EPISODE 19: Tournament Cyberball 2072

The Atari Lynx HandyCast

#PA2038, Published by Atari Corp.
In this episode I cover the first of two American-rules football games for the Atari Lynx, Tournament Cyberball 2072, released in 1991. Included are statistics for the game and a run-down on how to play it, along with reviews and ratings, some fun facts and trivia, and some listener feedback about the game. In the previous episode, Monty and I discussed the differences between soccer and American football (I’m still unclear about that). In today’s episode, we banter about the differences between robots and androids. Such fun!

“Exterminate! Exterminate!” -Daleks, 1963

Did Bender (with a Tom Servo torso) from FUTURAMA make a cameo in the Tournament Cyberball 2072 poster manual…eight years before FUTURAMA premiered?

The Tournament Cyberball 2072 four-player upright arcade cabinet was released by Atari Games in 1989.

TOURNAMENT CYBERBALL 2072 VITAL STATISTICS
Release Date: October of 1991.
Initial Retail Price: $38.99-$39.95 in the US and £27.49 in the UK.
Cartridge Information: 256kB mono curved lip-style cartridge.
Game Genre: Top-down-view 2-dimensional scrolling futuristic sports game for 1 player, or for up to 4 players (cooperatively or competitively) using the ComLynx cable.
Alternate Titles: Tournament Cyberball and Cyberball 2072. The splash screen displays the title as Tournament Cyberball 2072.
Screen Playfield Orientation: Landscape (horizontal).
Based On: The arcade cabinet Cyberball 2072, released by Atari Games in 1989. The arcade game was released either in two-player cabinets with one screen, or in four-player cabinets with two screens. The latter version was called Tournament Cyberball 2072.
Sequel to: The arcade cabinet Cyberball, created by John Salwitz and released by Atari Games in September of 1988, which was based on the American field sport of football.
Ports to Other Systems: Cyberball 2072 was also ported to the XBox 360 in 2007.
Game Levels: Six 5-minute periods.
Number of Players: 1-4 (with ComLynx support).
Packaging: A full-color standard flap-tab regular-size box (5 3/8″ by 4 3/8″ by 7/8″) with parallel verbiage on the back in both English and French. It was released in both English and French variants. The French variant was identical to the English box, but it also included the ‘DEFI LYNX’ brochures including the Atari Lynx shaped brochure and free DEFI LYNX pins (pin’s gratuit).
Instruction Manual: Tournament Cyberball 2072 was packaged with a full color poster, 22” high by 17” wide. The front of the poster includes an exact copy of the box cover art, with a yellow triangular banner added at the upper left with the words See reverse side for instructions in a large black font tilted upwards at a 45 degree angle. The back of the poster includes an illustrated comic book-style list of basic instructions with parallel verbiage in both English and French. The posters were folded several times in order to fit in the small Lynx boxes.

TOURNAMENT CYBERBALL 2072 CREDITS
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Licensee: Tengen, Inc.
Developer: Blue Sky Software

Be sure to check out our partner AtariGamer.com to stay “Lynxed In” to all of the latest news about our favorite handheld gaming console!

LYNX LYNKS
Kieren Hawken’s 2019 book “The A-Z of Atari Lynx Games Volume 1”.

Release announcement about Tournament Cyberball for the Lynx in the Atari Adventure insert of Issue #21 (April 1991) of Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine. The game was finally released six months later in October of 1991.

Information About Tournament Cyberball 2072:
Atari Age title info/rarity guide for Tournament Cyberball 2072
Atari Gamer title info/rarity guide for Tournament Cyberball 2072
Digital Press title info/rarity guide for Tournament Cyberball 2072
GameFAQs title info about Tournament Cyberball 2072
Moby Games title info about Tournament Cyberball 2072
PriceCharting.com value guide about Tournament Cyberball 2072
RarityGuide.com rarity/value guide about Tournament Cyberball 2072
Atari Adventure announcement about Tournament Cyberball 2072 in EGM #21 (April 1991)
Wikipedia article about Cyberball (arcade cabinet)

Reviews and Ratings for Tournament Cyberball 2072:
Review by Jeff at JVGS.net (undated)
Review by Paul at Family Friendly Gaming (undated)
Review by Robert A. Jung at Atari Archives (1991)
Review by Robert A. Jung at IGN (1999; updated in 2018)
Review by Matt Paprocki at Digital Press (2005)
Review by the Video Game Critic (2006)
Review by Jon Mc at Atari Gamer (2018)

The box cover art of the Atari Lynx port of Tournament Cyberball 2072 graced the front of the April 1991 issue (#21) of Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine.

YouTube Videos About Tournament Cyberball 2072:
Playthrough (World-of-Longplays)
Playthrough (GameplayMuseum)
Playthrough and Review (Brian Thomas Barnhart/Lynx Lounge)
Playthrough (Last True Boss) (ZoneLynx)

Retailers Selling Tournament Cyberball 2072:
B & C ComputerVisions: US$5.00 (box only), US$9.95 (cart/manual combo), US$11.95 (NIB w/damaged box), and for US$14.95 (NIB) through eBay under the user name MyAtari…check his online store on eBay for availability.
Best Electronics (last updated January 7, 2021; check website for availability): US$9.95 (loose cart), and US$14.95 (CIB).
The Gamesmen (Australia): AU$24.95 (CIB).
The Goat Store: US$8.94 (CIB).
Telegames (UK): £14.99 (including tax; NOS with box and manual).
Video 61 & Atari Sales: US$24.95 (NIB).

After-Market and Home Brew Lynx Titles Now Available:

As of the recording date, here are the after-market and home brew Atari Lynx titles available from Luchs Soft in Germany (prices include VAT but not shipping costs):
Alpine Games (€55,92)
Ejagfest Slideshow (€49,97)
Quadromania (€55,92)
Retro X-MASsacre (Pre-order; €44,02)
Space Battle (Single: €55,92)
Space Battle (Double: €74,96)
Unseen (€49,97)
Yastuna-The Alchemy of Cubes (€49,97)
Click here if you’re interested in ordering from Luchs Soft.

As of the recording date, here are the after-market and home brew Atari Lynx titles available from Songbird Productions in the US (prices do not include tax or shipping costs):
Alpine Games ($59.95)
Alpine Games (bonus cart only; $49.95)
Biniax 2 ($49.95/$79.95)
Bubble Trouble ($69.95)
A Bug’s Trip Redux ($49.95)
Centipede ($49.95)
CGE 5th Redux ($39.95)
Championship Rally ($59.95/$89.95)
Crystal Mines II: Buried Treasure ($59.95)
Crystal Mines II: Buried Treasure (black PCB; $59.95)
CyberVirus ($59.95)
CyberVirus: Lost Missions ($49.95)
Fat Bobby ($69.95)
Hyperdrome ($69.95)
Krazy Ace Miniature Golf ($69.95)
Lexis ($59.95)
Loopz ($59.95/$89.95)
MegaPak 1 ($59.95)
Othello ($49.95/$79.95)
Ponx ($49.95)
Ponx (black PCB: $59.99) [Out of Stock]
Quadromania Redux ($49.95)
Raiden ($69.95)
Remnant: Planar Wars ($59.95)
SFX ($49.95)
SFX (Black PCB: $59.99) [Out of Stock]
SIMIS ($59.95/$89.95)
Sky Raider (Pre-order; $59.95)
T-Tris ($49.95/$79.95)
unnamed ($59.95)
Wyvern Tales (Pre-order; $69.95)
Xump: The Final Run ($49.95)
Click here if you’re interested in ordering from Songbird Productions.

As of the recording date, here are the after-market and home brew Atari Lynx titles available from Telegames in the UK (all prices include VAT):
Alpine Games (£55.00)
Bubble Trouble (£49.98)
Championship Rally (£49.99)
Crystal Mines II: Buried Treasure (Limited Edition; £49.99)
CyberVirus (Limited Production; £49.99)
Fat Bobby (£49.99)
Hyperdrome (£52.98)
Krazy Ace Miniature Golf (£49.99)
Lexis (Limited Edition; £49.99)
Lynx Reloaded (Pre-order; with Othello and MultoPong; £44.99)
Ponx (£39.98)
Raiden (£52.98)
Remnant: Planar Wars (£49.98)
SFX (Limited Cartridge; £39.86)
SIMIS 5 w/Space Invaders (Limited Production; £49.98)
Sokomania (£52.98)
T-Tris (£49.98)
Click here if you’re interested in ordering from Telegames.

YASTUNA GAMES

As of the recording date, here are the after-market and home brew Atari Lynx titles available from Yastuna Games in France (no VAT is required):
The Alchemy of Cubes (Pre-order; cart only; €15,00)
Asteroids Chasers (Pre-order; €40,00)
Asteroids Chasers Deluxe (Pre-order; €65,00)
A Bug’s Trip Redux (Songbird; €45,00)
Raid On TriCity – Second Wave (Pre-order; €40,00)
The Space Incident (Pre-order; cart only; €15,00)
Grand Opening Special Order #1 (Pre-order; with Asteroids Chasers, Raid on TriCity – Second Wave, The Alchemy of Cubes, and The Space Incident; €100,00)
Grand Opening Special Order #2 (with Asteroids Chasers Deluxe, Raid on TriCity – Second Wave, The Alchemy of Cubes, and The Space Incident; €125,00)
Click here if you’re interested in ordering from Yastuna Games.

Resources for Atari Lynx Console/Game-Related Collecting Materials/Tools:
Resource: Game Boy Color cases for Atari Lynx cartridges from Amazon
Resource: 2 1/2″ coin storage sheets from Amazon.
Resource: Atari Lynx regular-size game box sleeves from BuzzandBingosMoonCircus (eBay).
Resource: Atari Lynx custom game box sleeves from RetroProtection.
Resource: Building a custom Atari Lynx game box shelving unit from AtariGamer.
Resource: Atari Lynx II display stand in a choice of 2 colors from RoseColoredGaming on Etsy.
Resource: Atari Lynx I and II display stands (along with cartridge stands) from TelltaleShop on Etsy.
Resource: BennVenn’s drop-in LCD replacement kit (Pre-Order; solderless-type; includes screen plus AtariGamer.com’s 3D-printed screen bracket frame for the Atari Lynx I).
Resource: BennVenn’s drop-in LCD replacement kit (Pre-Order; solderless-type; includes screen plus AtariGamer.com’s 3D-printed screen bracket frame for the Atari Lynx II).
Resource: BennVenn’s ElCheapoSD storage cartridge for the Atari Lynx.
Resource: RetroHQ’s GameDrive SD storage cartridge for the Atari Lynx.
Resource: AtariGamer Online Shop (upgrades, mods, and kits for the Atari Lynx) ***NEW***

“Thank You’s” and Other Lynks:
Antic: The Atari 8-Bit Podcast (Thanks to Brad Arnold, Randy Kindig, and Kevin Zavitz for the shoutout about The HandyCast in Episode 50!)
AtariGamer.com (Thanks to Igor for incorporating The HandyCast into his excellent website!)
The Atari 2600 Game By Game Podcast (Thanks to The Podfather himself, Ferg, for encouraging his listeners to check out The HandyCast in both Episode 151 and Episode 154!)
The Atari Jaguar Game By Game Podcast (Thanks to Shinto for encouraging his listeners to check out The HandyCast in Episodes 22 and 26!)
Curtis Herod (Cujo)‘s The Bl^ck Book v2 (Check HERE to see the now-expired Indiegogo campaign, where you can find out more about the book. And please consider purchasing Curtis Herod’s The Black Book v2 by emailing him at [e-mail].)
Gaming on Ten (Thanks to Nick and Don for encouraging his listeners to check out The HandyCast in Episode 09!)
Into the Vertical Blank Podcast (Thanks to hosts Jeff and Steve Fulton for “singing” about The HandyCast in Season 1, Episode 10!)
Please Stand By (Thanks to Zerbe and Ferg for helping to promote The HandyCast on several episodes of this fun-to-listen-to show, starting with Episode 60!)
The RCR Podcast (Thanks to the Retro Computing Roundtable: Paul Hagstrom, Quinn Dunki, Jack Nutting, and Carrington Vance, for highlighting The HandyCast in Episode 167!)
The Retro MacCast Podcast (Thanks to Retro MacCast hosts James Savage and John Leake for highlighting The HandyCast in Episode 475!)
Retro Video Gamer Forums (Thanks to Eugenio/TrekMD for helping to promote The HandyCast on his wonderful forums!)

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks go to everyone who contributed feedback about Tournament Cyberball 2072 (and other games) for this episode: Thomas Baugh, Kyle Daniels, Eugenio (TrekMD), Kieren Hawken (The Laird’s Lair YouTube Channel), Peter Inserra, Daniel Thomas MacInnes, John Pettit, Scott Rhoades, Shinto (The Atari Jaguar Game by Game Podcast), Matt Stephens, Bobby Tribble, and Ralph Tribl. I really appreciate all of your feedback!

Also, I would like to thank the Free Music Archive for the following musical artists and songs that were used in this episode under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License: “8-Bit Core” by Tagirijus (opening and closing theme music), along with “Apex,” “Bam,” “Disquiet,” “Hiatus,” “Hitting the Wall,” “Mount Fuji,” and “No-one Around,” all by Bio Unit.

Thanks also to Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (Cassandra Peterson) for the “Oooh, let’s party!” and “Leaving so soon?” digitized speech clips captured from the Atari Lynx game Pinball Jam that are used at the beginning and end of each episode of The HandyCast.

I would especially like to thank Shinto for submitting his memories of various Atari Lynx games he’s owned in the past to The Atari Lynx HandyCast…they are greatly appreciated. And you should all check out Shinto’s wonderful Atari Jaguar Game by Game Podcast; it’s definitely worth listening to, even if you’ve never owned a Jaguar. You can find it here.

Many, many thanks also go to Zerbinator for his continued support. His encouragement and expertise are very much appreciated by me. You can find all of his fun-to-listen-to podcasts here, including my favorite, Please Stand By.

Finally, my thanks to the Podfather himself, Ferg of The Atari 2600 Game by Game Podcast. His inspiration and dedication to covering every game cartridge ever made for the Atari 2600 (I think over 1000 of them!) is what gave me the courage to begin this podcast. Please, check out his don’t-miss podcast, even if you’re not an Atari 2600 collector; you should also visit his website here.

I hope you enjoy this episode of The Atari Lynx HandyCast. And please don’t forget to visit the official Atari Lynx HandyCast website by clicking here!

-Mark

Next Episode: “EPISODE 20: Ninja 外伝 Gaiden”

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