Atari Panther
Encyclopedia
The Atari Panther was the 32-bit
predecessor to the Atari Jaguar
video game console
. It was developed by the same ex-Sinclair team Flare Technology
who were previously responsible for the Flare One and the Konix Multisystem
. It was scheduled to be released in 1991, but Atari Corp. decided to abandon the project in favor of the Atari Jaguar.
It features three chips, consisting of a Motorola
68000
running at 16 MHz, an object processor called the Panther, and an
Ensoniq
sound processor called Otis, featuring 32 sound channels (presumably a ES5505). The Panther can display 8,192 colors from an 18-bit palette of 262,144 colors, and supports 65,535 sprites of any size simultaneously. The Panther was never manufactured as the design was eclipsed by that of the Jaguar.
. They were both rewritten for the Atari Jaguar
upon the former console's demise.
Cybermorph
, which was the pack in game for the Jaguar, was also developed on the Panther and then ported over to Jaguar when Panther was scrapped.
.
32-bit
The range of integer values that can be stored in 32 bits is 0 through 4,294,967,295. Hence, a processor with 32-bit memory addresses can directly access 4 GB of byte-addressable memory....
predecessor to the Atari Jaguar
Atari Jaguar
The Atari Jaguar is a video game console that was released by Atari Corporation in 1993. It was the last to be marketed under the Atari brand until the release of the Atari Flashback in 2004. It was designed to surpass the Mega Drive/Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and the Panasonic...
video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
. It was developed by the same ex-Sinclair team Flare Technology
Flare Technology
Flare Technology was a computer hardware company based in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1986 by Martin Brennan, Ben Cheese, and John Mathieson, former engineers at Sinclair Research....
who were previously responsible for the Flare One and the Konix Multisystem
Konix Multisystem
Konix was a British computer peripheral company primarily known for making joysticks such as the distinctive Speed King during the 1980s. Although this was its primary business for years, its place in videogame folklore was cemented by its ambitious and ultimately ill-fated plans to release its own...
. It was scheduled to be released in 1991, but Atari Corp. decided to abandon the project in favor of the Atari Jaguar.
It features three chips, consisting of a Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
68000
Motorola 68000
The Motorola 68000 is a 16/32-bit CISC microprocessor core designed and marketed by Freescale Semiconductor...
running at 16 MHz, an object processor called the Panther, and an
Ensoniq
Ensoniq
Ensoniq Corp. was an American electronics manufacturer, best known throughout the mid 1980s and 1990s for its musical instruments, principally samplers and synthesizers.- Company history :...
sound processor called Otis, featuring 32 sound channels (presumably a ES5505). The Panther can display 8,192 colors from an 18-bit palette of 262,144 colors, and supports 65,535 sprites of any size simultaneously. The Panther was never manufactured as the design was eclipsed by that of the Jaguar.
Games
Two games were planned for the Panther's release: Crescent Galaxy and RaidenRaiden (arcade game)
is a scrolling shooter arcade game that was developed by Seibu Kaihatsu. It was the first game in the popular Raiden series of scrolling shooter arcade games.Raiden first made its debut in September 1990...
. They were both rewritten for the Atari Jaguar
Atari Jaguar
The Atari Jaguar is a video game console that was released by Atari Corporation in 1993. It was the last to be marketed under the Atari brand until the release of the Atari Flashback in 2004. It was designed to surpass the Mega Drive/Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and the Panasonic...
upon the former console's demise.
Cybermorph
Cybermorph
Cybermorph is a free-roaming 3D shooter developed for the Atari Jaguar. The cartridge was included as the pack-in game for the system when it launched in 1993. Two versions of the game were released with minor differences. The earlier version is a 2 MB cartridge...
, which was the pack in game for the Jaguar, was also developed on the Panther and then ported over to Jaguar when Panther was scrapped.
External links
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