At AtariGamer.com, we aim to deliver exciting, dynamic and comprehensive Atari Lynx game reviews. Because we are all individuals and unique gamers, we are all naturally going to enjoy different games. Occasionally, we may have disagreements about whether a game experience is ‘poor’, ‘good’, ‘very good’ or ‘superb’. But at other times, we are very aware collectively that particular games are an earth-shattering, solid gold experience; or, a complete disgrace!

You may also be interested in our Rarity Scores and Release Types.

For this reason, it’s paramount to point out that the game reviews you come across here do not reflect a collective view or community consensus. They are objective, individually experienced reflections which strive to be non-biased and based on the gameplay experience that is presented to the player. You are perfectly entitled to an opposing view, which is held up to just as much esteem and value as the game reviewer. The Atari Lynx system is such an enjoyable console, with strong titles across the board, that there is room for all kinds of different views on gaming experiences. And of course, the reviews of other sources may give you a more well-rounded viewpoint on a game title.

That said, our reviews attempt to serve as guides for both experienced and non-experienced Lynx gamers, and are derived from decades of Lynx gaming and experience across manifold gaming genres. Hey... we love this system just as much as you do! Therefore, there is plenty of comparative analyses to other Lynx titles, discussions of the game’s origins, and other such data which we hope you find fun and informative.

The scoring tallies below are designed to show all who read reviews on this site what the quality of the game is overall. ‘Graphics and sound don’t always maketh the game...’ - so the overall score of a game is almost always a broad sweep over all assessable gaming areas, including other such factors as controls, playability and challenge. Please see below the scoring tallies and their respective meanings. Happy Lynx gaming!

These scores are given to Lynx games which are at the highest end of achievement. They are the games that are either top performing new “homebrew” games or instant classic official release games. Games achieving this score usually are widely lauded by Lynx fans and the general gaming public. They will spend a lot of time in your Lynx cartridge slot!

An ‘A’ grade game title, not quite reaching the highest possible achievement, but nonetheless a highly worthwhile purchase. Usually one or more factors prevented these games from reaching absolute gold standard, but whatever these factors are, they shouldn’t prevent anyone grabbing these games at the nearest opportunity because they are so good.

A very good ‘B’ grade. Nearly an ‘A’ grade, but not quite reaching that standard. Any title receiving this score deserves a serious look and is well worth your time. This score is usually given to a game that scores well in multiple categories of areas like graphics, sound, gameplay or longevity.

Games that achieve a ‘7’ or ‘7.5’ grade are of good quality. They usually have a few flaws, but deserve a low to medium ‘B’ grade overall because of their decent quality overall. Notably, some ‘B’ grade games can be favourites of some gamers, and deservedly so.

Games receiving ‘6’ or ‘6.5’ are okay games. They aren’t classic but they are alright, and can have some good qualities and gameplay. There’s usually more than a few drawbacks to deal with in these titles, but they aren’t game-breaking at all.

These titles aren’t really recommended purchases unless you are a huge fan of the title or the series it is from. Usually there are some fairly significant gameplay factors that are annoying or add some unnecessary angst to the gameplay experience.

A game needs to have some fairly significant issues to receive below a ‘5’ score. Poor graphics or sound rarely create a score like this on their own; a ‘4’ or ‘4.5’ is given mostly because a title has poor gameplay, broken mechanics, is severely repetitive or the experience as a whole is severely compromised. Only collectors would usually pick up a game such as this to complete a set.

For a game to get a score like this, it is going to have to feature more than a few of the following significant issues: bugs, impossible difficulty, far too easy gameplay, no replay value, unusable controls, no variety whatsoever, or a complete lack of player enjoyment overall. Yes - this one is a game not just scraping the bottom of the barrel; it’s a game digging through the barrel floor and directly underneath, burrowing directly south a mile or two. It’s worth playing these games to see if you agree with the review score, but a score this low is usually given for a reason; take a look at the game yourself and see if you agree! Oh, and if a game gets a ‘1’, best avoid it at all costs!