Atari Lynx

Atari Corporation · 1989–1995 · ~7,000,000

The first handheld with a colour LCD screen, hardware sprite scaling, and backlit display — launched the same year as the Game Boy but overwhelmed by Nintendo's software library and battery life advantages.

Designed by Epyx and sold to Atari, the Lynx was technically superior to the Game Boy in almost every hardware dimension: colour screen, backlit display, hardware sprite scaling, and a custom blitter chip. The Lynx could even be linked with other units for multiplayer. But it consumed six AA batteries in four hours compared to the Game Boy's ten hours on four AAs. Its library never exceeded 70 games, and Nintendo's software dominance with Tetris and Mario was insurmountable.

Worth Playing:

Chip's Challenge
Ninja Gaiden III
Blue Lightning
Rygar
California Games

Key Facts:

The Lynx was designed by RJ Mical and Dave Needle — the same engineers who designed the Amiga
Hardware sprite scaling in 1989 was a genuinely impressive technical achievement for a handheld
Chip's Challenge, originally a Lynx exclusive, later found its largest audience on Windows 3.1
Atari released a smaller Lynx II in 1991 with improved battery life and a more comfortable form factor
The Lynx could link up to 17 units for multiplayer — an extraordinary feat for 1989

Verdict: The best handheld hardware of its era, defeated by software and battery life.