Category: Party & Scene

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of Zombi , Enrique Martos "Kikems," under the AtariWave label, developed a new version of the Ubisoft classic for the Atari Lynx from scratch. The project, presented at the Silly Venture 2k26SE Lynx game competition held in Gdańsk between July 30 and August 2, 2026, won first place. ( forums.atariage.com )

The project is presented as ZombiLynx 40th Anniversary Tribute and is not a direct conversion of one of the original commercial versions. Kikems has taken the Atari ST version as a primary reference and approached the development as an improved reinterpretation, leveraging the Atari handheld's capabilities to introduce elements not present in that version.

Among the most notable differences is the management of enemies. In the Atari ST version, there was no more than one zombie in a room at a time, and their movement was much more limited. In ZombiLynx , however, it's possible to find several zombies, and they can move across different planes, allowing for more dynamic action that better suits the capabilities of the Lynx hardware.

The project also incorporates melee combat and graphics specifically designed for the machine. Initial tests conducted by users in the Atari Lynx community have highlighted the fluidity of movement and the functionality of the combat system. ( forums.atariage.com )

One of the most interesting aspects of the project is its technical development. Kikems programmed ZombiLynx from scratch using CC65, even though he had no prior experience with this Lynx development environment when he started. To familiarize himself with the console's architecture, he turned to previous projects in the scene. Among them, Shaken, Not Stirred was particularly important , as its source code allowed him to study fundamental aspects of Lynx's operation, such as screen management, controls, cartridge access, and the use of the machine's graphics hardware.

The development process involved working directly with the specific characteristics of the Lynx architecture and its available resources, something especially relevant in a game that handles a considerable amount of graphics and data. One of the main challenges wasn't so much the power of the CPU or the Suzy chip, but rather managing the data stored on the cartridge and transferring it to the console's memory.

To overcome these limitations, Kikems has used various tools developed by members of the Lynx community itself. Among them is sprpckThe 42-bit block is used to compress and organize sprites to reduce their memory consumption. It also uses zx02, from Nop90, for the compression of data stored on the cartridge.

These tools are essential for storing the necessary amount of information in memory. Accessing the cartridge doesn't allow for continuous data streaming at the required speed, and there's also a limit on the number of available inputs, making resource organization and compression a crucial part of development.

Optimization has made it possible to introduce into a machine from the late eighties an adventure with a considerably higher amount of graphics and interactive elements than would have been possible through a direct conversion.

Another significant detail about the project is that ZombiLynx was originally developed in Spanish. The English translation was done later, with little time to spare before the presentation at Silly Venture. The version presented at the competition still contains some minor translation errors that Kikems plans to correct during the game's further development. Therefore, the material presented at Silly Venture should be considered a working version and not the final version of the project. ( forums.atariage.com )

The community itself was able to confirm shortly afterward that development was continuing. ZeroPage Homebrew announced a special presentation for August 8th of a new WIP update for Zombi , identified as Zombi (2026 Exclusive WIP Update) and credited to AtariWave / Enrique Martos Kikems. ( forums.atariage.com )

The original Zombie was published by Ubisoft in 1986 and was one of the company's first releases. Heavily inspired by the Dawn of the Dead universe , the game placed the player in a survival scenario within a shopping mall, combining exploration, resource management, and encounters with the undead.

The title received versions for different computers of the time, including ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Amiga and PC. The Atari ST version has served as one of the main references for Kikems' work, although ZombieLynx It moves away from a strict conversion to take advantage of Lynx's specific capabilities.

The result is an adaptation that retains the essence of the original game but introduces changes in the representation of enemies, movement, and the combat system to achieve an experience more suited to Atari hardware.

Kikems presented ZombiLynx at the Silly Venture 2k26SE Atari Lynx Game competition, one of the main gatherings of the Atari scene, held this year in Gdańsk, Poland. The game took first place in the competition. ( demozoo.org )

The version presented is available as a party version and can be tested via emulation or on compatible hardware. The production also has a page on Demozoo and a project presentation video. ( demozoo.org )

At the time of this presentation, ZombiLynx remains a work in progress. The Silly Venture version is a work-in-progress version, and subsequent work includes, among other things, revising the English translation and developing various game elements.

· All images have been captured from the video offered on the channel of AmigaWave.