Atari Jaguar Roms Section.
The Atari Jaguar is a fifth generation home video game console that was developed by Atari Corporation. The console was the sixth and last programmable console to be developed under the Atari brand, originally released in North America in November 1993. Marketed by Atari as the first 64-bit video game console, the Jaguar was designed to compete with the 16-bit Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo Entertainment System and the 32-bit 3DO Interactive Multiplayer platform.
Development on the Atari Jaguar started in the early 90s, and was designed by Flare Technology, who were tasked by Atari to create two consoles; the Atari Panther, which would compete with the Sega Genesis and the Super Nintendo, and a successor, the Jaguar, which would surpass the capabilities of any other console on the market at the time. With development of the Jaguar running ahead of schedule, the Panther was cancelled, and the release of the Jaguar was pushed forward. It was originally released to test markets in New York City and San Francisco in November 1993, and to the general public in 1994.
Upon release, it was initially criticized for its complex controller design and the console's failure to distinguish itself from its 16-bit competitors. It was also criticized for its low quality game library, with poorly received games such as Cybermorph and Kasumi Ninja gaining more publicity than other titles on the system. The console's multi-chip architecture made game development for the console difficult, and underwhelming sales contributed to the console's lack of third party support. This, in addition to the lack of internal development at Atari, led to a limited game library, comprising only 67 licensed titles. Some games for the system, however, such as Alien vs Predator, Tempest 2000 and ports of id Software's Wolfenstein 3D and Doom, are well received by contemporary critics.
Atari attempted to extend the lifespan of the Jaguar with a CD-ROM add-on known as the Atari Jaguar CD, though, with the release of the Sega Saturn and Sony's PlayStation in 1995, sales of the Jaguar continued to fall, ultimately selling no more than 250,000 units before it was eventually discontinued in 1996. The Jaguar was deemed a commercial failure, and prompted Atari to leave the home video game console market. After Hasbro Interactive bought out Atari in the late 1990s, the rights to the Jaguar were released into the public domain, with the console being declared an open platform. Since then, the Jaguar has gained a cult following, with a developer base that produces homebrew games for the console. Notable homebrew titles for the Jaguar include Skyhammer and BattleSphere.
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