![Gates of Zendocon - Atari Lynx - 20 minutes of gameplay and secret developer stage [4K]](/images/yt/3r/gates-of-zendocon-atari-lynx-20-minutes-of-gameplay-and-2n-un.jpg)
Gates of Zendocon - Atari Lynx - 20 minutes of gameplay and secret developer stage [4K]
15Arcade shmups on the Lynx were few and far between for the system. Zendocon was a launch title from 1989 and ended up being the best title in the genre official released on the system. While at first glance it can appear to be very run of the mill, the depth to the game is surprising impressive as the game is packed full of branching paths with over 50 stages.
Short paths allow you to finish the game in under 18 stages, while the long way round can take over 40. Added to that you can't do every stage in a single playthrough. There even an infinite loop if you want to try your luck at a world record breaking score, using the hidden developer stage.
Hidden throughout the star map is a number of power ups and as your ship takes damage you lose access to your shield and main gun, until you repair it and land at a base. There is a huge selection of enemies and designs in the game and while some stages drag on and some enemies get repeated a lot. There is plenty to keep you coming back to see the whole universe of Zendocon. While the early stages take it nice and easy the game ramps up as you progress, the difficult even changes on some stages with the first gate being easy to access, but not the later ones, so if you want to take a short cut be prepared to fight for it. The soundtrack is pretty decent too.
Also known as : ゲート オブ ゼンドコン (Japan) The Gates of Zendocon (Name in-game, but not on box)
Release: 1989
Developer: EPYX
Publisher: Atari Corporation (Europe & North America) / Mumin Corporation ムーミン (Japan)
Format: Atari Lynx / アタリ・リンクス
Gates of Zendocon is not available on any other system and is unlikely to ever be re-released.
New intro and outros included in this video, let us know what you think. Template from Panzoid by Magnus DZN, edited by Riven, intro music is Chipper Doodle and outro music is Grasshopper by Quincas Moreira.
Chipper Doodle - Electronic Light by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100854
Artist: http://incompetech.com/Randomised Gaming blog: http://randomisedgaming.tumblr.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rdmdgaming
All footage in this video is captured from MAME 0.213 which seems to be the best emulator to match the original hardware on comparison. Upscaled to 4K to improve the video bit rate.
#GatesofZendocon #AtariLynx #EPYX