Underrated Jaguar Games

[BigKid Icarus]

I'm new here but not necessarily to the Jaguar library. I was looking for a thread on underrated/underappreciated Jaguar games and didn't find anything, so I'm sorry if I missed something. I feel like some Jag games don't get the love they deserve and I'm curious to get some other takes on this (either OG or homebrew titles).

 

Here's my list:

 

Brutal Sports Football -- I think this and NBA Jam are THE BEST 2 player games on the console and pretty much anytime I dust off my Jaguar I always gravitate towards this game. There's just something about watching old muscle heads with gray hair stabbing lizard men with knives and kicking their heads around the field. I love how Overtime is essentially a literal interpretation of "Sudden Death." I always felt the controls were excellent and I know that while it was originally released on the Amiga, they planned on ports for the SNES and Genesis. I'm sad we never got them, but the great pixel art combined with a cool single player tournament mode and pretty solid play mechanics has kept me coming back to my Jaguar for years.

 

Doom -- I know Doom on the Jaguar gets some love, but I think it deserves more recognition due to it being the only port of the game coded by ID Software and became the anchor which nearly every other port of the game, including the excellent PSX version, were derived from. You could either spend all your parent's cash on a crazy expensive PC, play a handful of crappy console ports, or play the Jaguar version which still holds up today.

 

Iron Soldier -- I hate mech games, but I adore Iron Soldier (never played the sequel). The first time I played this game and looked down at a tank shooting me from the ground, I was blown away that I could actually see my giant mech feet stomping the crap out of everything in the environment, including the poor tank! I still think the destruction on larger buildings looks pretty good, and this is still the only time I've ever felt like I was controlling this lumbering mechanical monster with a machine gun (and eventually a friggin' chainsaw).

 

Rayman -- The original is still my favorite version of the game, and I know it's insanely hard and not perfectly balanced the closer to the end you get, but I still think this Jaguar game is one of the best on the console and pretty much any other retro console for that matter. Debatably the best looking game on the Jaguar, Ubi Soft really showed off how well the system could push a bunch of colorful sprites around the screen. The controls are pretty much perfect and the core gameplay is really fun, it's just the level design ranges from excellent to "huh?" after the first couple of stages.

 

Power Drive Rally -- Another great looking Jaguar game, my only complaint with PDR is that the controls feel a bit stiff. Once you learn how the cars handle though, this is probably my favorite overhead racer in existence. There were some great ones for the Neo Geo, but I felt that you need ludicrous reaction time in those to survive, and I think that PDR found the perfect balance of warning signals and track design. This is another must have for me, even though I know it doesn't push the Jaguar very much, it just has a certain charm to it that you don't get in a lot of games today.

[PeterG]

Out of the five you mention Doom, IS and Rayman are considered to be top Jaguar games. Can`t really see how they are underrated. Only recently someone posted a video on Doom for example where it was made perfectly clear that the Jaguar code was the basis for many other ports. I mean you could still say that you think these games should be praised higher but aside from AvP and Tempest 2K there aren`t many games that are held in much higher regard on this platform. :-)

Edited October 7, 2017 by PeterG

[Machine]

Power Drive Rally is the game that came to mind when I read the title....

[+save2600]

Rayman is a bit overrated IMO. Sure, it's pretty and all that, but as a game - it gets old quick. Especially by the time you reach the note levels with the pipes. Difficulty by then ruins the game for me.

 

To me, truly underrated gems in the Jags library include I-War and Atari Karts. I'll take Atari Karts over SNES Mario Kart any day and I-War has such a great atmospheric quality to it. Puzzles are challenging enough to solve, great graphics, etc.

 

Power Drive Rally is a game I want to like more... have tried to get into it, but can't. Wish it had more of a zoomed out camera and better sense of speed or feel of racing to it I guess.

[+SabertoothRetro]

Along the same lines as @PeterG, aside from Brutal Sports Football your list includes some of the most highly regarded games in the Jaguar library. Power Drive Rally is arguably a hidden gem but Doom, Rayman and IS are generally well regarded.

 

I agree with @Save2600 that i-War rarely gets the notice it deserves. I also think that Attack of the Mutant Penguins, Breakout 2000, Missile Command 3D and FlipOut! are often overlooked.

[+madman]

Tempest 2000 and Alien vs Predator would be my two.

[JagChris]

WHITE MEN CAN'T JUMP

 

Though the animation can get a little floaty IMO it plays rather like a pseudo 3D NBA JAM with unstoppable fatality-like monster jams. A blast two player.

[+SabertoothRetro]

@JagChris - WMCJ is a lot of fun on multiplayer. It is nowhere near the bottom of the Jaguar library in terms of design and fun factor.

[+davidcalgary29]

Soccer Kid. It's very playable notwithstanding a few graphic glitches, and for me it gets the most playtime of all the Songbird titles.

[Swansea_Mariner]

Cybermorph, still play it more than any other jag game,never understood why it gets so much stick.

[BigKid Icarus]

Out of the five you mention Doom, IS and Rayman are considered to be top Jaguar games. Can`t really see how they are underrated. Only recently someone posted a video on Doom for example where it was made perfectly clear that the Jaguar code was the basis for many other ports. I mean you could still say that you think these games should be praised higher but aside from AvP and Tempest 2K there aren`t many games that are held in much higher regard on this platform. :-)

 

 

Along the same lines as @PeterG, aside from Brutal Sports Football your list includes some of the most highly regarded games in the Jaguar library. Power Drive Rally is arguably a hidden gem but Doom, Rayman and IS are generally well regarded.

 

I agree with @Save2600 that i-War rarely gets the notice it deserves. I also think that Attack of the Mutant Penguins, Breakout 2000, Missile Command 3D and FlipOut! are often overlooked.

 

I understand that Doom is already very highly regarded as a Jaguar title by Jaguar enthusiasts, I just think it deserves more credit beyond just being a great port of a great game. Sounds like it's getting the credit it deserves though if people are posting videos talking about the Jag version specifically, so that's cool!

 

Can you give me some insight into what it is that you guys like about i-War? I don't dislike the game or anything, but I'm definitely curious to hear a fan's take on it.

 

I love AotMP, and maybe just based on weirdness alone it could translate well to being a top title on a more popular console. Missile Command 3D is a good call as well, and wasn't that the only title that worked with the VR headset?

[BigKid Icarus]

Rayman is a bit overrated IMO. Sure, it's pretty and all that, but as a game - it gets old quick. Especially by the time you reach the note levels with the pipes. Difficulty by then ruins the game for me.

 

To me, truly underrated gems in the Jags library include I-War and Atari Karts. I'll take Atari Karts over SNES Mario Kart any day and I-War has such a great atmospheric quality to it. Puzzles are challenging enough to solve, great graphics, etc.

 

Power Drive Rally is a game I want to like more... have tried to get into it, but can't. Wish it had more of a zoomed out camera and better sense of speed or feel of racing to it I guess.

 

I agree that Atari Karts is great. The smooth framerate and actual scaling sprites definitely make it look technically superior to Mario Kart. Do you think AK also plays better than MK?

 

Thanks for your take on i-War, that sounds like a game I have to give another shot now.

[BigKid Icarus]

WHITE MEN CAN'T JUMP

 

Though the animation can get a little floaty IMO it plays rather like a pseudo 3D NBA JAM with unstoppable fatality-like monster jams. A blast two player.

 

A much younger version of me owned this game and I have to say I think you're right. It got a bad rep but it was super fun and I thought honestly the dialogue was pretty funny. "Get off me chump!" has been permanently engrained in my memory banks at this point.

 

Super fun multiplayer as well.

[Atlantis]

Jaguar is underrated, thats why we all gather here.......yes, people are catching up in general, and in 60 years you'll need to trade a ferrari for a jaguar with only cybermorph

[+SabertoothRetro]

@BigKid Icarus - Regarding I-War, I just like the look and feel of the game. It captures that 90s "virtual" aesthetic very well and feels reminiscent of Tron. There are some simple puzzles and bonus levels that help break-up the Cybermorph-style missions and keep things fresh. The in-game music is also generally good. Every once in awhile there is some real slowdown but its not too frequent. IMHO I-War falls behind Battlemorph and the Iron Soldier games but compares favorably against Cybermorph, Hoverstrike UL and AirCars in the Jaguar's crowded field of polygon tank games. It's well worth a look if you like those titles.

Edited October 8, 2017 by atariLBC

[+Stephen]

I just wish the cheat for turning off textures worked. Would have been cool to see & play the game with a flat shaded look, and high framerate.

[+SabertoothRetro]

@Save2600 - I really like Atari Karts and think that it's gorgeous and a lot of fun. That said, I feel that the short tracks, flat hazards and power-ups make it less fun than MK. Also, aside from Bentley Bear and the tournament titles, there isn't anything "Atari" about it. Part of the charm of MK is the character selection. In that regard, Atari Karts was a bit of a missed opportunity.

[+save2600]

Yeah, definitely agree that Atari Karts was a bit of a missed opportunity in some regards. Wish the hazards weren't so flat, but like the full screen aspect in single player mode. Split-screen of MK always bugged me. AK is just another Jaguar game that has good atmosphere going for it... graphics, choice of colors and the music especially, even though it's a little "dark".

[ace2184]

This may be blasphemous, but I don't think "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story" is too shabby.

[minux]

T2K and AvP are the most own games. Raiden is a solid game, especially for its release date, that does not get a lot of attention or play.

[UHATEIT]

Good call on I-War getting brought up as a great game that does not get a lot of attention. I really enjoy that one a lot!

 

The one that I personally think needs to be brought up as one of the best on the system, and I am sure others will agree, is Skyhammer! That game has some excellent graphics and is super fun to play. Awesome to see the things that the jaguar could do. While the repetitive missions can get annoying at times, flying around the citied to see what they look like is enough fun in itself!

[+LS650]

One game I really enjoy is Breakout 2000. I find it has a kind of mellow 'in the zone' feel; I can plop down on the sofa and play it for an hour or more without effort.

[+davidcalgary29]

Let's not forget Painter, which is an excellent arcade game with great music that's often overlooked. My favourite Jag homebrew.

[BigKid Icarus]

Good call on I-War getting brought up as a great game that does not get a lot of attention. I really enjoy that one a lot!

 

The one that I personally think needs to be brought up as one of the best on the system, and I am sure others will agree, is Skyhammer! That game has some excellent graphics and is super fun to play. Awesome to see the things that the jaguar could do. While the repetitive missions can get annoying at times, flying around the citied to see what they look like is enough fun in itself!

It's cool seeing all the I-War love. Definitely seems like an underappreciated game based on the response.

 

It's funny you mention Skyhammer. I just saw the new Blade Runner last night and during most scenes where they were flying around the city it actually made me want to go home and play that game.

 

Didn't Skyhammer use the AvP engine? I think you're right about that one being underrated too.

[UHATEIT]

It's cool seeing all the I-War love. Definitely seems like an underappreciated game based on the response.

 

It's funny you mention Skyhammer. I just saw the new Blade Runner last night and during most scenes where they were flying around the city it actually made me want to go home and play that game.

 

Didn't Skyhammer use the AvP engine? I think you're right about that one being underrated too.

I love Skyhammer, I am not sure it is necessarily underrated, maybe just not well known outside of the community I guess. Those who have played it typically rave about how good it is. It's probably the most visually appealing game to me on the system. As for using the AVP engine I am unsure, that technical stuff is beyond me!