Global InformationList of Atari Jaguar homebrew games information
The Atari Jaguar is a fifth generation home video game console developed by Atari Corporation and manufactured by IBM.[1][2] First released in North America on November 23, 1993, the Jaguar was fifth and final home console under the Atari name.[3][4] The following list includes aftermarket post-releases, as well as homebrew games made by the community for Jaguar and the Atari Jaguar CD peripheral.
In 1996, the Jaguar and game development for it were discontinued.[5][6] Atari merged with JT Storage in 1996, while Hasbro Interactive acquired all of Atari's assets after buying out JTS in 1998.[6][7] Hasbro Interactive declared the Jaguar as an open platform in 1999, releasing the console's patents and rights into public domain after much lobbying from Atari fans, allowing software developers to make and release games for Jaguar without a licensing agreement.[8][9][10][11] Following the announcement, hobbyists have released previously finished but unpublished titles and produced homebrew games to satisfy the Jaguar's cult following.[4][8][12][13] Consequently, these titles are not endorsed or licensed by Atari.
Homebrew games for Jaguar and Jaguar CD are distributed in either cartridge, CD-ROM, or both formats, complete with packaging mimicking officially licensed Jaguar releases. Most homebrew titles are released physically via independent publishers like AtariAge, Good Deal Games, and Songbird Productions.[14] Some of the earliest homebrew software for Jaguar were written using a hacked Jaguar console.[15] Earlier CD releases were not encrypted, requiring either a bypass cartridge or a booting program in order to run unencrypted CDs.[16][17] In 2003, Atari historian Curt Vendel released the binaries and encryption keys for both cartridge and CD formats, allowing to run software without development hardware.[4][18] All homebrew games are region free, as both systems do no enforce regional locking, but some titles do not work correctly on PAL consoles.[19] Other games and demos are also distributed online by their authors.
- ^ Karels, Ralph (August 1999). "Special: Atari Jaguar - Komplettübersicht Jaguar-Modul-Games". Video Games (in German). No. 93. WEKA Consumer Medien. p. 56.
- ^ "Atari: From Boom to Bust and Back Again". Next Generation. No. 4. Imagine Media. April 1995. pp. 34–41.
- ^ "ATARI SHIPS JAGUAR FOR NEW YORK AND SAN FRANCISCO MARKETS; WORLD'S FIRST 64-BIT INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA HOME ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM AVAILABLE". TheFreeLibrary.com. PR Newswire. November 23, 1993. Archived from the original on March 15, 2016. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
- ^ a b c Szczepaniak, John (July 2006). "Retroinspection: Atari Jaguar". Retro Gamer. No. 26. Imagine Publishing. pp. 48–53. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
- ^ "Breaking: Crumbling Atari Still Defiant". Next Generation. No. 16. Imagine Media. April 1996. pp. 16–17.
- ^ a b "ProNews: Adios, Atari". GamePro. No. 82. IDG. May 1996. p. 20.
- ^ Johnston, Chris (April 28, 2000). "Atari Goes to Hasbro". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on February 20, 2020. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
- ^ a b "Classic Gamer Newswire: Jaguar News — Hasbro Sets Jaguar Free". Classic Gamer Magazine. Vol. 1, no. 1. March 1999. p. 10.
- ^ "Jaguar Tackboard: Announcements and Press Releases – Hasbro Frees Jaguar!; BattleSphere News: 4Play Marches On". Jaguar Explorer Online. Vol. 3, no. 1. White Space Publishers. June 3, 1999. Archived from the original on April 28, 2001. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
- ^ "Retro - Collector's Corner: BattleSphere Gold". GamesTM. No. 83. Imagine Publishing. May 2009. pp. 142—143.
- ^ Hawken, Kieren (August 15, 2013). "Jaguar: 20 Years On". Retro Gamer. No. 119. Imagine Publishing. pp. 76–81.
- ^ Toyama, Kevin (May 2001). "Nouveau Classic Gaming: Old System, New Games". Next Generation. No. 77. Imagine Media. pp. 68–73.
- ^ Goss, Patrick (2011). "Redundant gadgets: Atari Jaguar". MSN Tech & Gadgets UK. Microsoft. p. 5. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
- ^ McFerran, Damien (August 11, 2022). "Atari Jaguar - The Death Rattle Of A Pioneer: Atari Jaguar: The Fan's Guide". Time Extension. Hookshot Media. p. 3. Archived from the original on October 23, 2022. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
- ^ de Maupeou, Godefroy (December 1996). "Cahier Loisirs / Test - Jag & Lynx: ça continue!!!". ST Magazine (in French). No. 111. Pressimage. pp. 54–55.
- ^ S.T.A.R. (April 2003). "Atari Jaguar: Prototipos". Matranet (in Spanish). No. 16. Matra Computer Automations. Archived from the original on August 2, 2016. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
- ^ "Jagtopia". reboot-games.com. Archived from the original on September 19, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
- ^ Vendel, Curt (November 13, 2003). "Jaguar File-Store". atarimuseum.com. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
- ^ Elpianistero (July 11, 2012). "Black Out est disponible à l'achat sur la Jaguar". RetrOtaku (in French). Association RetrOtaku. Archived from the original on September 2, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2023.