NEW AVP prototype found!

[btbfilms76]

What do we think gang?  Is this the real thing?  

http://retrogamingmagazine.com/2015/03/08/prototype-new-version-of-alien-vs-predator-found-for-atari-lynx/

 

Im guessing he's never played a Lynx due to his snotty attitude and lazy video game journalism, but this is a new find regarding AVP on the Lynx. 

 

Sound off Marine. 

[RickR]

No idea if this is real or not, but that game on Lynx would have been really sweet. 

[Justin]

Here are some pictures:

 

 

[Justin]

2/3:

[Justin]

3/3:

[Justin]

This is commentary I provided a few years ago for Atari Lynx Alien vs. Predator. This is based on the previously discovered prototype:

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-SbR_454KI

[The Professor]

Funny thing is, he proclaims himself a fair journalist and says "It is time gaming journalism takes its rightful place as proper sources and not fanboys giving free advertising." I acknowledge the Lynx was mishandled and didn't ship as many units as Game Boy. If you disagree or take issue with his article, or demand that reporting be honest and accurate instead of sensationalized clickbait does that make you a "fanboy"?

 

 

[fergojisan]

I am super confused here.

 

For a start, this article (and accompanying Atari Age post that it was sourced from), is from March 2015, so not new.

 

Am I reading a different article? I am not getting from it what you guys are.

 

Carl is one of the guys who tried to post honestly about the RGVS/Coleco Chameleon debacles, that's probably what that graphic up there stems from. He got ripped by Mike Kennedy for his troubles

 

I'm not trying to stir the pot, I am genuinely perplexed by this What am I missing?

[RickR]

I am super confused here.

 

For a start, this article (and accompanying Atari Age post that it was sourced from), is from March 2015, so not new.

 

Am I reading a different article? I am not getting from it what you guys are.

 

Carl is one of the guys who tried to post honestly about the RGVS/Coleco Chameleon debacles, that's probably what that graphic up there stems from. He got ripped by Mike Kennedy for his troubles

 

I'm not trying to stir the pot, I am genuinely perplexed by this What am I missing?

I see what you are saying and kind of agree.  I thought it was really neat to know that a new prototype was found, and am interested to know a lot more about it.  I think, though, that we all kind of wish that the author of this article had given us a lot more detail on what was found.  I'm not sure it's fair to pile on the guy.  My guess is that he was given very limited detail, no access to the prototype or owner, and very limited time.  Of course, I'm only guessing.  Again, more detail all the way around would have been nice. 

 

Lost Dragon mentioned a Lynx/Jaguar co-release using the Lynx as a motion tracker!  WOAH!  I'd never heard this before, and my mind is blown.  I think that would have been one of the coolest things ever!  With proper marketing, and if the game was good, that would have been a game changer IMO. 

[The Professor]

My issue isn't AVP, it's a fantastic looking game. My issue with the article is the claim that Lynx "was a horrible failure for the company". It wasn't the incredible success Game Boy was but I think it's pretty dramatic to say it was a "horrible failure".

 

AVP would have been an incredible release. Much respect to the creators of the game and those who unearthed new prototypes

[RickR]

My issue isn't AVP, it's a fantastic looking game. My issue with the article is the claim that Lynx "was a horrible failure for the company". It wasn't the incredible success Game Boy was but I think it's pretty dramatic to say it was a "horrible failure".

 

AVP would have been an incredible release. Much respect to the creators of the game and those who unearthed new prototypes

Yeah, that "horrible failure" part is sloppy and got a nice big eye roll. 

[The Professor]

Yeah, that "horrible failure" part is sloppy and got a nice big eye roll.

 

That really was my only point. And the insinuation that a nice big eye roll would make you a fanboy ticked me off in the context of the AVP Lynx article.

 

I'm sure everybody here was in favor of honest reporting of the Chameleon/Mike Kennedy debacle and would appreciate what that meant

[The Professor]

I am super confused here.

 

For a start, this article (and accompanying Atari Age post that it was sourced from), is from March 2015, so not new.

 

 

 

I guess that's all relative. I would say they're "new" compared to the version we've had for 15 years. It hasn't been discussed here yet and it's a pretty cool find so a post was made about it.

[Justin]

It goes without saying that Alien vs. Predator could have been one of the best looking games on the Lynx. Definitely one of the biggest "what ifs" and a real loss that AVP never saw an official release. Huge thanks to everyone who brought this to light.

 

• Willard posted a chart detailing features in the four versions here: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/235311-several-new-versions-of-avp-for-lynx-discovered/?p=3183055
• Edward Kirk's Atari Lynx Alien vs. Predator page, source for above images: http://zenade.angelfire.com/AVP/lynx/avp.html

[fergojisan]

All points taken, thank you for clarifying. I really only know the basic history of the Lynx, so thank you for the info. My only firsthand knowledge of it was that when I started at KayBee in September 1991, we had a few Lynx games left (we never got anymore shipments), and I hadn't heard of it until I saw the games there. That of course didn't stop me from buying one later in the 90s, I really loved some of the games for it (I haven't actually played Blue Lightning, my bad) and I wish I hadn't sold it. 

[nosweargamer]

"depending on who you ask, it was a horrible failure for the company"

 

As was brought up, this is my only problem with the article. 

 

I don't believe you should you say "depending on who you ask" and only bring up one, unsupported point. 

 

Depending on who you ask.... The Browns will win the Super Bowl, Tax Avoiders is a great game and beef tastes like chicken.

 

Too me, that was lazy and biased. How in the world does a system that lasted multiple years count as a horrible failure? Just because it didn't sell as well as the Game Boy? 

 

BTW, I think the main reason the Lynx didn't sell more was due not to any lack of games, but the high price of the unit compared to the Game Boy. Even if Tetris, the biggest portable system seller of all time, was packed in with the Lynx, the Game Boy would've still outsold it.

[btbfilms76]

"depending on who you ask, it was a horrible failure for the company"

 

As was brought up, this is my only problem with the article. 

 

I don't believe you should you say "depending on who you ask" and only bring up one, unsupported point. 

 

Depending on who you ask.... The Browns will win the Super Bowl, Tax Avoiders is a great game and beef tastes like chicken.

 

Too me, that was lazy and biased. How in the world does a system that lasted multiple years count as a horrible failure? Just because it didn't sell as well as the Game Boy? 

 

BTW, I think the main reason the Lynx didn't sell more was due not to any lack of games, but the high price of the unit compared to the Game Boy. Even if Tetris, the biggest portable system seller of all time, was packed in with the Lynx, the Game Boy would've still outsold it.

 

So even though I had the Lynx very early on it felt like very long stretches of time before any games would come out, at least in my area.  I also got a Game Gear, so should I go to Target and find a huge selection of games - none of them were Lynx.  I would have to have someone take me to one of two places that carried Lynx games, Toys R Us (totally out of the way) or Electronics Boutique (even more out of the way).  This same pattern happened during the Jaguar.  I found my self getting more Game Gear games only because it was more accessible in my area.   For what it's worth. 

[nosweargamer]

So even though I had the Lynx very early on it felt like very long stretches of time before any games would come out, at least in my area.  I also got a Game Gear, so should I go to Target and find a huge selection of games - none of them were Lynx.  I would have to have someone take me to one of two places that carried Lynx games, Toys R Us (totally out of the way) or Electronics Boutique (even more out of the way).  This same pattern happened during the Jaguar.  I found my self getting more Game Gear games only because it was more accessible in my area.   For what it's worth. 

 

Yeah, I can see that for your area. I'm not claiming the Lynx was a mainstream smash. I just don't understand why it is called a horrible failure?  To me, such a failure wouldn't even last a year at a Toys R Us, yet I recall it being at TRU for multiple years. Most companies would be thrilled TRU carried their product so long. According to some reports, the Lynx had a longer life than the Colecovision, Vectrex, 3DO and Sega Dreamcast! Did it ever lose money for Atari? Maybe, but I never heard it did.

 

 

FYI - Cost Comparison

Lynx  in 1989 - $179.99 (or about $349.99 in today's dollars)

Game Boy in 1989 - $89.99 (or about $174.99 in today's dollars)

 

On a side note, did TRU even carry the Jaguar? I only recall seeing it at my Babagges.

[Clint Thompson]

Yeah, I can see that for your area. I'm not claiming the Lynx was a mainstream smash. I just don't understand why it is called a horrible failure?  To me, such a failure wouldn't even last a year at a Toys R Us, yet I recall it being at TRU for multiple years. Most companies would be thrilled TRU carried their product so long. According to some reports, the Lynx had a longer life than the Colecovision, Vectrex, 3DO and Sega Dreamcast! Did it ever lose money for Atari? Maybe, but I never heard it did.

 

 

FYI - Cost Comparison

Lynx  in 1989 - $179.99 (or about $349.99 in today's dollars)

Game Boy in 1989 - $89.99 (or about $174.99 in today's dollars)

 

On a side note, did TRU even carry the Jaguar? I only recall seeing it at my Babagges.

 

I remember the interviews with Sam Tramiel talking about the Jaguar getting into TRU but I never saw it myself. My parents purchased my Jaguar at a local Venture before they went out of business and Venture is also where I picked up my Lynx about a year later. Had it not been for the Jaguar, I wouldn't have even known about the Lynx and if memory serves correctly, in 1994 the Lynx was selling bundled with 4-games for either $99 or $129 new. I thought it was an awesome deal and actually played it quite a lot, despite not having very many games for it.

[nosweargamer]

 

 

Also why is the TurboExpress never seen as a failure then? Japan only release i assume? but figures of 1.5 Million units sold...high price appeared to put it out of reach of most gamers.....

 

 

It was released in the states, but was pretty expensive. It did have a neat TV tuner accessory.  My guess is the Lynx both outsold and outlasted it in the states.

[Justin]

Also why is the TurboExpress never seen as a failure then? Japan only release i assume? but figures of 1.5 Million units sold...high price appeared to put it out of reach of most gamers.....

 

 

 

It was released in the states, but was pretty expensive. It did have a neat TV tuner accessory.  My guess is the Lynx both outsold and outlasted it in the states.

 

 

 

Those are both really good points. TurboGrafx-16 in general lost out to Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis, yet people still avidly collect TG-16 games and speak of it fondly.

 

Why is it no discussion can be had about Atari without first apologizing and having to sit through buzzwords like "dismal failure", "worst game ever" and talk of E.T. causing the collapse of the industry? Why must everything revel in negativity and the tragic side of something that has brought so many of us so much happiness throughout our lives? We're not going to do that here.

[nosweargamer]

FYI - The Turbo Express launched here for at least $249.99 in 1991 (or $440 in today's dollar) Some reports say it actually launched at $299.99 (Or $530 today) while other say it launched at 249, raised to 299 and they reduced again to 249. This was the Neo Geo of portables, another system that is highly regarded, but probably sold less units than the Lynx.

 

And it seems that being a fan of Atari comes with a lot of baggage. Whether it be the archaic look of 2600 games, ET, the 5200 joysticks, the lack of awareness of the 7800, the flip flop sized Lynx or the "utter failure" Jaguar. 

 

Nintendo on the other hand seems to get a lot of the benefit of the doubt despite the poor design of the NES (blinking screen), the hard ot see green and black Game Boy screen, the slowness of the SNES on sport games, the fog of the N64 and the lack of 3rd party support and DVD playback of the Gamecube.

 

By the way, I like both Nintendo and Atari. I'm just trying to show how you can be positive or negative of just about any system.

[Yo-Yo]

Was AVP running in a different graphics mode or with an added chip? To me AVP looks better than most stuff on 16-bit consoles short of FX chip games. Seems like it would be another story where the game required an extra chip that Jack Tramiel wouldn't have wanted to pay for.

 

Also, Carl Williams did post honestly about Coleco Chameleon and his article on AVP was ok but could have done w/ out the immature pot-shots at Atari. Seems like the past 10 years (since social media?) it's been non stop in articles covering Atari. Some people are fascinated by failure I guess.

[Yo-Yo]

Was AVP running in a different graphics mode or with an added chip? To me AVP looks better than most stuff on 16-bit consoles short of FX chip games. Seems like it would be another story where the game required an extra chip that Jack Tramiel wouldn't have wanted to pay for.

I'm asking about AVP for the Lynx which is what this thread is about. Thanks!

[Yo-Yo]

Thank you!