7 Forgotten Atari Jaguar Classics

I was a huge Atari fan as a kid. I grew up with an Atari 800 home computer as my first game machine before the great video game crash swept away Atari's fortunes. After the Nintendo Entertainment System re-ignited the American video game market in 1986, I was left wondering: Does anyone remember Atari?

Much to my excitement, I began following news from Atari on CompuServe in the early 1990s, and I heard rumors of a brand new Atari console in development called the "Panther." That project fell through, but a higher-powered console called the Jaguar came to the fore.

(For more, check out The Golden Age of Atari Home Computers and The Forgotten Early Atari Consoles.)

Atari Corporation released the Jaguar on November 23, 1993, and I was ecstatic—I received one as a gift for my birthday in 1994 and proceeded to buy and play some of the best games for the system, including Doom, Alien vs. Predator, Tempest 2000, and Rayman.

Among those highly acclaimed titles, I also purchased more than a few horrible games—there were plenty. But over its short three-year lifespan, the Jaguar played host to a number of good games that were overlooked due to the console's lackluster reputation. In the slides ahead, we'll take a look at seven underrated and mostly forgotten Atari Jaguar gaming classics.

1. Super Burnout (1995)

Publisher: Atari Corporation

Super Burnout combined smooth, high-framerate visuals and tight controls with arcade-like gameplay into a polished motorcycle racing game that can only be played on the Jaguar. Unlike most other Jaguar racing games, this title truly conveys a sense of speed. And with a two-player split-screen option, you can make use of the under-utilized second joystick port on the console.

(Screenshot: Atariage.com)

2. Ruiner Pinball (1995)

Publisher: Atari Corporation

There are two pinball games on the Jaguar, and of those, Ruiner is easily the best, with two tables of fluid pinball action. If this were the Super NES, this game would probably be considered mediocre at best. But considering the low quality of much of the Jaguar game catalog, when a developer pulled off a competent game on the system, it automatically become a delight to play.

(Screenshot: Atariage.com)

3. PowerDrive Rally (1995)

Publisher: Time Warner Interactive, Inc.

I've never been a huge fan of overhead racing games, even though they have a long lineage in the video game world. Still, I really enjoy PowerDrive Rally because it is well-designed with competent animations and sound, and it supports a rare two-player mode that lets two local players race head-to-head.

(Screenshot: Atariage.com)

4. Protector: Special Edition (2002)

Publisher: Songbird Productions

The short official lifespan of the Atari Jaguar ended with quite a few orphaned, unreleased games by the time the console met its end in 1996—some of which were actually quite good. One of those was Protector, a colorful Defender clone released by Songbird Productions in 1999. In 2002, it received a definitive Special Edition release with new features that is treasured among Jaguar enthusiasts today. (Another similarly good game is BattleSphere Gold, which also received a late, limited release.)

(Screenshot: Atariage.com)

5. Wolfenstein 3D (1994)

Publisher: Atari Corporation

I've been a fan of Wolfenstein 3D since its first release on the IBM PC in 1992. In my opinion, Wolfenstein 3D received its all-time definitive release on the Atari Jaguar in 1994. Improved graphics, more weapons (flamethrower or rocket launcher, anyone?), tons of levels, a Doom-like health counter, and a three-slot save feature all make this the premium version of Wolfenstein 3D. And it's only on the Jaguar.

(Screenshot: Atariage.com)

6. Missile Command 3D (1995)

Publisher: Atari Corporation

Many have played Atari's 1980 arcade classic Missile Command— or home ports of it for early Atari consoles—but few know about this interesting 3D remake for the Jaguar that effectively pulls off similar gameplay mechanics with a graphical update. In fact, it was originally intended to be used with a never-released Jaguar VR headset. Even without stereoscopic 3D, it's a fun game to play.

(Screenshot: Atariage.com)

7. Iron Soldier (1994)

Publisher: Atari Corporation

Few Jaguar games pull off polygonal 3D graphics as well as Iron Soldier, which puts you in the cockpit of a gigantic mech robot that can launch attacks against enemy mechs and destroy an entire city in the process. This game received an equally well-made sequel (Iron Soldier II) for the rare Jaguar CD accessory, but if you have a bare-bones Jaguar, you can't go wrong with this much easier-to-find title.

(Screenshot: Atariage.com)