The Epyx Collection: Handheld

Genre: Compilation

Players: 1

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Review:

The Epyx Collection: Handheld, released in 2024 on Nintendo Switch, is a Compilation containing six games originally developed by the now-defunct game company Epyx and released for the Atari Lynx handheld platform during the years of 1989-1990. This is notably not all of the games Epyx developed, nor even all of the games they released on the Atari Lynx (Chip’s Challenge is being sold in a separate release).

Here is what I thought of all of the games in this collection:

Game	Genre	# of Players	Score
Blue Lightning	On-Rails Shooter	1	C-
tl;dr This faux 3D On-Rails Shooter is impressive given the limited hardware of the Atari Lynx, but unfortunately it is really limited by that hardware, particularly by the extremely limited screen resolution. In addition, the game is extremely repetitive and simple.
California Games	Compilation / Sports (“Extreme”)	1	D+
tl;dr This collection of Extreme Sports games includes BMX Bike Racing, Surfing, Half-Pipe Skateboarding, and “Foot Bag” (hackey sack). Unfortunately, BMX Bike Racing has confusing controls and it isn’t clear where obstacles are in relation to you, Surfing has some good basic gameplay but doesn’t build on it and ends up far too simple as a result, Skateboarding has confusing controls I couldn’t even figure out, and surprisingly Foot Bag may be the best game in this Compilation, but it’s a bit too tough and too repetitive. Overall, this is a pretty lousy collection of Sports games.
Electrocop	Action	1	D
tl;dr This is an ambitious Action game with a faux 3D element that has you moving through multiple layers of corridors shooting robots from a side-scrolling view. unfortunately, these visuals make it difficult to see when you’re about to walk into a hazard, and it’s too hard to line up your shots.
Gates of Zendocon	Shmup	1	D+
tl;dr This Shmup works, but it’s simple and one-note to the extent that it often seems pointless, with players easily breezing through levels.
Slime World	Action-Platformer	1	D-
tl;dr Also known by its extended title, Todd’s Adventures in Slime World, this game was originally the only Lynx game that was playable with up to eight players, though this version has no multiplayer. That’s just as well, as this miserable Action-Platformer has terrible Platforming, terrible gunplay, poor map design, and ugly undulating visuals that may sell the “slime” concept, but do a poor job of indicating where to go or where you even can go.
Zarlor Mercenary	Shmup	1	D-
tl;dr This would be a mediocre Shmup if the screen didn’t constantly fill with bullet sponge enemies that make this absolutely grueling to play.

In short… wow, these games are really, really bad. The best of the bunch is probably Blue Lightning and one of the minigames in California Games, which both settle for being merely sub-par. As for the rest, they run the gamut from poorly-designed to nearly unplayable.

I’m not thrilled to say as much, because I recognize that Epyx has an important place in videogame history. They were the ones that created the Atari Lynx, after all, and while that handheld device fell flat in the face of the absolute monolith that was the Game Boy, in some ways it was ahead of its time.

Having said that, this bundle does itself no favors by failing to include Chip’s Challenge or any of the non-Lynx versions of Blue Lightning, California Games, or Slime World. I don’t know if any of those would raise the level of quality in this package, but at the very least they would have added more content, which would be something.

At the very least the way these games are presented in this Compilation shows a fair amount of love and care that the games may not really deserve. The main menu represents each game via is original box art (minus the Lynx branding, probably because it’s still owned by Atari), with a box you can spin around to look at in 3D, which is a nice touch. Each game has a full manual you can peruse, as well as save states, a limited rewind feature, and optional display settings. Sadly, there doesn’t appear to be any way to change the button assignments, though.

If the games in this bundle were better, this would have even been a good deal – $12 for six games whose Lynx versions haven’t been made officially available on any platform since 1990 seems like a pretty good bargain… or it would, if any of those games were worth playing.

In the end, The Epyx Collection: Handheld is really only a good deal for collectors, who will likely be thrilled to see a half-dozen semi-obscure relics of the past presented in a fairly loving fashion in this bundle. However, for those of us who actually enjoy playing games, there’s nothing here worth bothering with.

tl;dr – The Epyx Collection: Handheld is a Compilation containing the Atari Lynx versions of Blue Lightning, California Games, Electrocop, Gates of Zendocon, Slime World, and Zarlor Mercenary. These games are semi-obscure, and the care that has been given to this Compilation may make it attractive to collectors. However, the games themselves are mediocre at best, with most of them being outright terrible. unless you’re looking for a stark example of why the original Game Boy absolutely demolished more technically-capable hardware, skip this bundle.

Grade: D+

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