Games
June 2003 ).
Across Lite 1.2 (free), from Literate Software Systems (www.litsoft.com): Across Lite 1.2 is a Mac OS X 10.2 version of Literate’s crossword client. It works fine, and it’s tough to beat the price (March 2004 ).
Active Lancer ($20), from Freeverse Software (www.freeverse.com): Like many shooters, Active Lancer is tough to beat but very rewarding if you make it all the way to the end. It’s more proof that there’s a lot of life left in this genre ( After Dark X + Fish ($10), from Infinisys (http://en.infinisys.co.jp): This update on the classic screen saver offers few new graphics, underexploiting the power of the modern line of Macs (March 2004 ).
Age of Mythology ($50), from MacSoft (www.macsoftgames.com): Age of Mythology’s impeccable credentials and flawless Mac conversion make this an instant classic for real-time strategy fans (March 2004 ).
Burning Monkey Casino ($20), from Freeverse Software (www.freeverse.com): Burning Monkey Casino offers cute, lighthearted fun for players looking for some quick-and-dirty Vegas-style action ( Burning Monkey Solitaire 3 ($25), from Freeverse Software (www.freeverse.com): With Internet rankings and tons of variety, Burning Monkey Solitaire 3 is a worthy successor to a great set of card games ( Crazy Golf ($19), from Danlab Games (www.danlab games.com): This is a miniature-golf action game full of creative course designs and traps. It’s a competent, hardy little shareware offering that will challenge minigolf enthusiasts ( CrosswordMaster 1.1.2 ($25), from Yin Yan Software (www.yinyansw.com): If you want help creating crossword puzzles, then this little app is for you. CrosswordMaster displays a list of words that could meet the space-and-letter-combination requirements of a given horizontal or vertical space within a grid design of your choosing (August 2003 ).
Cube It ($10), from Dracosoft (www.dracosoft.net): This take on the classic Collapse is an unimpressive replica and could use some performance tuning. Still, it is a competent little puzzle. Plus, it’s cheap and tiny (July 2003 ).
Deluxe Board Games ($20), from Freeverse Software (www.freeverse.com): This gaming software answers the call for simple, well-crafted, online-capable board games. A great value, it may also draw new players to online gaming ( Dr. Blob’s Organism ($10), from Digital Eel (www.digital-eel.com): If you’re looking for a complex game to immerse yourself in, Dr. Blob’s Organism isn’t it. But if brainless arcade fun is more your style, give this game a try (Dungeon Siege ($50), from MacSoft (see Editors’ Choice 2003: Best Game”).
October 2003 ).
Enigmo ($25), from Pangea Software (www.pangeasoft.net): In this beautifully detailed puzzle game, you must clear a path for dropping liquid before time runs out ( EverQuest ($50, plus $13 monthly subscription fee), from Sony (http://eqmac.station.sony.com): The extremely popular, massively multiplayer online role-playing game has nineties-era graphics but is still highly addictive and fun to play. The Mac version allows you to interact only with other Mac users, which is either a good or a bad thing depending upon your point of view (July 2003 ).
Freedom Force ($40), from MacPlay (www.macplay.com): Oozing charm and cheese, Freedom Force is an incredibly fun and well-executed game that’s sure to appeal to strategy gamers, role players, and comic-book fans (GameRanger (free), from GameRanger Technologies (www.gameranger.com): GameRanger is a chat service that is an indispensable resource for Mac gamers looking to play online, even if public chat can get unruly. The premium service is a bit overpriced at $50 per year ( ).
March 2004 ).
Ghost Master ($50), from Feral Interactive (www.feral.co.uk): This is a strategy game with a twist — the more you scare folks, the better. In Ghost Master, you’ve got a great game with great execution, especially for fans of horror movies ( Halo: Combat Evolved ($50), from MacSoft (www.macsoftgames.com): By any measure, Halo is an absolutely fantastic game. Westlake and MacSoft truly pulled out all the stops to make this one of the best first-person shooters the Mac has ever seen ( Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ($40), from Aspyr Media (www.aspyr.com): Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets offers casual gamers a fun tie-in with the book and movie. It’s better than the game that went with the previous Harry Potter movie, but the save feature is inconvenient ( Hollow Ground ($19), from Aescapia AB (www.aescapia.com): Hollow Ground combines the classic appeal of coin-op gaming with Quake-like violence. It’s an interesting blend if you can stomach the gore (March 2004 ).
Imaginext Battle Castle ($20), from Vivendi Universal Games (www.vugames.com): Imaginext Battle Castle is a great tie-in for kids who already play with Medieval World toys. It’s also a fun romp for kids who want to be a knight for a day ( Imaginext Pirate Raider ($20), from Vivendi Universal Games (www.vugames.com): Just the thing for wannabe Captain Sparrows (ages four and up, that is) looking to hoist the mainsail and weigh anchor, Imaginext Pirate Raider is a ton of fun (March 2004 ).
Kelly Slater’s Pro Surfer ($30), from Aspyr Media (www.aspyr.com): Although it’s highly reminiscent of the Tony Hawk series, Kelly Slater’s Pro Surfer is well executed and fun to play (June 2003 ).
MacMAME 0.60A (free), from The MAME Project (www.macmame.org): If you’re a fan of old arcade games, the MacMAME simulator should be the centerpiece of your collection — along with a drawerful of ROM chips (June 2003 ).
Marble Blast ($15), from GarageGames (www.garagegames.com): Marble Blast is a refreshing bit of arcade fun; you roll through a maze from the point of view of the marble. It’s got a lot of challenging levels, but it may be too difficult for younger players (June 2003 ).
Momo Racing ($100), from Logitech (www.logitech.com): The Momo Racing wheel adds realistic effects to force-feedback-compatible racing games — all two of them. It’s worth the money if you’re a true racing enthusiast (January 2004 ).
NASCAR Racing 2003 Season ($30), from Aspyr Media (www.aspyr.com): This version improves on its predecessor with an updated driver, a team and sponsor roster, all 23 real-world NASCAR tracks, and a dramatically reworked physics engine ( Neverwinter Nights ($50), from MacSoft (www.macsoftgames.com): This game is a fun role-playing romp that can cause enough sleepless nights and missed work to make it a worthwhile purchase (January 2004 ).
Noiz2sa (free), from Kenta Cho (www.victoly.com/ ~adam): Noiz2sa is a shoot-’em-up game that’s a visual extravaganza in motion. You have to see it to believe it (August 2003 ).
Orbz 2.0 ($20), from GarageGames (www.garagegames.com): Version 2.0 is this game’s debut on the Mac, and it was definitely worth the wait. Its simple mechanics, nonviolent play, and cartoonish graphics make it a hit for families who want a game everyone can play (June 2003 ).
Payback ($30), from Freeverse Software (www.freeverse.com): Violent subject matter, cheap and amateurish graphics, and bad level design make this crime-spree game one to miss (June 2003 ).
Pocket Tanks Deluxe ($16), from Cornerstone TSP Games (www.ctspgames.com): Pocket Tanks is a 2-D battle-strategy game. While there’s room for improvement, it’s phenomenally fun to play, and the Deluxe version is well worth the modest fee (August 2003 ).
Power Chips & High Roller ($20), from MacPlay (www.macplay.com): If you’re intrigued by action puzzles, this disc may be worth a look. It’s not especially original, but it does offer nice graphics, music, and sound effects (August 2003 ).
rRootage 0.22 (free), from Adam Green (www.victoly.com/~adam): This game has fast-paced action, pulse-pounding sound effects, and a great soundtrack, but it may not appeal to everyone because of its spare, minimalist design and lack of Mac documentation and tech support ( SimCity 4 ($50), from Aspyr Media (www.aspyr.com): This updated version of the Mac classic allows users to reach new heights of obsessive micro and macro city management. Watch out for sluggish performance as cities grow (October 2003 ).
Snood V3 ($15), from Snood (www.snood.com): Snood is a bona fide Mac classic, now native on Mac OS X (October 2003 ).
SpyHunter ($30), from Aspyr Media (www.aspyr.com): This is a good game that was ported rather late. Despite some stability issues, it’s still a fine example of a genre we should see more of on the Mac ( ThinkTanks ($20), from GarageGames (www.garagegames.com): This game retains what’s best about Combat and has new elements that bring the game up-to-date. It’s a steal at its price (October 2003 ).
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 ($50), from Aspyr Media (www.aspyr.com): This is a superlative golf game that looks beautiful, especially with optional levels of detail activated; it’s a new standard for golfing on a Mac (January 2004 ).
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Desert Siege ($35), from Aspyr Media (www.aspyr.com): This expansion of the squad-based tactical action and strategy game is perfect for folks who’d rather be in Tom Clancy thrillers than read them (July 2003 ).
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 ($40), from Aspyr Media (www.aspyr.com): There are new skating challenges and improvements, but Pro Skater 3 is incomplete (no multiplayer or force feedback) and old news. Mac gamers can opt for version 4 instead ( Unreal Tournament 2003 ($50), from MacSoft (www.macsoftgames.com): Evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, improvements make Unreal Tournament 2003 a solid game that definitely belongs in the arsenal of any Mac first-person-shooter enthusiast ( Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne expansion pack ($35), from Blizzard Entertainment (www.blizzard.com): This expansion pack adds new heroes, buildings, characters, units, and single-player missions to Warcraft III. It’s well worth the somewhat lofty price ( Warrior Kings ($50), from Feral Interactive (www.feral.co.uk): Warts and all, Warrior Kings is a lot of fun to play. It will particularly appeal to real-time-strategy fans looking for new challenges (July 2003 ).
Worms Blast ($40), from Feral Interactive (www.feral.co.uk): Beguilingly simple, yet extraordinarily challenging, Worms Blast hides a demonically difficult game behind cute graphics (June 2003 ).
X-Plane 6.5 ($60), from Laminar Research (www.x-plane.com): X-Plane is the king of the hill in Mac flight simulators. It’s not a game, so expect to spend a few hours learning the basics and the interface. It’s worth the effort (January 2004 ).
Zoo Tycoon ($50), from Aspyr Media (www.aspyr.com): This real-time strategy game lets you build, stock, and maintain your own zoo. It combines the voyeuristic thrill and strategic planning of Sim City with a nice dose of learning (