Long live the 32-bit 3DO and Atari Jaguar

by Blake Snow { Jan 17th 2007 at 12:15PM }

GameSetWatch examines the niche cult following of the 3DO and Atari Jaguar even to this day. What you might not know is that a homebrew scene still churns out new games. That's right, in 2007, games are still being released for them by enthusiasts. Both consoles still living the 32-bit dream. The Jaguar even sees proper new cartridge games being sold for actually money and active chat rooms still discussing the ill-fated system. Console fanboys never die.

From the article: "The 3DO multiplayer and the Atari Jaguar have been dead twice as long as they were alive – yet a handful of e-Necromancers keep the spirits of these long since gone consoles alive. In the dark places on the web, past the Xbox 360 groups, beneath the PS3 and the Wii - the fans of early 32bit generation hardware keep these machines alive."

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Azurite @ Jan 17th 2007 12:22PM

Though, I'm pretty sure Atari Jaguar's 64bit.

jjrooster @ Jan 17th 2007 12:29PM

Back then, as a teenager working part-time I actually saved up to buy a 3D0 and, while I enjoyed it, I died a quick death being over-priced and not having enough developer support... I vowed never to make the same mistake again.

And that's why I'm not buying a PS3!!!

hahahaha

burn @ Jan 17th 2007 12:41PM

I will give in and get a 3d0 one of these days, 3 games I love, that I miss terribly

Burn Cycle

Road Rash (best version of the game EVER, somebody should bring this back, or put it on the XBLA)

Way of the Warrior - best ultra violent Mortal Kombat/Samuari Showdown rip-off ever. Best part is, all of the music are tracks off of White Zombie's "el sexorcisto: devil music vol 1" album.

jjrooster @ Jan 17th 2007 12:39PM

IT died a quick death, the 3D0 console, not me... Fuckin joke ruined! Gah

teknomusik @ Jan 17th 2007 12:33PM

I had lots of fun with my 3DO :)

unimental @ Jan 17th 2007 12:46PM

Road Rash on 3DO was a top gaming experience of my childhood. Great soundtrack (I still think of this game when I hear Soundgarden's Superunknown), graphics and gameplay... but sadly no multiplayer.

Interesting clip from the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer Wiki page:

"The success and quality of subsequent next generation systems which began coming onto the market in the mid-90's, the limited library of titles, the lack of third-party support, and a refusal to reduce pricing till almost the end of the products life were among the many issues that led to the platform's demise. For a significant period of the products life cycle, 3DO's official stance on pricing was that the 3DO was not a video game console, it was a high-end audio-visual system and was priced accordingly, so no price adjustment was needed."

So eerie when you consider the current state of the PS3. Yes, I realize Sony has built a solid gaming reputation and has more support than the 3DO did... but it's still and interesting bit to read, no?

Marty @ Jan 17th 2007 12:44PM

News from the future:

GameSetWatch examines the niche cult following of the PS3, even to this day. What you might not know is that a homebrew scene still churns out new games. That's right, in 2008, games are still being released for PS3 by enthusiasts. The console is still living the "next-gen" dream. The PS3 even sees proper new Blue-Ray games being sold for actual money and active chat rooms still discussing the ill-fated system. Console fanboys never die.

Shagi @ Jan 17th 2007 12:57PM

More news from the future:

The Nintendo Wii found a new breath of life with a new audience. After the initial hype of the dropping of the Wii wore of mid 2007, Nintendo announced they were leaving the hardware business except for the handheld division. At the final hour however an untargeted audience emerged to champion the system once again: blind, retarded, aging americans. It seems the system is uniquly set up to deliver and experience that demographic can enjoy.

Meanwhile in other news Sony has just sold their 110 millionth PS3, though that must be taken with a grain of salt as most people claim to have bought 3 replacement units after their original hardware dying on them.

ackmondual @ Jan 17th 2007 1:34PM

Among the multitudes of dead vid game platforms I will remember and cherish...
>NeoGeo
-Samurai Showdown series
-Metal Slug series
-Last Blade series
-tons of platform and shooter mash-ups (vietnam War, Aero Fighters, and many many that made their way into the arcades)
-tons of puzzle games (Money Exchange, Puzzle De Pon, etc.)

>Tapwave Zodiac 2
great Palm OS PDA/gaming device. Even tho I use another pOS PDA as my primary PDA for gaming, business, multimedia, and personal use, I still lug this thing around for better video and emulator support.

.

@ #1.
""Though, I'm pretty sure Atari Jaguar's 64bit.""

It is. "Do the Math" was their slogans comparing the number that described the bit architecture between them, Nintendo, and Sega's consoles. Probably an oversight by bloggers

dvnt @ Jan 17th 2007 1:01PM

Remember the Jaguar commercials?

"Sixty-Four-Bit... Do the math."

Balla360 @ Jan 17th 2007 12:57PM

"Though, I'm pretty sure Atari Jaguar's 64bit."

Looks like you were fooled by Atari's marketing scheme. Two 32-bit processors don't make a console 64-bit.

Shagi @ Jan 17th 2007 1:08PM

And, no, I am NOT a fanboy. I got a Wii for Christmas, which I love. And I've been begging m mom for a 360. She says I might get it for my Birthday.

The PS3 will be console champion but I won't be seeing one until 2009. My stupid mom only gives me $5 in allowence since I don't clean my room anymore. She even threatened me that she will take my dog SKippers away since I don't feed him anymore.

The have a job opening at Dairy Queen, though. Once I save up enough cash I will be able to enter in the next generation of true gaming.

My dad says I can't touch his HDTV though. ;( He never forgave me for putting my PB&J sandwich in the VCR a month ago.

crono141 @ Jan 17th 2007 1:17PM

Weird. Jaguar hardware was actually more like cell than anything else

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_Jaguar#Technical_specifications

And yes, it was 2 32 bit processors, with 3 64-bit subprocessors.

No, it still didn't add up to 64 bit.

killploki @ Jan 17th 2007 1:25PM

oh 3D0, i remember opening that system xmas morning along with about a dozen games. best xmas ever. the best part about the system dying off was the ability to go to eb games and pick up tons of new games for around 5 bucks each. to this day i pull out the 3D0 every once in a while to show friends a piece of gaming history. still works great and i have a library of over 60 games. and i agree road rash on 3D0 was amazing, so were shockwave as well as alone in the dark.

Robert Jung @ Jan 17th 2007 1:08PM

The Jaguar was a decent system, if you look at it as the evolution of the SNES and the Genesis. Problem for Atari was that they released the Jag just as 3D polygonal gaming was on the rise, and the hardware was not optimized to generate those kinds of graphics. Throw in pathetic management by the Tramiel family and poor developer support, and it was pretty much doomed. IMO, if Atari hadn't tried to compete directly with the Saturn and the PlayStation, but promoted the Jaguar as a low-priced alternative instead, they might have been able to hang on longer.

That said, there were some great games for the Jaguar that most folks will never get to play because of the system's low profile -- Tempest 2000, Alien vs. Predator, Iron Soldier, and Defender 2000 come to mind. All the people cooing over Geometry Wars owe a tip o' the hat to Tempest 2000, and can look forward to Jeff Minter's unofficial sequel, Space Giraffe.

--R.J.

Sixx @ Jan 17th 2007 2:03PM

I love my 3d0! and dont try to beat me at Way of the Warrior....or i'll just unplug your controller! (3d0 owners get it muahahahaha)

Fhaze @ Jan 17th 2007 1:22PM

Ah 3D0, Need For Speed, RoadRash, Super Street Fighter 2.
Had some great games. Had some great times. It was the most powerful, advanced console at the time. Died due to high price tag, lack of developer support and not being able to play a 40 player deathmatch online.

Pal @ Jan 17th 2007 1:32PM

We'll be seeing similar articles in the future about the Dreamcast as well. Long live Sega hardware!

The ZeroCorpse @ Jan 17th 2007 1:49PM

I miss the family games on the 3DO. Certainly, Road Rash, Need For Speed, Return Fire, and the plethora of action games were good, but you can still get those sorts of experiences today. What you can't seem to find on modern consoles are games like TWISTED!, Zhadnost The People's Game, and even the old game show games like Wheel of Fortune, Family Feud, and Jeopardy. These were games I could get my parents and spouse to play, as a group, because the format was so familiar to them, and they weren't twitch games.

I especially loved TWISTED! because it was a game show game that wasn't based on any real show. It was fun and different.

The 3DO was one of my favorite systems, and I wish Trip Hawkins had kept up his promise to develop it as an upgradable console that would last a couple console generations. I paid A LOT for the 3DO, but I got a lot of entertainment out of it.

Attila @ Jan 17th 2007 1:40PM

The Jaguar had a 64 bit bus, 3 64-bit processors, a 32-bit processor, and one 16-bit processor.

Scott @ Jan 17th 2007 1:40PM

Clearly people are willing to play a higher price for a more powerfull console. Masters of business.

lol. @ Jan 17th 2007 1:59PM

Can I get some Saturn love? I mean come on.

Someone homebrew me a translated version of Shining Force 3 scenario 2 and 3.

Did anyone have a Jaguar CD? That is...if it ever even released...

I can't believe I really wanted one of those back then. I wanted a 3D0 also, but that was because I loved Super Street Fighter II and I wanted to use Akuma at home.

This makes me wonder what other consoles have support. Turbo Duo? CDi?

Ian @ Jan 17th 2007 1:55PM

Seriously, Need for Speed on the 3DO (the original before we had Most Wanted and Hot Pursuit and whatever chemical element the next game will be named for) was excellent and probably the most fun I've ever had with a NFS game. And the snide remarks of the commentator at the end of races were priceless.

Shagi @ Jan 17th 2007 2:09PM

I was responsible for QA for the Family Fued, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! 3do titles. I also did the great 'Quarantine' does anyone remember that or think it was a good game?

realstar @ Jan 17th 2007 2:20PM

The 3DO was a pretty amazing console at the time and is still impressive today in some ways. I think the lack of Japanese publishers supporting the system and a high price tag hurt it the most. The Atari Jaguar on the other hand is one of the least enjoyable consoles I have ever played and delivered nothing of it's advertised 64bit power imo. The SegaSaturn is probably the most popular and collected 32bit console around though and has a pretty good selection of import games.

realstar @ Jan 17th 2007 2:28PM

Someone mentioned TurboDuo/PC-Engine above and there actually is a fairly active scence for that system still. PC-Engine is one of the best consoles along with the Saturn for playing import games. Ys4 and XakIII were both translated into english versions by homebrew teams and there are several full games being developed too. You can even download the HuC compiler and start making CD based games quite easily compared to some systems. I am a fan of PC-Engine and plan to program an original game for it myself too. :)

lothar @ Jan 17th 2007 2:36PM

I still have my 3D0 thankfully I got it way after the $800 release price, I think I paid $350 for it which wasnt too bad seeing I paid $200+ for my Sega Master System with 3D glasses and gun. The 3D0 games seemed to have the best soundtrack of any console games.

I would love to get a new revamped Road Rash on the 360 that would be so freaking cool.

Hellsing @ Jan 17th 2007 2:32PM

This cult following of supporting long dead systems is borderlining on Necrophyilia. Sick depraved bastards.

Mike @ Jan 17th 2007 2:38PM

It's worth noting that none of that 3DO homebrew actually runs on the real hardware. To my knowledge, no one ever figured out away around the need for at least the initial program (and possibly all code) to be signed (some of it might be encrypted, I don't remember all the specifics) to get code loaded.

The 3DO had no copy protection, but it had pretty nasty protection against unauthorized code (used a fairly long key for the signature/encryption).

The 3DO and Jaguar aren't the only obscure consoles to have a homebrew community though. The Sega CD and 32X have both had at least a little bit of homebrew (the Sega CD had a decent shooter developed for the PD-ROMS coding contest and a homebrew turned commercial release). The Saturn also has an active (though small) homebrew community, though it isn't quite as obscure.

dvdguy @ Jan 17th 2007 2:39PM

Some 3DO games would make great editions to either the 360 or the Wii's downloadable gaming library. I'd definitely plop down some cash to play Return Fire, Twisted, Family Feud, Wing Commander III and Star Control again.

samfish @ Jan 17th 2007 2:45PM

News from the present:
Shagi's trolling finally jumped the shark today.

I have only vague memories of the 3DO and mostly playing the demo unit at Sam's Club while my mom went and did all the shopping.

The Jaguar, however, sucked. Say want you want about the "SUXASSES" controller, but you'll never top that bizarre monstrosity that Atari thought would pass as a controller.

Anyhow, bring on the Gamecube homebrew community! I almost sat the whole 6th generation out until I bought a used GC for Viewtiful Joe.
It's the little system that could!

TheKingInYellow @ Jan 17th 2007 2:48PM

I am so sad that I sold my 3D0. In hindsight, it was potentially the best console I have ever owned.

Super Street Fighter 2
Star Control 2
Road Rash 3D0

Those three games alone made that system great.

airtoast @ Jan 17th 2007 2:58PM

Umm, is Joystiq opposed to editing? Or just spending too much time giggling over negative PS3 stories? One paragraph. Six sentences. Shouldn't be hard to get right, right?

Error #1 - Regardless of what was actually under the hood, the Jaguar was marketed as a 64 bit console.
Error #2 - The phrase "being sold for actually money" should be "being sold for actual money."

That's what I noticed in my 10 second one-time read through. Advice: If the story you've written on a major gaming website consists of one paragraph and one quoted paragraph, allot 10 seconds to proofread.

Sixx @ Jan 17th 2007 3:42PM

Fav games of 3D0:

Return Fire! (which later spawned the entire 'Army men' Series)

Crash and Burn - Came w/ most systems and there really hasnt been a lap-based driving shooter as good since (sad really)

Myst - one of the first consoles to run it; where-in you didnt have the hell of Win95/DOS to deal with.

Road Rash - pretty much 'The Killer App' of the system

I believe that the 'Heroes of Might and Magic' Series also began on 3DO along w/ the NFS:xxx series and the YDKJack series.

and as a last favorite: The Controllable graphics program on the Demo CD that came with it. So many drug-filled teenage nights kept that in rotation til the CD disintegrated!

I really do love that system - bought the first one @ $400 and moved away, and let my brother keep it. Finally talked a Pawnshop guy down to $30 on one that had sat in his shop @ $150 for 5 years into the early 2000s (lol pawnshops)

Thanks for a fun post!

Sixx

ScrewTheJapanese @ Jan 17th 2007 3:13PM

Its a blog, you retard! It's not going to have perfect spelling and grammar all the time. Get a life and do something besides criticising spelling on the internet.

JPRacer @ Jan 17th 2007 3:32PM

Considering that the main CPU in the Jaguar is a 68000, then the Jaguar is a 16-bit console.

ackmondual @ Jan 17th 2007 3:30PM

@ #9
""Looks like you were fooled by Atari's marketing scheme. Two 32-bit processors don't make a console 64-bit.""

I forgot about that, but then, ppl still call Genesis a 16bit system even though it's just two 8bit processors

JPRacer @ Jan 17th 2007 3:40PM

The Genesis is a true 16-bit system. It have a 68000, the same as the Jaguar but clock lower.

airtoast @ Jan 17th 2007 3:41PM

Oops, shouldn't have kept this tab open! I hate doing this. Hey Guy LaDouchebag, comment #34 is completely immature and quite derogatory. But it makes sense after looking at your racist, ignorant screen name. So excuse me for holding a "blogger" (everything is called a blog anymore) responsible for accuracy in a friggin' one paragraph story on a news site. Now hit the close button on LoveZoo.com, turn off the PC in your parent's basement, and shut your pompous little red rocket sucker.

Ocho @ Jan 17th 2007 4:03PM

Man, the Jaguar's controller was in the same spirit, but worse than, the Intellivision keypad/controller. Total balls.

It's interesting that there's always going to be a niche of people homebrewing for old systems or uncommon platforms (like hacked iPods), yet there's no love for the Etch-A-Sketch Animator.

ScrewTheJapanese @ Jan 17th 2007 3:59PM

Airtoast, this isnt a news site, dumbass. CNN, now thats a news site you should hold accountable for proper grammar and spelling.

Do you even understand the difference between a blog and a newssite? I dont think you do.

Mike @ Jan 17th 2007 4:10PM

"""Looks like you were fooled by Atari's marketing scheme. Two 32-bit processors don't make a console 64-bit.""

I forgot about that, but then, ppl still call Genesis a 16bit system even though it's just two 8bit processors"

The Genesis has a 32-bit processor with a 16-bit ALU and 16-bit bus (68000) as it's primary CPU. It also contains a completely 8-bit CPU (Z80) for managing sound effects and a 16-bit graphics processor with a 16-bit bus to main memory, but an 8-bit bus to its own RAM.

For reference the SNES has a 16-bit processor with an 8-bit bus. I dont' know enough about the graphics processor to say what it's bit widths are.

You might me thinking of the TG-16 which had an 8-bit CPU and main memory bus. It's graphics chip was 16-bit internally and had 16-bit wide graphics RAM, but was clocked slower than the one in the Genesis and was generally less sophisticated.

The Jaguar is a rather wierd system. The only proper general purpose CPU is the 68000 (same chip as the Genesis). It also has a 32-bit DSP (with a 16-bit databus) and some kind of primitive 32-bit RISC processor (with a 64-bit databus) called the graphics processor. The main 64-bit parts are the object processor and the poorly named blitter. The object processor appears to be largely for 2D graphics generation with support for zooming whereas the "blitter" handles polygon drawing, gourard shading and texture mapping. Apparently it's rather difficult to use the object processor and the blitter together.

In the end, the bit-numbers aren't particularly useful in the broad fashion they're applied in game consoles.

Burnt Meatloaf @ Jan 17th 2007 4:23PM

@JPRacer: The 68000 uses 32-bit instructions but has a 16-bit interface. It also has a 24-bit memory address.

So, it's a 16/24/32 bit CPU. The Jaguar was also actually an 8/16/24/32/64 bit machine.

Hell, let's just say everything is a 1-bit machine, because in the end they all use base2.

Could we just all agree that end results are what matter, and not bits? Can you tell the difference between 24 and 32 bit color by looking at it?

The Jaguar was decent hardware, but also pretty buggy, and didn't make effective use of cache to keep up with the PS1. Of course, that doen't matter if the parent company is full of morons.

airtoast @ Jan 17th 2007 4:25PM

Of course I understand the difference you complete idiot! I've been gaming for 23 years, have a Bachelor's in Graphic and Web Design, and a Master's in Tech Ed Communication and Information Systems. But, wow, the CNN comparison is just moronic, Mr. Dumass. Call it what you like, but this, although technically abiding by the definition of "blog," is an oft-quoted news site with opinions just like all the others. So enough with the little baby flames because this "argument" of yours is beyond stupid. Oh, and... TOASTY!

bigd7387 @ Jan 18th 2007 3:07PM

I've got 2 Jag's, one in box and the other mint in box. I think I have around 35 games and still play them every now and then. Several games are still pretty good alot of junky ones though. I think the Jag is comprised of 16/32 bit chips that are technically used to make the statement "64 bit". Sound is poor on almost all the games. Jag Cd is not much better.

ScrewTheJapanese @ Jan 17th 2007 5:59PM

Ooooh big man busting out his credentials to act big on the net. I'm real impressed with you.

PS- You, the online spelling equivalent of Adolf
Hitler, spelled dumbass wrong. Idiot. I guess your fictional degrees from the University of Phoenix online did not teach you nearly enough.

hef @ Jan 17th 2007 7:42PM

I put 3D0 Way of the Warrior and Deathkeep on on ebay for a fair price. No biters on those lines. The piece of shit is dead. Fuck you, Trip Hawkins! Am I the only retard that believed the M2 bullshit? But then I thought Lynx was good if only Epyx hadn't sold to Atari.