Atari aren't quite as stupid as we think they are. That may sound completely ridiculous, but it's true. For a start, they patented practically every aspect of every video game they ever wrote back in the '70s (even scrolling, apparently, is an Atari copyright) and then kept extremely quiet about it until last )ear. That's when they dropped a writ on Sega and forced a cash-and-shares settlement worth close to US$100 million out of the Japanese giant.

Then there's the technical side. Atari's Jaguar is often dramatically touted as the first 64-bit console, but it's not the first time the company's produced a corking machine then ineptly sold it down the river. Their hand-held l.ynx machine massively outperforned and outfeatured all the competition al the time it was launched (it's still easily the most powerful hand-held you can buy) and even had some halfway-decent software available (at least in comparison with its main direct rival, Sega's Game Gear - name three great Game Gear games and I'll buy you one).

But Atari's legendary marketing incompetence consigned the Lynx to a dusty grave before it really got a chance to draw breath. Even an ill-fated attempt to give it one last shove on the back of the Jaguar's higher profile (I'm reluctant to say "success") sank without trace. Rejoice!

Yes, rejoice. Because Atari's hopelessness now means that you can pick up a Lynx at bargain-basement prices as retailers the world over offload warehouses of unsold stock. Two big mail-order outfits are already selling the most recent Batman Returns pack for under £30, with most of the available games going for less than a tenner. And this isn't just a museum piece - Batman Returns is total arse, but there are plenty of good games for the Lynx. Popular titles from other formats (Desert Strike, Super Off Road, Lemmings, Switchblade 2), excellent renditions of arcade classics (Qix, Roadblasters, Rampage, a perfect Robotron 2084, Ms Pacman, Joust; Hard Drivin' or a great conversion of superfast racer STUN Runner), or Lynx originals like Pinball Jam, Chip's Challenge, Slimeworld, Turbo Sub, Warbirds or the fab-sounding Dirty Larry- Renegade Cop.

I bought my Lynx and games at these same prices 18 months ago when the high-street stores decided to clear out of the market early, but I'm seriously considering getting another one just for my car. Then again, I've never been too clever with money. But don't let that stop you picking up a real gaming bargain. Buy a Lynx yesterday.