"Videogames
aren't dead yet."
~Bill Gates - 1985
"There's something about Howard Johnson's that just seem to go
hand-and-hand with the Lynx. Its like no matter where you go or how
far you drive the only two things that you know are guaranteed to
be there for you at the end of the line is a nice warm HoJo and a
fully charged Lynx. Thats what road trips are all about."
~Atari 7800.com Founder Justin J. Scott - 1994
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 The Atari Lynx Color Portable
Video Game System was Atari's powerful entry into the handheld gaming
market. The first portable game system ever, the Atari Lynx boasted a
powerful 16-Bit graphics chip, which could produce a palate of 4096 colors
on a large full-color backlit portable display. Compared to the Gameboy,
Nintendo's brick-like entry into the market, the Atari Lynx took all the
advantages. Introduced in the fall of 1989, the Atari Lynx faired well
even against cutting edge home systems of the time such as the Turbo Grafx-16,
and its compatible portable spin-off, the Turbo Express. The Atari Lynx,
which started its life as an idea by former Amiga engineers at Epyx in
late 1986, was very unique, not only in that it was the first portable
game system, but it had such features as "Lynx Flip Mode" which
allowed the screen and controls to be rotated a full 180* degrees to allow
for left handed gamers to play with greater ease, and also its "Com-Lynx"
programming which allowed Lynx gamers to connect up to 8 total players
for screaming competition and co-op action. The Lynx is also known for
its unique "Game Cards" which were miniature game cartridges,
which were shrunk down to thin wafers about half the size of a credit
card. The Lynx was popular for many of its great titles, including Roadblasters,
S.T.U.N. Runner, Blue Lightning, Xybots, and not the least of which, California
Games. The Atari Lynx met with moderate sales in the retail market, which
continued even into the 1995 holiday season. Today, the Lynx still has
a very strong following of dedicated Lynx gamers, the most famous of who
is ex-Atari programmer Harry Dodgson who has created such new games for
the Lynx as Othello. Atari 7800.com is dedicated to the survival and legacy
of the Atari Lynx, as we continue to offer sales and support for the greatest
hand held system of all time.
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