Games You Can Play On Your 68K Mac June 9th It is time for another of my semi-often reviews of games that are available for the Mac. I have also discovered a site that specializes in games for Macs with 68K systems and I will review the site. I have downloaded and tested the games included today (hey, I know it is a tough job, but someone has to do it.) I am covering games for all ages, so read on and have some fun. Remember that you must have stuffit expander or some like product on your machine to successfully download and install games off the internet. For information on stuffit expander see the columns for December 16, and 23, 1998. As I noted, these games are all designed to function on 68K machines, but they will also work on the higher powered Macs such as power pcs. The newer Macs contain systems that allow them to automatically run programs designed for slower processors. (To help determine your machines processor refer to the column for May 26, 1999.) For Kids Snack Attack. 2148 KB RAM. Created by Tom Moyer of TJMW Enterprises, LLC. This is shareware and sells for only $12. You can try it out for 30 days at no charge. It requires 68040 processor and System 7 or later. However, I was able to load and test this on my 68030 with no problems. It took about 5 minutes to download. This is a classic "roll and move" game designed for ages three to seven. It is very colorful and the characters in the game speak, including giving directions, so the child does not have to be able to read. All the action is handled by clicking the mouse on pictures on the screen or by pushing the Space bar on the keyboard. Any or all of the four players can be run by the computer, so a child can play alone or with friends. It does not take any skill so a 3 year old can be an equal player with a 7 year old. The characters that are identified as human players require the player to count the number of moves. The characters that are identified as computer players move automatically. An added adult bonus - you can turn off the sounds if you wish. This is the home page for Snack Attack. For Adults - Card Games Solitaire House. 1.5 MB RAM. Created by Ingemar Ragnemalm. This is shareware and sells for $20. You can try it for two weeks at no charge. It requires any Mac, but recommends a 68040 processor or above. As with the game above, I was able to download and test it on my 68030; however, I expect it will run more smoothly with the 68040 or better. This program features 30 solitaire games. It is very pleasing to the eye, with excellent graphics and colors. It also has a rather unique feature, at least in my experience. It fills just about any Mac screen. That feature automatically gives you a larger playing area and larger cards. The graphics of the cards are unique. I played a couple of the games with which I am most familiar and this program is on par with other, more expensive, programs on most levels. You can move cards to the top with a double click of the mouse and there is a multi-step undo and redo. The program auto-saves games when you quit. Another unique feature is music! 13 different music scores are included and they are really quite pleasant and soothing. You have the option of turning off all sounds and/or music as you choose. The author told me in a conversation that it was important for users to download the most current version; i.e., 1.0.2., as it fixes some bugs that were in the earlier version. The author also stated that the game will soon be available in languages other than English and suggested that anyone interested in that feature should periodically check the home page at www.lysator.liu.se/~ingemar/games.html. You may also download the game at this site. For Adults - Sports Games The Fishin' Hole. 4 MB RAM. Created by KB Productions. This is shareware and a single-user license is only $10. It took about 12 minutes to download. This is a skill based game in which you catch fish, earn "money" and then spend the "money". The graphics are excellent and some are 3D rendered. The higher the color settings available on your machine, the better it looks according to the author. There are clear directions and both clever voices and captions provide guidance along the way. There is a practice game and games for the beginner, novice, and pro. I frequently notice that games and utilities that are created by individuals seem to offer more in the way of appearance and user friendliness. This one supports that notion as does the solitaire game discussed above. There is even information that the author's family provide particular voices. One reason I included this game is that it seems to offer a middle ground between the high powered arcade type games and the card games. You have the option of trying it out before buying. This is the home page for The Fishin' Hole. For Adults and/or Older Children - Domino Game Trinity. 1.2 MB RAM. Created by Divinity Software. This is shareware and sells for $15. This is a fun, relaxing game fashioned after Triominos, a game played with 3 sided domino type pieces. I played it frequently as a kid, so I caught on to the game quickly. One to four people may play at a time with computer players completing the 4 player spots as necessary. The object is to match number sequences exactly. The winner is determined by who finishes playing their pieces first. The game keeps a running score for each player and prior to starting you determine how many "hands" you want included in the game. The graphics are good, the sounds are helpful without being annoying and the game plays smoothly. It is a good game for adults and children to play together. They will enjoy it and you won't be bored out of your mind. You are allowed a 30 day trial period. I received a note from James Mastro of Divinity Software alterting me to a bug that was just found. It has to do with your registration being recognized when you play the game after registering it. The problem will be fixed in about a week and version 1.0.3 will be released with the bug fixed. You can still demo it with no problems. This is the home page for Trinity. For adults - Simulation Caesar II. 7 MB RAM. Created by Sierra Online. This game is available as a Demo for review so it is going to be more expensive than a shareware game. Interestingly enough, I could not find a price anywhere in the Demo download. It requires 68040 System 7 or later. However, I was able to load and test this on my 68030 with no problems, but a power pc is recommended by the authors. It took about 20 minutes to download the Demo. A simulation game is one in which you are given a situation and you must use your wits and skill to win. A lot of games like this are actually played live, on-line. If you are interested in that kind of activity I suggest that you learn how to play these kinds of games before you tackle the cut throat world of on-line gaming. This game creates a situation in which you are placed in the heart of the Roman Empire whereupon you build a Roman city of your own design. This includes building housing, water supplies, markets, forums, etc. The Demo does not contain tips, on-line help, or History features. It also lacks the full version's rendered animation sequences and multiple tracks of music. However, it contains enough graphics, directions, and options that you can test it yourself to determine if you want to purchase it. Here is the home page for Sierra Online, the maker of Caesar II That Site At the top of this column I promised to tell you about the great web site I found. Macintosh 68K Games can be found at www.pixi.com/~schizo/. Once there click on Games at the top of the page and you will be linked with a categorical listing of types of games available. All the games can be played on 68K systems although some do require 68040 or better. Once you pick a category you get plenty of information about each individual game. The information includes system requirements, creator, how much, if anything, it costs and basic descriptions. You can instantly download anything you want to try out and there are even instant links to authors or producing companies for most of the games. New games are featured on the opening page. The introduction to this site states that it is devoted to the selected few in the Macintosh community who have 68K Macs and are looking for games that are currently available for their specific computer. Many of the games are the products of individuals, and as I noted above, often times that means special care and attention has gone into the creation of the product. I recommend that you check this site out. All of the games reviewed today can be downloaded from there. Coming Attractions We are going to be reviewing more of these special games in the next couple of weeks. I will also be covering another program designed for making slides that has been recommended by a reader. It sounds good and easy to use. There will also be a column soon on the experiences of a brand new Mac user, what problems he encounters, what he needs to know most, and what he likes about the system. If you have any tips, hints, or thoughts on these topics, make sure you write me so that I can share your thoughts with other readers.