Home Page

DW FACTS by Dark Watcher
In 1995 Atari finally wised up and created a CD-ROM add on to tap the 700+ megabit CD format. The Jaguar CD retailed for $150, and came equipped with a double speed CD-ROM capable of running Jaguar games, Audio CDs and CD+Gs. Games could run full motion video at 24 frames per second. The Jaguar CD also featured a built in Virtual Light Machine (color and visual effects that react to the music and sounds). The add-on connected to the Jaguar through the cartridge slot, but had its own pass through slot so Jaguar carts could still be played. The package also included the Tempest 2000 soundtrack audio disc, a sampler for the CD game "MYST" and two CD-ROM games: "Vid Grid" and "Blue Lightning". The Jaguar CD was a an impressive deal, but it came too late. Interest was growing with the 32-bit CD based Sony and Sega consoles. The Jaguar CD saw only 16 total CD titles. Atari seeing a need to regain interest due to failing sales began spreading news of a Jaguar II. In 1996 however Atari Corp entered a reverse merger with a company called JTS. All Jaguar products became liquidated and the Jaguar became a fond memory.

MODELS Officially licensed releases



CLONES Non-licensed hardware releases
No clones were released for this system.

CONSOLE RATINGS
by Marriott_Guy

Consoles are rated based upon the available technology at the time of its release. A 10 point scale is utilized, with 10 being excellent.

CRITERIA	RATING	NOTES & COMMENTS
Console Design	04	The Jag CD is constructed of very cheap plastics and definitely feels like it. I have to admit that I get nervous every time I attach to my base Jaguar console.
Console Durability	04	Expect loading problems galore with this add-on. From the optical drive to the switch sensors, the Jag CD is not the most dependable device known to mankind.
Controllers	N\A	The Jaguar CD does not utilize any unique peripherals.
Graphics	04	Compared to the competition, the Jag CD falls way short. Graphics appear blocky at times and frame rate issues plague most titles. The addition of the built-in VLM is a nice touch though.
Audio	07	The Jag CD does not enhance the sound performance of existing Jag titles. Overall, like the Jaguar, the audio is very good.
Media	06	Though utilizing the popular CD-ROM format, the load times are much longer than equivalent titles released for its contemporaries. I am not sure if this is a programming or hardware issue - I just know that loading times are LONG.
Game Library	03	Nothing extravagant to be honest.
Gamer Value	02	With only 16 titles released, the gamer has little reason to venture down this road since many comparable titles are available on other systems a at a fraction of the cost.
Collector Value	07	With its modest production run, the Jaguar CD is a solid addition to any collectors stable of consoles.

FORMAT, PACKAGING & GENERAL INFO Interesting facts on software for this system
Software for the Atari Jaguar CD was distributed in tall, cheap cardboard boxes. As you can imagine, these casings are extremely prone to being crushed due to the lack of structural integrity of the design. These oversized containers were unnecessary as all they contained (for the most part) was the instruction manual, controller overlay(s) and the actual game. The CD was protected by a cardboard jewel style case. If you own a Jaguar CD, then you must acquire the optional Memory Track peripheral. This device allows for game saves and preferences. These can be a little pricey, but should only run you around $25 USD for a boxed unit. The homebrew community is quite strong and has released a number of titles for the Atari Jaguar CD.	applemctom's Games that Defined Compiliation

Atari Jaguar CD Game Boxes


SCREENSHOTS Captured in-game images
Baldies	Battlemorph	Blue Lightening
Braindead 13	Dragon's Lair	GORF Classic
Highlander: The Last of the MacLeods	Hover Strike: Unconquered Lands	Iron Soldier 2
Myst	Ocean Depths	Painter
Primal Rage	Space Ace	Vid Grid
World Tour Racing

EMULATION
First and third party system emulators

Virtual Jaguar

Windows based emulator for the Jaguar/Jaguar CD.
Not fully functional, but is still being actively developed.

SPECS & MANUALS
For the hardware enthusiasts out there - all the detail you\we love.

Processor Type	Processor Speed	Other Processor Information	RAM \ Video RAM
See the Atari Jaguar	See the Atari Jaguar	See the Atari Jaguar	See the Atari Jaguar
Screen Resolution	Color Palette	Polygons \ Sprites	Audio
800 x 576 (max)	16.8 million colors	See the Atari Jaguar	See the Atari Jaguar
Media Format	Media Capacity	Games Released	Other Supported Formats
Custom CD-ROM (2x speed)	Up to 790 MB	16	Audio CD, CD+G
Internal Storage	External \ Removable Storage	Game Controllers	Other Game \ Peripheral Devices
None	Memory Track Cartridge (optional)	Not applicable	None
Controller Ports	Network Ports	Other Ports	Audio \ Video
Not applicable	None	None	See the Atari Jaguar
Power Supply - External	Other Outputs	Other Details \ Notes
Input: AC 120V 60Hz 20W Output: DC 9V 1.2A	None	Contains built-in Virtual Light Machine technology
Manuals
Atari Jaguar CD Owner's Manual (PDF) - 9.52 MB Courtesy of applmctom via Oldies Rising.