We love a good homebrew here at AA. Our Adrian is quite the Atari Jaguar aficionado and he’s managed to catch for a chat Morgan of RGC Association – the guys responsible for the excellent Jaguar homebrew of Another World – endorsed by Eric Chahi himself! We resisted the urge to lock them in a cage suspended from the ceiling…
Morgan – a pleasure to have you here at Arcade Attack! How did the opportunity arise to make a re-mastered version of Another World on the Atari Jaguar?
We met Eric Chahi at one of our conventions “AC 2007”. The idea was suggested to be able to convert the game on Jaguar. Sébastien Briais was there too. We then met with Sebastien and Eric in Paris in 2013 (and the rest was history! – Ed)
I have heard that developing a game for the Atari Jaguar is quite challenging. How easy was it to make Another World on the Atari Jaguar and were you pleased with how the game turned out?
The game is on cartridge, it is always difficult to compress a game to fit on a cartridge 4MB. Eric Chahi has graciously given the source code of the game to Sebastian!
One of the best aspects of Another World was working together with your alien friend. Do you have any idea why your alien ally was also locked up in that iconic jail scene?
This is a question that should be asked Eric Chachi himself ;0) I guess the alien rebelled and ended up imprisoned!
I am a proud owner of Another World on Jaguar and really enjoyed playing the game again – I was surprised how little the game has aged over the years and how it maintained so much of its charm. What do you think are the main reasons that Another World is still so playable and fun?
I too am a player. I think the game has not aged, it is fluid, it has a particular graphic style. No scoring, no information on the screen, no stopwatch (just gameplay).
Vector graphics for the characters also gives it an evolutionary aspect according to the machines and the screen resolution (available at the time).
What are your feelings about the Atari Jaguar and why do you think it wasn’t a success when it was launched in the mid 90s?
Personally, I think the machine arrived at the wrong time. Some 2D consoles were faring well (Super Nintendo, Mega Drive, Neo Geo). The 3D graphics was still reserved for computer simulations. When the PlayStation arrived with its capabilities and sales campaigns, she put all other consoles down!
How many copies of Another World for the Jaguar were released and are they still available to buy?
We published a little over 200 copies in 2013. Then, given the success and demand, we have done the same for the second run. Today, we sell the last copies using the waiting list. So in a way, it is possible to register you on the waiting list… (sign up now folks! Ed)
The Atari Jaguar has one of the most hardcore homebrew communities across any console. Why do you think this much maligned console has had a second lease of life?
I think a lot of people who grew up with the Atari brand have remained in love with this console. Because this is the last from Atari Corp. Many games were cancelled. But thanks to the scene of the developers and collectors, some games were (thankfully) saved. I also think that the development of the Atari ST and Falcon scene, the Atari 2600, all allowed people to invest in the Jaguar programming (and Lynx). For them it was the logical next step. The Jaguar is the Holy Grail to eyes of Atarists.
Are you currently working on any other gaming titles, and if so what consoles/platforms will they be available on?
The RGC Association has no real programmer. We have the skills to make physical editions and realisation of illustrations etc… We have publishing ideas but nothing confirmed yet.
If you could travel back in time and work on any video game, which game would you have loved to be involved in?
I have enjoyed working in the video game industry. Rick Dangerous, Bubble Bobble and Monkey Island are games that I love.
If you could share a few drinks with a video game character who would you choose?
Lara Croft 😉
Thanks for your time Morgan! Readers, if you want to find out more about this lovely homebrew click here.
Adrian