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Thoughts on games from a future past...

Entries in this blog

016 - YARS: RECHARGED

YARS: RECHARGED (VCS) Published 2022 (Atari) Developer: Adamvision Studios, Sneakybox Retail: $9.99 YARS: RECHARGED is a modern take on Yars' Revenge, the 1982 smash hit for the Atari 2600.  Programmed by the incomparable Howard Scott Warshaw, Yars’ Revenge went on to become the best-selling original title for the platform.  This is quite a legacy to live up to. YARS: RECHARGED is available on multiple platforms, including VCS, Switch, XBOX Series X/S, XBOX One, PS4, PS5

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015 - Asteroids: Recharged - An Update that Rocks!

ASTEROIDS: RECHARGED (VCS) Published 2021 (Atari) Developer: Adamvision Studios, Sneakybox Retail: $9.99 ASTEROIDS: RECHARGED is a modern take on Ed Logg's seminal 1979 arcade space shooter. Like all games in Atari's recent "Recharged" series, it includes a neon vector-like graphic aesthetic and more modern gaming elements like power-ups, leader boards, challenges, achievements and more. ASTEROIDS: RECHARGED is available on multiple platforms, including: VCS, Switch, XBO

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014 - JETBOARD JOUST (GOTY 2021)

JETBOARD JOUST (VCS) Published 2021 (Freedom Games) Developer: BitBull Retail: $9.99 Ever since Eugene Jarvis and Williams Electronics unleashed Defender on unsuspecting arcades in 1980, there have been countless sequels, send-ups, hacks and tributes to the game.  With a rare exception, these tend to fall short of the high-water mark set by the original. Jetboard Joust by indie developer BitBull is one such exception.  The game takes the foundational elements of Jarvis’ class

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013 - Black Widow: Recharged

BLACK WIDOW: RECHARGED (VCS) Published 2021 (Atari) Developer: Adamvision Studios, Sneakybox Retail: $9.99 BLACK WIDOW: RECHARGED is a modern take on Atari's vector twin stick-shooter Black Widow (1982). Like all games in Atari's recent "Recharged" series, it includes a neon vector-like graphic aesthetic and more modern gaming elements like power-ups, leader boards, challenges, achievements and more. What sets BLACK WIDOW: RECHARGED apart from the other Recharged titles is th

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012 - Centipede: Recharged is Retro-Modern Bug-Blasting Fun!

CENTIPEDE: RECHARGED (VCS) Published 2021 (Atari) Developer: Adamvision Studios, Sneakybox Retail: $9.99 CENTIPEDE: RECHARGED, as the title suggests, is a modern update, or “recharge” of Atari’s 1981 arcade classic.  Just like the game that inspired it, CENTIPEDE: RECHARGED is a single screen shooter where you use your cursor to blast bugs into bits!  The tone of the original is largely intact while adding modern gameplay elements like power-ups, challenges, achievements

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Annex 002 - Rikki & Vikki (Atari 7800)

Welcome to the second "annex" entry of the Game Cave.  In this entry, I'll discuss the PenguiNet game Rikki & Vikki for the Atari 7800.   Rikki & Vikki was a surprise release on Steam (12/2018) and the 7800 in February 2019 from PenguiNet.  Some of you may be familiar with PenguiNet for their amazing work on Zaku for the Lynx; arguably one of the best original titles on the platform.  Zaku really pushed the Lynx and stands as a tremendously fun, graphically stunning and amazing soun

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Annex 001 - Robotron 2084 Controller for Atari 7800

Welcome to the first "annex" entry into the Game Cave.  I'll post reviews of homebrews, community projects, and other goodies here. First up, my review of the Robotron 2084 controller for the Atari 7800 by Mike @RetroGameBoyz   I ordered my controller last week after reading about it on the forums and received it on Friday.  It was shipped in a plastic mailer with plenty of bubble-wrap for protection.     As many of you know, the Atari 7800 version of Robotron can

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011 - World Tour Racing

World Tour Racing Published: 1997 by Telegames Developed: Teque London Polygonal racers were all the rage in the mid-90s.  At the time of the Jaguar’s release, Sega’s Virtua Racing ruled the arcades.  Atari’s answer was the lackluster Checkered Flag; a game notorious for its low frame rate and horrible controls.  The innovative but visually bland Club Drive also failed to impress gamers.  By 1994, the Sega 32X had an excellent port of Virtua Racing.  The release of the Sega Saturn

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010 - Ultra Vortek

Ultra Vortek Published: 1995 by Atari Developed: Beyond Games 2D arcade fighting games were incredibly popular in the mid-90s and console gamers wanted that experience at home. Unfortunately, with the notable exception of Primal Rage for the Jaguar CD, Atari's 64-bit console lacked conversions of well known arcade titles like Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter 2. Instead, Jaguar 2D fighter fans were treated to questionable ports of 16-bit console titles like Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story and

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009 - Syndicate

Syndicate Published: 1994 by Ocean Developed: Bullfrog   Syndicate began life as a fairly popular overhead RTS on the PC and Amiga. The goal of Syndicate is to build the wealth, power and territory of your criminal enterprise through a combination of force, persuasion, taxation and research. The depth and novelty of the game led to a host of conversions. The last time I tried to play Syndicate was over 20 years ago and I was not at all impressed. In the intervening years, I've read that this g

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Reader's Choice - You Name The Game

Those who have been following this blog might know that I use Excel to randomly select which Jaguar game that I'll review next. This approach basically forces me to reconnect with games that I may not otherwise choose to play. Overall, it's been a fun experiment and one that I intend to continue as I wind my way through my Jaguar collection.   That said, I'm just about finished with my Syndicate review (009) and I thought that I'd open up post number 010 to my fellow forum members. If the

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008 - Zoop!

Zoop Published: 1995 by Viacom Designed by Hookstone, Ltd. Jaguar Version: Electric Spectacle Productions, Ltd.   Zoop is one of those games that no one seemed to ask for but was nonetheless pushed out to nearly every platform on the market. Billed as "America's Greatest Killer of Time!", this puzzler appeared on Gameboy, Game Gear, SNES, Genesis, PlayStation, Saturn, Macintosh, Windows, and our own beloved Jaguar. The ads were EVERYWHERE. This was a game that was scientifically proven to be s

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007 - Super Burnout

Super Burnout Published: 1995 by Atari in association with Virtual Xperience Developed by Shen Technologies SARL   Super Burnout is 2D sprite-based motorcycle racer in the tradition of Sega's Hang-On. Published by Atari in 1995 and developed by first-time French developer Shen Technologies SARL, Super Burnout is viewed by many Jaguar gamers as one of the system's hidden gems. The silky smooth framerate, incredible sprite scaling, and tight controls stand in stark contrast to those of other Jag

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006 - White Men Can't Jump

White Men Can't Jump Published 1995 by Atari Developed by High Voltage Software   White Men Can't Jump (WMCJ) is an Atari Jaguar exclusive developed by High Voltage Software and published by Atari in 1995. The game shipped with the Jaguar Team Tap peripheral for four player action. WMCJ is loosely based on the 1992 movie of the same name, which stars Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes as street basketball hustlers. As in the movie, players play pick-up basketball for cold hard cash on the mean

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005 - Robinson's Requiem

Robinson's Requiem Published 2011 by Songbird Productions Developed by Silmarils Sofware   Robinson's Requiem is a combination first person adventure and point and click survival game. The player is Trepliev1, a Robinson space explorer from Alien World Exploration (AWE) who becomes stranded on the planet Zarathustra. With minimal equipment, you set out to explore the planet and survive various hazards. These include other Robinsons, natives, and a generally hostile environment. Robinson's Requ

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004 - Cybermorph

Cybermorph Published:1993 by Atari Corporation Developed by Attention To Detail (ATD)   "Good luck." These are the first words that the player hears when their morphing T-Griffon unfolds on a remote planet. And Atari needed all the luck it could get when the Jaguar launched to limited markets in the winter of 1993. The odds were stacked against the once-giant of the industry. Atari released the Jaguar to a crowded market where the SNES and Genesis dominated and other consoles from SNK, 3DO, Ph

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003 - Pinball Fantasies

Pinball Fantasies Published: 1995 by Twenty First Century Entertainment Developed by Spidersoft Limited   Released in 1995, Pinball Fantasies is a Jaguar conversion of the 1992 Commodore Amiga game of the same name. Billed as a “pinball simulator”, Pinball Fantasies features four tables and semi-realistic play. In addition to the Amiga and Jaguar versions, Pinball Fantasies saw release on the Amiga CD32, Super NES, DOS and Gameboy. The game has also appeared in compilations on platforms as var

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002 - Iron Soldier 2 (CD)

Iron Soldier 2 Published: 1997 by Telegames Developed by Eclipse Software Design   Iron Solidier 2 (IS2) is one of six completed Jaguar games that Telegames published under license from Atari following Atari Corporation's reverse merger with JTS. As the name implies, IS2 is the direct sequel to the 1994 Jaguar title Iron Soldier, a fan favorite among Jaguar owners. In fact, I believe IS2 is one of only two commercially released sequels to first gen Jaguar games to appear on the platform. Like

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001 - Bubsy In: Fractured Furry Tales

Bubsy In: Fractured Furry Tales Published: 1994 by Atari Developed by Imagitec Design, Inc.   Bubsy In: Fractured Furry Tales is a Jaguar exclusive installment in the Bubsy series, published by Atari under license from Accolade. For the uninitiated, Bubsy is a wisecracking bobcat that runs, glides and bounces his way through hazard laden levels. The game departs from the main Bubsy franchise, which pits Bubsy against yarn obsessed space aliens, and instead places our orange hero in various fai

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Post 000 - An Introduction

Welcome to what I hope is the first of many entries in The Game Cave. In this blog, I will share my thoughts and impressions on various games. The point of this exercise is to reacquaint myself with some of the lesser played titles in my collection.   The main focus of this blog will be Jaguar gaming. I have been playing Jaguar since late 1994 and have a complete retail collection, the majority of post-JTS releases and many homebrews. At last count, this equates to 82 Jaguar games! Tha

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