Editing Atari Jaguar (section)

==Reception==
Reviewing the Jaguar just a few weeks prior to its launch, ''[[GamePro]]'' gave it a "thumbs sideways". They praised the power of the hardware but criticized the controller, and were dubious of how the software lineup would turn out, commenting that Atari's failure to secure support from key third party publishers such as [[Capcom]] was a bad sign. They concluded: "Like the [[3DO Interactive Multiplayer|3DO]], the Jaguar is a risky investment – just not quite as expensive."<ref>{{cite magazine|title=System Shopper|magazine=[[GamePro]]|issue=63|publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|date=December 1993|pages=46–49}}</ref>

The Jaguar won ''[[GameFan]]''{{'}}s "Best New System" award for 1993.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=GameFan's 2nd Annual Megawards|url=https://archive.org/stream/GamefanVolume2Issue02/GamefanVolume2Issue02February1994#page/n57/mode/2up|magazine=[[GameFan]]|issue=2|publisher=Shinno Media|date=January 1994|volume=2 |page=58|quote=Best New System: Winner: The Atari Jaguar}}</ref>

The small size and poor quality of the Jaguar's game library became the most commonly cited reason for its failure in the marketplace. The pack-in game ''[[Cybermorph]]'' was one of the first [[Polygon (computer graphics)|polygon]]-based games for consoles, but was criticized for design flaws and a weak color palette, and compared unfavorably with the SNES's ''[[Star Fox (1993 video game)|Star Fox]]''. Other early releases like ''[[Trevor McFur in the Crescent Galaxy]]'', ''[[Raiden (video game)|Raiden]]'', and ''[[Evolution: Dino Dudes]]'' also received poor reviews, the latter two for failing to take full advantage of the Jaguar's hardware. The Jaguar did eventually earn praise with games such as ''[[Tempest 2000]]'', ''[[Doom (1993 video game)|Doom]]'' and ''[[Wolfenstein 3D]]''.<ref name="Atari Jaguar History"/> The most successful title during the Jaguar's first year was ''[[Alien vs Predator (Atari Jaguar game)|Alien vs. Predator]]''.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> However, these occasional successes were seen as insufficient, while the Jaguar's competitors were receiving a continual stream of critically acclaimed software; ''GamePro'' concluded their rave review of ''Alien vs. Predator'' by remarking: "If Atari can turn out a dozen more games like ''AvP'', Jaguar owners could truly rest easy and enjoy their purchase."<ref name="ProReview: Alien vs. Predator"/> In a late 1995 review of the Jaguar, ''[[Game Players]]'' remarked: "The Jaguar suffers from several problems, most importantly the lack of good software."<ref name=GPl79>{{cite magazine |title=System Analysis: Jaguar / Jaguar CD|magazine=[[Game Players]]|issue=79|publisher=Signal Research |date=1995|page=68}}</ref> ''[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]'' likewise commented that "thus far, Atari has spectacularly failed to deliver on the software side, leaving many to question the actual quality and capability of the hardware. With only one or two exceptions – ''Tempest 2000'' is cited most frequently – there have just been no truly great games for the Jaguar up to now." They further noted that though Atari is well known by older gamers, the company had much less overall [[brand recognition]] than Sega, Sony, Nintendo, or even The 3DO Company. However, they argued that with its low price point, the Jaguar might still compete if Atari could improve the software situation. They gave the system two out of five stars.<ref name=NGen12/> ''Game Players'' also stated though it is 64-bit, the Jaguar is much less powerful than the 3DO, Saturn, and PlayStation, even when supplemented with the Jaguar CD.<ref name=GPl79/> With such a small library of games<ref name="wired">{{cite web|url=https://www.wired.com/gaming/gamingreviews/multimedia/2007/05/gallery_game_history?slide=28&slideView=7|title=Console Portraits: A 40-Year Pictorial History of Gaming|access-date=March 23, 2008|author=Greg Orlando|date=May 15, 2007|work=[[Wired (website)|Wired News]]|publisher=[[Condé Nast Publications]]|url-access=registration|archive-date=December 23, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081223161345/http://www.wired.com/gaming/gamingreviews/multimedia/2007/05/gallery_game_history?slide=28&slideView=7|url-status=live}}</ref> to challenge the incumbent 16-bit game consoles, the Jaguar's appeal never grew beyond a small gaming audience. ''Digital Spy'' commented: "Like many failed hardware ventures, it still maintains something of a cult following but can only be considered a misstep for Atari."<ref>Mark Langshaw. "[http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/gaming/news/a453849/atari-retrospective-the-rise-and-fall-of-a-gaming-giant.html Atari retrospective: The rise and fall of a gaming giant] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150628080650/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/gaming/news/a453849/atari-retrospective-the-rise-and-fall-of-a-gaming-giant.html |date=June 28, 2015 }}". ''Digital Spy'', January 27, 2013.</ref>

In 2006, ''[[IGN]]'' editor Craig Harris rated the original Jaguar controller as the worst game controller ever, criticizing the unwarranted recycling of the 1980s "phone keypad" format and the small number of action buttons, which he found particularly unwise given that Atari was actively trying to court fighting game fans to the system.<ref name =harris>{{cite web|title=Top 10 Tuesday: Worst Game Controllers|url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/690/690449p1.html|website=IGN|access-date=August 7, 2009|date=February 21, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070114141120/http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/690/690449p1.html|archive-date=January 14, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> Ed Semrad of ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' commented that many Jaguar games gratuitously used all of the controller's phone keypad buttons, making the controls much more difficult than they needed to be.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Review Crew: Syndicate|magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=69|publisher=Sendai Publishing|date=April 1995|page=38}}</ref> ''GamePro''{{'}}s The Watch Dog remarked: "The controller usually doesn't use the keypad, and for games that use the keypad extensively (''Alien vs. Predator'', ''Doom''), a keypad overlay is used to minimize confusion. But yes, it is a lot of buttons for nuttin'."<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Buyers Beware |magazine=[[GamePro]] |issue=89 |publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|date=February 1996|page=14}}</ref> Atari added more action buttons for its Pro Controller, to improve performance in fighting games in particular.<ref name=LOCR>{{cite web|url=http://www.leftoverculturereview.com/2012/04/04/5-reasons-why-the-atari-jaguar-isnt-so-bad/|title=5 Reasons Why the Atari Jaguar Isn't So Bad|author=Bruiser|date=April 4, 2012|website=Leftover Culture Review|publisher=LOCR|access-date=February 1, 2018|archive-date=February 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180202193359/http://www.leftoverculturereview.com/2012/04/04/5-reasons-why-the-atari-jaguar-isnt-so-bad/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ataritimes.com/index.php?ArticleIDX=564|title=Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story|last=Clarke|first=Bruce|date=February 18, 2007|website=The Atari Times|publisher=TAT|access-date=February 1, 2018|archive-date=February 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180202130731/http://www.ataritimes.com/index.php?ArticleIDX=564|url-status=dead}}</ref>