A fast Atari Lynx emulation ?

[DaveC]

It is very tough to emulate at I very much doubt you can get it to full speed on the GP32 unless it is entirely written in ASM (which won't happen).

Specifications:

"Mikey" - 16 bit CMOS chip @ 16Mhz, 65C02 @ up to 4Mhz
Suzy" - 16 bit CMOS chip @ 16Mhz
Graphics: 4096 color palette, 16 simultaneous, 160x102 standard resolution, 480x102 artificial resolution
Audio Processor: 4 channel, 8-bit DAC, handled by "Mikey"
Math Co-processor: 16-bit multiply and divide, parallel processing of single instructions

Compare that to the SNES which just has a single CPU running at 3.58 MHz and how difficult that is to emulate. 16+16+4 Mhz running under several badly documented processors, add a resolution which is higher than the GP32, an audio processor and a Math processor and anyone with just one bit of computer knowledge will understand that it will never happen on the GP32. It is no wonder it is not even emulated well on a 3Ghz PC.

The resolution is MUCH lower on the lynx. it is like 1/4 the resolution of the GP32.

Also the Lynx's sound chip wasn't all that sophisticated, especially compared to the SNES sound chip which has been said to be more powerful than the main CPU itself.

Also the Lynx didn't have the hard to emulate transparencies either.

It did have some custom chips to give the "mode 7" like effects.

lower resolution, smaller color palette, weaker sound chip, could make it possible to emulate.

The big one though as you said is the lack of documentation for the processors, that will probably be the stumbling block.

 

[RichyX]

Good old Lynx.
My only memory of the thing was being accused of breaking a classmates one. B*****k's that was, never even touched the thing.

 

[DaveC]

Crystal mines II and slime world were awesome games

Slime world was awesome the way the backgrounds would pulsate and the slime would ooze out of the walls and such. It made full use of the scaling hardware, it was really cool. Blue lightning was a bit repetitive but the 3D effects were mindblowing at the time.

Lynx facts:

The Lynx was the FIRST console ever to have hardware scaling (known to Snes gurus as "mode 7") to give 3D type effects. (the SNES came LATER)

The SNES could only scale one object or background. The Lynx was only limited by memory and speed (could do many).

The Lynx was the only handheld to do scaling until the GBA.

The Lynx was developed by the same guys that brought us the Amiga, 3DO, Atari 8-bit.

The Lynx would suck a set of *SIX* AA alkaline batteries dry in less than 3 hours :lol: