Atari Jaguar

Super Burnout is a blazingly fast and incredibly smooth racing game that provides an amazing sensation of speed. Thankfully, the highly-responsive controls make the speed somewhat manageable. Many motorcycle racing games from the era tried to mimic the action-based elements of Road Rash, but Super Burnout is more in line with classic arcade games like Hang-On in the sense that the focus is placed squarely on racing. There are only eight tracks to race on and no real “career mode” to speak of, but there are still a lot of nuances to the game and it feels drastically different depending on which bike you choose. The training mode, time trials, and two-player options help extend the game’s replay value. The sprite-based visuals may seem a little out of place on a console that could push polygonal graphics, but it’s hard to complain about a game that runs as smoothly as Super Burnout does. The game reminds me of Sega’s “Super Scaler” arcade games from the 1980s, and I would have loved to see more Jaguar games developed in this style.

As its name suggests, Missile Command 3D is an updated version of Missile Command (which first hit the arcades way back in 1980.) Like the original, the objective in the 3D version of Missile Command is to defend various bases from barrages of ballistic missiles. There are several areas in which Missile Command 3D clearly improves over the original, however. The game uses fancy 3D polygonal graphics, the sound effects are more impressive, and the entire game is backed by energetic music. The playing fields themselves are also considerably larger than they were in the classic version, and players will actually have to use their radar in order to see where the missiles are coming from. Missile Command 3D features three unique stages to play through, several power-ups to obtain, and a handful of enemy bosses to defeat. It can be difficult to gauge the depth of the playing field at first, and it may take a while before you can accurately predict the trajectories of the missiles. Once you get the hang of it, Missile Command 3D is every bit as addictive as the original game was. Connoisseurs of classic arcade games will be happy to know that the game allows players to choose either “3D” or “Classic” gameplay modes.

DOOM was synonymous with first-person shooters in the mid ’90s to the point that other games in the genre were often referred to as “DOOM clones.” DOOM wasn’t the first of its kind, but it certainly popularized the FPS as we know it. Moreover, DOOM also helped usher in the era of 3D games. The basic play mechanics mostly revolve around finding keycards to access new areas and using various weapons to mow down monsters. Pistols, shotguns, rocket launchers, plasma rifles, and chainsaws are featured in the game, but no weapon is more powerful than the elusive BFG-9000. There are ten different types of demonic enemies to battle, and they will even fight with each other if things get too heated. DOOM was released on basically every console that could support it (and a few that couldn’t), but the Jaguar version stands as one of the best of its era. It’s vastly superior to the 3DO and Saturn versions. Obviously, the Jaguar version lacks the expansion packs, mods, and networking capabilities that made the PC version so legendary, but the look and feel of the game is spot-on. Sadly, all of the background music was removed in the Jaguar version! Despite this rather disappointing setback, DOOM is a true classic.

There must have been some sort of law in the ’90s that said every system had to have a version of Flashback. After its initial release on the Amiga in 1992, Flashback was ported to nearly a dozen other gaming platforms. The Jaguar needed the game more than most systems though, as its third-party lineup was pretty sparse. Flashback is a side-scrolling adventure game that puts a heavy emphasis on environmental puzzles. Although much of the gameplay is action-based, nearly every screen requires players to think ahead and use stealth whenever possible. Flashback was well-known for its use of rotoscope animation and stands as one of the most fluid games of its generation. The vibrant backgrounds and use of cinematics helped make the game even more immersive. Flashback was also famous for its atmospheric soundtrack, and some versions of the game were even advertised as a “CD-ROM game on a cartridge.” Flashback could be described as a spiritual successor to Out of This World, and comparisons to early Prince of Persia games can also be made. The game requires a certain amount of “trial and error” on the part of the player, but fans of cinematic platformers can’t go wrong with Flashback.

Alien vs. Predator is often cited as the only good game on the Jaguar. I don’t agree with this assessment, but I will concede that it’s the best Jaguar exclusive. Like most first-person shooters from the mid ’90s, most of the game takes place within confined corridors. This fits nicely with the horror-based nature of the source material, however, and prevents the game from coming across as an uninspired DOOM clone. Alien vs. Predator was extremely ambitious in certain regards and brought many interesting concepts to the table. The game allows the player to select either an Alien, a Predator, or a Marine, and each character has its own scenarios, weapons, and abilities. When playing as the Alien, players are tasked with rescuing the Alien Queen that is being held captive on a Predator spaceship. Aliens have the ability to trap humans in cocoons which can potentially re-spawn new Aliens when the player dies. As the Predator, the player’s objective is to hunt down the Queen Alien and claim her skull. Predators have cloaking abilities and can replenish their health as they go, but they are also bound by a code of honor. Killing enemies while cloaked will reduce a player’s honor and can prevent them from accessing new weapons. When playing as the Marine, the game follows a more traditional DOOM formula, and the gameplay is largely based around finding keycards to access new areas. The Marine’s scenario is not quite as creative as the other two are, but it’s fun to hunt down both Aliens and Predators at the same time. All in all, Alien vs. Predator is one of the most atmospheric games of its era and one of the best reasons to own a Jaguar.

In an era where colorful mascot-based platformers were king, the Jaguar simply didn’t have anything with the mass appeal that Mario or Sonic had. Given the popularity of the genre, it was downright surprising to see so few platformers on the console. Thankfully, Rayman helped fill the void. The gameplay in Rayman was pretty typical and mostly involved jumping from one platform to the next, fighting enemies, and collecting items. Rayman himself has unique abilities at his disposal, though. His telescopic rocket fists, grappling abilities, and helicopter hair helped define both the character and the game. What really helped Rayman stand out, however, was its incredible visual style. The animation is extremely smooth and the characters are loaded with personality. The environments are downright stunning, and the use of color is remarkable. Tens-of-thousands of colors were used in the game, and it stands as one of the most vibrant games from the era. The Jaguar version is missing a few features from its PlayStation and Saturn counterparts, but it’s still the best platformer on the console by a considerable margin. The Jaguar should have had more games like Rayman from the very beginning instead of focusing on experimental 3D games that nobody wanted to play.

Cannon Fodder has a lot in common with real-time strategy games like Command & Conquer, but it’s a lot easier to jump into and leans a little more heavily on the action elements of the genre. In each stage, players have a number of various war-based objectives to complete – which include killing enemy soldiers, destroying buildings, and rescuing hostages. Additionally, certain phases of the game require players to plan ahead and split their team into separate groups in order to defend multiple areas at once. Players have to be mindful of their limited ammunition and are strongly encouraged to take advantage of their surroundings in order to get a leg-up on their enemies. If players aren’t paying attention, they could easily find themselves too close to an explosion, fall into a pit of quicksand, or get ambushed by the enemy. Although some criticized Cannon Fodder for a perceived glorification of war, the game itself is a satire and clearly employs dark humor in an effort to show how pointless war often is.

Tempest 2000 follows the same basic gameplay that the original 1980 arcade game used. The objective of the game is for players to navigate their ship around various grid-based “webs” while shooting down oncoming enemies. Tempest 2000 accurately replicates the look and feel of the original game, but adds more color variations and special effects. The upbeat techno soundtrack is the perfect fit for the fast-paced gameplay and meshes well with the trippy visuals. Remarkably, the game features a total of 100 webs to play through. Fortunately, players can find a number of bonus items to help them progress. Particle lasers destroy enemy ships faster, warp tokens will open up bonus stages, and A.I. droids will assist you by shooting down enemies. There are also weapons that will increase your point total, warp you to the next stage, or allow you to jump out of the webs to avoid enemies. Tempest 2000 is one of the most addictive games on the Jaguar. If nothing else, it should provide a healthy dose of nostalgia to fans of classic arcade games. (It even includes an enhanced version of the original game!) Atari didn’t have as many high-profile franchises as Nintendo or Sega, but they certainly could have made better use of the franchises that they did have. The Jaguar could have used more games like Tempest 2000.

Atari marketed the Jaguar as a powerful 64-bit system, so it’s somewhat surprising that many of its best games were simplistic 2D games that didn’t even attempt to push the hardware. Worms was originally released on Amiga computers in 1994, and the Jaguar version doesn’t look significantly better than its Mega Drive or Super NES counterparts. Worms was never about graphics, however. Rather, the game was about addictive multiplayer action. At its core, Worms is a turn-based strategy game in which teams of four attempt to eliminate all of their competitors. There are a wide variety of weapons available, including rocket launchers, homing missiles, shotguns, Uzis, sticks of dynamite, and grenades among others. There are also various items that can be used for defensive purposes. The ability to burrow underground with a pneumatic drill or trench through obstacles with a blowtorch adds even more strategy to the game. The level layouts are generated at random, so Worms is completely unpredictable and has near-limitless replay value. The Jaguar version is missing a few sound clips, it doesn’t allow players to save their names, and the hilarious replays are nowhere to be seen. Despite these small gripes, the Jaguar version of Worms is pretty much exactly what you’d expect it to be. In the right environment, Worms is downright hilarious. Unfortunately, Worms doesn’t work very well as a single-player game and it must be played with friends in order to get the most enjoyment out of it.

NBA Jam: Tournament Edition is one of the few high-profile multiplatform releases that found its way to Atari’s ill-fated console. The game features real-life NBA players and teams, but the play mechanics are based on arcade-style action rather than realism. The rules are extremely loose (shoving other players to the ground in order to steal the ball from them is perfectly acceptable behavior) and the physics are purposely unrealistic (dunking the ball from the free-throw line is a common occurrence.) NBA Jam keeps things simple with a two-on-two format, and the game allows up to four people to play at a time. It makes a great party game, and the simple three-button control scheme was the perfect fit for the Jaguar’s controller. Tournament Edition didn’t arrive on the Jaguar until after it was already ported to seemingly every other console, but there’s no denying that it was a great version of an already-great game. Visually, the Jaguar version stands as one of the more accurate ports, and features parallax scrolling and scaling effects that were noticeably absent from the 16-bit versions. The new music leaves a lot to be desired, but the sound effects are pretty clear and the announcer actually refers to each player by name. Secret characters like Bill Clinton, Will Smith, and Prince Charles can still be accessed, but the Jaguar port is the only version that features Atari’s Vice President of Software Development, Leonard Tramiel as an unlockable character. BOOMSHAKALAKA! NBA Jam: Tournament Edition is widely available on many other platforms, so selecting it as the best Jaguar game of all time is likely to rub some people the wrong way. Nevertheless, the classic arcade gameplay and insanely-fun multiplayer action make it the single most enjoyable game ever released for the system.