DOC...................... 10
REVIEWS........................................... 10
        Iron Soldier.............................. 10
        Cannon Fodder............................. 11
        Kasumi Ninja.............................. 12
        Val D'Isere Skiing and Snowboarding....... 12
        Zool 2.................................... 13
        Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story............... 14
SPECIAL: 1995 Sports Forecast..................... 14
News N Notes...................................... 16
That's All Folks.................................. 17
Cat's Club Statistics............................. 17
The Legal Stuff................................... 17

(NOTE: The following is written by Josh Fritsch and does not reflect the views of the Jaguar Journal or its publisher in anyway.)

The Jaguar's Den
by Josh Fritsch

    Well, as any of you Jag Journal regulars know, this is my first column in the journal.  I hope to make it a established part of the JJ but it all depends if the editor lets me.  So, off we go.
    Where are the games? Let me rephrase that: "HEY ATC, WHERE THE HELL ARE THE GAMES?!?" While I'll give you guys credit for getting 7 games out in two months, you  can't stop now. You have to keep working on getting these suckers out. It'll be a real shame if Atari reverts to 1994 form again, releasing three games in 7 months. It'll be a real shame 'cuz if you do, I don't think Jag owners are gonna put up 
with more of that BS.
    WHERE THE HELL ARE THE THE BLOODY THIRD PARTIES?? Where the hell are you guys? Jeez Louise, Troy Aikman should've been out ages ago! Same thing with the Ocean titles Syndicate and Theme Park. I thought the Jag had 150 licensees? What are companies like Interplay, JVC, Jaleco and Sculptured doing any ways? Obviously not making games. On the bright side, A<<laim is said to be developing MK2, NBA JAM and possibly the Alien Trilogy for the Jag. But at this rate, they 
probably won't be released till the Buffalo Bills win a Super Bowl.
    Even though I wasn't there in person, our jet-setting editor J. Norwood was at the WCES at Las Vegas and the feedback was promising. Although the new Minter masterpiece Defender 2000 wasn't shown, many other great titles were present at probably the final WCES. Great cartridges like Thea Realm Fighter, Ultra Vortex, Rayman, Hardball, Fight for Life, Batman Forever and CD's like Blue Lightning, Demolition Man, Primal Rage, Brett Hull Hockey and Battlemorph show that the Jag has incredible potential. (Duh) 
    The only problem is that Atari, for some strange reason, might revert back to old form, releasing a game every two months. While I doubt this would happen, (because 3rd parties should pick up the slack) I have this dread that Atari might revert to old form. And if Atari does, I'm telling you this: I'm jumping ship.
    
    But enough with this psycho-babble, let's talk about games. I recently (finally) beat AvP as the marine. While it was satisfying to beat it, what the hell is with that ending?! Jeez! That's another area Atari has to work on: BETTER ENDINGS!! And is it me, or are sports games getting easier? I recently won the Super Bowl in NFL 1995 as the Seattle Seahawks(!), going 18-1 overall. Chris Warren rushed for 3,487 yards in 14 games and had 57 TD's! Hmm, and this is supposed to be the pinnacle of football video games?! Yeah, right! I'll be back next month, if J.N doesn't fire me, with my thoughts on the Jag CD and Atari's competitors in the next generation market. Later, and remember to vote for Bob Dole in 1996! 


1994 Prodigy Jaguar Awards
Results

Best Graphics In An Atari Jaguar Game, 1994:
Alien vs. Predator (50%)
    AvP proved to everyone that you don't need a CD to have great graphics.  AvP's graphics were photo-like and were less pixilated than many Sega CD full-motion-video games, like Sewer Shark.  Although the 3DO has titles with photo-type graphics, it's on a CD.  It will sure be tough to capitalize on these graphics anywhere.

Runner Up: Iron Soldier (tie) - Iron Soldier didn't let down anyone waiting for it.  The graphics were top-notch, containing all polygons in the foreground - 90% of which are texture-mapped - combined with great looking backgrounds and tons of color.  Even the tanks and helicopters were done very well.

Kasumi Ninja (tie) (18% each) - Kasumi Ninja tied with IS, and is pretty surprising.  Whether or not it is a great fighting game is to be determined - but the game featured beautiful backgrounds and real-life actors.

Others (14%): Tempest 2000

Best Music In An Atari Jaguar Game, 1994:
Tempest 2000 (86%)
    Tempest took almost 9/10 of the votes, and it deserved it more than any game on the video game market.  The game features the best music EVER on a video game cartridge - and gives many CDs a run for their money.  From the theme music, to the in-game music, and the bonus round music, the music was the best.  The sound-track is being put on a CD by Atari, and is available by calling Atari.  I wonder if Atari and/or 3rd parties will be able to top it in the years to come.  So far they haven't.  Nice going Atari.  Oh - if EGM weren't so biased, they would have given the Best Music award to them.  But, I'm sure they'll pay dearly for that one.

Runner Up: Iron Soldier (14%) - There was actually a game that didn't allow Tempest to take all the votes in this category.  Wow!  Well, there was one, Iron Soldier.  This awesome game contains great tunes to keep the 42-foot guy on beat.

Best Control In An Atari Jaguar Game, 1994:
Iron Soldier (35%)
    Piece of cake to control.  Simple, which makes this very challenging game a bit less hard.  The controls are simple to memorize, and the keypad isn't as clumbersome as CyberMorph or Alien vs. Predator.  You may complain that IS is a little slow, but that's to add reality (hey, being 40 tons and 42 feet might pose a problem when trying to run!).  Eclipse sure knows that it takes great control to make the player happy - which in turn makes him buy it - which means they make $$$!

Runner Up: Tempest 2000 (20%) - while there were no roller controllers, there wasn't much of a problem getting used to the control.  I'm sure the music kept most people moving as well.  With a game tarketed for 6-60 year old people, I think they ought to make it easy to play.

Other (45%): CyberMorph, Alien vs. Predator, Doom, Wolfenstein 3D, Zool 2

Most Original Atari Jaguar Game, 1994
Iron Soldier (45%)
    No doubt here.  This game was the most original game for the Jaguar.  Face it, while the storyline may be a repetitive one (good guy must kill bad guy to save world), there have been few mech-warrior games in the video gaming world, and none come close to touching this game in quality.  Many people bought the game not only because of the quality, but because they wanted something different - not another run and jump shooter.  This game satisfied all their cravings.

Runner Up: Tempest 2000 (35%) - 1981 was the year this game was released, and it was the first video game with intergalactic warfare.  THE FIRST.  There are now a bunch of those games out, but this was the first, and when it returned in 1994, it was even better.  Who would have thought 13 years later that a game would still be so popular (well, Monopoly winds up in this category to - hey, it's been 60 years!)

Other (20%): Alien vs. Predator, Club Drive,
CyberMorph, Wolfenstein 3D

Best Jaguar Game Developer, 1994
Rebellion Software, Ltd. (36%)
    The developers of Checkered Flag and Alien vs. Predator deserve this award more than ever - and could get it again this year!  Rebellion Software is a European company that has a growing reputation of developing good quality fun games.  Checkered Flag, although not a perfect racer, has good graphics and sound, and the play control is manageable.  But it was Alien vs Predator took Jaguar owners close to Heaven.  The game got Best Graphics with its FMV-like (but not FMV) graphics, plus it had great sound effects, good controls, and three games in one.  Alien vs. Predator is based on two movie series of the same names (Aliens and Predators) from 20th Century Fox, and was "one of the top five video games of 1994" according to the CBS Today Toy Test.  They're already working on Legions of the Undead CD and Hammerhead for 1995, and rumors continue to grind that Alien vs. Predator 2 is in the works.

Runner Up: Id Software (32%) - Id Software was the brains behind Doom and Wolfenstein 3D.  In August, Wolfenstein 3D showed the Jaguar's capabilities off well, with (as many magazines said) better than PC graphics and sound.  Then in November, Id help put out Doom, and this game was another hit.  While Id has no games currently planned for 95, you can bet they'll be around doing something.

Other (33%): Eclipse, Handmade Software, Llamasoft

Most Anticipated Atari Jaguar Game, 1994
Alien vs. Predator (89%)
    No question here.  Originally set for a January release, the game kept getting pushed back...and back...and back...and back...until October!  While it was a great game and was very much awaited for, I hope that never happens again.

Runner Up: Doom (tie) - Doom is one of the best shooters on the PC market and there's no question that Jag owners wanted it.  And they got it.
           
Iron Soldier (tie) (06% each) - IS, Game of the Year, was talked about since the Summer CES in June, and everyone was eagerly waiting for it. When it came out, it would swept off the shelves in a breeze.

Best Action/Adventure Atari Jaguar Game, 1994
Alien vs. Predator (40%)
    Although it seemed like this game would never come out, it did, and it was great.  The game was more than a mere action-shooter where you just hold down rapid-fire and kill every moving object.  This was a strategy game that contained 5 sublevels, making it an adventurous game.  Alien vs. Predator was "one of the top five video games of 1994" according to the CBS This Morning Toy Test, and there is no question why it was.  Great graphics, awesome sound effects, and good play control combined with three strong storylines explain it all.

Runner Up: Iron Soldier (25%)
    Iron Soldier has kept everyone busy since that Christmas day, and it's all because of those 42 foot mechs, tanks, helicopters, bombers, and more.  This challenging simulation is definitely one of the best Jaguar games to date and will never be put on the shelf permanently.

Other (35%): Doom, Tempest 2000, Zool 2

Best Shooter Atari Jaguar Game, 1994
Tempest 2000 (40%)
    The Jaguar's first "big" title was a shooter first created in 1981.  Who would have thought that 13 years later this game would return so popular?  Obviously, it was Atari who got Llamasoft and Jeff Minter to give it a new "90's" look.  When it came out, it looked better than ever!  Although very few teens had played it in the arcades, a lot of them wouldn't turn Tempest 2000 down.  And it's easy to see why.  Shooters are always fun, but they have gotten boring in the last few years.  Temepest 2000 was a different shooter made up of simple polygons - and that's partly why Jag owners liked it - because of its simplicity.  Add to that easy-to-master controls and an unmatched soundtrack, and you've got Shooter of the Year.

Runner Up: Iron Soldier (30%)
    Iron Soldier, one of the most anticipated games of the year, contains a lot of blast'em and smash'em action.  There are many great firearms including a cruise missle, rockets, grenades, and a bunch of guns and cannons, and you've got a great shooter.  And that's IS - a great shooter (and a great game!).

Other (30%): Doom, Wolfenstein 3D

Best Sport Atari Jaguar Game, 1994
Brutal Sports Football (50%) (tie)
        Checkered Flag (50%) (tie)
    Which sports game was better in 1994, Checkered Flag or Brutal Sports Football?  That's really what this category was to determine, considering those were the only two sports games released for the Jag in 1994.  And the winner is... A TIE!  WHAT?  Well, I guess it's only fair to conclude that they are both equally as good (and equally as expensive).  Brutal Sports Football (Telegames) is a no-holds-barred football game while Checkered Flag (Atari) is a great racing game with loads of options and great graphics.

Best Fighting Atari Jaguar Game, 1994
Kasumi Ninja (100%)
    Of the two fighters released this year, Kasumi Ninja is considered to be the best.  But, many agree that Kasumi Ninja wasn't that much better than its competition (Dragon: BLS).  Luckily, Ultra Vortex, Primal Rage, Fight For Life, and Thea Realm Fighters (along with a few others) are going to be released this year, and will probably satisfy the fighter in you.  Still, the game features very nice pics and okay control.  If only the manual had the moves in them for each character, then it would be better.  As it stands, Best Fighting Atari Jaguar Game, 1994, but if they had a choice, most wouldn't even vote.

WORST ATARI JAGUAR GAME, 1994
WINNER: Club Drive (40%)
    Hand Made must have had a kindergartner hand-make this one, because it was just plain BAD.  The WaldenSoftware at the local mall has discounted it down to $39.99.  This game, I thought, was going to be great.  Lots of potential.  But, when it came out, that's all it had.  Potential.  Maybe Hand Made ought to start hiring first graders.

1st Runner Up: Trevor McFur in the Crescent Galaxy (35%)
    Nice graphics.  Can I play?  Well, as we would learn, it was just to hard to play.  Who even made this game?  No one knows.  If you do, just keep it to yourself.  I don't want to start writing letters to the company that says: "we have to PLAY the game too."

2nd Runner Up: Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (15%)
    Dragon: BLS wasn't really a bad game.  It was just to 16 bit and had no good moves, just kick and punch.  Virgin makes great games, and I hope this was just a once-in-a-lifetime mistake.

Other (10%): Checkered Flag, Raiden

1994 ATARI JAGUAR GAME OF THE YEAR
is...     IRON SOLDIER!!! (41%)"
    Iron Soldier took Atari Jaguar gamers by suprise when Atari and Eclipse unleased Iron Soldier.  This 16-Meg simulator features special state-of-the-art polygon technologies that added great special effects.  All of the enemies are texture-mapped, while buildings are perfect squares and shapes to add more reality.  The sound track is very upbeat and cannot be unheard.  On top of this, Iron Soldier is very fun to play and easy to control.  When you blow up an enemy, it blows up into many pieces that create a cool effect.  The game features nine changeable weapons making you the best mech warrior ever.  You must stop the evil Machinations of the Iron Fist Corporation.  Add 16 levels and a great Artifical Intelligence and you've got one unbeatable game - Iron Soldier.
    For those who may not have heard, at the last minute, we found out that Eclipse will bring out several unanimous games, plus - by Christmas - Iron Soldier 2!  Will it be Game of the Year in 1995?  If it's better than this, it could definitely be.  But how much better could it really be?

2nd Best: Tempest 2000 (32%)"
    Tempest 2000 was considered by many to be the best Jaguar game until Iron Soldier came out - and it's obvious how come.  The video game that defined arcade intergalactic warfare is back.  That's right, Tempest, the 1981 quarter cruncher was revived on the Jaguar, 1994 style.  Tempest 2000 features the original Tempest, an updated version named Tempest Plus, an all new 1994 64-bit Tempest called Tempest 2000, plus a two-player mode, Tempest Duel.  Could all this be crammed into one cart?  Yes, and only on the Jaguar.  Easy play control and great graphics made this very good.  But what was the killer element that made it GREAT!?!  The music.  Ten tracks of hot music - the best in any game, and it's available on an audio CD.  Atari once again struck fear into those wimpy 3DO owners with Tempest 2000.

3rd Best: Alien vs. Predator (27%)"
    Alien vs. Predator, "one of the top five video games of 1994" (CBS This Morning Toy Test) combined movie quality graphics on a CARTRIDGE - not a CD (imagine what the CD can do!).  Add to this elements of two popular movie characters and you've got one hell of a game.

*not all categories equal exactly 100%, because of rounding, etc.
*RayMan and Ultra Vortex received votes in two categories (one vote each); RayMan, in Anticipated; and Ultra Vortex, in Fighting, but were not eligible because they were not released before 12/31.  They will be put into next year's ballot.
*in the Other category, the % in () was the total the games in the Other section got.  If there were five games, and the number was 30%, there vote percentage as a whole was 30%.  In the Other section, games were listed by what percentage they got.  In the Shooting category, Doom was listed before Wolfenstein 3D because it got 20%, while Wolf got 10%.  If there were ties in the Other section, they were listed alphabetically.
*if you voted, you will automatically be put on the Cat's Club mail list.


Winter Consumer Electronics Show (WCES) Report

    For the first time did I witness the CES, and I can see why there is so much hype about it.  Atari was very impressive.  The first thing to note is Atari, as I was told, moved into a new building with Nintendo and Sega, which definitely helped it become recognized.
    Atari had a large setup - with Jaguar systems everywhere you turned.  On one screen, the sleek CD attachment was displaying the bulit-in VLM (Virtual Light Machine).  *RAYMAN* was being shown, and it was nice to see more than just that jungle level.  It was fabulous. The game has been announced for the 32X, but I didn't see that version.  However, comparing 32X Doom to Jaguar Doom shows that the Jaguar version is a lot better in graphics, and probably better overall.  Reports rumor that the Saturn and Sony Playstation will also be getting the game.  It should be known, however, that those versions will be almost carbon-copies of the Jaguar version, as it was originally slated for the Jaguar only.
    *BLUE LIGHTNING* is looking good and looks a lot better than previous Game Fan photos showed.  While on the CD subject, the biggest news was Atari officially announcing the *JAGUAR CD* to be retail *$149.99* with VLM and an unannounced pack-in CD game.  Hyper Image, a new 3rd party, was showing off *HOVER HUNTER*.  It's a 3D space combat game with very smooth graphics.  A Novastorm type game is in the works called *VARUNA'S FORCES*, and will be out on CD.  The most impressive game of the show was *BATTLE SPHERE* which looks like an interesting single or multi-player space shooter.  The objects are detailed and smooth - with texture polygons.  This game will have CATBOX capabilities.
    *FIGHT FOR LIFE* is okay looking, but not as good as VR Fighter on the Sega Saturn.  Still, it's the ONLY 3D fighter coming out in the 1st half of 95 on any current system, so it will be popular.  Back to Hover Hunter - AEO says that this could be better than Battle Sphere.  I don't know, but they were right in saying that the Jaguar has a great line of independant progammers that create games like Tempest 200, Iron Soldier, and now Hover Hunter.  'Any system would be lucky to have just one of these assets' AEO said, and I stand behind that comment 100%.
    On the Internet, according to AEO, Eclipse said that *IRON SOLDER 2* will be out for Christmas of 1995, plus they will release a few undisclosed titles beforehand.
    A new *JOYPAD* is in the works.  Atari may bring out a 6 button controller this year.  We will have to see.
    On the CatScan BB, look for a ZIP'd file or a GIF of Battle Sphere pics, from AEO.

**Some of this information has been provided by Atari Explorer Online. Atari Explorer Online and AEO are respective trademarks of their respective owners***

Game of the Show: Hover Hunter
    This astonishing new game is called Hover Hunter is one great looking games.  Many compare it to Comanche: Maximum Overkill's beautiful Voxel Space landscapes.  Hover Hunter will be another game added to the elite games of the Jaguar: Tempest 2000, Iron Soldier, Alien vs Predator, and Doom.

CD Game of the Show: Varuna's Forces CD
    A new company called Accent is creating a CD game, described by some as similar to Novastorm.  Here is what Accent told AEO:
    'A little about our game.  It is an action/strategy game where you command a team of 4 soldiers on various missions.  You can control them from a commanders map screen or "jump into" each character AvP style when they need help.  All of that is supported by FMV movies and CD quality dialog.'


PREVIEWS
Jaguar Games

Batman Forever - based on the much-anticipated Warner Bros. movie scheduled for release this summer, pits the caped crusader and his sidekick Robin against Gotham City villains Two-Face and the Riddler.  The Atari Jaguar Batman Forver game will incorporate the movie's characters and feature the films newly-designed costumes and high-tech equipment.  Market research demonstrates that over 90% of the U.S. populartion is familiar with the Batman character, so there will be wide appeal for the game.  Batman Forever is scheduled for delivery to stores late in the 3rd quarter.

BattleMorph - here's a game that changes more than your undies.  You thought Cybermorph was challenging?  Now, face a whole new roster of worlds, puzzles, enemies and weapons in the CD sequel, Battlemorph.  With the new War Griffon, you'll be able to fly underwater and under- ground to get at the enemy weak spots.  The graphics are still CyberMorph type graphics, but the polygons are better defined and better looking, but from the version I'm previewing (65% done), the walls still just appear out of nowhere.  Hopefully they've fixed it since.  Available February.

Blue Lightning - Choose from 8 different high-performance military aircraft, and use them for what they do best.  The U.N.'s toughest Top General, Drako, has just gone renegade.  You need to bring the renegade military leader to justice before he permanently destroys the world.  Blue Lightning looks and plays nicely.  People who owned the Lynx version will not be disappointed; people new to the game will really like it.  Available February.

Fight For Life - This 3-D fighting game, produced and published by Atari, is set in hell, with each character striving for the ultimate prize: the chance to gain redemption and live again. Players choose one fighter from among eight different characters. They then battle the remaining characters one-by-one and proceed to the final
showdown with the end boss. As they defeat each opponent, players can select up to two of each character's five special moves, in effect creating their own truly unique fighting character. (Do the math: The possibilities are endless.)

To create 3-D animation of unsurpassed fluidity and realism, the production team used state-of-the-art motion capture technology that incorporated the movements of live martial arts experts performing nearly 200 different moves. Artists then exploited the Jaguar's 64-bit system to create stunning 3-D graphics that bring the characters to life. According to Edge Magazine (December 1994), "The skyline
background looks impressive and the moves are well-animated." "Atari's Fight for Life puts a floating camera around the 3-D fighting. Jaguar owners will soon have a 3-D fighting game to call their own," remarked a reviewer at GamePro (January 1995).  Set for a release before June.

Hover Strike - this game's previous name was BATTLEZONE 2000.  It is now Hover Strike.  You must lead the rebel assault against the formi- dable Space Pirates in this action packed 3D battle.  Your mission is to vanquish the enemy in multiple zones of the planet.  At your disposal is a hover craft armed with rapid fire cannons and powerful missles.  This game looks real good.  Available in the next 30-60 days (from January 14).

Rayman - Ten-year old Jimmy creates a stunning imaginary kingdom called "Hereitscool" in his computer and transforms himself into Rayman, a fantasy hero who combats the forces of evil to save his friends. Here's what DieHard GameFan had to say about this winning title from UBI Soft: "Absolutely brilliant looking. The control is perfect and the artwork is phenomenal."  Due out in June.

Space War 2000 - As a space knight, you will vie for glory, honor, fame, and fortune.  In this one or two player first person perspective 3D jousting adventure.  Procure multiple weapons and cool defensive items in your quest to rank with other valiant knights on "The High Score Table."  I think this game is going to be one of the best games of the 1st quarter.

Ultra Vortex - A great fighter's tournament is taking place in a nether-world, and you've come to kick butt.  Choose from 8 valiant fighters from different dimensions to work your way to the final battle with the entity who called you to fight.  Amazing sounds and graphics highlight this great title.  The control is also top notch.  Available February

Jaguar Hardware

Jaguar CD Player - Prepare to shift your Jaguar into overdrive.  On January 6, Atari announced that the CD peripheral will be available in the first quarter, priced at an amazingly affordable $149.99, including a CD game.  It has been confirmed since that the CD will be available in February.  While there has been no official word on the game to be included with it, many Prodigy users on the Video Games BB have said that Blue Lightning will be the game included.  If so, CD buyers will not be disappointed.  The CD-ROM provides 790 megabytes of raw data storage to allow many complex dizitized images, full-motion video sequences (which can be done at around 24-25 fps), and loads of CD-quality audio soundtracks into Jaguar games.  Imagine what the music might be like, considering that Jaguar carts that have music have very good music (like Tempest, Wolfenstein, etc.).  Atari's new CD player includes the Virtual Light Machine (VLM), which creates and displays light patterns on the video screen in response to music played through the system.  The result is a stunning light show.  There are 81 different pattern settings available on the VLM.  The VLM is built inot the Jaguar CD.
The first games to be available with release include: Battlemorph, Blue Lightning, Highlander, Demolition Man, and Vid Grid.  Other titles due out before June include Dragon's Lair, Brett Hull Hockey, Jack Nicklaus Cyber Golf, Robinson's Reqiem, and Redemption from Atari, plus 3rd party titles.

Release Schedule
This list contains all titles scheduled for release by March

Title               CD     Publisher   Release Date
AirCars                    MidNite       1st Quarter
Arena Football             V Real        1st Quarter
Battlemorph          x     Atari         February
Blue Lightning       x     Atari         February
Cannon Fodder              C West        IN PRODUCTION
Creature Shock       x     Virgin        1st Quarter
Dactyl Joust               Atari         1st Quarter
Demolition Man             Atari         1st Quarter
Double Dragon V            Williams      March
Fight For Life             Atari         March
Flashback                  US Gold       February
Highlander           x     Atari         1st Quarter
Hover Strike               Atari         February
Int'l Sensible Soccer      Telegames     February
Phear                      Atari         1st Quarter
Pinball Fantasies          C West        February
Soccer Kid                 Ocean         1st Quarter
Space War 2000             Atari         1st Quarter
Syndicate                  Ocean         February
Theme Park                 Ocean         February
Troy Aikman Football       Williams      February
Ultimate Brain Games       Telegames     March
Ultra Vortex               Beyond Games  February
Vid Grid              x    Atari         1st Quarter
White Men Can't Jump       Trimark       1st Quarter


REVIEWS

IRON SOLDIER
Publisher: Atari Corp  Developer: Eclipse Theme: Simulation  Megabits: 16  Price: 59.99  Players: 1  Difficulty: Medium

     After you play Iron Solider, you will no longer look at your Jaguar in the same way. In fact, you'll never look at video games in general in the same way. Simply put this game is a stunning, breakthrough game brought to you by Atari and Eclipse Software, a small German development house.
     The plot of Iron Soldier is quite ordinary and often used. You pilot a 40 foot mechanized soldier to take down yet another 'evil' corporation. But while the storyline isn't strong, the play mechanics, graphics and play control are extremely strong. Especially the controls. You actually feel like you are a 40 foot tall Iron Solider, using some very wicked weaponry to blow up tanks, helicopters, 
buildings, and well, anything in your path. And the explosions that these weapons create, wow. Just wait till you see the explosions. This brings me to another point, the graphics. Even though the polygonal graphics are extremely well done, they really aren't up to the textured map quality of AVP. Why couldn't they make this a fully textured mapped game? It would have made this game a little more enjoyable. 
     Any how, this game is extremely, extremely enjoyable. The 16 missions are long and tough, the graphics are pretty good and the play control is the best that I've ever felt. The only way that Atari can improve on this game is to release a sequel on the Jag CD, fully textured mapped of course.

Graphics: 9
Sound\Music: 9
Control: 10
Theme\Fun: 10
Originality: 10
Overall: 10 

IRON SOLDIER was completely reviewed by JOSH FRITSCH

CANNON FODDER
Publisher: Pacific Software  Developer: Virgin Interactive  Theme: Action/Strategy  Megabits: 16  Players: 1 or 2

    In Cannon Fodder you must control a small army of little soldiers. As time passes on, you get more and more.  Don't be surprised to see 8 or 10 different men that you must control all at the SAME TIME!  Your mission is to win the war.
    The graphics in this game are very - plain.  I expected more from a Jaguar game.  The 8 bit NES could do these graphics!  The graphics of the static screens (when you loose a soldier he's buried and mourned on Boot Hill) are detailed and ultra colorful.  And the terrain you walk on is almost photo real.  Still, I didn't pay $250 for 8 bit quality graphics.
    The music, on the other hand, it pure 64 bit quality.  All the tunes are well done and I'm sure your volume will be at high when you're playing this game.
    Controlling the game is almost a peace of cake.  You move your characters with an arrow.  Place the arrow in a strategic position and your troop walks towards that spot.  When they reach it, they stop.  So strategic guidance is a must for survival.  As your characters move, they can shoot in any direction, so it isn't a complete strategy bore-fest.
    The game is really fun to play.  When you shoot a guy, he sometimes just falls and bleeds to death (with his squirmish sounds) - and sometimes it's just best to get it over with (kill the dying bastard!).  As the game gets harder, you will be killing everyone - even the village people.
    Overall the game is very well done, minus the graphics.  There are very few of these type of games on the video game market, which is sad considering how fun these games really are.

Graphics: 6
Music/Sound: 8
Control: 8
Fun Factor: 8
Originality: 10
Overall: 8

KASUMI NINJA
Publisher: Atari  Developer: Hand Made Software  Theme: Fighting Megabits: 16  Price: 69.99  Players: 1-2  Difficulty: Easy

     After a year of waiting, Hand Made's 'Kasumi Ninja' has finally been released. Well, if it takes a year for HM to make a game of the quality of Kasumi, it would probably take them 5 years to make a games up to the quality of AVP.     Don't get me wrong, Kausmi ain't THAT bad. The graphics and sounds are extremely well done. But the game just feels, well, incomplete. Let me explain.
     You see, there are 8 characters that you can eventually choose from. Yet you only fight SIX of them, plus a corny boss which makes seven. Seven opponents! And if you don't know the moves (which you won't) you'll still beat the game the first time through by using punches and kicks in  basic patterns! And this brings me up to the main flaw of the game: the inane control. It seems like the devlopers had a demented sense of what's fun. You see my dear friends, gone 
are the SF2 or MK mechanics that we have all gotten used to. The moves are still there, but instead of a simple down, down forward, forward motion to get a fireball, we now have to go in a semi-circle motion on the pad just to get a damned fireball! By the time you've gotten the move off, you've been friggin' decapitated! Who devloped this game?!
A demented devloper out to ruin fighting games?!
     But this game gives off a strange feeling. Sometimes you'll love it, and some times you'll loathe it and you'll wish you never even set eyes on it. So, be on the safe side. Wait for Ultra Vortex.

Graphics: 9
Sound\Music: 9
Control: 4
Theme\Fun: 7
Overall: 7

KASUMI NINJA was completely reviewed by JOSH FRITSCH

VAL D'ISERE SKIING AND SNOWBOARDING
Publisher: Atari  Developer: Virtual Studios  Theme: Skiing- Snowboarding  Megabits: 16  Players: 1 or 2

    I couldn't go skiing today because the mountain was closed because of the 60 degree weather and days of rain we have had here in Massachusetts, so I decided to pick up Val D'Isere Skiing and Snow- boarding.  Well, it may be a long time until I return to the slopes again.
    Val D'Isere is the best skiing game I've ever played.  Winter Extreme on SNES was good, but this is spectacular.  You can ski or snowboard, time race, competetive racing, or the salomn, one or two player competition, etc.  So many options.  So much fun.
    The only thing can say about the graphics is WOW!  The backgrounds are very well done (photo-like) while the snow, ice, other skiiers, snow plows, etc. are perfectly done.
    The music is also very good.  The Jaguar's music capabilities are shown off here ONCE AGAIN.  No system can match music Jaguar-wise.
    Controlling the game can be a slight problem.  While it's simple, when you are snowboarding down the mountain at 96 M.P.H., you can lose control fast.  Once you get a hang of it, you will probably not have any trouble playing.
    The game is really fun.  Not just playing, but seeing all the great scenery.  And because you have to go through a few trails to get to a few more, you are always eager to beat the one you're on just to get a glimpse of the next.
    Overall, this game is another top quality game for the Jaguar.  There are only a few skiing games on the market that I know of (Winter Extreme on SNES and Ski or Die on NES), and this is better than both.  It was a great way to start off 1995 (it came out during the 2nd week of the year).  For non-mountain-athletes, I think you'll like it because of how fun it is; for those skiers and snowboarders, you'll love it because of the reality.

Graphics: 8
Music/Sound: 8
Control: 8
Fun Factor: 9
Originality: 9
Overall: 8

ZOOL 2
Publisher: Atari   Developer: Gremlin Graphics  Theme: Action Platform
Megabits: 16  Players: 1-2  Levels: 5 levels, with multiple stages in each

    The first Atari platform game is out and it's hot.  Zool 2, the sequel to the lackluster Super NES and Genesis game, has come home to the Jaguar - but has had a good facelift.
    You are Zool (masc) or Zooz (fem), out to get Krool and his friends out of the Nth Dimension.  To do so, you must collect 99% (or more, depending on difficulty setting) of a stage to get out of it.  In the final stage of a level, you must both have 99% and defeat the end boss.  Good luck!
    Sponsored by Chupa Chups, "The World's Best-Selling Lollipops", this game is a rainbow delighter.  With close to 32,000 colors on a screen, this game will always be "bright"!  The backgrounds are just plain, faded mountains and scenery.  But the foreground is full of big animations, 3D objects, and tons of color.
    The music is cute and catchy, except for the theme song.  Someone must have been passing gas while recording it.  Still, the music and effects only add to the game.
    The control is good, but a little touchy.  What makes up for that is all the control options and configurations you can set up.
    Overall, this game comes to the Jaguar a lot better than its predecessors on Genesis and SNES.  The game isn't very original, but for Jaguar owners, it is very original, because this and Bubsy are the first two platformers out on the Jaguar.  And Bubsy is good, but not as good and fun as this.

Graphics: 7
Music/Sound: 8
Control: 7
Originality: 8
Fun Factor: 8
Overall: 7

DRAGON: THE BRUCE LEE STORY
Publsher: Atari  Developer: Virgin Interactive  Theme: Action  Megabits: 16  Players: 1 or 2

    Transform yourself into the Martial Arts legend Bruce Lee. In Dragon, TBLS you will be given the opportunity to help Bruce get through his famous movie career and fight off his enemies along the way in this cart based on the movie of the same name.
There are five different game modes to choose from.  One player story mode, two play story, one and two player battle mode, and two play vs. cpu battle mode.  In the story mode you fight your oponents in battles that follow the film, and in the battle modes its Bruce Lee vs. (guess who) Bruce Lee.
    Dragon does not boast spectacular graphics and you will probably ask yourself if this is the 64-bit experience you expected when you bought your Jaguar.  From this standpoint the game is a disappointment, BUT in its defence the Jaguar version boasts better graphics than the SNES and Genesis.  Those who say that this is a 16-bit game are right, but the Jaguar version is BETTER than either the Genesis or SNES versions.  Some levels look good and others 
look depressing. Dragon does not us the Jags 64-bit power
    This game is challenging.  There are no special moves that destroy your opponents health meter. If you want to survive you'll have 
to do it with skill and patience.  The control in the game is fairly smooth and easy to figure out.  You can choose from close/medium/far range punch and kick attacks.  Dragon is easy to get used to but tough to master.
    The sound in Dragon is the most dissappointing aspect of the game.  The music is acceptable, but the sound affects sound like they came from an 8bit 7800.  I was not impressed and felt like turning the volumn down on the tv. 
    Dragon is an acceptable game that is fun to play but not revolutionary.  Those looking for 64-bit gaming had better wait for Kasumi Ninja or Ultra Vortex.  I do look forward to more Virgin games and reccomend a purchase of this game to show Virgin that Jag owners are out there. 

Graphics: 8
Music/Sound: 6
Play Control: 9
Overall: 7

DRAGON: THE BRUCE LEE STORY was completely reviewed by THOMAS WHEELER


1995 Sports Forecast

    Brutal Sports Football kicked off the sports games for the Jaguar in the summer (and nationally in November), but only Checkered Flag has come out since.  Well, 1995 will be a year of GOOD sports games for the Jaguar.  While Sega Genesis may be the number 1 sports system on the market, the Jaguar has a great chance of being the leader in the "new generation" of systems.
    Starting off the year in Jaguar sports is Val D'Isere Snowboarding and Skiing by Virtual Studios.  This game, just released, is said to be one of the hottest skiing games on the market.  The background visuals are pure quality, and the music is very well done.
    Arena Football by V Real is due out by the end of March.  While Arena (Indoor) Football has existed for some time, it has grown very popular in the past year or two.  The Massachusett Marauders drew close to 10,000 fans each time it played in the 15,000 seat Worcester Centrum (their attendance record is actually higher than 15,000).  Many people consider it "dumb", but it is definitely a growing sport.  The video game will need some work, however.  While it looks great, it is slow.  The last time I saw this was in the Fall of 1994, so it probably has been improved.
    Sensible Soccer - International Edition, from Telegames, is going to be a good soccer game.  While the graphics are very small, they are fast and very smooth.  The game version I saw last November had 8 teams on it.  In EGM2, there were some photos of the game and even they said that the game should do very well.  It's due out in February.
    Brett Hull Hockey, from Atari, features super-realistic, digitized graphics and a real time 3D hockey rink.  Available on CD, Brett Hull Hockey will provide the most realistic hockey video game ever.  Look for Brett Hull Hockey by June.
    Charles Barkley-Shut Up and Jam takes an in-your-face, over-the- top approach to America's favorite indoor sport.  Players will encounter some of the worst b-ball players on the streets as they try to rule the game's 2 on 2 streetball tournament.  Charles Barkley-Shut Up and Jam is due out by the end of June.
    Hardball Baseball will provide a graphicallly and statistically true-to-life simulation of real baseball.  Players will have the added option of customizing teams and scheduling themselves for one game, a playoff series or an entire season.  Special software builds players' statistics as the games are played making Hardball Baseball even more realistic.  This title is due out in July.
    For golf fans, there's Jack Nicklaus Cyber Golf, a CD title.  This game utilizes over 9,000 images of Murfield Village Golf Course, the first that Jack Nicklaus created and is the site of the annual Memorial Tournament.  David Livingston acts as a virtual commentator to teach the first-time player how to play the game or provide comments and suggestions for the more experienced players.  Up to 4 can play, and the CD is set for a release by June.
    Troy Aikman NFL Football is the second Jaguar football game and will feature all 28 teams and new rules including the 2-point conversion rule.  Troy Aikman NFL Football is due out in February.
    Other sports games coming out are CD League Bowling from V Real..  This great looking game is due out in the 2nd Quarter.  World Class Cricket from Telegames has some cool graphics and mechanics and I like it.  Cricket is like baseball in America.  It's due out in April.  Wild Cup Soccer, another title form Telgames.  The "pseudo-sequel" to BSF is more improved.  While BSF contained side scrolling action, this has more of a FIFA Soccer look.  And it contains all the gore that BSF did!  (I wonder if it's based on the way people in Spain act over soccer - I hear they get so serious that they throw bottles and stuff at the players!).  Burn Out is a motorcycle racing game and is due out in quarter 2 of this year.  A game called Center Court Tennis has been announced, but with no date.  F1 Racer is also coming out in 1995, but no specific date.  Kick Off 3 has ALSO been announced, but again, no date.  A game from DTMC called Mountain Sports was announced, but, any guess what date I have for it?  (No date!)  Soccer Kid is coming out from Ocean, and YES, there is a date.  It's scheduled for a 1st Quarter release.  Super Off Road from Telegames has been announced, but there is no date (again!).  There is also a football game with no name and no date in the works.  A minature golf game from DTMC is in progress, but no date.  There is also racing (Gremlin Graphics) and soccer (UBI Soft) in progress, but no dates.  Finally, there is Wayne Gretzky Hockey from Time Warner, scheduled for November.  That's 23 sports games in the works, plus the two out now.  TWENTY-FIVE.  And the worst one is probably White Men Can't Jump.  The rest are superb and will entertain those who like each sport.  One thing is missing - WWF Raw!  I played this and let me tell you, it's great on Super NES - but it would be AWESOME on the Jaguar.  And, with a big name like WWF on the Jaguar, recognition would come a lot easier.


News N Notes

    On January 6, Atari announced the unleashing of three new games that will give the competition more than they can handle.  *Batman Forever*, by Time Warner Interactive, based on the upcoming movie, will be released for the Jaguar.  The game will feature all new effects and the new costumes from the movies.  Atari research shows that over 90 percent of the U.S. population is familiar with the Batman character, showing wide appeal for the game.  They announced a 3rd Quarter release.  *Thea Realm Fighters*, to be released on CD by Atari will feature martial artists from previous fighting games including both Mortal Kombats.  Some of the martial artists include Ho Sung Pak (Liu Kang in MK2), Phillip Ahn, MD, (Shang Tsung in MK2), Daniel Pesina (Johnny Cage and all ninjas in MK & MK2), and Katalin Zamiar (Kitana, Mileena and Jade in MK2), among others.  The game will consist of 12 main fighters and at least 12 specialty fighters (a total of 25+ characters).  The game is set for a 3rd Quarter release.  Finally, Atari announced *Primal Rage CD* to be released by Time Warner Interactive in the 4th Quarter.  In the game, you are one of seven prehistoric beasts that must conquer the rest.  This game was one of the top 5 "quarter-crunchers" in 1994.
    That same day they also announced the release of several sports games described in our special sports section.
    The *Jaguar CD* will be $149.99 - NOT $199 AS PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED.  Atari will package the big accessory with a game, plus the Virtual Light Machine will come built in.  Another rumor says Atari may package the Tempest 2000 CD with it or a 1/2 off coupon for the T2K CD.
    A rumor from Great Britain from AEO says that Atari may offer a new package that will contain TWO Jaguars with one controller each ($500), a network adaptor ($30) and Doom ($60) for about $500.  The network adaptor allows you to play the Jaguar vs. Jaguar on two separate TVs (just like the Lynx link - two Lynxes, one game), but a two-player interface game.  This would also enable the person who is looking to buy a Jaguar to chose between which game they wanted - Cybermorph or Doom!  The value of the package is $590.  It would be marketed in the US as well.


THAT'S ALL FOLKS!
    Well, the new year is going to bring a lot of happiness to Jaguar owners, and we'll tell you all about it this year.  Have a great month and see you a little after Valentine's Day.

The Jaguar Journal is produced for the Cat's Club - if you download this issue, tell me you did by writing, by Internet to:

wtmj44b@prodigy.com

When you do, you'll be added to the Cat's Club member list - the largest online Jaguar club in the country.
NUMBER OF MEMBERS as of January 25, 1995: 55
Expected Growth Between 1-25-95 and 2-25-95: +8
Estimated Members By December 31, 1995: 85
Number Of Jaguar Journal's Released (not including this issue): 2
  September-October 1994 (File 115 on Cat Scan BB)
  November-December 1994 (File 131 on Cat Scan BB)
Number Of Special Journal Pieces: 1
  Holiday Shopping Guide 1994 (File 137 on Cat Scan BB)

The Legal Stuff
Atari, the Atari Logo, Jaguar, and the Jaguar Logo are registered trademarks of Atari Corporation.  All Rights Reserved.  Alien and Predator is a trademark of and copyrighted by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.  All Rights Reserved.  Used under sublicense from Activision.  Doom and Wolfenstein 3D are trademarks or registered trademark of id Software.  All Rights Reserved.  Iron Soldier, Kasumi  Ninja, Tempest 2000, Club Drive, Checkered Flag, Hover Strike, Evolution: Dino Dudes, Trevor McFur in the Crescent Galaxy, Cybermorph, Battlemorph, Blue Lightning, and Space War 2000, among others, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Atari Corporation.  All rights reserved.  All other games, game titles, game names, game logos, etc. are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.