Hindsight - What could Atari Corp done to make the Jag a seller

etschuetz · April 1, 2010

Okay, this is NOT a Jag Bash session. I have one, and I found it to be a capable system that just didn't get the support it deserved. It has some great games, and a few crappy games. That is the name of the "game" in the gaming industry, however. What I want to see what everyone thinks is what could Atari have done, games wise, to push the Jaguar into homes and make it a stand out system.

Personally, I feel that the Jag was indeed capable of 3D games, but not on the level of the N64 or PSX/one. It was more comparable to SNES Super F/X games. However, if maybe a mix of 2D with 3D elements, could games have persuaded a bit more? I recall a discussion on here about how the GBA used a 3D effect with 2D graphics, I do not recall the title of the thread, or where to start on searching for it, but perhaps it would have been a feasible notion. I believe it was using parallax, or something of the nature? Anyway, perhaps a 3D vehicle on a parallax play field. The field would have been 2D, but with various visual effects, it could have generated a decent effect.

Another issue I think was that Atari really should have pushed the 2D gaming aspect. Yes, we all know that 3D was on the verge of booming. However, the Jaguar excelled there. Look at Ray Man! It was GORGEOUS! Bring in big name 2D fighters (which was on the verge, but the games, such as MK, got canceled before release) and perhaps a few top notch SNK/Takara ports. SNK survived pretty decently through the 90's with their great 2D arcade games. Would these games, scaled down for the Jaguar's memory limitations, excel? Perhaps. Imagine Metal Slug on the Jag. How about some good home ports (other than the Neo Geo's versions) of Fatal Fury and King of Fighters.

On the flip side of the 2D parallax environment with 3D objects in the foreground...flip that with a 3D environment with 2D objects populating the environment. The Playstation did that a lot in its early years to deliver some great games. I know that games like Doom and AvP pretty much do that already, but move away from the First Person Shooters, and go the route of a Road Rash/Need for Speed type game where the roads and landscape is 3D, but the tree's, cars, motorcycles are all crisp hi-res 2D.

I also wonder if Atari would have pushed to bring the Arcade Home, like back in the days of yore, would it have helped a bit. Bring home the 2D arcade games that the PSone and N64 didn't replicate very well. Of course, to correct myself as I go along, the PSone and N64 were still a year or three away, and the only real next-gen competitor was the overly priced 3DO at the time. And it had a slow 1 or 2x loading CD-ROM, compared to the faster loading, and expandable cartridge format.

So, what are your thoughts and ideas that would have worked? Try and be productive here. Like I said, this is not a Jag Bash session, its the good old fashioned "What If" game, and honestly they are fun.