The RetroHQ Lynx SD cartridge for the Atari Lynx lets you play homebrew games and backed up ROMs on your Lynx simply by copying them to an SD card, plugging it into the Lynx SD cartridge and then plugging that into your Lynx. It’s a great idea and follows on from many similar EverDrive type units on other retro consoles. The only gripe with the Lynx SD has been its very functional, but simplistic menu loader.
Well that’s no more. Atari Gamer has created a whole new menu loader system with many exciting features that will blow the original loader out of the water. This new loader will be the default shipped with all future preorders too! So let’s check it out.
It’s remarkable how active the communities around old hardware really are. I never would’ve guessed people are still hard at work on the Atari Lynx, of all mobile consoles.
Sweet! I have two of these, will have to update the menu loader.
Is it true that the dev kit for the Atari Lynx had to use Commodore Amigas, instead of Atari STs?
Yes. The Lynx was not originally an Atari project, but was developed by Epyx under the name “Handy,” and has a very strong Amiga connection, having been designed by Amiga engineers RJ Michael and Dave Needle. You can learn more about the Lynx dev kit at https://atarilynxdeveloper.wordpress.com/2014/05/16/epyx-development-kit-part-1-contents/
Atari finally got a hold of Amiga tech, like they were supposed to when Commodore swooped in and ‘stole’ them.
Actually a lot of Atari’s consoles weren’t made by them. The 7800, the Jaguar, and Lynx.
Yes, but BLL runs on ST/Falcon/TT. 😉
It’s a little disappointing that it doesn’t directly support long filenames, instead requiring you to make a lookup table file for long names. Seems like long filenames would require less work than parsing a text file to find the name, then extract the long name. Having worked on the menus for flash carts on the SNES, SMS, MD, and N64, I can tell you it’s not that hard.
I don’t know about you, but I’d prefer SainT work on the SD Card for the Jaguar than long file names 😛
We could live with 8.3 filenames for a decade or more, so what?
Seriously: There aren’t so many Lynx titles, that using 8 characters would not be enough to differ the titles.
So it’s not about homebrew… 🙁
Sure, why not. I guess even for homebrew titles 8 chars are enough.
Well, it was more about sentiment / focusing on, let’s say it, ~piracy…