Did everyone see the Jaguar feature in UK "games"

[justclaws]

Hello,

 

I thought... oh well I'll post it anyway... it's only brief, but nice,

if somebody else posted this already, sorry, I didn't see it before.

Games Magazine (UK), Issue#23. (http://www.totalgames.net/)

 

There is quite a nice feature, wrong on a couple of points (it says

that Jaguar isn't really 64-bit except adding 32-bit processors up)

and has some strange screenshots, some of games I don't know.

 

However, it does have a screenshot of Painter among them, that's

rather cool, also of Phase Zero, and I think Black Ice white noise.

Another might be the kiddy ride, from Mario Perdue, name I forget.

(At least 2 are from unreleased games though I think, and notably

the screenshot of Defender 2000 is with the Flossie cheat active!)

 

Among the six of the best feature, they review Protector SE in a

very complimentary way, but the feature has many short-comings.

 

I was pretty astonished to be honest that Games didn't manage to

mention any of the other post-Atari games, like Iron Soldier II, or

Worms, or of course, BattleSphere, but they didn't. I guess the

reviewer (apparently called Martin Mathers) is a Defender fan and

with Protector SE easily available, has played it to death, but with

other titles scarce, and BattleSphere unavailable, he missed them.

 

I'm sure the magazine has had a good deal deal of flak from fans

about missing out other great titles, not least BattleSphere, but I

don't get the magazine every month (it's expensive in Holland and

I don't get to an import newsagent regularly, I was lucky with #23)

so I can't really say whether issue#24 (if it's out already) fixed this.

 

Cheers,

JustClaws.

[justclaws]

Hello,

 

Among the six of the best feature, they review Protector SE in a very complimentary way, but the feature has many short-comings.

 

Games Magazine (UK), Issue#23. (http://www.totalgames.net/)

Page 146, right-hand, lower column, last page of Jaguar feature.

 

Six of the Best

Cynics would argue that just finding six goods games on the Jaguar would prove to be difficult, but here are some of our current favourites.

Tempest 2000

...

Alien Vs. Predator

...

BattleMorph

...

Missing Command 3D

...

Iron Soldier

...

Protector SE

Publisher: Songbird Productions

Year 2002

Forget about Atari's remake of Defender - this is the title you should be playing if you're a real adrenaline junkie. Proving that there's still plenty of life in the Jaguar even after it's early demise. Protector SE is a great Defender clone and one of the most enjoyable games on Atari's ill-fated console. It has incredibly tight controls, some gorgeous visuals and massive, meaty sound effects, making it a blaster's dream. Add some fantastic gameplay, plenty of great power-ups and a beautiful difficulty curve and you've got one hell of a game.

Small black and white photo followed...

 

For me, Games is now superior to Edge magazine, and I've been an

Edge reader for so many years I can't remember. (I need to subscribe

to both, I keep meaning to, but being in Holland I have distractions...)

Hmm.... that might not read right to my wife. I mean I'm busy at work,

and programming the Jaguar every chance I get, which isn't very often.

 

Gaming seems to have become a luxury, even *my* Jaguar is dusty!

 

Cheers,

JustClaws.

P.S. If anybody from Games dislikes me posting this review, I'm sorry, I can't remove it, there's no edit function on AA these days... and I think it's going to make more fans subscribe that lose copyright income.

[SteveW]

Now i'm going to have to track down the latest issue of games™ Magazine. I really like that one, with their great Retro section. They recently had a special on the Atari Lynx, which was really nice.

 

I'm going to have to run out to Barnes & Noble Bookstores now, to see if they have imported the latest issue, along with the latest issue of Retro Magazine.

[SteveW]

I just bought the issue of games™ a few hours ago, and I think I know what game screenshots you couldn't identify. On page 144, the bottom two rows have a couple unfamiliar looking screenshots. I recognise them from the Europa! section of Gamefan magazine. The cityscape one on the bottom row was supposedly a screenshot from The Chaos Agenda, which eventually became Black Ice White Noise. And on the second from the bottom row, second from the right, was a screenshot from Freelancer 2025. I remember looking at those pictures back in 1994, and practically drooling on the magazine.

 

There's a screenshot on page 145 that I don't recognise. On the far left in the third row, there's a Myst looking game that I don't recall ever seeing before. Any idea what it is?

[SteveW]

I also just realised that there's a picture from Ocean's cancelled game Apeshit in there, too. Page 144, third row from the top, far left. The screens from Freelancer, Apeshit, and Chaos Agenda were all in the same issue of Gamefan. And on the next page, third row from the top, second pic from the right, was supposedly a screenshot from Telegames's Ultimate Brain Games. I believe the picture might be from the same issue of Gamefan magazine, again.

[justclaws]

Hello,

 

I hope you're pleased you bought it!

 

I just bought the issue of games™ a few hours ago, and I think I know what game screenshots you couldn't identify.

Yes, fascinating, and the next issue always has a list of the screenshots from the previous issue!

 

The cityscape one on the bottom row was supposedly a screenshot from The Chaos Agenda, which eventually became Black Ice White Noise. And on the second from the bottom row, second from the right, was a screenshot from Freelancer 2025. I remember looking at those pictures back in 1994, and practically drooling on the magazine.

Indeed, like a movie on DVD, the pictures on the box can be most enticing! I would have also loved to have those games, but then again I've got the early beta's of Black Ice White Noise, and I think it's absolutely dreadful.

 

There's a screenshot on page 145 that I don't recognise. On the far left in the third row, there's a Myst looking game that I don't recall ever seeing before. Any idea what it is?

Yes, I just realised! It's Eerievale by StarCat Developments, a current home-brew project. How cool is that? http://www.eerievale.de/

 

Cheers,

Richard / JustClaws.

[justclaws]

Hello again,

I also just realised that there's a picture from Ocean's cancelled game Apeshit in there, too. Page 144, third row from the top, far left.

Another game which apparently was finished, but never published. Whether that's true, who knows, but the "X-Gen" magazine in the UK (an earlier publication by the publishers of "game" reviewed it and said it was ready for release I recall.

 

The screens from Freelancer, Apeshit, and Chaos Agenda were all in the same issue of Gamefan.

They were widely circulated I guess, it was UK magazines like X-Gen I used to rely on in Jaguar days.

 

And on the next page, third row from the top, second pic from the right, was supposedly a screenshot from Telegames's Ultimate Brain Games.

That's another project which has a strange history, along with Telegames Graham Gooch cricket. However, I wonder if we can really believe that UBG was really complete and awaiting publication? It is indeed strange that nothing even came of that. (I hope Songbird gets it.)

 

Also, another lost game is included. Page 144, 3rd column, 5th row, Robinson's Requiem. Now of course we hear from Jay Smith and our French friends that this game, and it's successor, were both finished. At least RR is apparently found, and could be published. What a mess Atari made, killing all these projects in the untimely ways, what a legacy.

 

I think it's a cool feature, including lost and homebrew games. A+

 

Cheers,

JustClaws.

[SteveW]

I had recognised the Robinson's Requiem screenshot, since I was very lucky to get the opportunity to play it at the Austin Game Expo last year. I just couldn't get all that far into it, though. I managed to get lost in a cave, and gave up. Playing a game that complex without an instruction manual is just too hard.

 

I'd really like to see Ishar III make it out of Simarils's collapse. I bought the Mac version years ago, and it seemed like an okay game, but not my cup of tea. But it would be good to have an RPG in the Jag's stable of games.

[Gunstar]

I had recognised the Robinson's Requiem screenshot, since I was very lucky to get the opportunity to play it at the Austin Game Expo last year. I just couldn't get all that far into it, though. I managed to get lost in a cave, and gave up. Playing a game that complex without an instruction manual is just too hard.

 

I'd really like to see Ishar III make it out of Simarils's collapse. I bought the Mac version years ago, and it seemed like an okay game, but not my cup of tea. But it would be good to have an RPG in the Jag's stable of games.

 

I hope both of these game see the light of day on the Jag soon, but until they do, I'll play RR on my 3DO and Ishar III on my Atari ST! By the way, it's a fairly simple thing to locate, on-line or off, a copy of 3DO, PC or Macintosh instructions for RR which would work fine for most parts of the Jaguar version, if your lucky enough to get your hands on a copy of the Jag version someday.

 

Anyway, I just picked up this issue of 'Games' magazine in of all places...TEXAS! (that's in the U.S.A ). I wasn't expecting to find it, but I had some time on my hands today, so I decided to go see the movie 'Team America' (VERY funny movie by the way, I LOVED it, but they did use the "F" would a bit too much) and browse a "super" bookstore here in New Braunfels Texas called 'Hastings' and low and behold, they actually import the magazine 'Games' from England, to my suprise, so I just had to buy it (even if it cost me $11)! Any rag that covers the Jaguar is top notch in my book, especially in this day and age, even if, as usual, they got a lot of things wrong about it, including the usual like still not being willing to believe that the Jag is a 64-bit machine. I found LOTS of errors, but over all, it was a nice spread and well worth the money. The Jag still doesn't get any respect; they axed the controller, they screwed up some of the specs and still claimed it was only a 32-bit machine, they still claim you can count it's good games on both your hands, all false, but what can you do. Hopefully it will draw a few more retro gamers over to the Jaguar camp anyway. It was cool of them to praise the games they did praise, and they did admit that it's a console that never saw it's full potential, both pluses for the magazine. Plus the two page spread of screen shots will at least make some people take notice at the Jag. Lots of errors though, like the MC3D screenshot is NOT the Jaguar version in the "six of the best" section, and they claimed that Iron soldier 1 came out in 97 from Telegames instead of 2, etc., but they do mention 2 at the bottom. I could go on with the obvious errors by someone who really doesn't know the Jaguar and really isn't a fan, but at least it's still making it's way into quality magazines after all these years. Good stuff overall.

[doctorclu]

Well, I will have to check out this games magazine. Last issue I picked up that talked about the Jag was GameFan magazine when they talked about Battlesphere and Hyperforce.

 

Honestly, when you consider the gaming power of current systems, the fact that the Jag is still mentioned at all is remarkable. I wonder honestly why that is? I mean the Jag is a awesome system and all, but even the SNES and Sega Genesis are unfindable at GameStops these days (I know since I was trying to collect and play the other Bubsy titles).

 

What would possess a magazine to feature the "ill fated" Jaguar in this day and age?

[justclaws]

Hello Doc,

 

Well, I will have to check out this games magazine.

The issue you want for the Jaguar feature is issue#23. It's not in every magazine.

 

Last issue I picked up that talked about the Jag was GameFan magazine when they talked about Battlesphere and Hyperforce.

Well the predecessor to "games" back when the Jaguar was for sale in the shops was X-Gen, but it folded, it didn't follow the popular line of praise Sony, and bash everything else which was so popular in 1995.

 

Honestly, when you consider the gaming power of current systems, the fact that the Jag is still mentioned at all is remarkable.  I wonder honestly why that is?

Well to be fair, "games" has featured every retro system, and so Jag just came round. I was beginning to wonder, because some previous ones were VERY obscure.

 

I mean the Jag is a awesome system and all, but even the SNES and Sega Genesis are unfindable at GameStops these days (I know since I was trying to collect and play the other Bubsy titles).

In the UK you will have no trouble finding these other systems if you find the right stores, in particular some UK chains sell a lot of retro stuff.

 

What would possess a magazine to feature the "ill fated" Jaguar in this day and age?

Sadly as I wrote above, they just ran out of other systems to feature first. The Jaguar's number came up. No#23. The Lynx was featured in issue #21, which is a copy to get from back-issues.

 

Regards,

JustClaws.

[justclaws]

Hello,

 

I hope both of these game see the light of day on the Jag soon, but until they do, I'll play RR on my 3DO and Ishar III on my Atari ST!

Any chance of a review of these items - in new threads? It may be a little off-topic, but would interest many other Jaguar fans too.

 

Anyway, I just picked up this issue of 'Games' magazine in of all places...TEXAS! (that's in the U.S.A  ). [...] and low and behold, they actually import the magazine 'Games' from England, to my suprise, so I just had to buy it (even if it cost me $11)!

I had to pay 10 Euros here in Netherlands for it, so $11 was a REAL bargain...

 

Any rag that covers the Jaguar is top notch in my book, especially in this day and age, even if, as usual, they got a lot of things wrong about it, including the usual like still not being willing to believe that the Jag is a 64-bit machine. I found LOTS of errors, but over all, it was a nice spread and well worth the money.

Yes, it's not perfect, but it's the best press the Jaguar has had in years, and I was very pleased. As I wrote though, I was bemused that BS/BSG didn't get a mention.

 

The Jag still doesn't get any respect; they axed the controller, they screwed up some of the specs and still claimed it was only a 32-bit machine, they still claim you can count it's good games on both your hands, all false, but what can you do.

I think the thing is that if anybody writes in a magazine that the Jaguar was great, and told the whole truth, they'd lose the respect in their journalism. It's established video-game lore (and therefore treated as fact) that the Jaguar was all of these things. To dispute them now is heresy, for which you can be ridiculed. The Jaguar history must be restored piece by piece over time.

 

It's the same thing which has been happening with regard to much real-life history. History evolves, and it can become more, not less accurate.

 

Cheers,

JustClaws.

[Gunstar]

Hello,

 

I hope both of these game see the light of day on the Jag soon, but until they do, I'll play RR on my 3DO and Ishar III on my Atari ST!

Any chance of a review of these items - in new threads? It may be a little off-topic, but would interest many other Jaguar fans too.

 

Cheers,

JustClaws.

 

Sorry, forgot to reply to this last week. At some point I'll do a review of both of them here, if people still think I should, becuase who knows if they'll ever get released on the Jag? (hopefully at LEAST RR will someday!) From what I heard Ishar III for the Jag was completed too, but there was ZERO improvement over the Amiga/ST version, basically a direct port. Anyway, it will be a bit yet as I've had little time to play either myself, I'm basically still at the beginning of both games. Since my recent move all my stuff is packed away (I've been staying with family). The good news is I've found a new home, and will be moving in this coming week. So I can start setting up my computers/consoles in a week or two. It'll still be a while before I have time to really get into these games stil though, so a review of them might squeek out just before the end of the year. They are BOTH very good RPG's in my humble opinion though (from the little I HAVE played), and it'd be wonderful to see them on the Jaguar, both should work excellent with the Jaguar's keypad I think too (the 3DO RR actually sucks to control since it takes multiple levels of menus by pointing and clicking with a slow cursor and the pad controller; extensive use of the Jag's keypad would definately help some).