1993 · Atari Corporation · US · console
Atari Jaguar
Atari’s final home video game console.
A curiosity Trivial to run ▶ Watch on YouTube ↗
Atari’s final home video game console. Built around two custom 32-bit RISC chips ("Tom" and "Jerry") communicating over a 64-bit bus, programming bugs hindered third-party developers, but Jeff Minter’s Tempest 2000 remains legendary.
Tempest 2000 is widely considered one of the finest arcade remakes ever created, blending vector web shooting with pulse-pounding techno music and psychedelic particle explosions.
Under the hood
- CPU
- Motorola 68000 @ 13.295 MHz + "Tom" (32-bit Graphics RISC @ 26.6 MHz) + "Jerry" (32-bit DSP audio @ 26.6 MHz)
- Sound chip
- Jerry DSP (64-bit internal data paths driving CD-quality stereo audio)
- Graphics
- Tom Object Processor & Blitter, 24-bit True Color (16.7 million colors)
- Media
- ROM Cartridges & Toilet-seat shaped Jaguar CD Drive
What it cost
only about 5% of a month’s pay in 1995 · about $206 today
| US launch list price ($249.99 with Cybermorph) |
$249.99 (1993)
about 13% of a month’s pay · about $543 in today's money |
|---|---|
| Clearance price ($99.99) | $99.99 (1995) |
| Units sold | 125,000 Approximately 125,000 units sold. |
What it's worth now
High $150–250 working
A dedicated collector community and an active homebrew scene keep it alive; the Jaguar CD add-on is separately rare, with a fragile laser assembly.
A guide to collectibility, not a valuation — real prices depend on condition, completeness and demand.
Why it mattered
Tempest 2000 is widely considered one of the finest arcade remakes ever created, blending vector web shooting with pulse-pounding techno music and psychedelic particle explosions.
Emulating it today
| Emulators | BigPEmu, Virtual Jaguar |
|---|---|
| Setup effort | Trivial to run (1.5 on this site's scale) |
| Controls | A standard modern controller covers the ordinary controls, though unusual accessories may need custom mapping. |
| Runs on a handheld | Yes |
BigPEmu delivers near-perfect, ultra-fast Jaguar emulation with software and CD support. The emulator names above are starting points, not a promise that every title or accessory behaves identically. Computer platforms usually add model selection, disk handling and keyboard setup even when CPU emulation itself is mature.
Firmware
This system needs no firmware file. Install an emulator, open a game, and it runs.
How many files you need: none to go and find. No separate firmware file is needed for an ordinary setup.
Firmware details checked 2026-08. Emulator requirements change — see Libretro documentation for the current list.
Where the software is
Preservation catalogues describe verified dumps; they do not grant permission to download commercial software. A curated, correctly matched set is easier to use than an undifferentiated archive.
Copyright: Commercial software remains copyrighted unless its owner explicitly released or relicensed it. Homebrew, public-domain programs and current reissues should be treated separately from abandoned commercial titles.
This site names preservation projects and explains what they are. It does not link to ROM downloads.
Where to start
- Tempest 2000 Psychedelic Tube Shooter
Jeff Minter’s masterpiece of electronic synth techno and geometric destruction.
- Alien vs Predator First-Person Horror Shooter
Three distinct campaigns (Marine, Alien, Predator) with terrifying corridor sound effects.
- Rayman (Jaguar Original) 2D Platformer
Michel Ancel’s debut of the limbless hero in vibrant 24-bit color.
- Iron Soldier 1 & 2 3D Mech Simulation
Pilot a 42-foot bipedal robot destroying enemy military bases in real-time 3D.
- Doom (Jaguar) First-Person Shooter
Remarkably smooth Jaguar conversion programmed by John Carmack himself.
- Cybermorph 1993 Shooter game
- Iron Soldier 1994 Vehicle simulation game
- BattleSphere 2000 Space flight simulation game
The verdict
Marketed with "Do the Math: 64-bit". Suffered from complex multi-chip architecture, but has genuine standout classics: Alien vs Predator, Tempest 2000, and Rayman.
The strongest software can be rewarding, but original controls and setup assumptions may matter more than screenshots suggest.
- Worth it if
- Players curious about atari consoles and willing to learn how the original machine worked.
- Not for
- Anyone who wants a large, instantly accessible library and no model, firmware or control decisions.
Scored 2/5 for fun today and 3/5 for historical importance. Those two scores decide the label at the top — a machine can matter enormously and still be no fun.
Read more & watch
This page is 75% complete against the facts we try to record for every system. Gaps are shown as gaps.