Amiga Plus 1995 #2

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Archive-name: games/video-games/atari/lynx Posting-Frequency: monthly Well, here we are, another monthly posting of the Atari Lynx FAQ. As always, send comments, corrections, or updates my way -- that's what we're here for, after all. And this sentence is to remind everyone that Sal Manfredonia was the first person to identify EGM's infamous boo-boo over their review of XENOPHOBE on the Lynx. Hey, Steve Harris! Tell me again how the game's too short because it only has nine levels...What're the other 16 I have here? --R.J. B-) //////////////////////////////////////|\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ Send whatevers to rjung@netcom.com | If it has pixels, I'm for it. --------------------------------------+------------------------------Lynx up! "You weren't chosen because you are the best pilot in the Air Force. You were chosen because you are the class clown and frankly, you're expendable." ||| ||| ATARI Lynx "Frequently Asked Questions" File! Updated: 2/19/95 / | \ 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. 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 vertical bar in the first column. ============================================================================== Q. What is the Atari Lynx? A. The world's first hand-held color video game system. Sold by Atari, the Lynx offers true multi-player competition, built-in 3D and distortion graphic effects, reversible controls, and fast arcade action for under $100. ============================================================================== Q. What's 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. Due to a recent lawsuit settlement between Epyx and Atari, Epyx no longer has any connection whatsoever with the Lynx. Atari was required to pay a lump sum to offset back royalties owed, cover damages from breach of contract, and an additional amount to buy off Epyx royalty rights. ============================================================================== 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 are the differences between the original Lynx ("Lynx Classic") and the new Lynx ("Lynx II")? A. The new Lynx is a bit smaller and lighter than the original Lynx. It has 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 is gone in the new Lynx). A power LED has been 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 new Lynx has a more efficient internal design, and the headphone jack supports stereo sound. The speaker in new Lynx is also not as loud as the original Lynx, although it's more than adequate for all but the noisiest situations. Also, the new Lynx 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 new Lynx is about 15% less than that of the | original Lynx. Tests by Harry Dodgson (dodgson@coyote.cs.wmich.edu) show 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 say 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 is only around 1993-1994 that Motorola offered the 68000 as a design component. ============================================================================== Q. What do I get when I buy a Lynx? A. The Lynx is available in two packages: The Lynx "Deluxe Package" costs $129.95. It includes 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" costs $79.95. It comes with only the Lynx, and includes no accessories. Some stores and retailers are selling a "maximum" Lynx package at $70. The package consists of the Lynx "Base Package" (unit and no accessories), and four games (titles vary by store and region). There is no word on whether this is a temporary or a permanent offer. ============================================================================== Q. What accessories exist for the Lynx? A. The following products can be ordered direct from Atari Corp., at (800) GO-ATARI: * 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 sells several Lynx accessories. Call (800)-626-NAKI to find a Naki dealer near you: * 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. Is there a TV tuner option for the Lynx? A. No. Atari's official position is that market research shows 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 Realm, a wallet costs $5.95, holds up to 18 cards, padded for protection, and folds flat. Write to Joey Sherman at Realm, 10504 Easum Rd., Louisville KY 40299. On GEnie, send e-mail to REALM. 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 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. 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's a ComLynx port on the Atari Jaguar. How does that work? Can I connect my Lynx to it? Will there be a Lynx adaptor for the Jaguar? A. The ComLynx port allows communication between Jaguar units and Lynx units. In theory, it would be possible to daisy-chain multiple units of either machine type for multiplayer games. At the current time, however, no such plans are in the works. Instead, it is seen as allowing Lynxes to be used as peripherals: software can be developed to allow Lynxes to be part of a Jaguar game as controllers. An adaptor to allow the Jaguar to play Lynx games is not currently planned. ============================================================================== Q. What are the current Lynx games available? A. The following is a list of Lynx games currently available 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 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 Kung Food 1 Atari Action/Fighting Lemmings 1 Atari Strategy Lynx Casino 1-2 Atari Strategy Malibu Bikini 1-2 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 Off-Road 1-4 Telegames Arcade/Driving Super Skweek 1-2 Atari Action/Strategy Switchblade II 1 Atari Platform 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 are some of the upcoming Lynx games? A. Upcoming Lynx Games List: Note: This list is hardly definitive. It's based on many sources, and in some cases, it just might be dead wrong. Games also often change from pre-release to production. Title Players Publisher Type ----------------- ------- ------------ --------------------------- Aliens v. Predator 1? Atari Action Battlezone 2000 1-2 Atari Action/Arcade Blood & Guts Hockey 1-2 Atari Action/Sports Cybervirus 1 Beyond Games Action Daemonsgate 1? Atari Adventure Defender/Stargate/ 1? Atari Action/Arcade Defender II Eye of the Beholder 1 Atari Adventure Fat Bobby 1? Atari Action/Platform Full Court Press 1-2 Atari Sports Basketball Heavyweight 1-2 Atari Sports Contender Krazy Ace Minature 1-4 Telegames Action Golf Mechtiles 1-4 Beyond Games Action/Strategy Operation Desert 1 Atari Strategy? Storm R.C. Destruction 1-4 Telegames Action Derby Relief Pitcher 1-2 Atari Arcade/Sports Raiden 1-2 Atari Arcade/Shooter Road Riot 4WD 1-2 Atari Arcade/Action/Driving Spacewar 1-2? Atari? Action Super Asteroids & 1? Atari Arcade/Action Missile Command T-Tris 1-3? Digi-Soft Puzzle Ultra Star Raiders 1? Atari Action/Strategy Ultra Vortex 1-2 Beyond Games Fighting ============================================================================== Q. Where can I get a review and/or comments about <insert game name here>? Q. Where can I find secrets, tips, and hints for <insert game name here>? A. Peter Hvezda maintains the Usenet Lynx Guide. It offers the Lynx FAQ, every Lynx game review written by Robert Jung, and the Lynx cheats list. Send e-mail to phvezda@pnfi.forestry.ca, with one or more of the following in the body of the message: send faq - A copy of the Lynx FAQ (this file) send reviews - A copy of every Lynx review ever written -- over 200K! send cheats - Tricks and cheats for many Lynx games send help - Detailed instructions, including how to get reviews for individual/specific games Also, Robert Jung has written detailed reviews for every Lynx game ever released. If you want copies of specific reviews, or just general Lynx- related questions, you can reach him at rjung@netcom.com on the Internet. Nick Paiement runs a database that records ratings for Lynx games. The ratings are provided by players, and average/high/low results are calculated by Nick. The ratings and "ballots" are posted regularly to the USENET newsgroup rec.games.video.atari. Or, send electronic mail to paien00@dmi.usherb.ca with the subject "get_lynx" for full details. Atari Corp. has established a game tip hotline, at (900) 737-ATARI (2827). The cost is $0.95 per minute; minors should get their parent's permission. ============================================================================== Q. Hey! I think I just set a new high score! How can I brag about it? A. Jim Leonard is maintaining a running list of high scores achieved on Lynx games. This list is posted to the Internet on a semiregular basis. If you've got a new high score, send it to trixter@mcs.com on the Internet. Include all pertinent information, including your name and difficulty settings used to set that record. ============================================================================== Q. Where can I meet other Lynx enthusiasts? A. Bobby Tribble maintains the Internet AtariLink Directory, a database of Lynx and Jaguar owners and where they live. This allows fans of multiplayer games to write, to meet, and possibly to get together and play games. All arrangements are made by the people involved, allowing individual control of the level of privacy. To get a copy of the list, join it, or update an entry, send e-mail to btribble@ocf.berkeley.edu. At a minimum, please include your e-mail address, your name, and the general area where you are. Other information may be given if you desire, but is not mandatory. Anyone capable of sending mail to Bobby is welcome to join. Folks without computer access who want to join are welcome by referral. Please provide an e-mail address where they can be reached and/or a voice phone number (with their permission). If you have Internet access and the "finger" command on your system, you can "finger btribble@ocf.berkeley.edu" to see the latest list. ============================================================================== 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. Send your Lynx to: Lynx Repair Service Atari Computer Corporation 390 Caribbean Drive Sunnyvale, CA 94088 Include a letter of explaination indicating the problem you have. Depending on available supplies, Atari will repair or replace your Lynx. If your Lynx is still under warranty, include a copy of the receipt or credit-card bill and it will be performed for free. Otherwise, you will be billed (last known price is $50, but may vary). Estimated time of replacement/repair is three to four weeks. ============================================================================== 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 are 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. How can I reach Atari Corp.? A. Customer Service: (800) GO-ATARI 9:00am to 5:00pm PST, Monday-Friday Customer Service can also be reached on GEnie as "Atari," or on the Internet as "atari@genie.geis.com". PLEASE NOTE that this is for Customer Service ONLY; do not send electronic mail to that address if it does not pertain to service problems. Mailing Address: Atari Corp. 1196 Borregas Avenue Sunnyvale, CA 94089-1302 Also, Atari Corp. sells Lynx units, games, and accessories by mail. Their number is (800) GO-ATARI. ============================================================================== 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. - GamePro General video-gaming magazine with 951 Mariner's Island Blvd. some Lynx coverage. San Mateo, CA 91202 - 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. - Video Games General video-gaming and computer- 9171 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 300 gaming magazine. Lynx news often in Beverly Hills, CA 90210 news articles and reviews. - 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: - Atari Explorer Online Magazine A bi-weekly electronic magazine covering news on Atari computers and video game systems. Subscriptions are available through the Internet; send electronic mail to stzmagazine-request@virginia.edu. Also see the section on Internet FTP sites. - rec.games.video.atari USENET newsgroup. Contains news of all Atari video-game systems. - World-Wide Web Pages | General-purpose Atari/Lynx Web pages: http://www.mcs.usu.edu/~kurto/lynx/ http://math.ohio-state.edu:80/~harmon/lynx/ http://www.dl.ac.uk/MISC/ATARI/consoles/lynx.html | http://www.infinet.com/~rbatina | Toad Computers has a web page which allows you to order Lynx games from | them directly: | http://www.charm.net/~toad 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. - rahul.net /pub/wilsont/AEO Includes the latest copies of Atari Explorer Online Magazine. 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". Apple HyperCard Stack: The Lynx HyperStack is a stack for the HyperCard program for the Apple Macintosh computer. This stack contains the Atari Lynx FAQ, all of the Lynx game reviews written by Robert Jung, all of the Lynx video-game tips and tricks compiled in the USENET Lynx Guide, and other assorted news articles and miscellaneous information. The latest version of the stack can be retrieved with anonymous FTP, at ftp.netcom.com in the /pub/rj/rjung subdirectory. Instructions are included in the BinHex- encoded file. 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: - 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. - Star-Linx BBS (602) 464-4817, 300-14,400 bps It's located in Mesa, Arizona (USA), has a Lynx Club, and complete access to the USENET rec.games.video.* hierarchy. There is also a data store containing a wide variety of Lynx-related reviews, articles, pictures, and other information. - 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 - CompuServe The Atari Gaming Forum features a message section and library devoted to the Lynx where players, industry representatives, and magazine writers and editors exchange information and commentary. Many Atari personnel, including developer and technical support, customer service, numerous vice presidents and Sam Tramiel himself frequent the forum on a regular basis. Type GO LYNX to access the Atari Gaming Forum. International clubs: - Germany: Internationaler Lynx Club Hans-Jorg Sebastian Siegfriedstr. 3 3684 Schmitten 3 Germany - 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's 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 - Macro libraries - Example programs - Notebook of system documentation ("about 3 1/2 inches thick... we've stopped counting pages") plus updates ($60 separately). A full Lynx Developer's Kit currently costs around $5,000. ==============================================================================