Editing Atari Lynx (section)

==History==
The Lynx system was originally developed by [[Epyx]] as the Handy Game. In 1986, two former [[Amiga]] designers, [[RJ Mical]] and [[Dave Needle]], had been asked by a former manager at Amiga, [[Dave Morse (executive)|Dave Morse]], to design a portable gaming system.<ref name="EGM1989"/><ref name="Wired">{{cite magazine |last=Jacobs |first=Steven |title=Third Time's a Charm (They Hope) |url=http://archive.wired.com/wired/archive/2.01/3do_pr.html | url-access=registration | magazine=Wired |location=United States |publisher=Conde Nast |access-date=June 17, 2014 }}</ref> Morse now worked at Epyx, a game software company with a recent string of hit games. Morse's son had asked him if he could make a portable gaming system, prompting a meeting with Mical and Needle to discuss the idea. Morse convinced Mical and Needle and they were hired by Epyx to be a part of the design team.<ref name="EGM1989"/> Planning and design of the console began in 1986 and was completed in 1987.<ref name="retrogamer#4">{{cite magazine|first=Peter | last=Latimer|date=July 2005|title=Atari Lynx|url=https://archive.org/stream/retro_gamer/RetroGamer_018#page/n21/mode/2up|magazine=[[Retro Gamer]]|issue=4|pages=24–31|issn=1742-3155}}</ref> Epyx first showed the Handy system at the Winter [[Consumer Electronics Show]] (CES) in January 1989.<ref name="EGM1989">{{cite magazine|last=Jermaine|first=John|date=November 1989|title=Lynx, an interview with the men behind the machine|url=http://ataritimes.com/index.php?ArticleIDX=370|url-status=dead|magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|location=United States|publisher=Sendai Publications|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140916114505/http://ataritimes.com/index.php?ArticleIDX=370|archive-date=September 16, 2014|access-date=June 17, 2014}}</ref> Facing financial difficulties, Epyx sought partners. [[Nintendo]], [[Sega]], and other companies declined, but Atari and Epyx eventually agreed that Atari would handle production and marketing, and Epyx would handle software development. Epyx declared bankruptcy by the end of the year, so Atari essentially owned the entire project. Both Atari and others had to purchase Amigas from Atari arch-rival [[Commodore International|Commodore]] in order to develop Lynx software.<ref name="maher20161222">{{Cite web |url=http://www.filfre.net/2016/12/a-time-of-endings-part-2-epyx/ |title=A Time of Endings, Part 2: Epyx |last=Maher |first=Jimmy |website=The Digital Antiquarian |date=2016-12-22}}</ref>

The Handy was designed to run games from the cartridge format, and the game data must be copied from ROM to RAM before it can be used. Thus, less RAM is then available and each game's initial loading is slow.<ref name="retrogamer">{{cite magazine|first=Peter | last=Latimer|date=July 2005|title=Atari Lynx|url=https://archive.org/stream/retro_gamer/RetroGamer_018#page/n21/mode/2up|magazine=Retro Gamer|volume=2|issue=6|pages=24–31|issn=1742-3155}}</ref> There are trace remnants of a [[cassette tape]] interface physically capable of being programmed to read a tape. Lynx developers have noted that "there is still reference of the tape and some hardware addresses"<ref name="Lynx programming tutorial">{{cite web | work=Diary of an Atari Lynx developer | title=Atari Lynx programming tutorial series | url=http://atarilynxdeveloper.wordpress.com/ | access-date=June 18, 2014}}</ref> and an updated vintage Epyx manual describes the bare existence of what could be utilized for tape support.<ref name="Lynx Hardware Overview">{{cite web | title=Lynx Hardware Overview | publisher=Epyx | url=http://www.monlynx.de/lynx/lynxdoc.html | year=1987 | access-date=June 18, 2014}}</ref>{{rp|ch.2,8}} A 2009 retrospective interview with Mical clarifies that there is no truth to some early reports claiming that games were loaded from tape, and elaborates, "We did think about hard disk a little."<ref name="Retroinspection: Atari Lynx">{{cite web|date=January 22, 2009|title=Retroinspection: Atari Lynx|url=http://www.nowgamer.com/features/894712/retroinspection_atari_lynx.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130205052828/http://www.nowgamer.com/features/894712/retroinspection_atari_lynx.html|archive-date=February 5, 2013|access-date=June 18, 2014|publisher=NOW Gamer}}</ref>

The networking system was originally developed to run over [[infrared]] links and [[codename]]d RedEye.<ref name="retrogramer164">{{cite magazine |title=Todd's Adventures in Slime World | magazine=Retro Gamer Magazine |issue=164 |pages=74 }}</ref> This was changed to a cable-based networking system before the final release as the infrared beam was too easily interrupted when players walked through the beam, according to Peter Engelbrite. Engelbrite developed the first recordable eight-player [[co-op game]], and the only eight-player game for the  Lynx, ''[[Todd's Adventures in Slime World]]''.<ref name="retrogramer164" />

Atari changed the internal speaker and removed the thumb stick on the control pad. At Summer 1989 CES, Atari's press demonstration included the "Portable Color Entertainment System", which was changed to "Lynx" when distributed to resellers, initially retailing in the US at {{US$|179.95|1989|about=yes|round=-1}}.<ref name="retrogamer"/>

Its launch was successful. Atari reported that it had sold 90% of the 50,000 units shipped in the launch month in the U.S. with a limited launch in New York.<ref name="NevadaDaily">{{cite news|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|date=June 3, 1990|title=New games make big splash|agency=[[Associated Press]]|newspaper=[[The Nevada Daily Mail]]|location=Vernon County, Missouri|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1908&dat=19900603&id=yugfAAAAIBAJ&pg=2239,4378537|access-date=June 17, 2014}}</ref> US sales in 1990 were approximately 500,000 units according to the [[Associated Press]].<ref name="1990 sales">{{cite press release|url=https://apnews.com/a1288531efff2f9504f70dbcd9f8b6cc |title=Sega Woos Game Boy, Lynx Users With 32-Color, Hand-Held Video System |access-date=November 7, 2013 |publisher=Associated Press| date =January 4, 1991|author=Catalina Ortiz}}</ref> In late 1991, it was reported that Atari sales estimates were about 800,000, which Atari claimed was within its expected projections.<ref name="Raze Magazine, issue 11">{{cite magazine | url=https://archive.org/details/raze-magazine-11 | magazine=Raze Magazine | title=Raze Magazine | issue=11 | date=September 1991 | page=6 }}</ref>{{failed verification|reason=No mention of Lynx sales estimates found at that areference|date=October 2022}} Lifetime sales by 1995 amount to fewer than 7&nbsp;million units when combined with the Game Gear.<ref name=seattle/> In comparison, 16 million Game Boy units were sold by 1995<ref name="seattle">{{cite news|author=Steven Kent|date=January 5, 1995|title=Virtual Fun - Nintendo Adds A New Dimension To Games|newspaper=[[Seattle Times]]|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19950105/2097913/virtual-fun|access-date=November 7, 2013}}</ref> because of its superior durability, pricing, battery life, and game library, notably the pack-in hit ''[[Tetris (Game Boy video game)|Tetris]]''.{{r|maher20161222}}

As with the console units, the game cartridge design evolved over the first year of the console's release. The first generation of cartridges are flat, and designed to be stackable for ease of storage. However, this design proved to be very difficult to remove from the console and was replaced by a second design. This style, called "tabbed" or "ridged", adds two small tabs on the underside to aid in removal. The original flat style cartridges can be stacked on top of the newer cartridges, but the newer cartridges can not be easily stacked on each other, nor were they stored easily. Thus a third style, the "curved lip" style was produced, and all official and third-party cartridges during the console's lifespan were released (or re-released) using this style.<ref>[http://www.atariage.com/system_labels.php?SystemID=LYNX Atari Lynx] cartridge style illustrations at AtariAge.com.</ref>

In May 1991, Sega launched its Game Gear portable gaming handheld with a color screen.<ref name="AtariAge"/> In comparison to the Lynx it had shorter battery life (3–4 hours as opposed to 4-5 for the Lynx), but it is slightly smaller, has significantly more games, and cost $30 less than the Lynx at launch.

Retailers such as [[Game (retailer)|Game]] and [[Toys "R" Us]] continued to sell the Lynx well into the mid-1990s on the back of the [[Atari Jaguar]] launch, helped by magazines such as ''Ultimate Future Games'' which continued to cover the Lynx alongside the new generation of [[32-bit computing|32-bit]] and [[64-bit computing|64-bit]] consoles.

===Lynx II===
[[File:Atari-Lynx-II-Handheld-Angled.jpg|right|thumb|The Lynx II, smaller and lighter than the original]]

In July 1991, Atari introduced a new version of the Lynx, internally called the "Lynx II", with a new marketing campaign, new packaging, slightly improved hardware, better battery life, and a sleeker look. It has rubber hand grips and a clearer [[backlight|backlit]] color screen with a power save option (which turns off the backlighting). The monaural headphone jack of the original Lynx was replaced with one wired for stereo. The Lynx II was available without any accessories, dropping the price to {{US$|99|1990|long=no|round=-1}}.

===Decline===

In 1993, Atari started shifting its focus away from the Lynx in order to prepare for the launch of the Jaguar;<ref name="AtariAge"/> a few games were released during that time, including ''Battlezone 2000''. Support for the Lynx was formally discontinued in 1995.

After the respective launches of the [[Sega Saturn]] and [[PlayStation (console)|Sony PlayStation]] caused the [[List of commercial failures in video games#Atari Jaguar|commercial failure of the Jaguar]], Atari ceased all game development and hardware manufacturing by early 1996<ref>{{cite magazine |title=The Life and Death of Atari |magazine=[[GamePro]] |issue=92 |publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|date=May 1996|page=20}}</ref> and would later merge with [[JT Storage|JTS, Inc.]] on July 30 of that year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://contracts.onecle.com/atari/jt.mer.1996.04.08.shtml |title=Atari and JT Storage Reorganisation Plan |publisher=One Cle |access-date=November 25, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061209123854/http://contracts.onecle.com/atari/jt.mer.1996.04.08.shtml |archive-date=December 9, 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Video Game Timeline |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |issue=102 |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]|date=January 1998 |page=137}}</ref>