Sabertooth

One of the reasons that I'm so fascinated by the Jaguar era of Atari Corp. is that they would try random things like this. It seems like Atari didn't have a unified vision for the platform or what a next generation console could/should be. As a result, they spent millions on developing new concepts/innovations as if in an effort to "find" the right formula that would resonate with consumers. The American Hero "GameFilm" concept is a prime example. It was an attempt to up the ante for FMV games by providing players choice that would change the outcome. It was not really fun outside of the glorious camp. Also, by '95 the FMV trend was losing steam and Atari's concept was well off the mark. Playstation and Saturn would essentially ignore FMV altogether in favor of 3D rendered cutscenes. To be fair, in the early-mid 90s game developers were struggling to take advantage of the CD-rom medium. Instead of making bigger, better games with great soundtracks, they tried to wow us with FMV clips and "interactive" movies. This really plagued the earliest CD platforms (Sega CD, CDi, 3DO, PC) the most. American Hero, had it been commercially released, would have been among the worst of these curiosities.

Great write-up, Rick. I picked up the SD version of the AtariMax last year. It is a little pricey but well worth it for the reasons you mentioned. I'm a huge fan of multicarts for classic systems. Having recently stored most of my collection, its a convenient way to play as it allows instant access to entire libraries on real hardware. i cant wait for the Concerto 7800 cart. A Lynx SD card is in the works too!

I subscribed to this and recommend it. Keep up the good work @nosweargamer!

Thanks for sharing RunPC. It's like a dream!!!! You don't have any kiosks left, do you?

@nosweargamer: I heard Ferg plug this on his latest podcast. I've always enjoyed your submissions to his show and will look forward to it!

I have a set of these. The gamepads are ok but both the NES and SMS pads feel better to me. I do love the look of them and the removable thumb stick. Best Electronics has them for $25ea. For those looking for a good pad option for the 7800, I've heard great things about the Edladdin Seagull 78. It's an adapter that let's you use the Genesis 3 button pad on the 7800 with full two button functionality. I can't wait to try it! http://www.edladdin.com/Adapters_c3.htm

I haven't picked this one up yet. The videos online always impressed me. If you haven't checked them out, the B&C Computervisions (myatari on eBay) protos of Barkley Shut Up & Jam and Brett Hull NHL Hockey seem pretty complete. Space War 2000 is rough but playable. It shows a lot of potential.

Yes, they did. I believe that Stunt Cycle was the last dedicated console that they did. I always liked the look of that one. The handlebars are SWEET! It's definitely on the hardware wish list.

Released circa 1978, Video Pinball (C-380) was one of the last of the original Atari's dedicated consoles. The console came in three variations; Atari Video Pinball (Woodgrain), Atari Video Pinball (Cream), and Sears Pinball Breakaway (Woodgrain). It plays seven different games: Breakout, Flipper Pinball I, Flipper Pinball 2, Paddle Pinball 1, Paddle Pinball 2, Rebound 1 and Rebound 2. The graphics are in color and the sound comes directly from the console via internal speakers. I received my Video Pinball today. I had been looking for a boxed woking example in decent cosmetic condition for awhile and finally pulled the trigger on this cream colored unit. Everything works as it should and the console and box are clean. It has an old TI power supply and is missing the manual. Otherwise, it's solid. The games are fun for a bit but the best part is the packaging. These guys were way into this!

$80 is a great deal for a working CIB Jaguar. If you decide that you hate it, you'll have no trouble making it back on eBay or trade. You already have two of the best games (and Cybermorph isn't bad!). I would take the plunge.

That's awesome! I'm glad that you like it. Zaku definitely has a tremendous amount of polish. There is an update on the publisher's website indicating that it is now sold out and that 600 copies were sold. Good Deal Games may still have copies. I hope that more Lynx owners are able to find it and give it a try.

@Dr. Octagon - Thank you for comparing the Jaguar to the Klingons. It absolutely made my day. I can just see Sam & Co. facing off against Sega and Nintendo and shouting "Today is a good day to die!" @Fire_In_The_Valley - I couldn't agree more regarding graphics vs. gameplay. I believe that this is why we're seeing a resurgence of indie developers in the mobile and console space. Other things that I love about the Jaguar: - The pro-controller. In my opinion it is the most comfortable controller this side of a dual shock. - The retro updates: Tempest 2K, Defender 2K, Missile Command 3D and Breakout 2k. - The VLM. This was great at parties circa 1995 and it still impresses today on a giant flat screen. - The vaporware: Jaguar VR, Jaguar Duo, Jaguar 2.

Hopefully you can someday change that!

I have a soft spot in my heart for the Jaguar. In fact, it's the only Atari console that I have a complete retail collection for. I bought my first Jaguar with Wolfenstein 3D and Raiden in 1994. Twenty years on, a Jaguar is always hooked up to a tv and regularly played. But what is it about the Jaguar - the last true Atari - that makes it so endearing? As much as it was an epic commercial failure, the Jaguar also signified wide-eyed hope and optimism. It was Atari's 64-bit Hail Mary pass. You get the sense in reading the interviews with Sam Tramiel that Atari Corp. genuinely believed that they would be dancing in the end zone and send Nintendo, Sega and that upstart 3DO back to the lockers. I loved that about the Jaguar and I was on board. As it was, the dream wouldn't materialize. Atari would become a logo for officially licensed product and Jaguar would be unduly maligned by countless adolescent you tubers hoping to be the next AVGN. But if you can get past the hate, there are number of great games on the system - many exclusive to the Jag. Indeed, for every Checkered Flag or Double Dragon V there is an Iron Soldier, a Tempest 2000, a Rayman or an AVP. Better still, many great games continue to come out on the Jaguar twenty years later. Games like Skyhammer, Iron Soldier 2, and Zero 5 are all fantastic post Atari releases. Plus, there are a handful of active developers like Reboot, MD Games and Orion that are showing this cat has many, many more lives. So Jaguar fans, what do you love about the last true Atari?

Great blog post! I'm just starting to refocus on the Lynx. I had one in the 90s and added it back into the collection last year. It was definitely full of potential and there are some great arcade ports: Joust, Roadblasters, XYBOTS, Pacland, Robotron and Klax come to mind. I love that it's relatively easy and inexpensive to collect for. If you're looking for something interesting, I recommend a homebrew called Zaku from Super Fighter Team. Apparently it came out a few years ago but it's still available. It's a fantastic 16-bit shooter that easily matches any Atari era retail release. Check it out!