UCM21
.tHE .sIRIUS .cYBERNETICS .cORPORATION
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CONSOLE GAMING NEWS
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This article is just about to show up what games were released in the last time
or a going to be released in the near future for the Atari consoles LYNX and
JAGUAR. You all know that there isn't much to come anymore. Furthermore also on
those machines some kind of "digging out old stuff" is very -in- at the moment
and so not all "new" games are new at all. But as Atarian you should know this
already (think on the Falcon...) and shouldn't have a big problem with this at
the one hand and should be happy to see new stuff for those consoles at the
other hand... arr... I don't have any Atari console at all... just wanted to
point that out.
Ok, let's start with new games for the JAGUAR...
The Jaguar market is nowadays maintained by SONGBIRD PRODUCTIONS, who are doing
more or less the same as 16/32 SYSTEMS did for the Falcon a few years ago. Even
if SONGBIRD are producing some game titles by themselves they're especially on
the Jaguar more in the finishing and releasing of old and stopped games by other
developpers. So they digged out several games, licensed them and finally brought
them to the shrinking Atari Jaguar community, that had very hard times since the
existence of the Jaguar, because of many shitty games, too few releases (esp. in
the last years) and so on...
But SONGBIRD is trying to brighten that situation a little bit and so they have
released 4 games for the Jaguar within the last months. Here they come...
"HYPER FORCE"
This vertical running shot'em'up in the foodsteps of "TURRICAN" or even "TOTAL
RECALL" on the good old 16bit machines was released as 2MB CARTRIDGE and was
developped by VIRTUAL IMPACT back in the year 1995... Because of the bad chances
to earn some money the project was stopped and the developpers are nowadays in
the GAME BOY COLOR, PC and PSX gaming scene. SONGBIRD digged the game out...
As the screenshots show this is a fairly ordinary shooter, the grafix reminding
more to the SNES instead to a 64bit machine and so the whole thing gives more a
touch of the early video-gaming times instead of high end consoles as the Jaguar
was thought as...
"PROTECTOR"
This shot'em'up, released as 2MB CARTRIDGE as well, isn't usefull for DEFENDER
2K owners, because it's just another DEFENDER clone. Not much to say, especially
because this game concept without any blasting features on a 64bit console is
too old fashioned...
"SKYHAMMER"
This shot'em'up was hyped a lot, but unfortunately I don't got more informations
about the game itself. It was developped by REBELLION, who are famous for their
work on "ALIEN VS PREDATORS". It comes as 4MB CARTRIDGE.
"SOCCER KID"
That jump'n'run game was developped by KRISALIS software and was released on a
2MB CARTRIDGE. This game is called to be the most addictive plattformer but the
screenshots are more or less disturbing. Even some jump'n'run games on 16bit
computers and consoles are looking more colourful as this one. Also the idea to
mix a soccer game with a plattformer isn't overwhelming... Only for jump'n'run
addicts...
Other games still in preperation...
"ARKANNA"
This game is still under development of the US firm STORM WORKS INTERACTIVE. It
is going to be a 3D adventure for one player, released on 2MB cartridge. So far
the game is finished for 3o% but not laying on ice as the permanent updates of
the developper homepage show.
url: http://lonestar.texas.net/~ni2105/
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A bit brighter looks the scenery on the LYNX, ATARI's only handheld at all.
After many very thin years the last survivors owning this gaming system got a
wave of new releases within the last months and there is still more to come. Not
all of those games are just games that got final touches as it is on the Jaguar.
CHAMPIONSHIP RALLEY
This overhead racing game in style of "SUPER CARS" is thought to be released
around XMAS 2ooo.
CRYSTAL MINES 2: BURIED TREASURE
This is an expansion for the game "CRYSTAL MINES" and originally developped by
SERIOUS CYBERNETICS. It needs a WINDOWS PC to fill up the game with new levels
and a level editor as well.
CYBERVIRUS
This game was originally developped by BEYOND GAMES and will be finished by
SONGBIRD next year. It is going to be the first (and again) first-person shooter
or adventure (?) on the LYNX at all. The first screenshots aren't bad but in my
eyes they remind a lot to the crappy EGA palette of the old PC's... meuh!
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