The list is being compiled by Randy Femrite with help from Dan@AVC. Randy described the Directory by email saying, “Personally, I feel it’s important for a community to know how many members there are and how to contact them. I once read ‘If you don’t grow, you die.’ I think once The List is posted adding to it will be of primary importance. I’m sure their are other Jaggers out there who don’t know about the community-I didn’t until March of this year! I feel this Directory will be a good foundation from which the Jaguar community can grow.”As of yet, there is no word on where the directory will be posted. To get your information in, please contact Randy Femrite.
9/9/00: ATARI SWAP MEET CONCLUDES:The Atari Computer Enthusiasts of Ohio just concluded their annual Swap Meet.  The Swap Meet was held in Columbus, Ohio from 9:00 to 3:00 and boasted a wide selection of Atari ST, 8 Bit, 5200, 7800, and 2600 merchandise.  Admission was $4 per person or $6 per table.  The event was well attended and a steady stream of buyers came through the door as the day progressed.  Among the events, there was a silent auction for an Atari Peripheral Emulator (which links your 8 bit computer to you p.c.) and many great priced products.Available for sale were many 2600 games ranging in price, from $1 to several, depending on the rarity – including Flash Gordon! 800xl cartridges were going for as low as $.50  Several Atari ST’s were available as well as 800xl, 600xl, 7800, and XE systems.  What a bargain!  On a personal note, this was the second year that I attended this Swap Meet and I was not disappointed.  Last year I purchased many 8 bit cartridge games for $1 each and this year made a great buy on a 7800 with a load of games.Anyway, be sure to check out the pictures! (13 pictures, so be prepared for downloading time)

Atari Computer Enthusiasts of Ohio
Swap Meet 2000

Held at a community center in Columbus, Ohio

A Nice crowd, a load of ST stuff on the center table.

9/4/00: BATTLE SPHERE IS UP FOR AUCTION:ScatoLOGIC has put up for auction more copies of Battle Sphere at www.atari.net. Go there now for details and as always supplies are very limited.  ScatoLogic has put up 10 copies at one time and plans on selling more.  By using Atari.net, it is hoped that those hardcore Jaguar fans will be able to get the game. Previously, Scatologic ran out of the initial run of Battle Sphere due to the news of the game’s pending release being posted on Slashdot.com9/4/00: GOAT STORE SETS UP SHOP:Games Of All Types (G.O.A.T.) has recently set up shop at www.goatstore.com This well designed site offers a whole host of offerings from Atari, Nintendo, Sega and other console systems.  For the Atari, the GOAT Store offers a good priced selection of Atari 2600, 7800, Jaguar, and Lynx.  In addition to shopping, you can download and play the latest GOAT Game and check out the latest commentary named “GOAT Words.” Perhaps the most unique thing the GOAT Store offers is their own produced and developed products such as a Jaguar Jamma Joystick (an arcade quality joystick at $69.90), and promised to come soon, a Jaguar Dust Cover (estimated price of $9.90), and a black box to connect your Jaguar joystick to your P.C. (estimated price of $24.90).  The people behind Goat Store, were recently part of Team 13, a company affiliated with Dark Knight Games.  According to recent posts on Jaguar Interactive by Dan, a GOAT Team member, GOAT is no longer affiliated with Dark Knight Games in any way.  This news update is in no way an endorsement of the products or site described, but it sure looks promising.8/15/00: JUGS IS NOW AVAILABLE TO ORDER:In a surprise move, ScatoLOGIC, the development team behind the wildly popular Battle Sphere for the Atari Jaguar, announced that the Jaguar Server JUGS is now available. JUGS allows you to download, load, and play game files off the internet via a special cable which connects the pc and your trusty Jaguar through the use of the Jaglink networking cable.  The possibilities for this technology is limitless and could potentially spur many hobby developers to cheaply and easily release new games for the Jaguar over the internet. Already there are demos, unreleased games, and Battle Sphere patches ready to download. Previously the only way to play these unreleased games was to either have an expensive Jaguar Development Kit or to have your Jaguar hacked up to replace a chip inside.JUGS works by using special code already embedded into the previously released Battle Sphere game and requires the following items: a Jaguar, a pc with an available serial port, Jaglink networking cable, the provided JUGS cable, a copy of Battle Sphere, and the provided JUGS software.  You can order JUGS (which includes software and the cable) from buyjugs.com for only $29.95 plus shipping.The announcement of JUGS was made on Judicial Interactive with the first post being a large “J”, the second post being a large “U”, and so on. What was a shock to everyone was that Scatologic was the team behind JUGS and that the JUGS code was secretly embedded into Battle Sphere.  Previously, Thunderbird, a member of ScatoLOGIC, would only say that he was play testing JUGS for an unknown developer and would refuse to disclose many details.  However, he now states that was merely a joke.I congratulate ScatoLOGIC for such a secretive and promising development.8/15/00: BATTLE SPHERE SECOND RUN IS READY (Update):Apparently a small second run of Battle Sphere carts is ready for sale! Fans have been scrambling for this game ever since Scatologic ran out on the first run last March.  At this time it is unclear how many carts are available or how the carts will be sold, but fans on Jaguar Interactive have suggested selling the games using dutch auction on ebay, email orders, or previous customer lists.  So if you haven’t gotten this game yet, check out www.battlesphere.com for details.  Much praise goes to Scatologic who not only produced this game after the commercial death of the Jaguar, but who stuck through for a second run to make sure that all the loyal Jaguar fans got a shot at this excellent game.According to postings on Jaguar Interactive, there will be approximately 50 carts in the second run.  More carts could not be had due to chip shortages.  Currently Scatologic is leaning toward dutch auctioning the carts off on Ebay.8/5/00: MORE BATTLE SPHERE CODES FOUND:According to recent posts on Jaguar Interactive, additional cheat codes have been found or claimed to be found for the Scatologic game “Battle Sphere” for the Jaguar. No details as of yet as to what the code does but from postings it looks very promising. According to reports, this game has tons of secret codes just waiting to be found. For future reference you can find all the found codes at the Battle Sphere Submission Page maintained by the U.A.8/5/00: NEW ROTARY CONTROLLERS AVAILABLE:JEDIJEFF’S Jaguar Rotary Controller is now available for order.  These are Optical Rotary Encoder which have 25 pulses per revolution.  Ideal for Tempest 2000!  The price is $75 which includes shipping.  Check the page for multiple pictures and controller descriptions.7/15/00: SONGBIRD EXCLUSIVES AT CGE2K:Carl Fornhan recently announced that it will hold score competions for SongbirdGames Protector for the Jaguar and Remnant for the Lynx with winners getting prizes and coupons. Further, Songbird games such as Skyhammer and Protector will be available for purchase and play. Future Lynx games will be previewed including Championship Racing, Cybervirus and Cheats will be made available for Protector and Hyper Force. The classic gaming expo is a yearly event showcasing classing gaming consoles of Atari, Intellivision, and other great systems. Check out the complete press release.

SONGBIRD EXCLUSIVES FOR CGE2K ATTENDEESJuly 13, 2000For immediate release:ROCHESTER, MN — In a further demonstration of Songbird’s support
of CGE2K, owner Carl Forhan is pleased to announce some game
competitions and special pricing for CGE2K attendees.Songbird plans to hold high score competitions for the following
games: Jaguar Protector and Lynx Remnant. Winners will receive
selected Songbird prizes and discount coupons. Only a limited
number of entries will be allowed, on a first-come basis. Employees
and relatives of Songbird and CGE Services are not eligible to
enter the contests. See the Songbird table for the complete rules
and entry forms.And of course, all the new Songbird Jaguar and Lynx games will
be available for play and purchase, along with a ton of other
Atari merchandise. Jaguar Skyhammer was just recently released
to a horde of grateful Atari fans, and other games such as
Protector have also been surprise hits with customers. Some
Songbird items will be offered at special discounted rates,
only available to CGE2K attendees. “I know many Atari fans
make a big sacrifice to attend a show like CGE2K,” acknowledged
Carl. “I want to give something back to the fans, by giving
attendees-only a chance to buy Songbird merchandise at great
prices.”Finally, CGE2K attendees will also get the first glimpse at
future Songbird titles, such as Championship Racing and
Cybervirus, as well as some long-awaited cheats for games like
Ponx, Lexis, Protector, and Hyper Force.Songbird Productions is the premier developer and publisher for
the Atari Lynx and Jaguar. To keep up to date with the latest
news at Songbird Productions, be sure to visit the company web
site at http://songbird.atari.net

SONGBIRD ANNOUNCES CGE2K LINEUP 

June 9, 2000For immediate release:ROCHESTER, MN — Songbird Productions recently unveiled its plans for new products to be available at Classic Gaming Expo 2000, which will be held in Las Vegas at the Jackie Gaughan Plaza Hotel during July 29-30.Topping off the list is the long-awaited release of Crystal Mines II: Buried Treasure. This Win-95/98/00 software allows consumers to build, swap, and download new levels on their existing Crystal Mines II Lynx game cartridge. Over 50 brand new levels are included, as well as the original 150+ CM2 levels. Plus, it includes all the tools and documentation needed to help anyone get started designing their own levels. MSRP for CM2:BT is $29.95 for the CD, and $49.95 for the CD and Lynx-to-PC cable.In an unexpected move, Songbird also announced the availability of a “CGE2K special edition” version of Remnant, the highly- anticipated 3D space combat game for the Lynx. “This is a game no Lynx fan should be without,” commented Carl Forhan, owner of Songbird and the developer of Remnant. “It puts the Lynx into high gear — from the explosions to the 3D scaling to the audio, Remnant sets a new standard for ‘next generation’ Lynx games.” This special edition of Remnant is a complete game, and features more than a dozen sectors to clear in the Arcade play mode. A future version of Remnant is anticipated to include a Strategic play mode as well, where the player must repel enemy squadrons and protect friendly outposts. MSRP for Remnant is $39.95.Not to leave Jaguar fans out, Songbird also has plans to offer for sale a new Rapid Fire Controller for the Atari Jaguar. Carl explained the benefits of the new controller: “Titles such as Zero 5 and Raiden are great games on the Jaguar, but can suffer from slow fire rates which force the player to mash buttons repeatedly. The RFC is simply a modified 18-button controller with a special circuit that allows the player to enable or disable multiple fire rates on the A and B buttons.” The RFC has been tested by several individuals and received very favorable feedback so far. MSRP for the RFC is $39.95. Only limited quantities will be available for sale at CGE2K.Songbird Productions is the premier developer and publisher for the Atari Lynx and Jaguar. To keep up to date with the latest news at Songbird Productions, be sure to visit the company web site at http://songbird.atari.net.This message may be reprinted in its entirety.

7/1/00:  PHASE ZERO ROM IMAGE AVAILABLE:Mark Stingray Santora recently announced that he is making available the rom image of the unreleased Jaguar game Phase Zero for free!  Scott Walters copied the Santora’s flash rom cart of Phase Zero and now it is available.  In order to play the rom, you need to dump the image on a flash rom cart or a modified Jaguar.  What a great gift to the Jaguar Community!7/1/00: JAGFEST 2K CONCLUDES:Jagfest 2000 took place on Saturday, June 24th and had positive reviews but low attendance.  Apparently there were only 15 people who made the event in Austin, Texas. However, those who did come were in for a treat including playing the unreleased games Total Carnage, Brett Hull Hockey, and Slam Racers.  In addition rare games including Battle Sphere, Skyhammer and Hyper Force were available. The low attendance is a shame, but reflects the fact that the Jaguar community is spread throughout the world.  

6/9/00: SONGBIRD ANNOUNCES CGE2K LINEUP:Songbird Productions has announced new Lynx and Jaguar products that will be available at the Classic Gaming Expo 2000 to be held in Las Vegas, July 29-30th. For the Lynx, Crystal Mines 2 is availble with pc level editing software and a special edition remnant.  For the Jaguar, a new rapid fire joystick is available.  This is a modified 18 button controller which allows the A & B buttons to fire at an increased rate.  Check out the full press release.6/1/00: BATTLESPHERE SECOND RUN IS CONFIRMED:For all of those who missed Battlesphere on the first run, it is now available in unlimited quantities from Scatologic.  Scott LeGrand, of Scatologic, recently announced on Jaguar Interactive that Battlesphere would indeed be available in a second run.  This time the price will be $79.95 plus shipping. That is an increase of $10 from the first run.  A preorder of $50 is required for each game.  The good news is, that at this price, Scatologic can provide as many copies as desired.  Perfect for those of you who want multiple copies for networking or as stocking stuffers?  Anyway get the game now, because no more runs are planned – ever!5/30/00: SKYHAMMER BEGINS TO ARRIVE:The fourth Atari Jaguar release by Songbird Productions was shipped on Friday, May 26th and began to arrive at expectant Jaguar owners on 5/30.  This game puts you in a 3d world where you fly in a city landscape blowing things up and completing various tasks.  Recent comments on Jaguar Interactive have been very positive, praising the music and graphics, and stating that the frame rate was better than expected.  Skyhammer is now available directly from Songbird Productions.  Songbird previously released Protector, Soccer Kid, and Hyperforce.5/25/00: AREA 64: THE JAGZONE IS NOW ADDED TO AAP!:The incorporation of Area 64 is essentially complete.  Check out new additions to the Atari Faq, Links, Archives, Gorf 2000 preview, Assassin Preview, and the Protector, Battle Sphere, Baldies, Club Drive, Iron Soldier, and Kasumi NinjaReviews.  Much thanks to Heath Anderson of Area 64.  All added information is clearly cited.5/22/00: AREA 64: THE JAGZONE WILL NOW BE ADDED TO AAP:As was previously announced, due to new projects and time comittments Area 64: The Jagzone will no longer be updated or maintained.  By a recent agreement the great content of the Area 64 will now be added to AAP.  This will enhance AAP by adding additional content while ensuring that Area 64’sJaguar information will be preserved for the future.  Coming soon, expect to see the Area 64 reviews, codes, editorials, and archive information added throughout this site!5/17/00: BEST JAUGAR DRIVING GAME ANNOUNCED:After input from all of you who voted, I have posted the Best Jaguar Driving Game in the Hall of Fame section of this site.  The winner is ‘Power Drive Rally.’ Check it out for quotes and all the details.  Next up, vote for your favorite Jaguar Fighting Game!4/17/00:  CLASSIC GAMING EXPO 2000 COMING SOON:This annual event will allow you to play and buy games for classic systems such as Atari, Intellivision, and Apple.  In addition, you will be able to talk to classic video game developers and fellow fans.  The Classic Gaming Expo will be held at the Plaza Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on July 29-30, 2000.  4/17/00:  NEW JAGUAR PROJECTS FROM SONGBIRD:Songbird Productions, who has already released Protector, Soccer Kid, and Hyper Force for the Atari Jaguar, has just announced they have secured the rights and source to Virtual VCS.  This cartridge will emulate an unknown number of Atari 2600 games right on your 64 bit Jaguar.   Songbird also will be releasing a Rapid Fire Controller for the Jaguar to aid in fire happy games such as Raiden and Zero 5.In related news Songbird will also be releasing Cybervirus, Championship Racing, Planar Wars 3D, and Ultravore for the Atari Lynx.  Cybervirus is based on the same game engine as the Lynx game BattleWheels while Planar Wars puts you in the cockpit of the last defense ship.3/21/00:  HYPER FORCE IS SHIPPING:As of 3/20/00 several posters on Jaguar Interactive II reported that they had received the Atari Jaguar game Hyper Force from Songbird Productions.  Hyper Force is a 2d Shooter Sci-Fi Action game which Carl Forhan, of Songbird Productions, secured the publishing rights to from Visual Impact.  From all reports the final packaging and game is polished and very professional looking.  You can order Hyper Force from Songbird Productions for $74.95.  Songbird has already released Protector and Soccer Kid, games that would have otherwise been lost, to rave reviews.3/20/00: BATTLESPHERE SUPPLIES RUN SHORT:There was such a great demand for the impending release of Battlesphere, that there simply was not enough carts available for all those who had requested a copy. However, Scatologic, the makers of the game, hope to have a second run of cartridges if interested parties prepay. Prices for the second run are expected to increase a small amount from the original $69.95 due to increased component part prices.It is believed that the increased publicity of Battlesphere going for $1,575 on Ebay and the resulting discussions on Slashdot lead to the surge in demand.
Those who were not able to get a copy were given the following message:
Dear Battle Sphere fan,

The response to our request form was overwhelming, far beyond the
numbers our earlier feedback form led us to expect — there were
many more requests than cartridges! While I regret to inform
you that you were NOT among those selected to receive an authorization
code to purchase Battle Sphere, we DO hope to make another run of
cartridges.

Although it is unclear at this time, if and when a second run will occur, it is my opinion that Scatologic will make every reasonable effort to make a second run happen.  After all they released Battlesphere after Atari gave up on the Jaguar, and most other developers abandoned the platform.So please be understanding as possible if you, like me, were unable to get a cart.3/12/00:  JAGUAR STREET FIGHTER ALPHA ON YAHOO AUCTIONS:Street Fighter Alpha for the Jaguar was put up for auction on Yahoo Auctions, Brazil on March 11th.  What makes this auction unique is that there was never a Street Fighter Alpah for the Jaguar making this either an ultra rare game or more likely a heartbreaking hoax.  Check out the posting here.

3/12/00: ORDER YOUR COPY OF BATTLESPHERE TODAY!:

Battlesphere is now set at $69.95 plus shipping and orders are limited to two copies.  Be sure to check out Battlesphere.com or Scatologic.com for all the details and to order the game.  Of course time is limited so be sure to fill out the form at Battlesphere.com  

3/12/00: FIRST COPY OF BATTLESPHERE SOLD ON EBAY:

The very first copy of Battlesphere sold on Ebay for the whopping sum of $1,575 on March 6th.  This is a great indication of how much people want this game and how strong the Jaguar Fanbase still is after the commercial “death” of the Jaguar.  Follow the link for the details. 

3/4/00:  BATTLESPHERE IS ENCRYPTED!:

A few days ago a message was posted on Jaguar Interactive by Steph, of Scatalogic (formerly 4-Play),  stating that “they will put anything on Ebay”.  The link showed the very first copy of Battlesphere side by side with a very professional looking box and manual.  It stated that all proceeds will go to the diabetes association.  As of this date the auction is up to $1,225.00.  If you win the auction, not only do you get the privilege of having the very first copy of the game, but you also get it signed by the authors and your name will be added to your copy!

The encryption of Battlesphere was finished using the unique software bypass employed by Thunderbird and detailed at Thunderbird’s Garage.  Scatalogic released a Press Release on February 29th stating that encryption was finished and the price would be $74.99 plus $5.00 shipping in the U.S.  No date has yet be set for release, but it will happen after the first copy is auctioned on Ebay.  

To show that encryption had indeed been finished, a secret page was added to the Thunderbird’s Garage.  On it, there was a picture of many computer screens with the message “3DODEAD” in a reference to the once Jaguar competitor 3DO.

3/4/00:  HYPERFORCE IS SET TO RELEASE THIS MONTH:

With all the excitement over the Battlesphere encryption, one should not forget the next installment of games to be released by Songbird Productions.  Hyperforce is a 2d Platform/action game that looks like a lot of fun.  To get you in the flow a video clip was released and shows the futuristic character shooting and flying everything in sight accompanied by some nice music and effects.  The game costs $74.95 plus shipping and is available through Songbird Productions which is also slated to release Skyhammer in May of 2000.

SCATOLOGIC RELEASES THE LONG AWAITED BATTLESPHERE(tm) FOR JAGUAR AND DONATES ALL PROFITS TO DIABETES RESEARCH

February 29, 2000

For immediate release:

CAPITOLA, CA — Scatologic Inc. is pleased to announce that the long awaited BattleSphere(tm) for the Atari Jaguar platform will soon ship, and that all profits from the game will be donated to diabetes research.

BattleSphere(tm) is the awesome full 3D networked action shooter for the Atari Jaguar. The game was developed by renowned Jaguar, NUON, PSX2 and PC developer 4Play, which recently merged with Scatologic Inc. to form the newest industry powerhouse development team.

The highly anticipated BattleSphere(tm) combines the fast-action gameplay of a first person shooter with the nonlinear aspects of a strategic campaign simulator. Also included on the same cartridge are several additional play variations which range from a pure classic arcade action game to a multi-player networked deathmatch mode, where up to 32 players can dogfight for control of the Universe. The game garnered acclaim from players when it was demonstrated at the World Of Atari show in 1998, and it has received glowing praise from industry leading publications like Next Generation Magazine and Diehard Gamefan magazine.

BattleSphere(tm) was completed several years ago, but the release has been pending for some time due to the fact that the Jaguar ceased to be a mainstream platform, and the software, tooling, and procedures required to produce cartridges were lost and had to be recreated. “The biggest hurdle was overcoming the loss of the software encryption keyxi,.” said Scatologic COO, Douglas Engel, who was one of the original BattleSphere(tm) development team. Scott LeGrand, Scatologic CEO, was enthusiastic about the team’s effort to recreate the missing encryption key. He commented, “Generating a unique key ourselves allowed us to produce the highest quality game, cartridge, and packaging without resorting to risky unproven and expensive hardware bypassing techniques.”

In an unprecedented move, Scatologic has announced that all profits from the sale of BattleSphere(tm) will be donated to diabetes research. Scatologic CTO Stephanie Wukovitz stated, “Videogames are stereotyped as a harmful influence on society, and we wanted to show that they can be a very positive factor. Donating the profits to diabetes research is our way of showing this, as well as a way to thank everyone who has helped us get this game produced.”

A special autographed copy of BattleSphere(tm) is up for auction on eBay right now. As an added incentive, the high bidder’s name will be digitally encoded into this very special collector’s item. BattleSphere(tm) will begin full-scale shipping soon afterwards. BattleSphere(tm) is priced at only $74.99 plus $5.00  shipping and handling (Continental U.S.). Orders outside the continental U.S.  will require additional charges depending on the destination. California residents must add 8.25% sales tax.

Copyright (c) 2000 Scatologic Inc. All rights reserved. This article may be reprinted in its entirety. BattleSphere(tm) is copyright and trademark 4Play/Scatologic. All rights reserved.

1/25/00:  SOCCER KID IS SHIPPING NOW:

The next “lost” game is being released by Songbird Productions.  This time you must collect the pieces of the World Cup armed only with your trusty soccer ball.  Check out the review at Jagu-Dome and order it now from Songbird Productions.  It looks like a fun game and a great addition to the Jag.

1/15/00: VOTE FOR YOU FAVORITE JAGUAR DRIVING GAME:

Which will it be?  Atari Karts, or Checkered Flag, maybe World Tour Racing or Power Drive Rally.  I am continuing my Hall of Fame Game Awards and now you have the chance to vote for your favorite racing game.  Results will be posted February 15th!