#PA2020, Published by Atari Corp.
In this episode, I cover Blue Lightning, the first game (in part number order) and one of the five launch titles released for the Atari Lynx in September of 1989. Included is a complete rundown of the gameplay, music, and sound effects. I also provide how much collectors can expect to pay for an Atari Lynx Blue Lightning cartridge on eBay, as well as a few tips and hints. Plus, I have some feedback about Blue Lightning from some of my loyal listeners.
GAME STATISTICS
Release Date: September of 1989.
Cartridge Information: 128kb stereo cartridge, available in flat, ridged, and curved lip styles; demo cartridge PCB (printed circuit board) with gold label also available.
Game Genre: First-person flight simulation/aerial shooter for one player.
Screen Playfield Orientation: Landscape (horizontal).
Based On: Loosely based on After Burner, an arcade game released by Sega in 1987.
Ports to Other Systems: Ported to the Atari Jaguar in 1995 (pack-in game for the new Atari Jaguar CD).
Number of Players: 1 (no ComLynx support).
Packaging: Standard-tab carton in full color; available in large box (7 5/8″ by 5 1/2″ by 7/8″); available later in regular-size box (5 3/8″ by 4 3/8″ by 7/8″).
Instruction Manual: Stapled 12-page manual in monochrome in English; available in large booklet (6 5/8″ by 4 3/4″); available later in regular-size booklet (4 7/8″ by 3 3/4″).
GAME CREDITS
Developer: Epyx Games, lead by Programmer Brian Bowhay.
Producers: John Skruch and Sean Patten.
Designers: RJ Mical, and Stephen H. Landrum.
Programmer: Stephen  H. Landrum.
Artwork: Arthur “Ace” Koch.
Music: Alex (LX) Rudis & Bob Vieira.
LYNX LYNKS
Information About Blue Lightning:
Atari Age rarity guide for Blue Lightning
Wikipedia article about Blue Lightning
Retro Gamer Magazine article: “The Making of Blue Lightning” by Kieren Hawken (thanks, Kieren!)
Reviews and Ratings for Blue Lightning:
AGH review by Kieta Iida
The Atari Times review by Gregory D. George (2002)
IGN review by Robert A. Jung (1999)
Atari.io review by Brian Thomas Barnhart
YouTube Videos About Blue Lightning:
Review of Blue Lightning (Lynx Lounge/Brian Thomas Barnhart)
Review of Blue Lightning (Classic Game Room Undertow)
Review of Blue Lightning (VideoWulff)
Blue Lightning playthrough (World of Longplays)
Blue Lightning playthrough (StaxX28)
Blue Lightning playthrough and commentary (TechZonk)
Blue Lightning playthrough (NintendoComplete)
Blue Lightning <a style="color: #000000;" href="https://youtu.

EPISODE 01: Blue Lightning

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#PA2042, Published by Atari Corp.
In this episode I cover another popular arcade port, APB – All Points Bulletin, released for the Lynx in 1991. Included are statistics for the game and a run-down on how to play it, along with reviews and ratings, some fun facts and trivia, and lots of listener feedback about the game. Also in today’s episode: Monty and I find ourselves on a tangent discussing how accurate the portrayals of police officers were on the television programs of our youth.

“Oooh! Oooh!” -Monty
There’s a Honker in the Bronx
Speeders running all the stops
There’s a Litterbug in Harlem
Throwing trash at all the cops
There are Dopers smoking herb
Hitchers hiking on the curb
OFFICER BOB, WHERE ARE YOU?
APB – All Points Bulletin VITAL STATISTICS
Release Date: August of 1991.
Initial Retail Price: $34.00-$39.00 in the US; £29.99 in the UK.
Cartridge Information: 256kB monaural curved lip-style cartridge.
Game Genre: Top-down-view 2-dimensional scrolling arcade racing/driving game for 1 player only.
Alternate Title: A.P.B. (it appeared as this title on all packaging and marketing materials for this game).
Screen Playfield Orientation: Landscape (horizontal).
Based On: The arcade cabinet of the same name released by Atari Games in 1987.
Ports to Other Systems: Amstrad CPC (1989), Atari ST (1989), Commodore 64 (1989), Commodore Amiga (1989), DOS (1989), and ZX Spectrum (1989).
Game Levels: At least 99.
Number of Players: 1 (no ComLynx support).
Packaging: A full-color standard flap-tab regular-size box (5 3/8″ by 4 3/8″ by 7/8″). The French variant included a sticker on the front (2 Pin’s Gratuit) indicating the inclusion of 2 lapel pins.
Instruction Manual: Each A.P.B. box is packaged with two full color posters, 22” high by 17” wide (see photo above the “Thank You’s” section below); one poster is in English and the other is in French. The front of each poster includes an exact copy of the box cover art, with a yellow triangular banner added at the upper left with the words See reverse side for instructions in a large black font tilted upwards at a 45 degree angle. The back of each poster includes an illustrated comic book-style list of basic instructions. The posters are folded several times in order to fit in the small Lynx boxes. The English instructions for APB – All Points Bulletin were written by Scott Rhoades.
APB – All Points Bulletin CREDITS
Original Arcade: Atari Games Corporation
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Licensee: Tengen, Inc.
Developer: Quicksilver Software
Programmer and Sound Effects: Robert Barris
Graphics/Backgrounds: Shann Chastain, Arlene Caberto Somers, David Nelson
Music: Dave Bean
Movie Projector: <a style="color: #000000;" href="https://www.

EPISODE 23: APB-All Points Bulletin

#PA2041, Published by Atari Corp.
In this episode I cover yet another arcade port for the Lynx, Paperboy, released in 1990. Included are statistics for the game and a run-down on how to play it, along with reviews and ratings, some fun facts and trivia, and lots of listener feedback about the game. Also in today’s episode: Monty and I talk about the lost art of delivering newspapers door to door.
“Yes…it’s true…I once owned a Morris Minor to deliver The Heckington Hawker.
Please don’t pity me.” -Monty
PAPERBOY VITAL STATISTICS
Release Date: December of 1990.
Initial Retail Price: $34.99-$39.95 in the US; £29.99 in the UK.
Cartridge Information: 128kB mono curved lip-style cartridge.
Game Genre: Isometric-view 2-dimensional scrolling arcade game for 1 player only.
Screen Playfield Orientation: Landscape (horizontal).
Based On: The arcade cabinet of the same name released by Atari Games in 1984.
Ports to Other Systems: Acorn Electron (1986), Amstrad CPC (1987), Apple ][ (1988), Apple ][gs (1988), Atari ST (1989), BBC Micro (1986), Blackberry (2009), Commodore 16 (1986), Commodore Plus/4 (1986), Commodore 64 (1986), Commodore Amiga (1989), DOS platform (1988), J2ME platform (2005), Nintendo Entertainment System (1988), Nintendo Game Boy (1990), Nintendo Game Boy Color (1999), Sega Game Gear (1991), Sega Genesis (1991), Sega Master System (1990), Xbox 360 (2007), and ZX Spectrum (1986).
Sequels: Paperboy 2 for Amstrad CPC (1991), Atari ST (1992), Commodore Amiga (1992), DOS platform (1991), Nintendo Game Boy (1992), Nintendo Entertainment System (1991), Super Nintendo Entertainment System (1991), Sega Game Gear (1993), Sega Genesis (1992), and ZX Spectrum (1992).
Game Levels: There are three skill levels: Easy Street (easiest), Middle Road (medium difficulty), and Hard Way (hardest). Within each of these skill levels, there are seven stages, one for each day of the week.
Number of Players: 1 (no ComLynx support).
Packaging: A full-color standard flap-tab regular-size box (5 3/8″ by 4 3/8″ by 7/8″). The French variant included a lapel pin and French-language manual, And the Japanese variant included Japanese verbiage on the box back, along with a Japanese-language manual. There was also a blister pack variant sold.
Instruction Manual: A 12-page (including front and back covers) stapled regular-sized booklet manual in monochrome, measuring the usual 4 7/8” high by 3 ¾” wide. The manual was released in English in North America and in Europe, in a full-color Japanese manual in Japan, and in French in France. The manual was written by veteran Atari Lynx manual writer Scott Rhoades.

PAPERBOY CREDITS
Original Arcade: Atari Games Corporation
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Licensee: Tengen, Inc.
Developer: Al Baker & Associates
Programmer: Al Baker
Sound: David Tumminaro
Original Art: Elite Systems
Lynx Art: Nathan BakerBe sure to check out our partner <a style="col...

EPISODE 22: Paperboy

#PT5003, Published by Shadowsoft, Inc.
(PA2082 on Atari’s Master Part Number Listing)
In this episode I cover a very highly regarded arcade port for the Lynx, Robotron: 2084, released for the Lynx in 1991. Included are statistics for the game, a run-down on how to play it, reviews and ratings, some fun facts and trivia, and (of course) listener feedback about the game. Plus, during the course of this episode, I begin to foster grave concerns about Monty’s true motivations regarding the future of our planet. Crikey.
Before viewing the following show notes, you must click on the link below:

ROBOTRON: 2084 VITAL STATISTICS
Release Date: August of 1991.
Initial Retail Price: $38.99 in the US; £29.00-£34.99 in the UK.
Cartridge Information: 128kB stereo curved lip-style cartridge.
Game Genre: Top-down-view 2-dimensional multidirectional action shooter for 1 player only.
Screen Playfield Orientation: Landscape (horizontal).
Based On: The arcade cabinet of the same name created by Eugene Jarvis and Larry DeMar of Vid Kidz and released by Williams Electronics in 1982. This arcade game was in turn inspired by Jarvis’ and DeMar’s previous game, Defender, as well as by the arcade game Berzerk, the Commodore PET game Chase, and the 1949 George Orwell novel “Nineteen Eight-Four” (also known as “1984”).
Ports to Other Systems: Acorn Electron, Apple ][, Apple MacIntosh, Atari 5200, Atari 7800, Atari 8-bit line of computers, Atari ST, BBC Micro, Commodore 64, Commodore VIC-20, IBM PC (PC booter), and Xbox 360. There is also a brand new home brew port of Robotron: 2084 for the original Atari VCS (2600) from Champ Games . It is called RobotWar 2684, and it will be released sometime this fall at AtariAge; you can find more info about it here.
Game Levels: At least 50. The arcade cabinet Robotron: 2084 includes 40 unique levels, or waves. After wave 40, the game repeats waves 21-40 over and over again until wave 255 is reached.
Number of Players: 1 (no ComLynx support).
Packaging: A full-color standard flap-tab regular-size box (5 3/8″ by 4 3/8″ by 7/8″). The French variant included a sticker on the front (Pin’s Gratuit) indicating the inclusion of a lapel pin.
Instruction Manual: A 16-page (including front and back covers) stapled regular-sized booklet manual in full monochrome, measuring the usual 4 7/8” high by 3 ¾” wide. The manual was released in English in North America and in Europe, and in French in France.
ROBOTRON: 2084 CREDITS
Publisher: Shadowsoft, Inc.
Licensee: Williams Electronics Games, Inc./WMS Industries, Inc.
Developer (Arcade): Vid Kidz
Programmer, Graphics, and Sound Effects: Dave Dies
Music: Chris Gundlack
Be sure to check out our partner AtariGamer.com to stay “Lynxed In” to all of the latest news about our favorite handheld gaming console!
LYNX LYNKS
Kieren Hawken’s 2019 book ...

EPISODE 21: Robotron: 2084


#PA2039, Published by Atari Corp.
In this episode I cover one of the best arcade ports ever released for the Lynx, Ninja 外伝 Gaiden, released for the Lynx in 1991. Included are statistics for the game and a run-down on how to play it, along with reviews and ratings, some fun facts and trivia, and lots of listener feedback about the game. Also in today’s episode: Monty displays his prowess as a Supreme Verbal Ninja…whatever that is.
“I know not one whit of sarcasm.” -Monty
NINJA GAIDEN VITAL STATISTICS
Release Date: July of 1991.
Initial Retail Price: $38.99-$39.99 in the US, and £29.99 in the UK.
Cartridge Information: 256kB mono curved lip-style cartridge.
Game Genre: Side-view 2-dimensional scrolling action beat-’em-up game for 1 player.
Alternate Title: Shadow Warriors was the title given to the Ninja 外伝 Gaiden arcade cabinet for its release in Europe.
Screen Playfield Orientation: Landscape (horizontal).
Based On: The arcade cabinet Ninja Gaiden released by Tecmo, Ltd. in late 1988 in North America and Europe, and in January 1989 in Japan. The cabinet was named Arcade Game of the Year for 1990.
Sequels: Ninja 外伝 Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom (Atari Lynx; 1993; this was a port of the NES version of Ninja 外伝 Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom).
Ports to Other Systems: Ports of Ninja 外伝 Gaiden were also released in Europe (as Shadow Warriors) on the Amstrad CPC, the Atari ST, the Commodore Amiga, the Commodore 64, and the ZX Spectrum. Elsewhere, the game was also ported as Ninja 外伝 Gaiden to the DOS platform, the Nintendo Switch, the Nintendo Wii, and the PlayStation 4. Many other versions and permutations using the Ninja 外伝 Gaiden name and general concept were ported to home consoles and computers, but they generally bear little resemblance to the original arcade game (the NES version is the most notorious in its apparent lack of similarity to the arcade game).
Game Levels: There are four stages, or neighborhoods, in Ninja 外伝 Gaiden: the City Streets, the Casino Moto, the Train Station, and the Palace.
Number of Players: 1 (no ComLynx support).
Packaging: A full-color standard flap-tab regular-size box (5 3/8″ by 4 3/8″ by 7/8″), with parallel verbiage on the back in both English and French.
Instruction Manual: Ninja 外伝 Gaiden was packaged with a full color poster, 22” high by 17” wide (see photo above After-Market and Home Brew Lynx Titles). The front of the poster includes an exact copy of the box cover art, with a yellow triangular banner added at the upper left with the words See reverse side for instructions in a large black font tilted upwards at a 45 degree angle. The back of the poster includes an illustrated comic book-style list of basic instructions. The posters, released in both English and in French, were folded several times in order to fit in the small Lynx boxes. The instructions for Ninja 外伝 Gaiden were written by Scott Rhoades.
NINJA 外伝 GAIDEN CREDITS
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Licensee: Tecmo, Ltd.
Developer: Blue Sky Software
Be sure to check out our partner AtariGamer.com to stay “Lynxed In” to all of the latest news about our favorite handheld gaming console!
LYNX LYNKS
Kieren Hawken’s 2019 book <a style="color: #000000;" href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0829CTRGZ/?

EPISODE 20: Ninja 外伝 Gaiden

#PA2038, Published by Atari Corp.
In this episode I cover the first of two American-rules football games for the Atari Lynx, Tournament Cyberball 2072, released in 1991. Included are statistics for the game and a run-down on how to play it, along with reviews and ratings, some fun facts and trivia, and some listener feedback about the game. In the previous episode, Monty and I discussed the differences between soccer and American football (I’m still unclear about that). In today’s episode, we banter about the differences between robots and androids. Such fun!
“Exterminate! Exterminate!” -Daleks, 1963
TOURNAMENT CYBERBALL 2072 VITAL STATISTICS
Release Date: October of 1991.
Initial Retail Price: $38.99-$39.95 in the US and £27.49 in the UK.
Cartridge Information: 256kB mono curved lip-style cartridge.
Game Genre: Top-down-view 2-dimensional scrolling futuristic sports game for 1 player, or for up to 4 players (cooperatively or competitively) using the ComLynx cable.
Alternate Titles: Tournament Cyberball and Cyberball 2072. The splash screen displays the title as Tournament Cyberball 2072.
Screen Playfield Orientation: Landscape (horizontal).
Based On: The arcade cabinet Cyberball 2072, released by Atari Games in 1989. The arcade game was released either in two-player cabinets with one screen, or in four-player cabinets with two screens. The latter version was called Tournament Cyberball 2072.
Sequel to: The arcade cabinet Cyberball, created by John Salwitz and released by Atari Games in September of 1988, which was based on the American field sport of football.
Ports to Other Systems: Cyberball 2072 was also ported to the XBox 360 in 2007.
Game Levels: Six 5-minute periods.
Number of Players: 1-4 (with ComLynx support).
Packaging: A full-color standard flap-tab regular-size box (5 3/8″ by 4 3/8″ by 7/8″) with parallel verbiage on the back in both English and French. It was released in both English and French variants. The French variant was identical to the English box, but it also included the ‘DEFI LYNX’ brochures including the Atari Lynx shaped brochure and free DEFI LYNX pins (pin’s gratuit).
Instruction Manual: Tournament Cyberball 2072 was packaged with a full color poster, 22” high by 17” wide. The front of the poster includes an exact copy of the box cover art, with a yellow triangular banner added at the upper left with the words See reverse side for instructions in a large black font tilted upwards at a 45 degree angle. The back of the poster includes an illustrated comic book-style list of basic instructions with parallel verbiage in both English and French. The posters were folded several times in order to fit in the small Lynx boxes.
TOURNAMENT CYBERBALL 2072 CREDITS
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Licensee: Tengen, Inc.
Developer: Blue Sky Software
Be sure to check out our partner AtariGamer.com to stay “Lynxed In” to all of the latest news about our favorite handheld gaming console!
LYNX LYNKS
Kieren Hawken’s 2019 book “The A-Z of Atari Lynx Games Volume 1”.
Information About Tournament Cyberball 2072:
Atari Age title info/rarity guide for Tournament Cyb...

EPISODE 01: Blue Lightning

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