Crystal Mines II

If there's one title that Atari Lynx fans utter with love almost automatically, it's Crystal Mines II. This digging logic-action game from 1992 became one of the platform's darlings thanks to a huge portion of content and a loop that's hard to step out of.

The concept follows the famous lineage of games like Boulder Dash and Repton. You control a small mining robot that digs through intricate levels, collects scattered crystals, destroys obstacles and searches for a way to the exit. But this isn't just simple digging, it's a puzzle: you have to weigh where to burrow so falling boulders don't crush you, how to skirt or eliminate enemies, and how to gather enough crystals to open the passage onward.

The game's charm lies in the tension between action and thinking. One hasty move can trap or crush you, so every step wants to be considered, and yet the pace is brisk enough to keep you on your toes. New kinds of obstacles, enemies and mechanisms gradually pile up, so the game keeps changing and won't let you get complacent.

On the Lynx the title's enormous scope particularly stands out. Dozens of elaborate levels mean there's content here for long hours, which in terms of value-for-fun made Crystal Mines II an exceptionally generous purchase. For a portable console, where people played in short bursts, it was an ideal structure where you could tackle a few levels and continue whenever you liked.

This combination of addictive, thoughtful gameplay and a generous amount of content earned Crystal Mines II a reputation as one of the console's defining games. It's neither a port of a famous arcade game nor a licensed blockbuster, and yet it managed to win a place in Lynx owners' hearts purely by the strength of its design, which is the best possible compliment for any game title.

Why play: For an addictive combination of digging logic and action with a huge helping of levels, one of the true darlings of the entire Lynx platform.