Jaguar 64 FAQ - Part 2
Created and maintained by Robert Jung

All you need to know about the Atari Jaguar and more... (not for the faint hearted! - Ed) MyAtari presents the second instalment of the Jaguar 64 FAQ by Robert Jung.
 

How come the Jaguar claims to have "32-bit" graphics, when only 24 bits are needed to render 16 million colors?

The additional 8-bits was for programmers to implement whatever visual effects might be desired. Examples cited include Z-buffering (for polygon graphics) and an alpha channel (for transparency).

Who were the third-party publishers/developers for the Jaguar?

The following companies have, at one time or another, been announced as official developers, licensees, or publishers for the Jaguar. Note that an official announcement was not an obligation for a company to produce Jaguar-related products; many times, it merely meant that the company made a commitment to "consider" producing product(s) for Atari

.

Also, Time-Warner Interactive had licensed the Jaguar architecture for use in arcade games. The modified systems were referred to as "CoJag" architectures, with more memory, additional storage, and other additions. More information can be found elsewhere in this FAQ.

What were all of the Jaguar games released?

Jaguar cartridge games:

Jaguar CD-ROM games:

Key

1. Multiplayer games supported by connecting multiple Jaguars together.
2. Cooperative play only.
3. Players alternate turns with one controller.
4. Three and four players can play simultaneously with the Jaguar Team Tap peripheral.

What were the unreleased Jaguar games?

The following games were announced at one time or another as being planned for the Jaguar. With the dissolution of Atari, the chances are very slim that any of these games will ever be produced or released. However, a few enterprising companies and individuals have considered plans to either finish their Jaguar titles for release, to sell finished-but-unreleased games, or to produce new games on their own.

Screenshots of some unreleased Jaguar games can be found at http://www.wheres.com/console/IntelligentGamer/feature/jaglair/lost.htm

Announced Jaguar cartridge games (? = Uncertain entry):

Announced Jaguar CD-ROM games:

Announced Jaguar Virtual Reality Headset games:

Where can I get a review and/or comments about?

Robert A. Jung (rjung@mac.com) has reviews of some Jaguar games and peripherals. They are available on the world-wide web at his web site, at http://www.digiserve.com/eescape/atari/Atari.shtml.

Where can I find secrets, tips, and hints for?

A comprehensive list of Jaguar cheats and codes is available from "The Mage," at http://users.aol.com/TheMage1/jaguar/jagcodes.txt or http://members.aol.com/TheMage1/jaguar/jagcodes.txt

Clay Halliwell maintains the Atari Jaguar Cheats and Codes FAQ, which he updates regularly. It can be found on the world-wide web at http://www.atarihq.com/jaglynx/jag/jagcheat.txt

Is there a Jaguar emulator available?

No Jaguar emulators currently exist, and it is the opinion of some Jaguar developers that the system architecture is too complex to be emulated by a current desktop computer using a Pentium or PowerPC processor. On the other hand, "RealityMan" (developer of the UltraHLE Nintendo64 emulator for Windows 95) is reported to be working on a Jaguar emulator. For news updates, visit http://www.emuunlim.com/

Some of my Jaguar games don't have overlays for the keypads. Where can I get them?

Not all Jaguar games used overlays for the keypad; some titles didn't use the keypad at all, while others used the keypad, but the developers did not feel that an overlay was needed. Making your own keypads is certainly possible; simply use an existing keypad for a template, draw whatever designs you like, then cut and to fit. Tony Price has made a number of overlays for Jaguar games that didn't include them, as well as dust covers for the keypads. He can be reached by mail at mfmurdock@earthlink.net, or on the world-wide web at http://home.earthlink.net/~mfmurdock/jaguar/jaguar.htm

What Jaguar peripherals are available?

The following Jaguar-related peripherals were released. Availability will vary according to source:

Atari Corp.
1196 Borregas Avenue Sunnyvale, CA 94089-1302
Phone: (800) GO-ATARI (800-462-8274) 9:00am to 5:00pm PST, M-F

• CD-ROM PLAYER. Attaches to the top of the Jaguar console. Allows the Jaguar to play Jaguar CD games. See the dedicated entry for details.
• COMPOSITE VIDEO CABLE. Attaches to the Jaguar expansion port to provide a clearer/sharper picture.
• JAG LINK. Networking peripheral. Allows two Jaguars to be connected for networked games, up to 100 feet apart.
• MEMORY TRACK. Peripheral. Plugs into the cartridge slot of the CD-ROM drive. Allows Jaguar CD games to be saved for later play. Holds up to 128K of data.
• PRO CONTROLLER. Game controller. Provides more action buttons to be used in games. Adds three more "fire" buttons (X, Y, Z, which correspond to 7, 8, 9 on the numeric keypad) and two index-finger buttons (L and R, which correspond to 4 and 6). Some games were designed/optimized for the Pro Controller (PRIMAL RAGE, HIGHLANDER, SUPER BURNOUT, ATARI KARTS, and BATTLEMORPH are the most notable ones); other titles, while not specifically written for the Pro Controller, are easier to play with the easier access to the keypad.
• S-VIDEO CABLE. Attaches to the Jaguar expansion port to provide a clearer picture.
• TEAM TAP. Controller port expansion. Allows up to four Jaguar controllers to be attached to a single controller port. With two Team Tap adaptors, eight players can play simultaneously on one Jaguar. Was sold with the game WHITE MEN CAN'T JUMP and also available separately.
• TEMPEST 2000: THE SOUNDTRACK. Audio CD. Contains twelve tracks of "techno-rave" rock music by Imagitec Design Inc. Tracks are either remixes or inspired by the soundtrack from the Jaguar game TEMPEST 2000.

Ben Aein
B.Aein@genie.geis.com
(301) 251-0997

• LAPCAT. Joystick controller. Lap/table-sized joystick controller. 12" x 11.5" x 3". Arcade-quality build, with steel joystick shaft and reed contact buttons. Six large fire buttons are provided, and all Jaguar controller keys are available. Available in left-handed or right-handed models (fire buttons on the side of the hand). A "Lapcat Pro" is also available. Write to Ben for pricing details.

Dark Knight Games
http://www.darkknightgames.com

• JAGUAR EXTREME ROTARY/JAGUAR EXTREME ROTARY PRO. Game controller. These are rotary controllers to be used for playing TEMPEST 2000. The "Extreme Rotary" controller includes three fire buttons, a numeric keypad, and a TEMPEST 2000 keypad overlay. The "Extreme Rotary Pro" controller differs by having six fire buttons (corresponding to Atari's Pro Controller layout) and a joystick. Price is $80 US for the Extreme Rotary and $99 US for the Extreme Rotary Pro. Send e-mail to bell_d@darkknightgames.com to order.
• JOYSTICK UPGRADE KIT. Game controller enhancement. This kit allows you to permanetly attach a joystick to the joypad of a standard Jaguar controller.

Demand Systems
Phone: (805) 482-7900

• PRO-STICK. Joystick controller. An arcade-quality joystick and buttons, mounted on a large base. Suitable for lap or tabletop use. A Jaguar controller is attached to allow use of the keypad and other buttons.

GOAT (Games of All Types) Store
http://www.goatstore.com/

• JAGUAR JAMMA JOYSTICK. Joystick controller. Arcade-quality joystick for the Jaguar made with authentic arcade JAMMA components. Available on regular and LX configurations.

ICD, Inc.
1220 Rock Street
Rockford, IL 61101
Phone: (815) 968-2228, extension 222
FAX: (815) 968-6888
GEnie e-mail: ICDINC
CompuServe e-mail: 76004,1600
Internet e-mail: icdinc@genie.com

• CATBOX. Output/Networking adaptor. Attaches to the rear of the Jaguar, and provides a variety of industry-standard output ports:
  
  > S-Video, RGB, and composite video
  > Left/right channel RCA jacks
  > Two 1/8th inch stereo headphone jacks (with volume control)
  > Pass-through Jaguar DSP bus
  > RS-232 (modem) port and "CatNet" networking
  
  The CatNet is a differential pair network that is formed by connected multiple Jaguars/CatBoxes with RJ-11 telephone wiring. Up to 32 units can be connected, up to 1,000 feet apart. Price is $69.95.
• CATBOX ACCESSORIES. ICD sells video, audio, and networking adaptors and cables for use with the CatBox if you cannot find them locally. ICD can also custom-manufacture RGB adaptors to suit most computer monitors, per buyer specifications. Contact ICD Inc. for individual prices and details.

Sandwich Islands Publishing
P.O. Box 10669
Lahaina, HI 96761
Phone: (808) 661-2715

• JAGUAR GAMER'S GUIDE. Game tips book. Provides codes, tips, maps, and solutions for almost 20 Jaguar games. ISBN is 1-884364-13-6. Can be reached at http://gamebooks.com, or send e-mail to sales@gamebooks.com

Songbird Productions
1736 Chippewa Drive NW
Rochester, MN 55901

• RAPID FIRE CONTROLLER. Game controller. This is a standard Jaguar joypad modified to support automatic rapid fire on either the A or B buttons. Two rear-mounted pushbuttons toggle the rapid fire circuit, and two small LEDs mounted near the A and B buttons indicate whether rapid fire is active or not. Rapid fire can be set to 5, 10, 15, or 20 pulses per second.
• J.J.J. Game controller. The J.J.J. is an arcade-quality joystick for the Jaguar made with authentic JAMMA components. Manufactured by Team 13, and sold through Songbird Productions.

Victor Maxx

• CYBERMAXX 2.0. Peripheral. A "Virtual Reality" helmet that uses standard RCA video and audio inputs. Existing games can be played with the helmet display for two-dimensional graphics, but full "virtual reality" games requires custom-written software (none exist at this time). The helmet provides 62 degrees of vision and weighs one pound. Includes three IBM PC Cybermaxx games and a VCR tape.

Virtual i-O

• I-GLASSES. Peripheral. Shows video images on the lenses of the glasses, providing a very large display. Accepts standard RCA video and audio inputs. Weight is 8 ounces. The "video" version accepts only RCA audio/video inputs, while the "PC" version also accepts SVGA input and supports head tracking. [Ed. note -- ViO had a Jaguar in-house, and recommend the i-Glasses for DOOM and WOLFENSTEIN 3D.]

What Jaguar peripherals were announced?

The following Jaguar-related peripherals were announced at one time or another:

Atari Corp.
1196 Borregas Avenue
Sunnyvale, CA 94089-1302
Phone: (800) GO-ATARI (800-462-8274) 9:00am to 5:00pm PST, M-F

• VIRTUAL REALITY HEADSET. Controller/Peripheral. Allows playing of Jaguar virtual reality games, with head and controller tracking. See dedicated entry for details.
• VOICE MODEM. Networking/Communications device. Allows two players to play networked games over standard phone lines at 9600 baud. A headset and microphone allows players to talk to each other during the game. Call-waiting support will pause the game if an incoming call arrives, and the game can be continued after the call is complete. Project has been suspended indefinitely.

In addition, rumors of a rotary controller continue to exist, even though no official announcement was ever made. See the dedicated section below for details.

CSCN (Cybercon Systems Carsten Nipkow)

• MULTIBOX. Output/Networking adaptor. Similar to ICD's Catbox, the Multibox was supposed to attach to the rear of the Jaguar and provide a variety of industry-standard output ports. In addition, the Multibox was supposed to provide error-free networking by using error correcting hardware.
• INFRA-RED JAGLINK. A Jaguar linking system that allowed two Jaguars to communicate via infra-red broadcasting.
• RADIO JAGLINK. A Jaguar linking system that allowed two Jaguars to communicate via short-wave radio. A distance of up to five kilometers was promised.

Sigma Designs

• JAGUAR PC CARD. Computer peripheral. Sigma Designs is developing a card for IBM PCs and compatables that runs Jaguar CD software and acts as a ReelMagic MPEG card. Last announced release date was December 1994. No price has been given.

Spacetec

• SPACE PLAYER. Game controller. The Space Player is a controller that is reported to offer six degrees of movement (up/down, left/right, and in/out). No further details are available at this time.

Thrustmaster

• FLYING YOLK. Game controller. A four-directional flight controller for use with flying games. No release date or price has been announced.
• STEERING WHEEL. Game controller. A two-directional controller and pedal for driving games. No release date or price has been announced.

Time-Warner Cable

• JAGUAR GAME CHANNEL. Game service. Time-Warner Cable's Full Service Network (FSN) plans to offer Jaguar games over television cable lines. The games are downloaded to the customer and played at home, and game instructions can be printed with additional equipment. Details are available from local FSN service providers.

What's the information on the CD-ROM drive?

A double-speed CD-ROM drive was available. The CD drive has an access time of 210 milliseconds, and has a sustained data transfer rate of 352.8K per second. The CD-ROM drive features a modified data bus interface for access to the Tom and Jerry chips almost directly, allowing for a higher throughput rate on sound and graphics. Storage on a disc is approximately 790 megabytes (6,320 megabits). The CD-ROM drive plugs into the Jaguar's cartridge slot. A pass-through cartridge slot allows cartridges to be used with the CD-ROM attached. Separate memory cartridges allow Jaguar CD games to be saved for later play.

The Jaguar CD format is a non-standard format that is not compatible with the ISO-9660 standard. It uses audio-format sectors for data, which allows for 2352 bytes of useable space in each sector. Unfortunately, this leaves no provision for error correction or file system management (though errors are detected by the CD drive hardware). Each disc is copy-protected with encrypted data that is specially formatted to look like an error. Attempts to copy a Jaguar CD will fail because it cannot read the encrypted data, which means the copy will not work.

The Jaguar CD allows delivery of full-screen, full-motion video. The CinePak video decompression system has been licensed from SuperMac Technologies. It is a 7K routine in the GPU and can be included in any CD-ROM software that needs it, allowing full-screen video at 24 frames per second. Movie quality pictures can then be overlaid on the screen with computer generated graphics if the game demands it. Time-Warner has licensed a library of film clips from its movies to Atari.

The Jaguar CD has "Virtual Light Machine" built in. This program plays audio CDs and generate accompanying color and visual effects that react to the music and sounds. The user can control and select effects with the Jaguar controller. Regular audio CD playback features (volume control, track programming, etc.) are also available.

The Jaguar CD can also display CD+Graphics discs. Supplemental cartridges for Kodak PhotoCD and MPEG-1 (Motion Picture Experts Group) compression were considered. The MPEG cartridge would reportedly include extra RAM for buffering and support the whitebook video format.

The drive was being manufactured by Philips in the United States. Its dimensions are 6.5" x 10.5" x 3.5", and it weighs 1 pound, 10 ounces. The price was $150, and includes the TEMPEST 2000 soundtrack audio disc, a sampler for the CD game MYST, and two CD-ROM games: VID GRID and BLUE LIGHTNING.

Atari also developed and patented (#5,607,356) a technology for the Jaguar CD called "GameFilm". Essentially, GameFilm allowed different video clips to be mixed and matched in real-time, with seamless integration of video, subtitles and soundtracks. The player would control the movie by making choices throughout the game, with multiple choices available at each point. The only known GameFilm title was "Caves of Fear", where the player was cast as a CIA agent on a mission in Uraguay to stop the development of a deadly new virus. Though the game was never finished, its themes and situations (up to and including assassinations) would probably have earned it a Mature rating.

Part III next issue...
 

Last update: 4th December 2000 

This file is not maintained by, overseen by, endorsed, or otherwise associated with Atari Corp., JTS, or any of its subsidiaries. It's just a collection of questions and answers, with a few news tidbits thrown in. Robert tries to get the latest news and information into this FAQ; however,he's only human, and might miss something important due to real-life demands.

The latest version of this FAQ is available here. Send corrections, news, updates, comments, questions or other stuff to rjung@mac.com.
 

MyAtari magazine - Feature #9, March 2001