Jaguar or 32X, which is more pathetic?

[Anthony1]

I'm sorry, but I have to admit to myself that both the Atari Jaguar and Sega 32X, were both just about the crappiest systems ever released to an unsuspecting public!

I bought both of these sorry suckers they day they were released. Damn, what a waste of money.

However, I've gotten a Jag again, and I know I will stumble onto a 32X soon, so I can't dog them to much, cause I still want to try out different games on them, but the truth of the matter is that both systems were a huge failure in their time. More so the 32X to me, than the Jag. The Jag did have AVP, and a great version of DOOM, plus Power Drive Rally, and although everybody hates it, Cybermorph.

Call me crazy but I actually like Cybermorph.

As for the 32X, there really isn't a game for it, that I really really like. It's more like which games will I actually tolerate.

The sad thing too, is that these systems where supposed to be 64 bit and 32 bit, what a joke! Maybe technically speaking they could call themselves 32 bit and 64 bit, but the reality is that they were both more like 16 bit machines with FX and VSP chips pre-built into them. The 32X was supposed to finally give Sega the colors on the screen that they were so envious of the SNES of. But none of the games are really bursting with color to me. It still looks very Genny like to me.

And the Jag being 64 bit? Please. Games like Bubsy and Zool and Troy Aikmen and Brutal Sports Football. All these games look 100 percent 16 bit to me!

Anyways go ahead and vote on which is best. Also if you could list your favorite game for each.


My favorite for the Jag is Doom. I thought it was a damn good version of DOOM. It came out quite some time prior to the PSone version. Of course in retrospect the PSone version is the one to get if you are getting one, but back in the day when Doom first came out on the Jag, it was pretty amazing!

As for the 32X, I'm going to have to roll with MetalHead. MetalHead at least seemed like it was somewhat of a next-generation game at the time. It seemed kinda 32 bit. And that was big, as far as 32X games were concerned.

[Kid Fenris]

The Jaguar fans will soon burn this thread to the ground and salt the earth upon which it stood, but before that happens, I'm going to say that the 32X is the worse of the two. In terms of A-list titles, the 32X had Chaotix and not much else. The Jaguar, at least, had Alien vs. Predator, Tempest, Rayman, and Iron Soldier. The Jag's failures were just more spectacular than those of the 32X, and thus Atari's system is often judged as being the same as Sega's doomed add-on.

What's more, the 32X represents a bigger screw-over to those who bought it back in 1994. For all of the Jag's problems, Atari didn't drop the system shortly after its release and start trying to sell its customers their real next-gen hardware. Sega created and marketed the 32X knowing full well that the Saturn was on its way, and only the most hubristic of executives would think that people might buy two brand new game units from the same company in less than a year.

Now, the Jaguar CD might just be worse than the 32X.

[Wavelflack]

Though I have soft spots for both systems, the scales tip massively in 32X's favor. 32X had Shadow Squadron. By all rights, this should be reason anough to declare victory, but I can add to it. Arcade perfect Afterburner & Space Harrier (vs. arcade perfect Raiden..zzz), Kolibri, the best version of Virtua Racing (comparable to the arcade in all respects)[compare to Checkered Flag], Knuckles Chaotix (a completely underappreciated episode in the Sonic lineage), plus "good" versions of games such as MKII, Blackthorne, etc.

32X (which, I remind you, is a system) had the specs and stats all over the Jag, plus it had the games. Also, the 32X could run sound FX AND music at the same time!!

[wcmiker]

I think Jaguar is worst than Sega 32X.

Maybe I didn't give Jag enough time, I had one with AVP and Tempest that I sold 3 days after getting it.

Still have my Sega 32X though, in fact, I am 7 games away from a complete collection.

[thegreatescape]

My marshmallows are with the 32x. Some nice arcade conversions, knuckles, and virtua racing that wasnt like the saturn version.

And best of all, you can actually find 32x' in Australia. I have a friend that once saw a Jag, but it was behind a glass window, and i do believe there may have been velvet rope involved.

[oesiii]

I think the Jag has the worst repuatation because it was Atari's last console and drove the company out of business. But it's software library is much better than the 32X. Sega gets a pass on the 32X these days because they came back strong with two great consoles in the Saturn and the Dreamcast and we fanboys forgive them

The Jag has 79 titles total about double what came out for the 32X. Tempest 2K, Alien vs. Predator, Power Drive Rally, Rayman, and Battlemorph were all great looking and playing games when they came out in the mid-90's and still hold up. The Jag also had the best console ports at the time of Doom, Wolf 3D, and NBA Jam TE.

I also personally think the Dragon's Lair port on the Jag was the best option for playing the arcade game at home until the Daphne emu came out last year. But I'm a DL fanboy so I needed my fix

[Ernster]

I think the N-gage, should be added to the poll

[Atari7800]

Say what you will about the 32x, but don't call it a 16-bit system. It may need the backbone of a 16-bit system (the Genesis) in order to operate, but it's 32-bit through and through. TWO 32-bit chips actually, from the same family of the CPU's found in the Saturn.

I can't believe no one has mentioned Virtua Fighter... it's a fantastic game! Not as pretty as the arcade game, but it works. And it plays GREAT. Compare it to the really dreadful Fight For Life and you'll see what I mean.
It's a shame so few people can play the 32x game DarXide... it really shows what the system could do. High frame rate, great texture mapping...

Both the Jaguar and the 32x had the technical goods (however compromised) to deliver some truly great games... it's a real shame neither system lived up to its potential.

[SaturnRox]

I would have liked to see some of the 32x model 2 arcade board conversions that were supposed to be in the works like Daytona and Virtua Cop. They would have sounded like shit, but how would they have looked? Daytona for 32x? Humm...

The Jag had a lot going for it too... just no devlopment money for games and zilch interest from third party developers.

Incidentally, I played the N-Gage a few days ago... I was very impressed with the graphics! Too bad the controls fart in your face and the whole unit just feels super-cheap.

[wberdan]

jaguar is definetely better... the good games on the jaguar are a step above the good games on the 32x. the 32x is a turd. im glad i only paid 20$ for it new when it was still available.

willie

[Sylentwulf]

<--- is a Jaguar fan who will burn this thread to the ground and salt the earth it once stood on.

[ManekiNeko]

Wow, they're neck and neck... but I have to give the dubious honor to the 32X. At least with the Jaguar, you didn't have to bother assembling it out of a half dozen different pieces, then crossing your fingers and hoping it would all work.
The best part of the 32X is that you could unplug it and play some Genesis games.

JR

[Epicenter]

At least the 32x didn't overheat .. and its controller could actually be held in one's hands. who the fuck needs those 50 ant-sized buttons?

[Zaxxon]

At least the 32x didn't overheat ..

Your Jag overheated? I've never heard of that happening before.

and its controller could actually be held in one's hands. who the fuck needs those 50 ant-sized buttons?

The pad is too big for your hands? Are you a dwarf ? The Jag pad is just as wide, deep and long as a PS pad. It's just solid in the middle where the keypad is.

[Arqueologia_Digital]

I don´t think the Jaguar is a bad console , i think you´re wrong Anthony1 and if i have to choose, the 32X is worst than the Jaguar, but also i think that none of those systems are CRAAAAP

[Ed Oscuro]

It's a shame so few people can play the 32x game DarXide... it really shows what the system could do. High frame rate, great texture mapping...

I also haven't played that one, but DarXide came to my mind nonetheless.

Jaguar had Alien vs. Predator...well, okay I guess, fun? Perhaps that's the must have (along with Tempest) for the system, but it seems to me that the library didn't really have a whole lot going for it.

Heh, when I first heard that there was an AvP on the Jaguar my first thought was "wow, that must be one overpowered console." I imagined it had CD-ROM music (not that that's impossible on the Jag :D) and graphics to match the PC version (I'd aleady played the PC version and I wasn't really thinking about lower resolution on the Jaguar, I just thought it'd be sweet, heh).

[Epicenter]

I've heard the Jaguar is very prone to overheating .. may be wrong though. And the photos I've seen of the controllers showed these dreamcast-controller sized things with odd button positioning and about 60 tiny remote-control sized buttons. o.O

[esquire]

The best part of the 32X is that you could unplug it and play some Genesis games.

I am not sure if you know this, but you do not need to unplug the 32X to play Genny games. The 32X plays both carts.

I think both systems are not that bad. However the Jaguar CD does blow considering the price you pay for one and the limited library that's available for it.

Why wasn't the CD-i included? That has to be the worst console ever. Most of the games were ports from other systems (3DO, Jaguar CD, Sega CD) or the PC. How many times do we need to see Myst, Dragon's Lair I & II, Space Ace, Lords of the Rising Sun etc on a console? The Zelda games sucked. So did the versions of Whack-A-Bubble and Tetris. I mean does anyone actually still play games on that thing? I know I still play my 32X and Jaguar. I only have a CD-i because I am a collector and the games are fairly cheap for it. I never say "Hey, I feel like playing the CD-i tonight."

[Zaxxon]

I've heard the Jaguar is very prone to overheating .. may be wrong though. And the photos I've seen of the controllers showed these dreamcast-controller sized things with odd button positioning and about 60 tiny remote-control sized buttons. o.O

So your opinion that the Jag sucks is based entirely on 3rd person hearsay and photos you saw and no actual experience. m'kay
If you ever get to actually hold a Jag pad you'll see it's not especially large or bulky and is actually quite comfortable. The PS pad is much more of a hand cramper. The only system I've ever heard of overheating was the Astrocade.

[zmweasel]

If you ever get to actually hold a Jag pad you'll see it's not especially large or bulky and is actually quite comfortable. The PS pad is much more of a hand cramper.

I entirely disagree with you. The Jaguar controller is large, bulky, and extremely uncomfortable; the PlayStation controller is an ergonomic dream. I assume you also enjoyed the original Xbox controller?

-- Z.