The Handheld Revolution · 1989–present
Atari Lynx
Sought After?
Yes, as the first handheld with a backlit color screen — a genuine technical "first" that collectors respect even though it lost commercially.
Downsides
Ate through six AA batteries in about 4-5 hours; large and heavy compared to the Game Boy.
Why It Faded
Nintendo's Game Boy had a nine-month head start, better battery life, and Tetris — Atari simply couldn't out-market Nintendo a second time.
Trivia
The Lynx was originally designed by a small team that included future Chief Scientist of Atari and includes some of the same engineers who would later found the company that made the Flash video format.