Tempest 2000 is probably my absolute favorite game. It's the reason I got
a Jaguar, and when I sold mine (realizing that not many good games were coming
out) I looked at the cartridge and wondered if I should hold onto it. When one of
my friends saw the game for the first time, he said that it didn't look like a game,
it looked like what a person in a movie would be play.
The original Tempest in the arcades was a really neat game of frantically shooting enemies
on the web and getting to the next level. Strangly, a home port was never released. So when
2000 came out, it seemed new and fresh. Featuring pumping techno music (some of the best music
ever to be released on a cart) and psychedelic visuals it almost feels like a different experience.
In addition to the frantic play, the goal was to be able to see "through" the eye candy to be
able to concentrate on the game.
picture from Jaguar Home page
The bonus levels in T2K deserve special mention. Featuring minimalist music, the levels have a
very different tempo and require slow decisive play. Contrasted to the fast reactive play of
the main game, this varies the experience for the player and adds challenge. A masterpiece..
