http://www.zhell.co.uk
http://zhell.atari.org
Amstrad
Atari
Sinclair
Atari and Atari logo is copyright of Atari/Infogrames.
All other copyrights recognised.
Technical Specs
64-bit Graphics chip with multiple RISC processors
16.8 Million Colours
16-bit Stereo Sound
DSP Port
Monitor/ Hi-fi out
Television/RF out
CD-ROM Add-on
Can play audio and CD+G disks
Built in virtual light machine for audio CDs
Other add-ons
Jaguar Pro Pad
Jaguar Team Tap (4 player adapter)
Cat Box (Stereo output, serial port, other bits and bobs)
Jag Modem (Unreleased)
Virtual Reality Headset (Unreleased)
History
Released in 1994 to a storm of technical acclaim the Jag failed miserably to capitalise on it's technical superiority. Atari refused to advertise on TV in Europe (and didn't do much better in America). They released a whole string of crap sixteen bit conversions that didn't look any better than their SNES/Megadrive counterparts. At the same time they released a lot of potentially good 3D games before they were finished. They also initially crippled the machine by using cartridges and then killed it off by dithering about with the CD-ROM attachment. Game development was slowed by Atari forcing programmers to use Atari TT computers (which, big fan of the TT though I am, was beginning to look a bit long in the tooth graphically). Development was also slowed by Atari not releasing any programming routines for developers to use in their games. If a developer wanted to do something he had to work out how to do it himself.
Despite all the odds there is a reasonable catalogue of classics for the Jag. Alien Vs Predator was stunning visually. Tempest 2000 broke new barriers in sound. Jag Doom is one of the fastest most playable versions around.. Oh dear...