Developer: Attention to Detail
Publisher: Atari
Release Date: 11-23-93
If you know anything about the Atari Jaguar than you have probably heard about Cybermorph. It’s probably the system’s most well-known game. This comes more from it being fist, however, than from it being particularly memorable. Cybermorph was the pack-in for the Jag, so if you are one of the ten people who got a Jaguar in its early days than you probably played this one to death. Its status as a pack-in title has also kept it affordable in the modern day meaning that if you bought a Jaguar many years after its demise than you have still probably played it. Thank of it as the Jaguar version of Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt. Is that going a little too far? Okay maybe the Jaguar version of Las Vegas Poker and Blackjack. Either way it’s an important game on the console, and one that’s also interesting to talk about.
The Atari Jaguar only had four games going into its first Christmas, and while this isn’t necessarily a bad sign considering its November release, it does mean that every game needs to be important. Atari was trying to make a big statement, and it’s difficult with so few games to choose from. However, if they were going for impressive visuals than Cybermorph was a great place to start. Much like Trevor McFur it’s a great looking game. It’s a free-roaming 3D shooter which was practically unheard of in the console world at the time. Sure, Star Fox looked great, but you couldn’t back up and explore another path. At least in a technical sense the alien worlds presented were open to exploration in a way that very few space shooters had been before. Unfortunately, much like Trevor McFur they nailed the graphics and presentation, but faltered a bit in the gameplay department.
The premise of the game is surprisingly simple. You go to different planets, fly through trenches, and collect pods. When you collect enough pods, you find the exit and do the same in the next level. An attractive bald lady is on board to give you advice, but she mostly makes fun of you. This is probably the part of the game that most people know about it. Didn’t Atari learn that people don’t like to be constantly made fun of while they play a game? Hey maybe this game is like Duck Hunter after all. I was surprised by how much Cybermorph reminded me of Pac-Man. There are open areas to explore, but much of the game takes place in maze-like trenches surrounded by impassible mountains. It’s all about flying through mazes and collecting dots. At least Cybermorph gives you a radar and has a wider variety of enemies. Not to say it’s better than Pac-Man, but it is better than the theoretical 3D “Pac-Man 2000” that this game could’ve been. Cybermorph must be good if it makes me start talking about imaginary games.
Where this game falters, however, is in the combat. There is no logical progression in the levels, so they often go from no enemies to swarming death within seconds. Your ship can’t take very many hits, so usually if you see a swarm of enemies coming you will die. The best strategy seems to be avoiding danger altogether which is never fun in a game like this. There are powerups to be found, but they are not nearly as helpful as they should be and don’t change the strategy much. There are no continues and only three lives. I know you can earn more by getting a whole bunch of points, but I’ve never even been close to that amount because everything is too dangerous. I’ve played rounds that lasted about a minute before I was blown to smithereens. Clearly the 3D combat was not refined enough, and it keeps the game from living up to its potential.
I very much wanted to like Cybermorph and put it in the good column. In fact, I remember enjoying this game fifteen years ago when I first got my Jaguar. Unfortunately, it’s not a game that has stood the test of time very well. The visuals are still fun, but the gameplay is too repetitive and too hard. If I had gotten a Jaguar in 1993 (which I really wanted) I probably would’ve convinced myself that Cybermorph was a winner. Deep down inside, however, I would've known that it’s another mediocre space shooter on a doomed console that really needed an impressive first year to have a chance at success. It did get some good reviews at the time it came out, but overall, the reception was mixed. Of course, it wasn’t all doom and gloom when the console came out and, in a few months, they would start to release games more regularly and would end up having their killer app. So, if you were one of the 10 people who got a Jaguar for Christmas in 1994 than you might feel a bit more optimistic. Too bad things would only get worse from there. I’m ranking it one game above Trevor McFur at #68 which is close to the good section so at least it’s not in the red. We’ll get some good one on the list fairly soon I promise.
(screenshots are from mobygames.com)
Atari Jaguar Quality Percentage: 0/2
Atari Jaguar Rankings
1. Cybermorph
2. Trevor McFur in the Crescent Galaxy
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