Monetary constraints, aka what would be your priorities for these jag items

[sirlynxalot]

I have a pretty modest jag collection atm. I have the base system, two 3 button controllers, and about 6 games (super burnout, tempest, raiden, among other lesser titles like club drive, val d'isere, etc)

I made a list of the various jaguar games and hardware I would like to buy one day and realized after researching prices, that I'm looking at purchasing almost $500 worth of Jag stuff if I were to buy it all immediately. Considering its cost me over $100 to get the setup I have now, the only way I can mentally justify putting this much money into jaguar items is to spread the cost over a really long period of time. This means, whatever I buy will have to last me for a good while before I can look into picking up more.

I know people like different things, but I would be curious what anyone's input would be as to which of these options they would take, to have the most fun jag experience over the next 6-8 months:

1. Buy Skyhammer and Rayman (these games look really stellar for the Jag and seem to have a lot of depth. I would be proud to own either or both as fun games and technical showcases for the system.). or
2. Buy several lower priced games (wolf 3d, flashback, missile command, AVP, pitfall, etc, all fun and affordable games but not as stupendous looking as Skyhammer). or
3. Buy a Jaguar CD and investigate CD homebrew/prototypes/etc (possibly the most expensive option, yet these also seem to be getting rarer and more expensive by the day)

Edited July 18, 2014 by sirlynxalot

[kevincal]

I have a pretty modest jag collection atm. I have the base system, two 3 button controllers, and about 6 games (super burnout, tempest, raiden, among other lesser titles like club drive, val d'isere, etc)

 

I made a list of the various jaguar games and hardware I would like to buy one day and realized after researching prices, that I'm looking at purchasing almost $500 worth of Jag stuff if I were to buy it all immediately. Considering its cost me over $100 to get the setup I have now, the only way I can mentally justify putting this much money into jaguar items is to spread the cost over a really long period of time. This means, whatever I buy will have to last me for a good while before I can look into picking up more.

 

I know people like different things, but I would be curious what anyone's input would be as to which of these options they would take, to have the most fun jag experience over the next 6-8 months:

 

1. Buy Skyhammer and Rayman (these games look really stellar for the Jag and seem to have a lot of depth. I would be proud to own either or both as fun games and technical showcases for the system.). or

2. Buy several lower priced games (wolf 3d, flashback, missile command, AVP, pitfall, etc, all fun and affordable games but not as stupendous looking as Skyhammer). or

3. Buy a Jaguar CD and investigate CD homebrew/prototypes/etc (possibly the most expensive option, yet these also seem to be getting rarer and more expensive by the day)

 

 

 

Definitely SKIP Skyhammer. Its not a very fun game and its very expensive. Skip Rayman as well, its WAY overpriced these days. Get the PS1 version for $5.

 

Definitely instead buy Wolf 3d, AvP, Cybermorph, Iron Soldier, Zool 2, Doom.

 

Jag CD is not worth it anymore. They are way too expensive and not many good games at all. And the system stops working sometimes, not the most reliable system.

 

If you do want to spend $60+ on a rare fun Jag game, get Hyperforce. The Protector games are also very good. Rayman is a ripoff anymore.

[+Gemintronic]

I'd consider making this a journey of discovery rather than destruction of your wallet. Make a point to find the salvation army/flea market/mom n pop video game stores and semi-regularly lurk for Jaguar games. Pick up the deals and play them. Rinse and repeat!

[Willard]

Skyhammer seems to be a big factor in your decision. If you REALLY want it that bad, I'd say just go for it. It's a decent game and half the fun of getting something imo is getting what you want

 

I think there are cheaper games that look as good (Missile Command 3D, Hover Strike, Battlemorph) if that's a big consideration. And the saves DO automatically erase themselves in Skyhammer pretty reliably. The game also has some serious frame rate issues. It had a lot of potential and if you can get past its unfinished qualities you can have fun with it. I think it's nice to have in the collection but could never quite get past the unfinished qualities to consider it that much fun myself.

Edited July 19, 2014 by Willard

[Paul Westphal]

Buy the carts you want loose, and get archival boxes if you need them off Epoop. Best has some good deals on jewel case cd's and loose carts, and the CD player is 149.00 + ship. I buy only the games I want to play. Zero5 is the most expensive game I have bought to date at $125.00 ( songbird didn't have any, had to go to Telegames UK ) Craigslist, goodwill auction and garage sales can yield some surprising results.

[Paul Westphal]

You can also get the cd laser transport from china, and a cap kit from console5, so when you do get a CD player, you will have some backup parts.

[sirlynxalot]

I'd consider making this a journey of discovery rather than destruction of your wallet. Make a point to find the salvation army/flea market/mom n pop video game stores and semi-regularly lurk for Jaguar games. Pick up the deals and play them. Rinse and repeat!

Very good point, I do actually trawl the local salvation army/flee/used game shops around my local metro area but after a full year of mucking around, have never found anything jag related beyond 1 copy of Cybermorph (which I bought and enjoy for what it is ). I'm pretty sure I could be waiting for a long time before finding a jag CD or something that had a later and limited release like Skyhammer, or really... any more jag games at all.

 

Which brings me to this:

Skyhammer seems to be a big factor in your decision. If you REALLY want it that bad, I'd say just go for it. It's a decent game and half the fun of getting something imo is getting what you want

As of late I've become pretty obsessed with the idea of Skyhammer. I think the graphics look fantastic, the music and sfx sound really cool, and the neo urban atmosphere is right up my alley. I know the game may not be 100% polished and I have heard of the erasing your saves issue, but I've enjoyed prototype releases on other systems before when I understand what I'm getting into. Skyhammer is definitely something I want, I just need to decide if I want it more than a Jag CD this year

Edited July 19, 2014 by sirlynxalot

[+madman]

This forum's Marketplace is a good place for picking up Jag games for relatively cheap prices. Sometimes you can find some decent lots on EBay, but it seems Jag stuff on there has been pricey lately. Here in Chicago Craigslist is pretty much a dead end for Jaguar stuff, even the local shops that specialize in all types of games including retro don't have much Jag. I've seen more import PCE and Mega CD titles at one store than Jag.

 

If you're set on Skyhammer, you should probably just pull the trigger and then you can keep your eyes open on good deals on cheaper games to pick up.

[TXG/MNX]

Get a jagcd these are getting more expensive these days the others can be bought always later.

[NeoGeoNinja]

1. Buy Skyhammer and Rayman (these games look really stellar for the Jag and seem to have a lot of depth. I would be proud to own either or both as fun games and technical showcases for the system.). or

2. Buy several lower priced games (wolf 3d, flashback, missile command, AVP, pitfall, etc, all fun and affordable games but not as stupendous looking as Skyhammer). or

3. Buy a Jaguar CD and investigate CD homebrew/prototypes/etc (possibly the most expensive option, yet these also seem to be getting rarer and more expensive by the day)

 

I think: 2... 1... 3...

 

But if you really are just that obsessed with the idea of SkyHammer, just do it dude. The games flawed, but cool, regardless.

 

I agree with the consensus on Rayman though. Great game, but superior versions (opinions vary) can be had for LESS on the 'other' systems (PS1 & SAT). I do realise that you probably want it for Jaguar though. The fact that there IS a Jaguar version DOES make it cooler than it's fellow 32-bit counterparts, I'll admit...

[SuperDork3000]

Definitely pick up Rayman, it's one of the best and most graphically impressive games on the system. It can be had cheap if you are patient, I got mine for $65 complete in decent shape this month.

[kevincal]

That's not cheap. The problem is the game can be had for so much cheaper on the PS1. $5 literally. Even though Rayman is great I would get many many other Jag games for less than $60 before Rayman.

[SuperDork3000]

That's not cheap. The problem is the game can be had for so much cheaper on the PS1. $5 literally. Even though Rayman is great I would get many many other Jag games for less than $60 before Rayman.

 

Why would I want to play a port of Rayman for the PS1?

 

I prefer the Jaguar version for 2 reasons...

1. I prefer to have the original version on platform it was originally created for.

2. Like I said before, Rayman is a graphical showpiece

[kevincal]

 

Why would I want to play a port of Rayman for the PS1?

 

I prefer the Jaguar version for 2 reasons...

1. I prefer to have the original version on platform it was originally created for.

2. Like I said before, Rayman is a graphical showpiece

 

I don't think that is quite right calling the PS1 version a port. True Rayman was originally conceived and development started on the Jag version first. But no way was the Jag version anywhere near finished before they started on the PS1 version....... Both Jag and PS1 versions released in the same week September 1995. There are quite a few differences between the version. Pros and cons of each. I have played Jag PS1 and Saturn versions extensively and really one version is not clearly better than the other. They are all great. Only problem, again, is the PS1 version is just amazingly cheap and Right Now the Jag version is way overpriced and someday will probably come back down to reality. Maybe once in awhile you can get lucky and get it for $60 these days, but seems its selling for a good deal more than that usually. I would rather get a cool Jag exclusive first. But it's definitely worth keeping an eye out for a good deal on Jag Rayman if you can get it for less than $60........ I mean cart only it should be selling for $40 or 50 at most. Should be............

[JagChris]

The Jaguar version of Rayman was finished a year before it was released. I remember following this. Why it was delayed for the Saturn/PSX version, the rumor is Sonys deep pockets held it back. But I do not know. I do know it was in development quite a bit before the others. I don't even think they were finalized as hardware platforms when Rayman was started on the Jaguar.

 

The Jaguar version I heard almost did not make it out. The creator had to fight UBI soft to have it released. I guess they were just going to go with the PSX/Saturn version.

[kevincal]

I seriously SERIOUSLY doubt the Jag version was complete a YEAR before the PS1 version....... Of course I have also heard the Jag release date was held back but I think nowhere near 1 year....... Maybe 1 month.........Here is what I think probably happened. They got the Jag version 25 to 50 percent complete, then started working on the PS1 and Saturn versions and worked on them all side by side. They probably did get the Jag version done first but not by much. I would love to hear from someone at ubisoft regarding this.

[Cobra Kai]

I seriously SERIOUSLY doubt the Jag version was complete a YEAR before the PS1 version....... Of course I have also heard the Jag release date was held back but I think nowhere near 1 year....... Maybe 1 month.........Here is what I think probably happened. They got the Jag version 25 to 50 percent complete, then started working on the PS1 and Saturn versions and worked on them all side by side. They probably did get the Jag version done first but not by much. I would love to hear from someone at ubisoft regarding this.

That would be a good story to read just how this went down. I remember reading about Rayman in EGM early on I think in the Quartermann gossip section, then they had some screens a little later. Was it the sales of the PSX console itself, or was it simply the manufacturing and assorted benefits of CDs that caused Ubisoft to basically halt the Jaguar version in favor of PSX?

 

I don't know at all the true progress of the Jaguar version, but it's hard to believe the game was complete and they just sat on it for a year. I always thought they stopped working on the Jaguar version and put all their resources into completing the CD versions which were guaranteed to sell great quantities of. There's definitely some great questions to be asked of an old Ubisoft exec.

Edited July 20, 2014 by Nuclear Pacman

[Austin]

Skyhammer looks stupendous, but it's not really (IMO anyway) that great of a game. It's also glitchy and buggy. Pass on it, especially since that same money can be spent buying better games. Like Rayman, plus a common game or two.

[NeoGeoNinja]

The Jaguar version of Rayman was finished a year before it was released. I remember following this. Why it was delayed for the Saturn/PSX version, the rumor is Sonys deep pockets held it back. But I do not know. I do know it was in development quite a bit before the others. I don't even think they were finalized as hardware platforms when Rayman was started on the Jaguar.

 

The Jaguar version I heard almost did not make it out. The creator had to fight UBI soft to have it released. I guess they were just going to go with the PSX/Saturn version.

 

Didn't Mike Fulton touch on this over on the 3DO forum? I *think* I remember you posing the same question to him and he categorically stated that the game would NOT have been held back, just to disadvantage the Jaguar release in anyway.

 

He inclined the only reason the version was held back was due to payment for work undertaken, or similar...

[82-T/A]

I have a pretty modest jag collection atm. I have the base system, two 3 button controllers, and about 6 games (super burnout, tempest, raiden, among other lesser titles like club drive, val d'isere, etc)

 

I made a list of the various jaguar games and hardware I would like to buy one day and realized after researching prices, that I'm looking at purchasing almost $500 worth of Jag stuff if I were to buy it all immediately. Considering its cost me over $100 to get the setup I have now, the only way I can mentally justify putting this much money into jaguar items is to spread the cost over a really long period of time. This means, whatever I buy will have to last me for a good while before I can look into picking up more.

 

I know people like different things, but I would be curious what anyone's input would be as to which of these options they would take, to have the most fun jag experience over the next 6-8 months:

 

1. Buy Skyhammer and Rayman (these games look really stellar for the Jag and seem to have a lot of depth. I would be proud to own either or both as fun games and technical showcases for the system.). or

2. Buy several lower priced games (wolf 3d, flashback, missile command, AVP, pitfall, etc, all fun and affordable games but not as stupendous looking as Skyhammer). or

3. Buy a Jaguar CD and investigate CD homebrew/prototypes/etc (possibly the most expensive option, yet these also seem to be getting rarer and more expensive by the day)

 

 

Well... couple of things:

 

1 - Skyhammer is totally awesome... I have to disagree with anyone on here that says it isn't.

2 - Jaguar games ARE expensive... but if you're not collecting to have a "collection" so to speak, and just want to play some games... I recommend going for some of the mid-level games. Rayman is available on everything you can imagine, PC, Playstation, etc. But where the Jaguar shines are in some of the unique games that aren't available on other systems, or where the game was specifically enhanced for that one system. Wolfenstein 3D is one example of that... definitely far better than on the PC. I've played the game since it first came out in the early 90s on Shareware, downloaded from BBSes... and it is by far, the best on the Jaguar... lots of games on the Jaguar are like that. So I would focus on that... and then ONLY buy the games you really like. Another example of games that are expensive, but totally worth it, would be like Impulse-X. There's still a few copies for sale on cartridge, and when you get bored of it... you can probably turn around and sell it on eBay for twice what you paid.

[kevincal]

Maybe I didn't give Skyhammer enough chance but I played it many times and could not progress very far. Seemed too difficult and rather bland. Honestly, to me it has the same flaws as AvP (too difficult and repetitive) but its missing the cool factor of AvP (same developers Rebellion for those who don't know). Skyhammer is just really dark and meh. to be fair, it is unfinished. right? Maybe I just didn't try hard enough to kick the games butt. I do have a problem sticking with difficult games. Was raised on easy Mario games.

[82-T/A]

Maybe I didn't give Skyhammer enough chance but I played it many times and could not progress very far. Seemed too difficult and rather bland. Honestly, to me it has the same flaws as AvP (too difficult and repetitive) but its missing the cool factor of AvP (same developers Rebellion for those who don't know). Skyhammer is just really dark and meh. to be fair, it is unfinished. right? Maybe I just didn't try hard enough to kick the games butt. I do have a problem sticking with difficult games. Was raised on easy Mario games.

 

It feels a lot to me like Hover Strike, honestly... and unless you like that game, you're probably unlikely to enjoy Hover Strike. That said, I'm not always into Hover Strike... but every once in a while, I get on a kick and I want to play it, and then (even though repetitive), I get really interested in it...

 

Anyway, I kind of equate the two of them somewhat similarly... except in one you fly.. heh.

 

EDIT: I "THINK" SkyHammer is finished, otherwise I'm not sure that Carl would have released it / sponsored the release of it. (I could be wrong though)

Edited July 20, 2014 by 82-T/A

[JagChris]

 

Didn't Mike Fulton touch on this over on the 3DO forum? I *think* I remember you posing the same question to him and he categorically stated that the game would NOT have been held back, just to disadvantage the Jaguar release in anyway.

 

He inclined the only reason the version was held back was due to payment for work undertaken, or similar...

 

I'll have to check again but he did not mention remembering about Rayman specifically. He just stated the official reasons why a game would be held back. 'official' reasons. *wink wink* Plus he was not with SCEA at the time.

 

I remember when Rayman was announced. I remember about when it started being worked on. It was a Jaguar exclusive for quite a bit. It was started well before the Saturn/PSX versions. If they had all started development at the same time they would of been more similar in their gameplay IMO. Whereas the Saturn/PSX versions seem to mirror each other more in the changes to the levels that were made. What seems to be a looking back on the Jaguar version in hindsight decision. Just my opinion. Just talking here.

 

Plus so many others remember the time gap in development between these versions.

[Rick Dangerous]

I'd go 2, 3, 1. That's just my take on it and that's how I've been collecting.

 

I really don't think Rayman is that fun for the money. Like someone said, buy it on PS1 for $5 bucks and if you fall in love with it then pick up a copy someday when you find a deal on Jag.

 

Edit: When the time comes, get a jag CD refurbed from Best Electronics for $149. Can't beat that. And then get Battlemorph right away. And Hoverstrike, and IS2.

Edited July 21, 2014 by travistouchdown

[JagChris]

Rayman for PSX/Saturn and Rayman for the Jag are in some ways two different games. I have friends who were introduced to Rayman via my Jaguar then bought it for their PSX and didn't like it. They described it as being harder and not as fun. This was at least two friends that I can remember.