Let's talk about the Atari Jaguar!

[M.Buster2184]

I have a Jaguar, and while it's not my favorite system, I do think it has it's own quirkiness and I definitely don't think it's the worst system. CDi anyone? I think everyone is in agreement that Tempest 2000 is a badass game. My old roommate and I spent many nights trying to get the high score at that game. Also AVP is..interesting. The only thing that bugs me, is that the buttons are in order of C,B,A

[TheRetroVideoGameAddict]

Tempest 2000 is one of those games that makes me wish I had an arcade joystick for my Jaguar, same with Defender 2000 and Breakout 2000. Fun story: In 1997 I got the Telegames batch of Jaguar games that was limitedly released that included Breakout 2000, with Breakout being the only game in the batch me and my friend enjoyed we spent multiple days skipping school just to play the game while we tried to beat each others high score. Those are fun memories that I can't replicate with today's games or systems and something that really makes me bond with the Jaguar quite a bit, kinda cool.

[Gamevet]

I bought my Jag from Telegames for around $140; it included Troy Aimman Football and Tempest 2000. I'd later pick up about a dozen or so titles from Incredible Universe when they were clearing out stock. I really didn't care for the choppy AVP and thought that TA football wasn't even up to 16-bit standards. Themepark, Powerdrive Rally, Wolfenstein and Sindicate were cool, but the rest of the library left a lot to be desired.

I loved playing the Atari VCS back in the day, but Atari's followup consoles really didn't live up to expectations of what owning a console should be.

[o.pwuaioc]

My problem with the Jaguar is the best games on there — Tempest 2000, Doom, Rayman, Raiden — are easily found elsewhere, including superior versions on the PC. There's no real reason to own it.

[goldenband]

There's a part of me that does crave a Jaguar. I remember when the system came out, and feeling half-excited, half-cynical about the prospects of a new Atari system (let alone a "64-bit" one). But I've never owned one, or even played one AFAIK, though several games for the system have passed through my hands.

My 3DO and 32X scratch most of my itch for trashy mid-1990s gaming, and the PlayStation and Saturn have plenty of early titles that do the trick too -- so unless I come across a cheap yard sale find, I'm in no hurry.

Oddly enough, the Jaguar game that intrigues me the most is the CD release Highlander. Despite its terrible reputation, it just looks like the kind of game I'd enjoy mucking around in, and whose faults wouldn't bother me too much.

[TheRetroVideoGameAddict]

It's funny how people see the Jaguar and 3DO as mid 90's "trash", but yet those two systems have supplied me with more memories than anything that has come since. I guess it's truly a matter of different strokes for different folks, but still, I loved my Jag and still love the ol' cat. It's like with everything, you've got to search through the rubbish to find the true gems.

[A.C. Sativa]

I've never even been in the same room as a Jaguar, much less played one. And after seeing video of Jag games on YouTube and such I don't have much desire to change that fact.

[goldenband]

It's funny how people see the Jaguar and 3DO as mid 90's "trash", but yet those two systems have supplied me with more memories than anything that has come since. I guess it's truly a matter of different strokes for different folks, but still, I loved my Jag and still love the ol' cat. It's like with everything, you've got to search through the rubbish to find the true gems.

Hang on, there's a big difference between "trashy" and "trash". A perfect example is the 3DO game Immercenary, which is completely trashy in that mid-1990s way -- cheesy costumes, goofy FMVs, cyberpunk clichés everywhere -- but absolutely isn't "trash", since it's quite a nifty little game (flawed, but nifty). Trashy = cheesy, basically, with a dash of exploitation.

I think "trashy" games can be totally memorable and fun, but outright trash usually isn't too memorable (there are exceptions) and certainly isn't fun. I can't speak for the Jaguar, but I know the 3DO, 32X, etc. have plenty of games in both categories.

[o.pwuaioc]

It's funny how people see the Jaguar and 3DO as mid 90's "trash", but yet those two systems have supplied me with more memories than anything that has come since. I guess it's truly a matter of different strokes for different folks, but still, I loved my Jag and still love the ol' cat. It's like with everything, you've got to search through the rubbish to find the true gems.

Ultimately, this is how it's going to be for just about everything. I remember going back and reading some Usenet posts from the 80s where people would complain that Nintendo killed real gaming. 3D has its 2D detractors, etc. Same with music, movies, books, poetry, theater, etc.

[Gamevet]

It's funny how people see the Jaguar and 3DO as mid 90's "trash", but yet those two systems have supplied me with more memories than anything that has come since. I guess it's truly a matter of different strokes for different folks, but still, I loved my Jag and still love the ol' cat. It's like with everything, you've got to search through the rubbish to find the true gems.

The 3DO gets a lot of respect, for what it had to offer during its short tenure. The Jag, on the other hand, already looked like a dated product when it arrived. If the 3DO didn't require a whole paycheck to purchase one, the system might have sold very well.