Now that we’re past the holidays and Macworld Expo, we’re resuming our weekly retrospective of events in the Mac game world. Here are some highlights of the Mac game announcements that hit the wires this week.
Cownapping in OS X PB
Martin Wengenmeyer has released a new 3D action game designed to run exclusively on Mac OS X Public Beta. It’s called The Cow Catching Game, and it takes a page from popular modern folklore — players take control of an Unidentified Cow Catching Object, and must capture as many cows as they can in three minutes. The game uses OpenGL to render 3D graphics, and carries a US$10 registration fee.
Bang Your Head
Norbyte (formerly Addiction Interactive) returned to its roots for inspiration for its new game, Headbanger. The game is similar to an old Atari title the authors programmed back in the early ’90s — it’s a 2D arcade style action game evocative of Whack A Mole — players must drop heavy things on heads that pop up in ten different columns on screen. Headbanger, a $7 shareware title, is a showcase for Norbyte’s other products, Rainbow Painter and a sound editor that is scheduled for release later this year.
Reckless Drivin’ hits OS X
Jonas Echterhoff has updated his 2D auto racing game Reckless Drivin’ to version 1.2a. The game is evocative of Spy Hunter and other arcade classics, but it uses some unique scaling technology to keep things interesting. The new version has been Carbonized, enabling users to run it natively under Mac OS X Public Beta (CarbonLib is required to run the game under OS 9 now). Other tweaks and bug fixes have also been made. If you ran into trouble with 1.2, released earlier this week, make sure to grab the new 1.2a patch.
MacSoft commands 37 percent marketshare
Mac game publisher MacSoft indicated this week that its marketshare for the 2000 calendar year accounted for more than one-third of all Mac games sold — a bit more than 37 percent. The company attributes its success to its new publishing strategy — last summer, MacSoft announced a publishing deal with Hasbro Interactive that resulted in bringing a large number of “casual” games to the Mac. The company has also kept up the pace of “hardcore” Mac game publishing, bringing titles like Driver and Rogue Spear to Mac gamers.
Kawasaki Jet-Ski 1.1 released
Monkey Byte Development says there’s a new version of Kawasaki Jet-Ski available. Version 1.1 is now in distribution — an update can be downloaded from Monkey Byte’s Web site. In this title, players take control of a Kawasaki Jet-Ski watercraft, making their way through various watercourses around the world, competing against computer-controlled players. The game is sold online by Monkey Byte and is published commercially by Encore Software.
Mega Minesweeper 1.6.6 resets game limit
Carrot Software has released a new version of Mega Minesweeper. It’s an updated version of the classic “minesweeper” puzzle game with loads of new features and challenges. Mega Minesweeper is also Carbonized for OS X. The new version resets the 50 game limit for unregistered copies, enabling users who haven’t paid to get some more playtime in before the send in their checks. The game also fixes a minor bug.
Elsewhere on the Web
Inside Mac Games has posted an interview with Brian Burke, a former 3dfx rep who’s been working for Nvidia for several months. Burke talks turkey about his company’s GeForce2 MX graphics chip and how it compares against the competition. MacGamer has previewed Sacrifice, a new PC game licensed for the Mac by MacPlay, due out later this year.
Closer to home
MacCentral wasn’t short of game-related features this week either. We posted analyses of the PowerBook G4 and the Power Mac G4 from the gamer’s perspective; We also posted a hands on review of Cro-Mag Rally, the new 3D kart racing game from Pangea Software; reported on the release of a playable demo of Heroes of Might & Magic III; talked with MacPlay’s president and executive producer about their plans for world domination; and much more. Check our news archives for all the details!