2021/6/6: Lynx: Blue Lightning, Scrapyard Dog, Warbirds

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VideoGameCritic
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2021/6/6: Lynx: Blue Lightning, Scrapyard Dog, Warbirds

Postby VideoGameCritic » June 6th, 2021, 9:00 am

I think some explanation is needed for these three new Lynx reviews.

Scrapyard Dog is the brand new one. I really liked this. It has that easy-going, casual style I prefer on a portable system. I think I need to reassess the Atari 7800 version now.

Warbirds is a re-review. This is a game I've gotten a lot of feedback about in the past. Some people think it's a masterpiece and from a programmatic standpoint they are not wrong. As a game however I have a really hard time getting into it. Grade is still D.

Blue Lightning is a re-review, and I raised the grade from D- to C, partly due to my experience with Warbirds! I would much rather play this! Plus, there's quite a bit of content here.

Now it's time for your two cents....

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MSR1701
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Re: 2021/6/6: Lynx: Blue Lightning, Scrapyard Dog, Warbirds

Postby MSR1701 » June 6th, 2021, 10:43 am

First, great to see more Lynx reviews! Here's hoping for Evercade reviews of two specific carts... ;-)

Blue Lightning is the poster child of early Lynx hype, and while a fun tech demo/arcade game, I never had the grab to keep playing more than a very short time. It is very fun, just not my cup of tea.

Scrapyard Dog is an interesting game that I didn't discover until the Evercade cart, and one that I found to be fairly good. By Lynx standards, it is amazing (given the sheer lack of platformers on the system), though when compared to Game Boy or Game Gear platformers, it is average at best. Still a fun game, and looking forward to the 7800 version, which I had heard of, though never tried.

Warbirds is a fantastic showcase of the Lynx hardware, this is true, and this was the main game I knew from old mag adverts (the two-page spread where Lynd does X, BUT... (insert GameBoy/Game Gear negative comment)). Upon trying the game, I was very impressed with what was occurring, and to me it replicated the feeling of WWI air combat a little too closely; had this been a bit more of an arcade feel and less of a sim feel, I might have enjoyed it more. That, and if I had ever been able to use the Comm-Lynx option (did anyone here ever use that feature in Lynx?)

goldenband
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Re: 2021/6/6: Lynx: Blue Lightning, Scrapyard Dog, Warbirds

Postby goldenband » June 6th, 2021, 10:03 pm

While I think describing games as a "glorified tech demo" is often overdone, Blue Lightning is a good example. It's such a ridiculously nice-looking, ahead-of-its-time game, and was astonishing in 1990 or whenever I first saw it, but the gameplay is fairly simplistic and they didn't really work out the difficulty balance. Maybe they should've had the passwords include the remaining lifestock, to provide an incentive to play well.

Haven't really played the other two but I'm pleasantly surprised to see Scrapyard Dog get praised! Maybe I'll try that and then circle back to the 7800 version.

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travistouchdown
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Re: 2021/6/6: Lynx: Blue Lightning, Scrapyard Dog, Warbirds

Postby travistouchdown » June 7th, 2021, 9:45 am

Love me some Lynx. Currently and often my most played handheld.

A few review requests: Shanghai (a solid mahjong based puzzle game that is surprisingly addicting)

Centipede has been finished and released by Carl over at Songbird. Would really love to see your 2 cents on this port since you have it reviewed for nearly every other Atari system.

Luigi & Peach
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Re: 2021/6/6: Lynx: Blue Lightning, Scrapyard Dog, Warbirds

Postby Luigi & Peach » June 7th, 2021, 2:38 pm

On the Scrapyard Dog review I believe you meant to put 1985 for the Super Mario Bros. reference instead of 1995. Entertaining reviews though. Didn't know you could have that much fun with cans. :)

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travistouchdown
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Re: 2021/6/6: Lynx: Blue Lightning, Scrapyard Dog, Warbirds

Postby travistouchdown » June 9th, 2021, 8:52 am

I was surprised you gave Scrapyard Dog such a high rating since you were not a fan of the 7800 version; will be curious to see if the grade changes if you revisit that one.

Lynx is such an underrated system. Many good homebrews being created for it to this day over on Atariage; including an excellent fan made Mortal Kombat port!

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MSR1701
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Re: 2021/6/6: Lynx: Blue Lightning, Scrapyard Dog, Warbirds

Postby MSR1701 » June 9th, 2021, 9:32 am

travistouchdown wrote:I was surprised you gave Scrapyard Dog such a high rating since you were not a fan of the 7800 version; will be curious to see if the grade changes if you revisit that one.

Lynx is such an underrated system. Many good homebrews being created for it to this day over on Atariage; including an excellent fan made Mortal Kombat port!

MK on Lynx??? Do you have a project link for that?

I recall seeing a Dizzy and Megaman demo for Lynx, the system was way too soon, and Atari being Atari didn't help...

djc
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Re: 2021/6/6: Lynx: Blue Lightning, Scrapyard Dog, Warbirds

Postby djc » June 9th, 2021, 8:44 pm

travistouchdown wrote:I was surprised you gave Scrapyard Dog such a high rating since you were not a fan of the 7800 version; will be curious to see if the grade changes if you revisit that one.

Lynx is such an underrated system. Many good homebrews being created for it to this day over on Atariage; including an excellent fan made Mortal Kombat port!


I saw video of the MK port. It is seriously impressive. Just goes to show what you can do with hardware when you know what you are doing.

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Re: 2021/6/6: Lynx: Blue Lightning, Scrapyard Dog, Warbirds

Postby BlasteroidAli » June 13th, 2021, 6:07 am

A fair representation of all three games. It was easily superior to the game boy as a system but the battery consumption killed it. I think it took them up until the back lit GBA to get up the the same level. Nintendo made sure it lasted a long time on one charge. I had a game boy you could get 33 hours out of a set of batteries. So if you were on the train to Glasgow from London, it would fail halfway through the journey on lynx but the GBA would keep going.

Blue Lightning. I feel you have this game just right. Good with outstanding graphics for the time but just not that playable. Maybe it is because I am playing it now and not back in the day. SD is a classy platformer game. I think if it had been on Nintendo as well people would have remembered it as a classic. Warbirds. It looks fantastic and really showcases the system off. The game itself is dull so three good reviews. Right on the money three times in a row.


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