I have spent all week playing a game that has no Mac version on my MacBook Pro. Without a copy of Windows. Specifically, I've been playing Guild Wars, the uber-popular, uber-fun MMO that is due for a sequel any day now. I did it all without hitch too, running the application without needing to run that other icky operating system. With CrossOver Games there are currently thousands of games to choose from.

THE FINE PRINT:

There are really two ways to do this -- you can install Windows and use BootCamp, or you can emulate the games and/or Windows. There are a handful of programs that do this, but by far my favorite and least difficult to use has been CrossOver Games. You can download the free trial here or you can buy it. It usually costs $40, but CrossOver has been gracious enough to give us a 25% off code(!).

HOW TO REDEEM YOUR KICK-ASS CROSSOVER DISCOUNT

1. Go to www.codeweavers.com
2. Login as a new customer and create an account with username/password.
3. Once logged on, click on the "store" link.
4. Enter the version of CrossOver you would like to purchase into your cart.
5. While in the view cart/checkout screen, locate the Special Deals box.
6. In there, enter the Special Deal code: VIKINGSFAN
7. All one word and all in CAPS.
8. Click on the Update Order button and complete your transaction.

The gallery below has a bunch of so-called Windows-only games that you can rock on your Mac thanks to CrossOver Games.

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Windows Games on the Mac

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  Guild Wars

  I created an Elementalist named Wizardly Smith and then a Warrior named Pop Tarts The Brave. Pop Tarts still serves me well in battle (and he's still brave).

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  RIFT

  The single most popular game on CrossOver is a gorgeous and critically acclaimed MMO with fascinating classes and incredible gameplay.

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  RIFT

  This is another screen of RIFT. I included it because it looks like they chained up a ghost or something, which is rad.

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  Lord of the Rings Online

  Finally, you can head to Mordor and kill it with fire. The spider, not the One Ring.

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  Diablo 2

  So you upgraded to Lion and now you can't play your favorite Blizzard oldies? Look no further; Diablo is said to run perfectly with CrossOver.

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  StarCraft

  The same goes for StarCraft, the RTS that's still critically acclaimed after all these years. (PS, go Zerg!)

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  Fallout 3

  Have your cake and eat it too, by installing Fallout 3 (rated bronze) and then the 1.6.1 patch (rated Gold). And then find cake to eat in a post-apocalyptic world where you can target people's brains for slow-mo splatter.

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  EVE Online

  There's really nothing like this free-to-play MMO that'll have you assembling a fleet of futuristic spaceships and dog-fighting in space with real people. It's like Starfox and StarCraft without foxes or crafts.

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  Crysis 2

  Awarded a silver medal, just being able to play this gorgeous game on Mac is well-worth the bumps and hiccups along the way.

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