Max Force, from Nerf

This game takes place at the Max Force Virtual Training Facility where you must be smart, quick, and accurate with over a dozen Nerf weapons in order to become a member of the elite Max Force Team. While shooting enemies and targets, collect all four pieces of the Max Force medallion and destroy the boss in each level. Three dimensional artwork and first-person perspective with action taking place in a Virtual Reality Simulator guarantee lots of Nerf fun where no one gets hurt. (Fun ‘n Games (Media Day) at Atari, by Adam Urbano, Jaguar CD Games, Volume 4, Issue 5 ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE July 20, 1995).

Running Demo – May 1995

Running on the Jaguar CD, this seemed at first to be a Nerf commercial – Nerf guns, Nerf bows, Nerf rapid-fire chain-shooters. All part of the new Nerf “Max Force” line of toys, I guessed. But then the stuff segues into a “Max Force” video game, where kids (young boys) armed with Nerf weaponry take on automated mecha, who fire back with Nerf weapons of their own. Mondo bizzarre… The way I interpret it is that the Nerf folks want to branch into video games, and “Nerf Max Force” is their effort. Nothing resembling an actual game was shown, so I presume this is a very early concept demo at this time.

And before anyone makes cheap jokes about Atari and Nerf and desperation, I will add that the “Max Force” plug mentions that the game will appearing for “all major video game systems” in the near future.  ( Surfing the Jagged Edge, by Dimitri Mark LaBarge, The Jungian View, report by Robert Jung,  JAGUAR VR, Special Jag Edition E3 ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE May 20, 1995).

Native, from Duranik

This demo does not contain sounds, level bosses, and the Native extra weapon system due the low amount of available work RAM. Remember: It is not possible to reload data with the current version of the Jag-Server software, therefore we have to store all the compressed Native data in memory. We have to divide the memory into 1 MB work RAM and 1 MB compressed data. It was simply not possible to include more data like all the sounds and the 2 level bosses. Sorry.

Native is a horizontal 2D shoot’em up. Press the A, B, or C button to get started.

Extra Weapons (not included in the demo!) Native does contain two combined extra weapon systems. Some of the destroyed enemies leave a coin or a star. Collect the money to buy extra weapons in the shop in the middle of each level. You can buy for example a satellite, lives, energy etc… The star is something different. It contains a letter like for example a “O” or “X”. Every letter picked up will transform your ship completely. There exist five different classes of ships. If you pick up the same letter again you will power up the shot power of your ship (again 5 different power classes for each ship).

Some Technical Details: 60 FPS (50 Hz PAL is not supported in the demo), 16 Bit CrY mode, Up to 4 layers of parallax scrolling, Transparency and lighting effects, Up to 120 sprites (OP-Objects) on-screen, Scaling effects (OP), Real time data decrunch (DSP), Game engine running completely on the GPU, Rotation effects (not included in demo – not enough work RAM).

Roland Graf – Coding, Johannes Graf – All graphics – Level design, Gordon Gibson – ICE decrunch routine

We don’t have a publisher for Native yet. If we don’t find a solution in the next 4 weeks we will stop any work on this game. As you can see on the demo size it is not possible to make a 16 MBit (2 MByte) cartridge out of this game. The complete level with the 2 bosses and FX samples will take about 1.6 MByte (and still does not contain any music). We are using a good compression algorithm but 2D graphics do need a lot of memory. The only solution is a CD version but we don’t have a CD-devkit.

Release date: Oct 24 1997 (Native Demo Released, text readme of the Native Demo Release, Copyright 1997 by Duranik, Volume 2, Issue 1 JAGUAR EXPLORER ONLINE February 9, 1998).

No Native

As far as I understand, your primary problem is that you didn’t have (or couldn’t get) a CD-DevKit – right??

Right, that was our problem. In the meantime we could probably get one, however we want possibly to do something quite different which has nothing to do with the Jaguar anymore. If that works, we would have no more time to finish Native for the Jaguar.

Or do you need financial support? (for what?)

No. 

(Native Release Unlikely, email from Duranik member Johannes Graf to Rudi Reider, Volume 2, Issue 1 JAGUAR EXPLORER ONLINE February 9, 1998).

The promising 2D Shooter is brought back to life

Native was originally developed by Duranik, but was only about 30% complete. Ville Järvi has obtained the source code in an attempt to finish the game:) The development team consists of  Ville Järvi – Project founder, director, homepage creator and graphic artist; Alpine – Coder; Miguel Monzón – Coder; Adam W. Pratt – Designer, helper, coder; Guy – graphic artist. They still need Programmers, Graphic Artists, & Musicians/ sound FX guys. I’m sure they would appreciate any help anyone could give.

Links: Native development site Duranik (Native – The promising 2D Shooter is brought back to life, 1999 Archives, Heath Anderson, Area 64: The Jagzone, 1999)

The End

Another Jaguar Game being developed is Native by Duranik. This is supposed to be a new shooter game.  The developer is currently looking for someone to publish the game. (Post Script:  This game has been discontinued by Duranik 11/7/99) (News, Another Jaguar Game, AAP, November 7, 1999).

The Outpost, from Atari

From The Hollywood Reporter comes this interesting tidbit: Kushner-locke is also making a game for Wes Craven’s “The Outpost” with Atari, which went to Bulgaria to shoot special interactive footage of the actors. In addition to actors in the film, Atari hired nine additional actors to serve as characters for the game only….

AEO has since confirmed from Atari that this game is indeed Jaguar-bound. Wes Craven, as many of you know, is the horrormeister behind such scarefests as the Nightmare on Elm Street series; what’s planned for this Jag game is bound to be intriguing. (Surfing the Jagged Edge,  By: Dimitri Mark LaBarge, Hollywood Notes, Vol. 3, Issue 13 ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE 9 October 1994).

Phase Zero, A.K.A. Hover Hunter, from Hyper Image Productions

A new company was showing a very impressive 3D space combat game called HOVER HUNTER – with stunning landscapes (like Comanche on the PC), and very smooth action. HOVER HUNTER will support up to 8 players with the CATBOX (come on – get this gizmo out already!).  ( Joe Catedula, Tronix Multimedia & CIS VIDGAMES SysOp, reprinted with permission, Online Atari WCES Reports, Volume 4, Issue 1 ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE 16 January 1995).

Development Information – WCES Reports, 1995

Shown for the first time at WCES was a astonishing new game called Hover Hunter, and it’s said to be utterly stunning. While details of this game are still a bit sketchy, this one has already become the Iron Soldier of the show because of the amazing, ultra-realistic Comanche-like landscapes. For those of you who are into Comanche: Maximum Overkill’s beautiful Voxel Space landscapes, you know you’re in for a treat – for those of you not so lucky to know what I’m talking about, you will be in for a more than pleasant treat. (A Hot Game Hovers Near, Online Atari WCES Reports, Volume 4, Issue 1 ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE 16 January 1995).

Development Information

So how hot is this Comanche-looking game, you ask? Red-hot. So hot that everyone seems to want a piece of the programmers of this upcoming wonder. Not only has it been said that Novalogic went wild to hire these young turks on the spot at WCES, but it’s been further said that the minions of Nintendo offered =megabucks= to cease all Jaguar development and concentrate exclusively on Ultra 64 products. Hyper Image programmers declined. Dedication is the key, my friends…. ( Surfing the Jagged Edge, by Dimitri Mark LaBarge, Hunting the Hover Hunters, Volume 4, Issue 2 ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE 6 February 1995).

Hyper Image Press Release

The design team at Hyper Image Productions has announced their upcoming debut game-release for the 64-bit Atari Jaguar platform entitled “Hover Hunter”. Set in the not so distant future, Hover Hunter is a lightning paced hovertank simulator that allows players to fly through multiple missions filled with fleets of enemy vehicles. Realistic three dimensional environments are created using “Displacement Texture Mapping”, an advanced rendering technique developed by Hyper Image that takes current landscape rendering technology one step further. Hover Hunter will also be among the first Jaguar games with full network support allowing for multiplayer combat over the CatBox’s CatNet(TM).

Hover Hunter sets the game-player in the cockpit of a technologically advanced hovertank fully outfitted with a wide choice of powerful weaponry and computer features. Using advanced piloting skills and devastating firepower, the player must do battle to protect and further the interests of his employer, a powerful corporate-state bent on global conquest and domination. Deadly foes sent by rival companies await on each landscape as the player completes action-packed missions and steadily advances further into the storyline of the game.

“I’m really excited at the prospect of showcasing our  talented development team and next generation gaming technology to the public,” says Jeremy Gordon, president and senior programmer of Hyper Image Productions. “Not only will Hover Hunter be a an absolute adrenaline rush, but I think it will also demonstrate Hyper Image’s dedication to continually pushing the edge of gaming standards.”

Slated for release in the summer of 1995, Hyper Image will be showcasing their game at the E3 show in Los Angeles.

The game is still very early (about 35% complete in these shots from the Winter CES) although we are counting on completion for the E3 show.

Look for a preview in the March issue of Video Games magazine, and maybe a few shots in the March Die Hard Game Fan… (Hyper Image Productions, Inc., HYPER IMAGE ANNOUNCES REVOLUTIONARY NEW JAGUAR GAME – HOVER HUNTER,  February 6th, 1995, Volume 4, Issue 3 ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE 27 February 1995).

Development Information

The age of limitless resources and vast armies is over. The battlefield now belongs to the elite; those with the speed, firepower, reflexes, and intelligence to get the job done fast and done right. As pilot of a high-speed attack hovercraft, you are a powerful tool utilized by your Corporation in their constant struggle with competitors for total global domination.

Hover Hunter is Hyper Image’s exciting new 3-D hovertank combat game for the 64-bit Atari Jaguar. Choose the hovercraft that best fits your needs, arm yourself with a wide array of high-tech weapons then speed through dozens of unique and exciting worlds filled with hordes of deadly foes which stand between you and global conquest. The cutting edge technology of Displacement Texture Mapping allows you to smoothly race through full screen, stunningly realistic 3-D environments utilizing a full six degrees of freedom. Experience hair-raising combat through decaying urban nightmares, explore the vast expanses and rolling hills of a desolate countryside, maneuver through the narrow confines of twisting, winding canyons… and much, much more. Set to the primal beats of raging industrialized techno, active panning surround sound immerses you into the deafening roar and earth shattering explosions of battle. Network with other players and fly against skilled human pilots to test your abilities. The 64-bit Atari Jaguar is the only gaming system currently available with the power to bring all of these elements together and Hyper Image is the only company ready to offer this new technology to you. Coming Summer ’95.

Wow… that sounds amazingly cool. But here are some of the specifics that set this game ahead of the pack:  Real time full screen 3-D Displacement Texture Mapping technology creates digitally enhanced landscapes, Movement with 6 degrees of freedom lets you go anywhere and see anything on the landscape, Fully rendered enemies and objects. Large worlds and multiple mission choices ensure hours of original game play, 16-Bit truecolor with weather and nighttime effects.  Up to 8 players can link simultaneously using CatBox. Digital soundtrack and surround sound effects. Advanced enemy Artificial Intelligence. (Surfing the Jagged Edge, by Dimitri Mark LaBarge, Hunting Hover Info, Volume 4, Issue 3 ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE 27 February 1995).

Interview with Hyper Image

AEO: Who are the members of Hyper Image and what are they responsible for there?

 Jeremy: There are lots of people who help make Hyper Image go, the main contributors include the following people: Paul is responsible for directing the design of our projects, Jeremy is responsible for external relations and directing the technical htmlects of our projects. Otavio handles engine prototypes and implementation, Matias is responsible for both design and art, Sterling is responsible for translating it all into English for us. Andy Carlson is responsible for the soundtrack for Hover Hunter. Bill is Hyper’s right hand man 😉

 AEO: Hover Hunter is your current project. Can you provide a description of the game for us?

Jeremy: Uhhh, Paul?

Paul: You are sitting in the cockpit of a super high-tech hovertank, and you fly over a variety of landscapes in a series of missions. There will be big loud explosions, high speed, lots of weapons, lots of other hovercraft, beautiful landscapes, slick heads-up displays, and the option for networked battles. What more could anyone want in an action/simulator?  I am really not good at describing the game, because the parts of a game that are important to me have to be seen or played. 

AEO: How was overcoming the “learning curve” of the Jag’s hardware? Do you think it may possibly cause delay of Hover Hunter?

Jeremy: I don’t think that the learning curve of the Jaguar was too big of a factor in the time it is taking to develop Hover Hunter. The technical htmlects of Hover Hunter are by far the easier htmlects, and don’t account for the bulk of the development time.

AEO: Will Hover Hunter utilize the JagModem at all or only Jagnet?

Jeremy: Hover Hunter will definitely be supporting head to head serial linking of two Jaguars. We have several CatBoxes, and I have every plan to support multiplayer networking. Supporting the JagModem is still a possibility, however we have no specific plans to support it at this time. We are currently on schedule for a summer release, however its final release date depends on our publisher.

AEO: Were there any interesting stories/anecdotes that you could tell us about that happened in the course of Hover Hunter’s development?

Jeremy: Well, we did make a pretty kewl networked version of “64-bit Cyber Deluxe Pong Kombat” for the Jaguar. 

AEO: Given the Jaguar’s exclusive networking capabilities, is it possible that Hover Hunter will be showing up on any other consoles in a non-networkable format?

Jeremy: Hover Hunter will be a really cool game, with extremely diverse gameplay. Network play will definitely enhance the game, however I believe that the game will be able to stand on its own with no problems. (The Hype on Hyper Image, Interview by Christian Svensson, Volume 4, Issue 4 ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE March 28, 1995).

Development Information – E3 May 1995

The other networked game at the show was from the exceedingly talented (and very cool/fun) guys from Hyper Image. The new additions to the game (aside from networking) was an interpolated landscape (that smooths the blockiness normally associated with depth field calculated environments and translucent explosions. How many times have you seen an explosion that was just a cute red and orange bit map? Well, now you can blow away a tree and still see your enemy though that explosion… far more realistic and slick. ( Surfing the Jagged Edge, by Dimitri Mark LaBarge, Sven! Reports From the Show, report by Christian Svensson (Sven!), Special Jag Edition E3 ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE May 20, 1995).

Development Information

Hyper Image’s game was also roughly two-thirds done. The graphics and control engine were complete, though there were no enemies to combat, and only two planets were available to date. What was there looked very good; realistic “soft” terrains with COMANCHE- like spot-texture-mapping, with smooth scrolling and movement and a realistic gradual fading in of distant features and objects. The biggest problem was that the bitmapped images (landscape features and other ships) got blocky very fast when you came close to them. The Hyper Image rep I talked to mentioned that they were already starting work on updating the graphics engine, using higher-resolution bitmaps and a better extrapolation algorithm to cut down on the problem. I wish them the best of luck. ( Surfing the Jagged Edge, by Dimitri Mark LaBarge, The Jungian View, report by Robert Jung,  JAGUAR VR, Special Jag Edition E3 ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE May 20, 1995).

Development Information – Fun ‘N Games Deux, January 1996

Phase Zero (a.k.a., Hover Hunter) – This great looking game highlights the hardware potential of the Jaguar. Using a graphics engine very similar to Commanche on the PC, Hover Hunter creates a very realistic looking 3D universe. The landscape is a detailed depiction of natural terrain, with riverbeds, canyons, hills, and mountains. All of this flies by at a very smooth 15 frames per second. Some of the various areas the player will encounter include mountains, deserts, the arctic, and a lava filled fortress. The game has ten of these missions to complete, and each of the landscapes is immense. Atari has the size of the 3D terrain listed as “…equivalent in scale to a metropolitan city.” and they certainly don’t appear to be exaggerating on this one. The control on this hovercraft is very well done.

After seeing the initial response to the control in Hover Strike, the designers have done a good job to make sure that the hovercraft in this game is fun and easy to steer. The craft steers as if it were a normal vehicle with friction acting upon it, but there is a certain amount of “drifting” involved. It is similar to a car with bald tires on wet pavement. This control scheme actually contributes to a lot of the enjoyment. The game contains several great sounding options such as Jaglink support and surround sound. Let’s just hope that these options make it into the final version. ( Fun ‘N Games Deux, by Adam Urbano, October 1995, Volume 4, Issue 9 ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE January 1, 1996).

Final Status – Posted on Jaguar Interactive, 1998

>None of those sound like games totally done to me, with the exception of Brett Hull Hockey…. phaze zero was but needed missions to be added, although everything else was done.

No it was not. All that was done was the game engine and a mission briefing screen. There were a couple of out-game screens done too, but they were low quality and looked like placeholders. The game-engine itself was nice to look at, but crashed very often. The engine seemed very incomplete, not only due to the fact that it crashed, but also because it had the variety of a game of tic-tac-toe. There were 5 or 6 levels done (but I could only see 4 of them because that’s the farthest I could get in 5 minutes between crashes once I mastered the first levels). ALL of the levels were identical except the landscape colors and terrain were different (big deal). The missions all started with some text telling you to rescue some downed pilot or pick up a spy or something like that. So, you’d fly around these maps shooting the same enemy ships until you found the same little pilot figure (which was the same image even if it were a man or woman you were supposed to rescue) and then the level would end. Whoopee.

The game had a lot of promise, but it was only about 50% done when Magic Arts…er…. Hyper-Image started getting money from Atari for it which they could spend on their Saturn Game development. Once that happened, then work stopped on the game. (Unfinished Games/Hyper Image, Posting on Jaguar Interactive, by Thunderbird (Doug Engel), in response to subject: More strange Jaguar rumors…That may be true!, 1/17/98,  Volume 2, Issue 1 JAGUAR EXPLORER ONLINE February 9, 1998).

Phear (TetriSphere on N64), from H20 Productions 

One of the most interesting games that came out of the recent WCES was the “Anti-Tetris on a Sphere” called Phear, by H20 Productions. There’s been a tremendous amount of enthusiasm for this title, but faith and begorrah, not many specifics. Well, leave it to our ace Jeff Minter to generously provide a look at this third-party effort.

Phear is a weird kinda first-person-perspective Tetris-kinda game. I played it for the first time at Atari yesterday, and it’s pretty neat. There’s this sphere in the middle of the screen made up of a patchwork of areas of different colours. Using the joypad you can rotate the sphere in any direction. The objective of the game is to eat away the colours on the sphere, revealing the glowing core. Each level requires that you expose an increasing amount of contiguous core segments – 2×2 for the first, 2×3 for the next, etc. To do this, you are given a block – say, green 2×2, or blue 1×3. The shadow of the block appears on the sphere, and you have to rotate the sphere so that the same colour segments are ‘below’ you, under the shadow, then you press the button and the sphere kinda comes up and kisses you and the blocks are removed. Get it wrong and the block is added to the surface of the sphere. All the while the sphere moves towards you and if it gets too close, or you allow your mistakes to stack up too high, you lose.

Sounds weird but it’s pretty much fun. Freakish, nyet? But you can’t say you’ve seen =this= sucker before. AEO Editor-He’s-Large Travis spoke with H20 a few days ago, and it appears that actual coding on the game will be finishing up in a matter of weeks. ( Surfing the Jagged Edge, by Dimitri Mark LaBarge,  A Look Into Phear, Volume 4, Issue 2 ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE 6 February 1995).

Powerslide, from Telegames

Powerslide is a realistic off-road driving game where you can drive wherever you want, as fast as you want, and as reckless as you want, as long as you get to the finish before the other chaps. This is also being done for the 3DslOw so it will be interesting to see how the two versions will compare. (Cuppa with the Dooz, by Darren Bates, Volume 4, Issue 1 ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE 16 January 1995).

Protector, from Songbird   

Protector the new Defender clone for the Atari Jaguar is approximately 80% complete. Carl Forhan of Songbird Productions, who has the rights to the source and graphics, is now working on redoing level layouts, adding a save feature, and completing a power up option. The game expects to build on classic defender with “enhanced graphics, sounds, and new enemies to battle.” Kudos to Carl for resurrecting this game from the death of Atari Corp. (Protector, A New Game for the Jaguar, News, AAP, 1999).

Return to Zork, from Activision

Activision’s current IBM PC hit, Return to Zork will soon become available to Jaguar game players. Return to Zork challenges players to solve numerous puzzles as they try to save humanity from the evil spirit, Morphius. Motion picture quality production values and technological innovations make Return to Zork a challenging interactive entertainment experience. (Volume 2, Issue 20 ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE 23 November 1993).

Another Description

The next generation of classic Zork adventures makes its triumphant 64-bit debut! The closest an interactive computer game has ever come to cinematic quality production, Return to Zork fully showcases Jaguar’s powerful graphic capabilities by combining a mix of full-motion video live action scenes, and photo realistic animation. This amazing 64-bit adventure is filled with danger, intrigue and low cunning. It’s loaded with fascinating puzzles, and a revolutionary interface, an original cast of real Hollywood actors, more than an hour of spoken dialogue and 200 CD-quality musical themes.  (Upcoming Games, AEO Vol 3, Issue 1, January 22, 1994). 

Rise of the Robots, from ArtData

First, a little bummer… Rise of the Robots, being programmed for the Jag by ArtData, will -not- be out this year, says Atari’s Bill Rehbock. However, it’s a go for early next year. (Other Game News, Vol. 3, Issue 12 ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE 9 October 1994).

River Raid, from Activision

Activision are looking at the Jaguar’s sales performance to determine whether they will be bringing their new Pitfall to the Jag. A “far in the future” candidate for the Jag might be River Raid, but that would depend on whether Activision decides to revive it. (Personally, they told AEO that they feel the Jaguar would be a success, and that it would be a great platform to do a new River Raid on!).  (Developer News, Atari News, Volume 3 – Issue 8 ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE 10 May).

Robinson’s Requiem Series, from Simarlis

Simarils’ Robinson’s Requiem made its debut on the PC several months ago to decidedly mixed reviews, and much speculation has unfolded about how it would make its debut on the CD. This week, the Internet received its first update on this JagCD project, and it’s decidedly more encouraging that rumors that had been bandied about. Let’s tune in now and find out what Jag contributions we can expect from Simarils this year:

We already knew about “Robinson’s Requiem”, but now it is much faster than the other versions and is graphically far superior with the many textures that have been added to it, lots of good FMV,….Should be out by the end of May. 

“Deus ex Machina” is the Robinson’s sequel. With a better life simulation module, graphically improved, the possibility to fly above the 3D scene with the Vithtmlro technique in the Magic Carpet style, automapping, weather simulation, lots of good FMV,… Should be out for Christmas 95.

“Ishar Genesis”: a more classic (in the good sense) RPG than the first two. The story takes place many centuries before the trilogy. New interface, new perspective. Fully textured mapped. Automapping. Light sources simulation. FMV with good actors… Should be out for Christmas 95. (Surfing the Jagged Edge, by Dimitri Mark LaBarge, Virua Crusoe, Volume 4, Issue 4 ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE March 28, 1995).

Fun ‘N Games Media Day at Atari

This is the ultimate test of human endurance in an alien world–a survival / adventure simulation set in a startlingly realistic virtual environment the likes of which has never before been seen. You are imprisoned on an alien planet –Zarathustra– and your aim is to escape. If you have to amputate one of your own limbs in order to survive, then that’s what you must do. To escape, you’ll need to use the environment and your cunning, and do anything necessary to stay alive–including amputating your own limbs.

Features more than 100 variables in real time; your body temperature, stress, fatigue, pain, coughs, malaria, poisoning, fractures, gangrene, hallucinations… Deal with diseases and health hazards and fight off predators.

This is no outward-bound weekend. Robinson’s Requiem will test your survival skills to the limit. Keep your wits about you Robinson, and you just might make it. (Fun ‘n Games (Media Day) at Atari, by Adam Urbano, Jaguar CD Games, Volume 4, Issue 5 ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE July 20, 1995).