Atari Lynx II (1991-1995)

Atari Lynx II

The Atari Lynx II, released in July 1991, was a more compact and ergonomic redesign of the world's first color handheld console, launched specifically to better compete with Nintendo's dominant Game Boy. While retaining the original’s powerful 16-bit custom CMOS chips and its unique ability to be flipped 180 degrees for left-handed play, the Lynx II introduced a sleeker, more symmetrical chassis with rubber hand grips for improved comfort during long play sessions. Technical enhancements included a clearer backlit LCD screen with a dedicated backlight toggle button to preserve battery life—a crucial addition given the system's reputation for "eating" six AA batteries in under five hours. It also upgraded the audio experience by replacing the original's monaural headphone jack with a stereo output, allowing games like Todd’s Adventures in Slime World and California Games to take full advantage of the 4-channel sound engine. Despite dropping the price to a competitive $99 and fixing the original's fragile "cartridge door" in favor of an open slot, the Lynx II struggled to overcome its sparse library and high power consumption, eventually being discontinued in 1995 as the final portable hardware effort from the original Atari Corporation.

Source: Retro Games Store