Legacy & History
Released in 1989. Developed by Epyx and sold to Atari. It was technically lightyears ahead of the Game Boy but was too expensive and bulky to compete.
Cultural Impact
It set the bar for what a "premium" handheld could be. It was the first to feature a backlit color screen, a feature that wouldn't become standard for another decade.
Modern Legacy
The "combi-link" cable allowed for up to 17 players to connect, a multiplayer feat that remains impressive.
Under the Hood
The Lynx used a 16-bit custom chipset ("Mikey" and "Suzy") that included hardware sprite scaling and distortion, features the SNES wouldn't have until a year later. It could push around sprites with ease, allowing for pseudo-3D games like Blue Lightning that looked incredible for a handheld.
CPUMikey + Suzy (16-bit)
MEMORY64 KB RAM
DISPLAY160 x 102 (Color)
AUDIO4-channel stereo
Defining Titles
California GamesSports • 1989
Blue LightningShooter • 1989
Chip's ChallengePuzzle • 1989
WarbirdsSim • 1991
Todd's Adventures in Slime WorldAction • 1990
Best Selling Title
California Games