Willard

Just because he wants to get 'all the commercial games' doesn't mean he's not going to get some non-commercial games. Just means he doesn't want them all

Atari were still paid royalties for the sale of those games (as per the interview with the Zero 5 programmer), I would consider them official. Notice they also have the Atari logo on them, which would require Atari's authorization. As Telegames was considered a commercial/retail publisher at the time I doubt they'd just slap it on there without the proper permission. I like to segment them by commercial, prototype, and homebrew personally.

i've had a psu that did that, plus another one where the insides just detached from the casing so they just shake around in there. Personally I prefer the original power supply just so that someone won't fry my jaguar in the remote chance they want to hook it up while I'm gone and cant locate the right cable (Guess you could use labels, but that also kind of gives the impression that PSU's are interchangeable).

I was writing a little quickly but that's why I said the lack of the shoulder buttons (in addition to the 3 face buttons) should've been considered for a machine that was supposed to transition gaming from 2D to 3D. I don't think it needed 6 face buttons like the pro controller / Genesis 6-Button / Saturn / N64 (or even 6 buttons at all unless you include the pause button), but the two extra shoulder buttons (similar to the 3DO controller), would've been really nice. I believe the Genesis 6-button didn't come out until late '93 or early '94 and even the Marty came out in early '93 (several years after the SNES) and only had a two button controller. Same with the CDi (came out later, had fewer buttons). The bulk of SNES games didn't even assign useful funcitions to the shoulder buttons. Just saying although it would've been nice if Atari had designed it with a few more face buttons or shoulder buttons, it's not something I'd really critisize them for at the time.

while I don't really see the need for a 6 button controller (even the PSX only had 4 buttons), I think the lack of shoulder buttons was a major oversight due to their usefulness in 3D games. In the way of fighting games... the PC Engine, FM Towns Marty and Genesis were able to make due with 3 buttons or less... I wouldn't say it was a travesty but then again I don't really care much for 2D fighting games.

If you're just getting into the Jaguar now, probably. Almost everything is overpriced so it shouldn't be that big a deal if you're used to paying today's prices for Jaguar stuff. I'm not that sensitive about controllers so I never saw the pro-controller as a must own (got one in a lot at one point, when it broke I never bothered to replace it). I suppose it's one of those things that you really have to try to decide if it's worth it (bit of a dilemma). If you're spending a ton of money on a Jaguar collection (and actually play the games), then paying for the pro controller seems like a good decision IF it makes a big difference for you.

If you look at the 3DO or the 32X you'll see a lot of early next-gen efforts were met with mixed results and that a significant number of companies had a hard time picturing the next real evolution in gaming (instead, we got FMV, Doom clones, bad platformers .etc). If everyone had a clear picture of what was to come I'd say they were pretty silly to disregard it. The PC, which was the only other real competitor against the 3DO/32X/Jaguar from a technical standpoints and had a comprative larger consumer base, didn't really have dozens of these groundbreaking 3D games at the time either (Descent, Actua Soccer .etc were good but came a little late). I understand though, that much of the industry was hung up on systems with the highest install base (Genesis / SNES) and so weren't afforded the opportunity to attempt games as ambitious as were possible on the 3DO / 32X / Jaguar (although some great things were done with the FX chip). I agree that execution is key, but so is the vision to think a whole generation ahead, and the ambitious to make the effort. Honestly, I don't really care if I misread it in "a more positive light," giving someone the benefit of the doubt on a matter like this I won't lose any sleep at night But I still interpret it now the way i initially did unless he clears it up otherwise. If you interpreted it otherwise (which you evidently did), then your comments were made on the basis of that and I think they are easier to agree with from that perspective too.

I re-read it and consider maybe it could be open for interpretation... I read "similar to what was coming out" as not necessarily the same technically, but the same kind of games that demonstrated Atari had some forward thinking if they didn't botch them so badly (ie They don't have to look as amazing as ridge racer or Sega Rally to be good 3D racers, which were largely absent from home consoles until the PSX/SATURN). I seriously don't think he meant club drive could've competed with first gen psx games, but who knows I can see his point that it had a lot of good ideas that were a big step forward from the previous generation, with terrible execution, if that's the point he was making.

The PSX was released a full year after the Jaguar at a cost $150 more (in Japan) and a full 2 years later in north america at an affordable price. I don't think he meant "competed directly with the PS1." Just if they were executed better and released early in the systems life (when it mattered, before the Jag went head to head with newer tech), they would've been perceived as impressive as PSX games were seen 2 years later. Now those games weren't all launch titles, so the point is lost anyway. But I agree that those were some of the few Jaguar games that resembled what was to become popular (ie They weren't 16-bit ports, half baked movie license cash-ins, weird niche titles, Psuedo-3D, retro updates, or sub-par clones). I also think the Jaguar could've handled better versions of these games... maybe if they hadn't been rushed out the door by lowest-bidder single-programmer teams they might've been better (although I still think the FFL engine is pretty impressive). The Jaguar was going to rapidly show its age against the PSX and Saturn as soon as they came out anyway... it's too bad Atari squandered their lead as badly as they did.

Never a huge fan on the N64 controllers myself, though controllers don't tend to really bother me and I kind of forget about them when I'm playing the game (unless it's a CDTV Controller, in which case the crappy IR signal makes makes them next to worthless for playing games... or the CDi controller that was oversimplified to a fault). As for Jaguar games, I agree the percentage that are really bad isn't as high as some people let on. But though I agree only 25% or fewer really suck, when I started considering whether I'd rather spend time playing a specific Jaguar title or a title on another system, Jaguar games consistently got snubbed, and I narrowed the Jaguar library down to a dozen or so games I keep handy. However, collecting for the Jaguar and playing each of the games was a fun experience too! I can easily see people extending their list of good Jaguar games a ltitle further than I do, especially if they like a particular genre, have some sentiment for Atari or the Jaguar, or don't collect for dozens of different retro systems.

In the best reason to own a jaguar thread, he actually lists over 25% of the commercial cartridge library as good games. That's more generous than me, I could cut that list in half but that still doesn't mean I don't like the Jaguar It's too bad you can't do jump-kicks in the beta. Personally I prefer the speed of that version and even think the graphics were okay for an early 3D fighting game (at least good enough that it wouldn't impose any limitations on the game itself). If the gameplay was there, it could've been a really good game with more mass appeal than the released version.

I think that only further supports Gunstars point

I don't think there are a whole lot of Jaguar games that really pop out at a glance and get people interested in the system. Games like AVP, Rayman, and Tempest 2000 generally seem to have the most appeal. But most other games require spending a little time on to really develop an interest in them. Personally I'd recommend titles like Super Burnout, Battlemorph, Ruiner Pinball, Defender 2000, Missile Command 3D and Iron Soldier. My favorite is Zero 5 but the controls have such a steep learning curve. Generally, most Jaguar stuff still require you have a penchant for retro gaming to really care much about it. Personally I got into the Jaguar when the N64 and PSX were still on the market and the Jaguar was that strange 64-bit system of the same generation that never got mentioned. But there was also a lot of support from companies like Scatologic, Telegames, B&C, and Songbird that continued to release games of commercial quality or greater (note the bar can get pretty low on commercial games). Some like phase zero, skyhammer, BIWN, and Battlesphere even demonstrated technical potential that exceeded commercial games and showed what kinds of games the system was capable of if handled by talented teams. In terms of the games themselves, there are a decent number of arcade style games or unique games that are exclusive to the system. I collect games from the 2600 generation to the current generation and most systems seem to have a unique character with some good games of a style you can't quite find on any other system.

Don't forget to check sites like the old Info-Mac FTP servers (most are defunct but a few are still around if you look really hard), Machut, Tucows, MacGamesFiles, and AppleFritter. While macintoshgarden is a great site, it's also missing a significant amount of software that is readily available elsewhere.Macintoshgarden doesn't always have all the major versions of games either, as sometimes older versions will work on hardware that newer versions do not. When I get some time I've been thinking about trying to help fill in some blanks. Not sure about the monochrome compatibility issue. I know some games specifically state it. Personally I try to avoid the monochrome games and my Powermac G4 doesn't support 16-color mode (that I'm aware of) so those are out too .

That's really interesting, although I wonder what they mean by "we just could not get EA to buy in." From the sounds of it, it seems more like they tried to pitch the Jaguar to them as a potential platform to develop on, rather than trying to contract development. If they tried to finance the port, why did EA decline (I can think of a lot of reason, but would just be interesting to know for sure). Funny that they decided they "needed" a soccer game on the system, probably for the European market. It fits the bill for a soccer game but honestly there is no comparison between FIFA and Fever Pitcht from a technical perspective which is what was supposed to be THE selling point of the Jaguar (obviously they recognize that).

Personally I prefer websites for their obvious benefits, mostly the fact that the website is continuously expanding rather than fragmented over several volumes. They can also be updated, corrected, expanded .etc. If you're dead set on a magazine though, maybe some details might help people determine if it's something they'd read or not. What systems will it feature? The Jaguar perhaps

If you're a fan of graphic adventure games you notice a comment like that a bit more than if you aren’t. It’s just beating up on an already neglected type of game!

I was referring to your quote:

Some people (such as myself) would argue that the genre developed quite a bit after Myst FMV transitions, panoramic images to allow the player to look around them, animated scenery, branching FMV sequences, extensive use of animation while interacting with the environment .etc (then a transition of the genre into full 3D environments). Not that it added a substantial amount to the gameplay but it added a lot to the experience which is what the whole genre was about.

Well the good news is Zenki for the PC-FX is pretty much the same price its always been. Even Chip Chan Kick and Zeroigar are pretty close to what they'd sell for 5-7 years ago. For understandable reasons there isn't that much demand for the console, so it helps offset the scarcity of the items (any other system and popular titles with those print sizes would be selling for 5X the prices). That's not to say there aren't any good games for it though as I have all 3 of the titles mentioned and really like them. Wish there were more translation projects for the system.

I've started using an auction sniping program for that reason - the final few seconds can get crazy and it really sucks when you monitor something you really want for 7 days then reserve 15 minutes at inconvenient times to be at the computer when the auction ends. Then lose . Plus the programs are pretty precise so you don't have to worry about some turd being caught off guard by your bid then making a compulsive bid that's like 3x what he originally intended to pay and inflating the auction price. Many of the sniping programs are free... wish I would've learned of them sooner myself.

I prefer the Ruiner table but they both have their own distinct feel so I can see people preferring one over the other. I get the criticism over the physics to an extent (1) you can't play it with the illusion that it was mean to replicate pinball physics .etc, it's a video game and you have to accept that (2) The game is generally easy to get the hang of, but it seems you can only get to certain sections of the table if you launch the ball from one of few specific angles at specific speeds which can be really frustrating. Still, I'm not a huge fan of pinball and there are few pinball games I like so it's probably some of the creative liberties they took that make the game worth playing for me.

Tempest 2000 and Ruiner Pinball were the only 2 Jaguar games people really cared to play when I had my Jaguar setup in an apartment I rented with some friends. In other words the only two people would actually play when I wasn't encouraging everyone to check out a specific game I was playing Tempest is a weird one... although I like it now it took me a long time to really give it a fair chance.

I put a little time into learning CF when I used some footage for the game in a video. In regard to controlling the speed, thats what I did, you can kick it up to the final gear when the road is straight but it's way too twitchy to use when going around corners unless you can time to precision. one thing i found kind of weird when I was playing once, I stopped driving and all the other cars stopped completely too. There were some other wonky things I noticed about the AI too, but forget now. It is possible to get good at the game BUT I strongly believe it isn't worth it nor does it make the game that much better.

That was MegaData... who bought them off of High Voltage Software (apparently no affiliation with High Voltage the AA user )