Top 25 Best Atari Jaguar Games of All Time

The Atari Jaguar was a bad console. There’s no getting around that fact. It was poorly designed, looks awful, features a terrible controller, and the library of games is largely considered abysmal. With that said, there’s always a silver lining. Not all of the software was garbage in fact some of it was quite good. What’s interesting is the fact that many of the best Jaguar games are still exclusive to that console and can’t be found anywhere else even today. That’s why I decided to make this list. For new and old collectors of the console alike here it is! This is our list of the top 25 best Atari Jaguar games!

#25. – Cybermorph

This was the pack-in game included with the Atari Jaguar. It’s not great by any means, but can be mildly entertaining in short bursts. That is, if you can handle the constant voice sample “where did you learn to fly” playing constantly each time you crash your ship into something. Cybermorph is a free roaming 3D shooter where you’re tasked with collecting pods. The problem is the terrain is largely a barren wasteland. As I said it’s not a particularly good game, but that’s par for the course when it comes to the Atari Jaguar.

#24. – Space Ace

The Jaguar wasn’t a great console, and the CD attachment fared even worse. At least those who put down the money for it got to play FMV games, right? I kid, but some of these were actually somewhat decent. Space Ace is one of them, and the Jaguar CD version is one of the best from the original batch of releases. This is basically Dragon’s Lair in space. You watch video sequences and at specific prompts in each scene you must press a button. Each causes a different outcome by having your character, in this case a hero named Dexter, perform a number of actions. It’s barely interactive, but it’s still somewhat fun.

#23. – Blue Lightning

Here’s another mediocre game that’s scraped from the bottom of the barrel because the overall library is so poor. Blue Lightning originated on the Atari Lynx where it was an envelope pushing shooter which was a technical marvel. Here on the Jaguar CD it’s not nearly as impressive. Blue Lightning is a combat focused flight simulation in the vein of After Burner. You view the action from behind your ship as you let loose against oncoming crafts. Unfortunately the graphics are quite poor, and the gameplay isn’t nearly as smooth as it should be. Blue Lightning might be a slog to play but it does have a decent soundtrack.

#22. – Breakout 2000

The ‘2000’ line of games from Atari were flashy remakes of their old classics. This is their version of Breakout. It’s good, but not great. That’s coming from someone who is a big fan of the original and most copycats. At its heart Breakout 2000 is still the same old routine. You move a paddle back and forth knocking a ball forward to eliminate blocks. The problem here is that the perspective is skewed to give a more 3D feel to the play field. That’s fine and dandy but it doesn’t enhance the experience in any way. Worse yet, it actually makes the game more difficult to play. The reason Breakout 2000 makes this list is because it’s still Breakout at heart, and even these changes can’t completely ruin the package.

#21. – Dragon’s Lair

This is perhaps the most famous of the FMV games. Dragon’s Lair must have been the most impressive centerpiece of every arcade in the 80s. I suppose there was a market for it on home consoles because it hit nearly every game system which could support it at the time. Dragon’s Lair on the Jaguar CD is grainy and not nearly as pretty as the arcade version. With that said it’s still perfectly playable, and dare I say, a fun romp. If you don’t like Dragon’s Lair this won’t change your mind because it’s an uglier and more expensive version of what you can get on your phone now.

#20. – Zool 2

I’ve never played the original Zool. Clearly that doesn’t much matter because this long forgotten European developed platformer is meant to stand on its own. Zool 2 reminds me a little of Sonic the Hedgehog in terms of design. You have multiple paths and a light emphasis on speed. Because of this the platforming is a little sloppy, but it’s serviceable. By and large the stages and themes are pretty forgettable. There’s also that 90s euro jank we all know and hate. Despite this, by Jaguar standards Zool 2 is a gem.

#19. – Missile Command 3D

I must admit that I’m a little surprised this wasn’t merely called Missile Command 2000. It has all the bells and whistles from Atari’s other remakes, and it’s actually one of the better ones. Missile Command 3D is pretty much the same classic game we all know and love, but with a fresh coat of paint. The biggest enhancement is the inclusion of several different game modes which even have a storyline behind them. Your goal is to protect a number of cities from incoming missiles by shooting them before they can strike. You don’t control a ship or anything and instead just direct projectile attacks. It’s pretty neat, and this is the best version of the classic I’ve found so far.

#18. – Pinball Fantasies

Gamers were no doubt eager for some titles to take advantage of the 64-bit power behind the Atari Jaguar. That’s why I’m sure releases such as Pinball Fantasies were really disappointing for early adopters. Worse yet, this is a port of the 16-bit game and has almost no new features. Despite this it’s still a good pinball based video game. The tables are varied and fun, but best of all colorful and with a lot of action. I wouldn’t recommend seeking out the archaic Jaguar hardware for this one, but if you already have a console then Pinball Fantasies is one of the better choices you can make.

#17. – Cannon Fodder

Real time strategy isn’t a genre you think of when it comes to the Atari Jaguar. Nonetheless, here’s Cannon Fodder. This port of the classic PC title works surprisingly well on the platform. You guide a small squad of soldiers across a variety of maps. Thing is, you choose their paths and also fire by moving around an on-screen crosshair. It’s much more intuitive than it sounds. To be honest this is one of my favorite home console versions of the game. This Jaguar release shouldn’t be slept on despite the game being available on several other platforms of this era.

#16. – Power Drive Rally

Developers really got the Jaguar wrong. Instead of focusing on its polygon pushing capabilities they should have made more 2D games because these are where the console shined. Power Drive Rally is one of these such releases. It stands head and shoulders above 3D racers like Checkered Flag and Club Drive. Really, there’s no contest. This is a top down racing game which has some fantastic course designs. You have a very limited view but there’s a handy announcer that lets you know what kind of turn is ahead via some handy voice over samples.

#15. – Ruiner Pinball

Yes, two pinball video games made the list of the best Jaguar titles. No, neither one is an incredible or unforgettable game, but they’re both pretty fun. This is Ruiner Pinball. It’s a more mature title than Fantasies, and also has more options. You can play a variety of different modes which feature their own tables, and these are multi-screened and tiered. Ruiner Pinball features table designs which harken to different eras of pinball which is pretty neat. This is the best pinball title on the platform. It’s also one of the best Jaguar games. That isn’t saying much, but it’s something.

#14. – Defender 2000

It’s no secret by now that I love the 2000 line on the Jaguar. Rather than creating new franchises or even re-inventing their old ones Atari instead released updated versions of their classics. These play the same, but feature better aesthetics and new options. Defender 2000 is among the best in this line. As an update to the original Defender it carries along the same spirit but with more obstacles and enemy types. It’s a scrolling shooter wherein you must move both left and right in a stage to rescue space miners from a variety of different enemies. The action is fun and frantic, and pretty addictive as well.

#13. – Battlemorph

You’d think after Cybermorph that Atari would have given up, but nope! They released Battlemorph as the lone sequel to that blunder, but they actually learned from their mistakes. For starters, they actually added music in this time. Now your ship is significantly more manueverable. The biggest advantage however is that the terrain is much more interesting. I actually liked exploring these levels to find all of the pods that I needed to progress to the next stage. Battlemorph is easily one of the best Jaguar CD games.

#12. – Iron Soldier 2

This one was released after the console was already discontinued. By console, I actually mean ‘consoles’ as it came out both in CD and cartridge format. Confused yet? I know I am. Iron Soldier 2 is one of the few polygonal 3D games for the platform that was done right. It’s a mech combat shooter from a first person perspective where you wander destroyed cityscapes destroying all foes in every arena. It’s very well designed, but falls just short of the original. Spoiler alert; you’ll be seeing that game further down this list.

#11. – Super Burnout

Now we’re talking. This here is the best racing game for the platform. Super Burnout is 3D but it’s sprite based. This behind the back motorcycle racer is fast, furious, and has some downright fun tracks to compete across. The sense of speed is unmatched on the platform, and the scaling is super smooth and very impressive. This is one of the few Atari Jaguar games that couldn’t be pulled off on one of the 16-bit platforms it competed against.

#10. – Primal Rage

In my humble opinion this fighter perfectly sums up the Atari Jaguar console itself. An attempt to be edgy all the while doing nothing original. Primal Rage is a Mortal Kombat clone but made a name for itself by being a fighting game where you control dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures. My first exposure to it was on the Super Nintendo version and I was at the right age. I fell in love with it right away. I didn’t realize that was the worst port of the game. While the PS1 and Saturn had superior releases I’ve always had a soft spot for the Atari Jaguar CD version.

#9. – Brutal Sports Football

The Jaguar wasn’t well known for sports games. Perhaps this is the reason Brutal Sports Football scores so high on this list. It’s very juvenile in its approach with over the top violence and weird teams. Once each play starts the rules are basically thrown out the window. You can knock around your foes just as much as you want. I’m not a huge fan of the general sport and so this arcade approach is more my speed. Brutal Sports Football is very fun as long as you’re not expecting a deep simulation.

#8. – Doom

First person shooters were all the rage. Doom was one of the first, and reached huge levels of popularity on the PC. From here it saw release on basically every home console that could support it at the time. Doom on the Atari Jaguar plays fairly well. Even better than the Sega Saturn version. The only drawback is the fact that there’s no real music once you jump in. Besides this shortcoming it’s still Doom for better or worse, and is easily one of the best Jaguar games.

#7. – Iron Soldier

Good polygonal based games for the Jaguar are hard to come by. This is actually the highest one you’ll find on this list. With Iron Soldier the developers had some smart ideas to ensure this one would play relatively smooth. For example, it’s displayed from a first person perspective so you not only save real estate but also help with the framerate because there’s less to render. This is an open world mech combat game wherein you wander across 3D arenas completing various missions. The gameplay is surprisingly fun, and the graphics are really good for the platform. You can’t go wrong with Iron Soldier if you’re already invested in the hardware.

#6. – NBA Jam: Tournament Edition

I grew up with the Super Nintendo version. I never expected that it would be such a bad conversion compared to the others. The Atari Jaguar edition of this game is easily one of the best available on any home console. Heck, in my opinion it surpasses even the arcade. The new soundtrack slaps, and the graphics are surprisingly smooth. If you’re looking for some arcade action hoops then pick up a Jaguar and slap this cartridge into it. You’ll thank me later.

#5. – Wolfenstein 3D

This is the godfather of first person shooters. Sure, it’s better on the PC, but not by much to be honest. If you’re going to play a console port then this is the one you’re going to want to go with. You guide your nameless shooter through various corridors gunning down nazis. These are set up like mazes, but the handy map takes a lot of the guesswork out of the equation. Where this version excels is, oddly enough, in the number pad on the controller. Using it along with the overlay that was originally included feels almost like you’re cheating. It’s that efficient. If you’re a fan of first person shooters then I would go with this conversion of Wolfenstein 3D.

#4. – Raiden

I’m a pretty big fan of the original Raiden. It may have been released on pretty much every platform under the sun, but it’s best here on the Atari Jaguar. The console also was very lacking when it came to the genre, and thus Raiden is given it’s proper spotlight here. This is a very basic shooter. It has no fancy tricks like branching paths or switching perspectives. Raiden is instead straightforward but it’s so well designed you won’t be upset over the lack of bells and whistles. It feels like something you would find on the Neo Geo, and that’s not a bad thing at all. Raiden should be in every Jaguar enthusiast’s collection.

#3. – Tempest 2000

I was never that big into Tempest to be honest. That is, until I played Tempest 2000. It’s a wireframe shooter where you can move only in a linear fashion either left or right. You are constricted to only vector based terrain. Your only goal is to shoot down all incoming ships while avoiding them and their fire. I was shocked at how addictive it is. In no other Jaguar game was I so glued to simply beating my high scores each time I powered on the console. The developers really understood the strengths and weaknesses of the platform, and the crazy high number of gameplay modes makes this one almost infinitely replayable. To put it plainly this is not only one of the best Atari Jaguar games but also one of the greatest regardless of console. Seriously, get Tempest 2000. You can thank me later.

#2. – Alien Vs. Predator

While I really like the Alien franchise I’ve never been a big fan of Predator, nor have I ever been enamored with the crossover between the two. This title transcends my issues. Alien Vs. Predator for the Atari Jaguar is a first person shooter which harkens to the early survival horror genre. There are not one but three different campaigns which all play very differently with separate goals as well as weaponry. This is a very scary title where you don’t always have enough items or health, and you’re often snuck up on which can be pretty startling. This is still an Atari Jaguar exclusive, and is worth picking up the console for just for this experience. Seriously, this might just be the best Atari Jaguar game overall.

#1. – Rayman

A little known fact is that the original Rayman was made for the Atari Jaguar. It’s also the only Ubisoft title released for the platform. Rayman later went on to become a big franchise for the company. It’s an absolutely incredible experience on the Atari Jaguar. This is a beautiful 2D platformer with excellent level design. I absolutely love how you gain abilities as you progress. The style here is charming to the millionth degree, the soundtrack will get stuck in your head. You’ll absolutely love looking at all the pretty backgrounds as you play. Rayman is also a joy to play which is something that can’t be said for many Atari Jaguar games.

And that’s our list of the best Atari Jaguar games. Agree? Disagree? Leave us a comment!