Is an Atari Jaguar worth owning?

[Austin]

If you are patient and primarily stick to buying games from members of this forum, the core Atari-era library isn't too hard on the wallet, especially if you go cart-only. There are obviously some exceptions, like Atari Karts, Rayman and Defender 2000.

[Bill Loguidice]

So far I am digging the Jag. The controller feels surprisingly good in one's hand. So far I just have AvP; hope to add more titles of worth in the future.

 

Mike

 

The original controller is one of the more controversial aspects of the Jaguar (though I guess most of the system falls into that category). Some people, such as yourself, really like it. Others, such as myself, really hate it. On the other hand, I think the six button Pro Controller is excellent and the best Atari controller since the original Atari 2600 joystick and paddles.

[Rick Dangerous]

 

The original controller is one of the more controversial aspects of the Jaguar (though I guess most of the system falls into that category). Some people, such as yourself, really like it. Others, such as myself, really hate it. On the other hand, I think the six button Pro Controller is excellent and the best Atari controller since the original Atari 2600 joystick and paddles.

 

Yeah besides the extra buttons, it is thinner, lighter, and has less of a steep angle on the button surface area. They are big bucks though... like $100-$200. They certainly make strafing in AvP (and other games) a lot easier. Its a pity you can't re-map strafe away from the C button in Wolf3D or Doom..

[in the dark]

 

I purchased my Jaguar out of the clearance area at a KBs many years ago, as a result, a majority of my games are complete. I have enjoyed having my Jag. I also have the PS1 and Saturn version of Tempest and prefer the Jag version. It is just the cartridge feel of the game, or something there that is just different which makes me want to play the Jag one. Personal preference? Maybe. My top games.

Tempest 2000
Rayman
Defender 2000
Raiden
Zool 2
Iron Soldier

The following is a matter of your own personal gaming taste,
Pitfall
Super Burnout
Cybermorph
Val d'Isere Skiing and Snowboarding
Bubsy

I sort-of like all of these games, but I know that some of these games are not just anyone's "cup of tea." If you know what I mean. Tempest, Defender, Rayman, Zool 2, Raiden, Super Burnout, and Pitfall are my favorites on the Jag with Tempest being at the top of that list. The others that I listed here fall somewhere under that. I have more games than this but there are some of those I would just not recommend, like Checkered Flag for example, pure trash. Many of the games on the Jag has a 16-bit feel to them, IMO.

I am glad that I have the system and am happy that I purchased mine back then. I consider it a good addition to my collection of games. Today I don't think that I would seek it out given the amount of money I would need to fork out just to have my present library. Not sure, but I don't think I would. If I did, my game library would be very small for it and I would need to ponder if it would be worth it just for those games alone. (Sort-of a 32X kind-of-thing ) But then I am considering this after owning the system which would taint my viewpoint. There are other systems I deem more worthy of my time and money, for example the PC Engine.

[Austin]

prefer the Jag version. It is just the cartridge feel of the game, or something there that is just different which makes me want to play the Jag one. Personal preference?

 

You're not alone there, there are people out there (like myself) that feel the same way. The truth is, the Saturn version runs at a much higher framerate (60fps at all times if I recall correctly), but the visual effects used to fill up sections of the web are different and not nearly as satisfying to look at. Likewise, it uses the CD soundtrack from the Jaguar CD bundle OST, which doesn't have nearly as hard of a kick as the cartridge based soundtrack. The beats and sounds are so much more energetic in the cart version, it makes all the difference.

 

I try not to compare the Jag one to the PSX version though because it's not really Tempest 2000. It's similar, but the web designs are pretty different, the power-ups are gimped, and the new visual effects and sounds make it feel like a different beast all together. I like it a lot, but I sort of view them as two separate entities, whereas the Saturn and PC versions of Tempest 2000 are obvious conversions of the Jaguar game (albeit both with those flaws I mentioned in my first paragraph).

Edited January 10, 2015 by Austin