California Games
Darran is feeling sentimental and remembers past Retro Gamer lunchtimes
» ATARI LYNX » 1989 » EPYX
You have to feel sorry for Atari’s Lynx. It was an absolute powerhouse of a handheld on release, but ultimately it just couldn’t compete with the sheer popularity of Nintendo’s Game Boy. While I currently no longer own a Lynx – I foolishly sold my collection and current prices mean it’s not worth starting all over again – I still have a huge soft spot for the system and I’m always tempted to buy another one.
We actually have a beat-up Atari Lynx in the Retro Gamer office that’s still going strong. Granted, the screen is scratched and there’s no battery cover, meaning you have to tape batteries in or use a charger, but it does work and it gives us the opportunity to play the one game we actually still have for it: California Games.
Although Epyx’s game was a couple of years old when it helped launch Atari’s new console, it still worked brilliantly as a pack-in title. While it only included four events compared to earlier versions, each one – surfing, footbag, BMX and half-pipe – were great fun to play and often highlighted the technical prowess of Atari’s new handheld. Everything from the spinning logo in the game’s introduction, to the awesome noise that accompanied the skater’s ‘zoom’ in the half-pipe event and the bikini-clad girl that skated by during intermissions screamed, “Look at me!” and it easily helped justify my purchase from my Aunty’s Littlewoods catalogue.
My favourite event will always be the surfing, however, and it’s largely due to two things. It was absolutely ridiculous fun in multiplayer (I knew two other people with Lynxes and we were rarely able to all get together) and it was excellent for high score chasing. In fact, during the Stuart Hunt/steve Williams era of the magazine, we regularly held competitions each lunchtime which would occasionally spill into the afternoon. We all got so good that we eclipsed the records that were on Twin Galaxies at the time, but we never bothered submitting them.
What a shame I couldn’t use this opportunity now to show off the amazing quadruple spins we were able to pull off. I guess you’ll just have to take my word for it.