Top Ten Lynx Games

Chip’s Challenge

Puzzle games are almost two a penny on the Atari Lynx, but when the quality is as good as Chip’s Challenge you don’t tend to mind them cluttering up the console (or your perfect ten columns for that matter). While the concept itself is not particularly original (you basically have to move Chip around each maze in search of a set amount of computer chips) it has been put together with so much love, care and attention that you can’t help but become smitten with it. Chip himself may be only a few pixels high, but he’s full of character and you can’t help but feel for him as he carries out his tricky quest. It may have been ported over to a number of different machines since its release, but the bite-size puzzles make this perfect fodder for Atari’s handheld.

Klax

Klax is easily deserving of a place in our top ten and it’s not just because it features the sexiest videogame voice of all time (if you know someone who sounds sexier send us an email). Converted from the popular Tengen coin-op, Klax is an almost perfect arcade adaptation that not only captures the authenticity of the original arcade game but also proves that the Lynx was no slouch when it came to hosting great puzzlers. Deceptively simple to pick up – all you have to do is stack three tiles of the same colour on top of each other, either horizontally, vertically or digonally – Klax is perfect proof that you didn’t need to own a handheld with a monochrome screen in order to appreciate one of the world’s best puzzle games. and yes, that does mean we like this just as much as Tetris. Ooh, controversy…

Rampart

It might not match the majesty of its arcade parent, but there’s still plenty to love about this extremely slick Lynx conversion. While it suffers from the obvious lack of a trackball, it still plays surprisingly well and doesn’t let you down on later levels once the action speeds up. The mix of Tetris-styled wall building and strategic blasting works perfectly and makes for a very unique experience. It’s a lot tougher than the arcade original (mainly because all of the enemy ships can now drop off ground forces) and the loss of the third player is a bit of a shame (the Lynx should easily be able to handle it), but this is otherwise another cracking conversion and a healthy addition to the Lynx’s library

Lemmings

Lemmings has appeared on virtually every console and computer that has ever been made, so it should come as no surprise that the loveable mop-tops can also be found on the Atari Lynx. What is surprising, though, is just how good an adaptation of Lemmings this actually is. Despite the small screen and lack of a mouse there are no problems with this spot-on conversion. Your little fellas are perfectly animated and full of character, the levels are easy to navigate and it’s incredibly easy to select each class. In fact, the only thing that is likely to put fans off is that you’re going to be extremely unlikely to find a copy of the game for under £60.

S.T.U.N. Runn er

If anyone doubts the power of Atari’s Lynx, simply shove a copy of S.T.U.N. Runner under their noses and watch them go into serious denial (we’ve tried it and it’s fun). While it obviously can’t hope to match the insane slickness and plentiful polygons of the arcade original (we still have dreams about that sleek, sexy cab), this Lynx conversion is amazingly polished and perfectly captures the atmosphere of its larger peer. Granted it’s far more unforgiving than its bigger brother – you’ll find the controls a little sensitive to begin with – and the gameplay is rather simplistic, but if you’re looking for a thrilling racer on Atari’s handheld you won’t find anything better.

Blue Lightning

Blue Lightning may well have been one of the earliest titles to show off the Lynx’s graphical grunt, but that’s not to say it wasn’t a superb game in its own right. Essentially Atari’s answer to After Burner and Star Fox, Blue Lightning put you at the stick of an advanced military jet and required you to shoot down wave upon wave upon wave of enemy fighters. Sure it gets repetitive, but the action is always fast and frantic, the nine levels have a variety of nice environments to fly through and the scaling effects are truly fantastic. If you’re looking for a good blaster then set your sights on Blue Lightning. It’s far better than our rather naff pun.

Xenophobe

While the Lynx had many fine conversions, it was only really Xenophobe that managbed to notably improve on its arcade original. For starters, the controls were streamlined and far easier to use (the arcade’s three-button joystick was quite cumbersome), new items like the jetpack enabled you to fly around the space station without taking damage, while several new multiplayer modes kept the gameplay fresh and exciting. Add in some cartoony visuals that perfectly mimicked their arcade parent’s and the end result is a highly enjoyable multiplayer experience that proves hunting down aliens can actually be a lot of fun.

Alpine Games

Normally we wouldn’t cover a homebrew title in our perfect ten for fear of upsetting people, but Alpine Games is so brilliant that it would have been criminal not to include it. Essentially a homage to Epyx’s sports games of old (why only California Games was released on the Lynx is beyond us), Alpine Games ups the ante considerably by featuring nine different events, nifty digitised music and some astounding-looking visuals that push the Lynx further than we’ve ever seen. The bobsleigh, in particular, looks absolutely amazing, but it’s the finely balanced gameplay that really manages to impress. It may cost over £20, but no Lynx owner should be without this fantastic title.

Todd’s Adventures In Slime World

We were going to go with Bill And Ted, but we decided that Todd’s Adventures is slightly better (it was a really close call, though). Anyway, Slime World sees you thrown into a series of caverns in search of precious Slime Gems. Sadly for Todd, Slime World is literally covered in gross icky enemies, so you’ll need to constantly keep his water gun filled up so you can clean up the pulsating planet. Like many Lynx titles, Slime World is very pretty and the slime-coated caverns that Todd explores are constantly in motion. Slime World itself is absolutely huge and it will take an age to fully explore this Metroid-styled adventure.

Zarlor Mercenary

With Robotron: 2084 just missing out due to its overly complex control system, Zarlor Mercenary quickly swoops in and deservedly steals the last position in our prestigious top ten. Set across six huge and incredibly varied levels, Zarlor Mercenary doesn’t do anything astoundingly new, but what it does do is exceptionally well polished. Destroyed enemies release coins that can then be spent on power-ups, there are some genuinely tough bosses to topple and the pseudo-3D visuals used throughout the game are very effective. There’s even a superb multiplayer option that enables you to team up with three other pilots to take on the enemy forces together. Truely cracking stuff.