While talking about the state of Mac games during the most recent Mac|Life podcast, I thought about some of my favorite classic games. These were the games that convinced me that the Mac was a viable gaming platform. These were the games that made me want to be an advocate for Mac gaming.
As it turns out, some of the games I devoted hours and hours of my life to are now available for free. Since a lot of you out there have been using the Mac for only a few years (I got my first Mac in 1986), there's a good chance you have never heard of any of these games. So I thought it would be fun to bring them back into the spotlight. And you're an old timer like me, here's a chance to reintroduce you to some oldies but goodies.
Here are four of my favorite classic games. Some of them are available for free. Others are abandonware that you can find and download from the Internet - but you risk violating the rights of the copyright owner who hasn't actually stated that the software is freely available, even though the game is no longer supported.
This twist on the traditional platform game has you guiding a paper plane through a house. The object of the game is to collect all the stars in the house, using air vents and fans to keep your glider airborn. Gilder Pro was one of those games that non-gamers could play and have fun - it didn't have finger-twisting controls, wasn't overly complicated, and you could get a good gaming session done in about 15 minutes.
SimCity 2000
The game where you create and manage a city was actually released on the Mac before the PC version. I spent hours planning my cities on graph paper before building them in the game. I would often let the simulator run on my Mac at work after hours, so I would find a huge bundle of money in the bank when I got to work in the morning (I never used the money cheats).
You felt invincible when wielding two shotguns in Marathon 2.
Marathon
Back in the day, Marathon set the standard for first-person shooters on the Mac and on the PC. I have vivid memories of after work Marathon network games that were loud, frenetic, and too much fun. Not only is Marathon available, but also Marathon 2, Marathon Infinity, and the creation tools, Anvil and Forge.
You Don't Know Jack
YDKJ wasn't a Mac exclusive, and it probably won't go down in history as a great Mac game, but at least the early editions of YDKJ were released at the same time as the PC version. For the uninitiated. YDKJ is a trivia game show, with a snarky host always ready to make a wise crack or pun. You can play several different editions on the Web.
Got some classic gaming memories? Share it with us in the comments section.
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Links:
[1] http://www.maclife.com/article/mac_live_podcast_5_may_1_2007
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abandonware
[3] http://homepage.mac.com/calhoun/Glider PRO.html
[4] http://trilogyrelease.bungie.org
[5] http://www.youdontknowjack.com
[6] http://www.maclife.com/article/editors_blog_romans_favorite_flickr_tools
[7] http://www.maclife.com/article/editors_blog_roman_dodges_the_dead_hard_drive_bullet
[8] http://www.maclife.com/article/editors_blog_no_eight_core_mac_pro_fun_for_roman
[9] http://www.maclife.com/article/editors_blog_roman_sees_the_future_of_tv_in_joost
[10] http://www.maclife.com/article/editors_blog_romans_gone_blind_without_isight
[11] http://www.maclife.com/article/editors_blog_roman_prefers_cheap_hdmi_cables
[12] http://www.maclife.com/article/editors_blog_roman_wants_apple_to_end_his_suffering
[13] http://www.maclife.com/article/editor_s_blog_roman_s_still_waiting_for_the_mac_games_explosion
[14] http://www.maclife.com/article/editor_s_blog_an_ourtunes_revival
[15] http://www.maclife.com/article/editors_blog_get_a_mac_inspired_by_us
[16] http://www.maclife.com/article/editors_blog_why_i_want_an_iphone
[17] http://www.maclife.com/article/windows_invades_my_neighborhood