com/lynx/ http://www.mcs.usu.edu/~kurto/lynx/ http://math.ohio-state.edu:80/~harmon/lynx/ http://www.infinet.com/~rbatina http://www.mcc.ac.uk/~dlms/atari.html http://rzserv2.fh-lueneburg.de:8080/Lynx/ http://www.ereal.com/eds/ Internet FTP sites: - atari.archive.umich.edu or terminator.cc.umich.edu (141.211.164.8): /pub/atari/portadd Has back-issues of Portable Addiction, a newsletter about the Atari Lynx, Sega Game Gear, and Atari Portfolio. Subscribe by sending a note to tjerk@nikhef.nl. /pub/atari/Lynx contains assorted Lynx-related files - ftp.netcom.com /pub/rj/rjung Contains the latest version of this FAQ file, and the Lynx Hyperstack (see "Apple Hypercard Stack," below). /pub/vi/vidgames/faqs Frequently-asked question files for a variety of home games and consoles, arcade titles, and other video-gaming information. Includes the latest version of this FAQ file. Internet TELNET site: - Cleveland Free-Net Atari SIG freenet-in-{a,b,c}.cwru.edu or 129.22.8.51 or nextsun.INS.CWRU.edu Access via modem at (216) 368-3888. You can log on as visitor to explore the system and apply for a Free-Net account online. At the opening menu, enter "2" to log in as a visitor. At the next menu, enter "2" again to explore the system. You will then read an opening disclaimer and a login bulletin, then be sent to the main menu. Once inside, type "go lynx". Follow the menus to read discussions, reviews, news, and information. In order to post messages and send e-mail, you need a Free-Net account. Apply for a Free-Net account by entering "1" at the second menu instead of "2". Microsoft Windows Help File: Jon Reinberg has compiled the Lynx cheats file and the Lynx FAQ into a Microsoft Windows .HLP (Help) file. This allows Windows users to use active hypertext browsing to find game cheats for specific games. The Lynx Help File can be retrieved with anonymous FTP, at atari.archive.umich.edu, in the file atari\lynx\cheathlp.zip. Instructions are included. BBS: - CATScan (209) 239-1552, baud rate/line information unknown The BBS is completely dedicated to Atari products and Atari video game consoles. - MADNIX BBS (608) 273-2657, 300/1200/2400 bps It's located in Madison, Wisconsin (USA) and has a Lynx section. Login as "bbs" and create an account. Once on the BBS enter "go lynx". MADNIX has game reviews and hints from the net as well as old message threads from UseNet on LYNX related topics. - Video Game Information Service. (201) 509-7324, 300/1200/2400/9600/14400 bps. Multiple lines Located in West Orange, New Jersy (USA). The BBS is completely dedicated to video gaming, and maintains files of cheats and reviews for all game systems. Carries video-game-related conferences from other computer networks, including Fidonet, Worldnet, and Globalnet. Online services: - America On-Line The PC Games/Video Games discussion group has areas devoted to the Atari Lynx and the Atari Jaguar consoles. Use the keyword PC GAMES, then go to the Video Games discussion board. From there, select Atari Discussion, then the console of your choice. - GEnie Atari ST Roundtable BBS, Category 36 International clubs: - Netherlands: International Lynx Club Leon Stolk Vanenburg 2 7339 DN Ugchelen The Netherlands - Austria: Internationaler Lynx Club Christian Lenikus Obertraun 27 4831 Obertraun Austria - Switzerland: Swiss-Lynx-Info-Club Eugene Rodel Sangeliweg 45 4900 Langenthal Switzerland ============================================================================== Q. What was the Lynx developer's kit like? A. Hardware: - Commodore Amiga computer: 3M RAM and hard disk. - "Howard" board: A parallel-interface module that has the electronics of the Lynx, also with debugging tools. A large PC board inside of a metal case with power supply, and connections on the back for cable to connect to the Amiga, and to the "Howdy" unit ($5,000). - "Howdy" unit: A small PC board in a plastic case with buttons and a Lynx display, and a cable that connects to the "Howard" board. - "Pinky/Mandy": A discounted "Howard" board setup that allows programs to be loaded and executed. Minimal debugging support ($500). Software: - Handy-Bug: A powerful symbolic debugger, also contains a disassembler. - Handicraft: Graphics translator that takes IFF files and turns them into coded Lynx sprite definitions. - HSFX: Sound editor - "HandyROM": Creates ROM card images from code and data files. - Macro libraries - Example programs - Notebook of system documentation (approximately 270 double-sided pages, weighs over three pounds). A full Lynx Developer's Kit cost around $5,000. ==============================================================================