Each day MacCentral brings big headlines from the world of Mac gaming, but there are usually a few items that don’t make it onto our regular pages. That’s why we have this weekly retrospective, called the Week in Games. It also gives us a chance to look at what other sites are reporting from the game market too.
Aki Mahjong Solitaire coming from Ambrosia
Long-time Mac game maker Ambrosia Software Inc. is the latest developer to throw its hat in the ring with a Mac mahjong solitaire game — the company has unveiled plans to publish Aki Mahjong Solitaire, which is currently in beta testing. The game sports 12 traditional board layouts and other features.
Cosmic Encounter Online ‘Micro Memberships’ available
If you want to give Cosmic Encounter Online a try without worrying about constantly renewing monthly memberships at $8.50 a pop, you can now try the game with “Micro Memberships” of as little as $0.99 for 12 hours of play. Cosmic Encounter Online is the Mac and Windows-compatible online version of the classic card and board-based strategy game.
Downfall 2.1.1 updated
Norbyte has updated its falling blocks puzzle game Downfall to v2.1.1. The new version has slightly adjusted physics and some other minor changes.
Hangman Bible debuts
Ken Winograd and Space-Time Associates have updated their popular Hangman game series with Hangman Bible, a word-guessing game suitable for use in Sunday School.
Neverwinter Nights 1.32 (Final) released
Bioware Corp. has released a final patch of Neverwinter Nights v1.32, for both Mac, Linux and Windows. The patch was previously made available as a public beta. The new version improved security against game, character and server hacking, fixed bugs that dragged down performance, made a fix to wounding, and other changes. It can be downloaded from the Neverwinter Nights support Web site.
Sixtyforce 0.7.0 available
Gerrit Goossen has posted v0.7.0 of Sixtyforce, his Nintendo 64 emulator for the Macintosh. Changes to this version include several major bug fixes. Make sure to check the FAQ link and other information on the Sixtyforce home page for details about this emulator before using it.
Tiger Woods 1.1 beta update in circulation
Aspyr Media has posted a beta update of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 v1.1. The beta release makes several bug fixes related to the game’s operation under Mac OS 9 and also works faster with certain ATI Radeon cards. Performance has been improved in drawing bushes and trees, and native resolution support has been added for 15 and 17 inch Apple displays.
World War II Online beta news
The folks behind the massively multiplayer action game World War II Online have posted some details on the progress of the forthcoming 1.10 patch. Feature sets have begun to be put into the 1.10 beta with new flight models, new vehicles and much more.
Elsewhere on the Web
MacGamer has posted a Beginner’s Guide to World War II Online. Inside Mac Games has posted a review of the Sonica Theater peripheral. Apple has posted a preview and trailer of Age of Mythology, the upcoming strategy game from MacSoft. GameSpy has posted the 25 Most Overrated Games of All Time — check it out and see if you agree with their editors’ picks. Last Monday The Gamesome Mac radio show talked with MacPlay about their new offerings. GameDaily has posted an interview with Aspyr VP Ted Staloch talking about the company’s new media strategy and its further efforts in the gaming space. Halo.bungie.org posted an interview with Westlake prez Phil Sulak to discuss Westlake and MacSoft’s progress with Halo for Mac (the game recently went gold on the PC).
Closer to home
This week MacCentral’s regular news coverage was chock-full of game info, ranging from a guest appearance from the creator of Magic the Gathering on Cosmic Encounter Online to big news for strategy game fans from Aspyr: The company plans to publish Command & Conquer Generals for the Mac. Mac gamers looking for the ultimate experience might want to check out Macworld’s Power Mac G5 review. Freeverse Software’s Active Lancer, a scrolling shooter, has gone gold master. Aspyr Media has also announced that its now-finished version of X2 Wolverine’s Revenge will hit stores in October. Blizzard Entertainment is now offering the Warcraft Battle Chest, which combines Warcraft III, its Frozen Throne expansion pack, and two Brady Games strategy guides in one box. Dr Blob’s Organism is a fun new action game in which you zap giant single-celled monstrosities before they ooze from their petri dishes. E.p.i.c. interactive is shipping Northland, a strategy game that borrows from Viking folklore. United Developers LLC is planning Mac and Windows versions of Activision Anthology: Remix Edition, a collection of classic Atari 2600 games emulated for new systems. Freeverse Software also plans to ship ToySight, a series of mini-games designed for iSight that works similarly to Sony’s EyeToy peripheral for the PS 2 — you, and your camera, become the game controller. And once again from Aspyr Media — the company has put out the call for Mac game programmers who want to work in the company’s newly formed internal Mac/PC game development group.
As always, drop us a line if you have any comments, questions or suggestions.