1990s Mac Game Engineers

Feb 01, 2020  Most of the best games are available on Mac. Indeed, Mac gaming has come a long way Nowadays, 5 out of the 10 most-played games on Steam support MacOS and all the top indies support it too. This Best Mac games list is nothing but a sample of all the possibilities Mac gaming has to offer.

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  1. The Oregon Trail

The Oregon Trail

DOS - 1990

Also available on: Mac - Apple II

4.35 / 5 - 199 votes

Description of The Oregon Trail

There are few video games more fondly remembered than the Oregon Trail. It has inspired countless gamers and spawned countless memes. Still, it is hard to say how much of the fondness gamers feel towards this storied title is due to the fact that Oregon Trail was literally the first (and in some cases, the only) video game many children played. Much of its exposure came in classrooms, due to its educational nature.

By the standards of the time in which the 1990 “Classic Edition” was released, much less those of today, there's very little actual substance to Oregon Trail, and many will find it either tiresomely repetitive or only good for a brief jaunt down nostalgia lane.

Gameplay in the older versions of Oregon Trail consists mostly of hunting every day to make the most of your food supply (a minigame where you shoot at a variety of game) and waiting for your party to reach the next landmark.

Later versions, including the 1992 Oregon Trail Deluxe and the 1995 Oregon Trail II offer vast improvements on both graphics and gameplay. In fact, many adults in their 30s today are far more likely to have grown up on either of those than the variants of the Ur Oregon Trail.

Still, this remains an artifact for the curious. While this is a step up from the days of having to type “Bang” and “Pow” to shoot game in the earliest versions, a quick play of Oregon Trail: Classic Edition will show kids (and many adults) how lucky they've had it compared to Generation X, who had to walk to school through snow, uphill both ways, to get to their vidya.

Review By P. Alexander

Captures and Snapshots

Screenshots from MobyGames.com / Platform: Apple II

Screenshots from MobyGames.com

Comments and reviews

moonbug2019-03-140 point

Bear Vs. Salmon, you can convert one of the mainframe versions, they're pretty small and entirely in BASIC. Otherwise this is almost identical: http://www.atariarchives.org/bca/Chapter02_WestwardHo.php

the only one still using win xp2019-02-23-3 points DOS version

why does it skip when on the trail unless something happens i'm playing on windows xp

Belreyne2019-02-040 point

I remember playing the Classic Oregon Trail on IBM Networking computers as a kid.... That and Primary Editor Plus, Where in the World/USA is Carmen Sandiego, and other 'Educational' classics... Talk about Nostalgia....

OTV12019-01-03-3 points Apple II version

I am looking for a copy of the original version of Oregon trail on 51/4 floppy disk for apple ll

Off topic2018-04-171 point

It's a shame. 'Pg' is using an online platform (likely with a decent device) to ban a generation about their access to technology.
I am a millennial. I remember playing in school. That's why I am on this page in the first place. Just kind of food for thought to those predisposed do decide others morals based on age. At least last millennials are discriminatory by a LARGE margin. But that's numbers not opinion.
I'm glad to see this on here so I can reminisce the days when nothing could go wrong.

Moon2018-03-310 point

this game is awesome even though i just finished it yesterday lol

dfortae2018-01-12-2 points DOS version

I review The Oregon Trail here: http://youtu.be/KHXThZGUWrw

Ted2017-10-271 point Mac version

It works under SheepShaver running 9.04.

Retro Never Goes Out Of Style2017-07-230 point

Works just fine in M.E.S.S. on Ubuntu.

PG2017-06-27-7 points Apple II version

I remember playing this game back in 1990 while I was in the sixth grade. I used to love going to the computer lab with my class each week, just so we could play The Oregon Trail on those Old School Apple computers. Each of us were so enthralled by the game, it was the only time that an instructor didn't have to tell us to be quiet. Kids today (Millenials) will never understand how fun and educational The Oregon Trail was for our generation. Sadly, the main reasons they use computers is to connect on Social Media (which has led to Cyber Bullying),
Hacking/Stealing personal information, and other nonsense. Only Xennials can comprehend how Awesome this game is, was and always will be! We grew up during a time when life was simple, and technology had not overstepped it's boundaries by consuming the entire world, and turning everyone into illiterate zombies that can't function without an Iphone in their hand.

Bear Vs. Salmon2017-04-216 points Apple II version

1990s Mac Game Engineers Free

It won't run on my TI-83! Halp.

Deegshardie2017-03-13-4 points

I can't play it on my iPad

Paperbrain2017-03-104 points

Every public school in America had a copy of this back in the day, even the tiny school in rural Idaho I grew up in. Many younger people might find it boring, and wonder what we see in it. In all honesty, with the nostalgia glasses off it might not seem like much, but dagnabit yunguns it was fun!

RandomStranger2017-01-131 point Mac version

I cant play it on my mac :(

Warrior_4_Christ2016-12-28-1 point DOS version

Best Game Ever!!!

Luna Moonrider2016-12-054 points

Need to make one for tablets! I hate the settler game. Want the real game on tablet! So does everybody else. Everybody's asking for it.

TC2016-10-31-2 points Mac version

Will it run on OS X 10.12?

frustrated2016-10-24-3 points Mac version

won't work on my Mac :(

Bubba2016-10-17-1 point DOS version

I can't play the game on my browser

cameron pendergraft2016-04-12-13 points

this game sucks its mostly history:O(

NLE2016-02-081 point

loving this game

blondiebear2015-09-13-7 points Mac version

How do you set it up for macbook?

RetroGamer2015-07-102 points Mac version

wow. i love this game and havent played in years! i recently installed mini vmac-- here goes gaming:)

confused2015-05-30-3 points Mac version

Can you play this without downloading?

abi2015-04-221 point DOS version

amazing loved it

Lord_Xarti2015-04-09-3 points DOS version

Why are you all using JUST DOSbox? Use the far superior LaunchBox *(Which includes DOSbox and many more emulators) that does a lot of this behind the scenes work for you? I got the newest version *(4.6 as of this typing) and it works like a dream for me.

Chauncey2015-01-14-1 point Mac version

I wanna play this so badly but my PC is messed up.

Boat2014-11-150 point Mac version

This better have the peperony and chease epigraph...

Me, Myself, and I2014-11-040 point Mac version

If only they had had Viagra. :o(

Simba72014-10-211 point DOS version

Windows 7? You'll need DOSBox to run any DOS-based games on Windows 7. That, or find an old 286/386.

paulo josé2014-09-10-2 points DOS version

this game relate the live the people to living in contry the oregon .
this good for learn the history the civilizacion.

James2014-08-300 point Mac version

nice screenshot!

Steven2014-08-180 point DOS version

does not run on windows 7

Kronick2014-07-271 point DOS version

Game

WoW !!! I was in 6th/7th grade when this game came out been looking for a few yrs for a copy. Always loved coming upon a river and deciding how to handle it. A lot of times would forge the rivers but not always the wise way to go. Current would usually tip you over and cost you supplies. LOL Oh well....

rss2014-03-220 point DOS version

old time goodness

GoodOleDays2013-11-103 points DOS version

Long live the days of surviving and dying from dysentery...

Raminess2012-10-064 points DOS version

We've ALL died of dysentery! :(

rmn2011-12-163 points DOS version

how many died of dysentery? ^^

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DOS Version

Mac Version

  • Year:1993
  • Publisher:MECC
  • Developer:MECC

Apple II Version

  • Year:1985
  • Publisher:MECC
  • Developer:MECC

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Before digital downloads, finding the best Mac games wasn’t always easy.

They were out there, but the Mac section of the computer game stores (they used to have those) seemed to stock nothing but “Mario Teaches Typing,” and the games that included Mac and Windows versions would inevitably be scattered around the “PC” sections of the store.

As such, compiling a list of the best classic Mac games is pretty tough.

That didn’t stop us from doing it. And because we want you to actually play these games, we made sure you can still buy them all in either their original form or as enhanced editions (not remakes). It also means some of our favorite old Mac games—such as Myth, Red Baron, and Fallout—didn’t make the list.

By the way, if you want to stay on top of all the latest Mac games updates, retro or modern, make sure you check out Pure Mac.

The 10 Best old games for Mac: Revisiting the classics

For the record, old-school classics are not exclusive to older gamers. These classics are famous and still supported for a reason. You’ll be surprised how much fun these games can even after all these years.
When this turn-based fantasy RPG from Spiderweb Software arrived in 2000 it already looked and played like throwbacks to RPGs of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. But it did so in the best ways possible.

Avernum is an underground prison, and of course, your adventure begins when you’re exiled there from the surface world, known as the Empire. But Avernum isn’t simply a prison; an entire culture exists in this subterranean world, presenting you with myriad options on what to do next. With numerous quests, spells, and party members to customize and control, Avernum unfolds with the freedom of pencil and paper adventures.

Avernum: The Complete Saga gives you a ridiculous amount of content and a cohesive story arc that’s tremendously satisfying. The graphics are rudimentary, but Avernum is very satisfying if you can overlook that.

Another name synonymous with Mac gaming back in the ‘90s was Ambrosia Software. You simply didn’t know a Mac user who didn’t have at least one Ambrosia game on her PowerPC.

Perhaps their most fondly remembered title is EV Nova, the third game in the Escape Velocity series. A space exploration and combat game, EV Nova is set amongst warring factions scattered throughout the Milky Way. Consider it Divergent amongst the stars, as you will select your faction then find your role in it.

Gameplay involves jumping between star systems to accept and execute missions, upgrade your ship, and wreck havoc. There are six major storylines and plenty of branching missions, and how you get involved is up to you. That leads to plenty of replay options.

It’s still easy to get overwhelmed by EV Nova despite its age, but Ambrosia offers plenty of resources at the company’s website.

Our second sci-fi first-person shooter to make the list finds you waking from cryostasis to a ship full of unknown aliens, a screwed up AI, and your now zombified companions. Fair enough. We’ve been through this before, so pick up the weapons and health packs and have at it, right?

Wrong. System Shock 2 doesn’t give you a lot of weapons or health packs. Rather, it gives you an RPG-like system of upgrades that forces you to use strategy, stealth, and the environment to survive.

What really separates System Shock 2 from its peers is the ship itself. It’s creepy and oppressive, and you’ll be more afraid of what could be around the corner than what actually is. Story elements are revealed through logs left by the crew, limiting your knowledge of what’s going on in a manner that reinforces how alone you are.

Another game produced by Peter Molyneux, Syndicate Plus is a real-time tactical action game in which you lead a team of cyborg mercenaries in the “problem-solving” department of the Syndicate.

When you hear the term “cyborg” you just know there are going to be plenty of customization options via augmentations. You will use these to create a team that moves through futuristic locations to achieve your employer’s objectives.

Although there’s plenty to address between missions, it’s the execution of those missions that is most fun. The citizens and their belongings (cars, for example) are there to suit your purposes, should you need them. Your radar tells you where you need to go, but the direct route isn’t always best. If you need some extra help you can “persuade” the people around to help get the job done.

Best of all, the music and sound effects were incredibly effective for the time. The music that suddenly kicks in when you’re spotted will follow me for the rest of my life.

I gave up on the Star Wars movies about 25 minutes into Return of the Jedi, and I’ve never been able to get back into it. I still quite enjoy the games, however, and my all time favorite is 1994’s TIE Fighter from LucasArts.

This is because of the excellent story that drives the mission-based flight-sim combat, because of the smooth graphics, and because it was the first time I got to serve the Empire. The missions are what you’d expect from any competent flight sim, asking you to engage in dogfights, take down freighters, protect your own vessels, etc. But because you’re now facing off against the whiney Rebellion, there’s a certain evil glee that goes along with it.

I’m also impressed by TIE Fighter’s staying-power. The gameplay is every bit as intense (and difficult) as it was in the mid-90s, and the space combat graphics are still very cool to view. Just make sure you play it with a joystick. Trust me on this.

There was a time when Bungie Studios was the shining light of Mac gaming. With Mac-only (or at least Mac-first) games such as Myth and Oni, they were the one company that made Windows owners jealous of Mac gamers.

But then Microsoft bought them to claim Halo, and that shining light was snuffed out forever.

Mac gamers can still see what made Bungie so special by playing the Marathon Trilogy. This revolutionary series of sci-fi themed first-person shooters introduced features such as real-time voice chat and the ability to wield two weapons at once. The multiplayer options may not do you much good today, but the action and the story are every bit as entertaining as they were in the ’90s.

Honestly, Marathon would be higher on this list were it not for the steps required to grab it. The games are free, but you’ll need to install Aleph One (the free, open source continuation of Bungie’s Marathon 2 FPS game engine) to run them.

“But what if this was set in space?” is a valid question for every video game ever made…even games that are already set in space. That’s because space makes everything so much bigger and more imaginative. And the time this worked best was when Sid Meier took Civilization interstellar with Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri.

The turn-based strategy elements all remained. You choose from seven factions, then research an unexplored planet, build new technologies and customize your units, and conquer anything hostile (or friendly, if that suits you) to claim victory.

The fun thing about Alpha Centauri is that none of the factions are bad guys. No matter which you select, you feel like you’re doing the right thing when you conquer the others.

Still, why bother playing this when there are many modern alternatives available on the Mac? Because the only thing missing in Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri are the flashy graphics. The writing, voice-acting, and depth of gameplay options are still among the best the genre has ever seen.

1990s Mac Game Engineers Download

For our next game, we go all the way back to the ’80s with Bullfrog’s Populous from Peter Molyneux. If it’s not the first “god” game out there, it’s the first that made god gaming so gleefully fun.

In Populous, you’re given an isometric view of your world and tasked with manipulating this world to help your “followers” wipe out the enemy. More followers lead to more mana, more mana leads to more powers, and more powers mean earthquakes, volcanos, and all kinds of fun ways to punish the non-believers.

There are many similar games available now, most of which are much more involved and rewarding. So, why bother going back to 1989 for the original Populous? Because it’s still fun. It also contains a whopping 500 levels, and the rudimentary graphics create an odd connection with your followers. It’s more like developer and programs than God and subjects.

Those looking to relive the original adventure in this real-time fantasy RPG are in for a treat. The enhanced edition—released in April of this year—comes with the original version from 1999.

1990s Mac Game Engineers Download

No matter which version you’ll play, you are the Nameless One. A name like that means life isn’t good, and the horrors of lives you can’t remember are coming back to haunt you. Worse, a floating skull named Morte is leading your adventure that will take you to the very depths of Hell.

The characters you can recruit in Planescape: Torment are highly non-traditional, including a crossbow-wielding cube and a haunted suit of armor. You’re free to change your class and alignment throughout the 50+ hour adventure, so you’re not stuck with one way of thinking as with most RPGs of this time.

Here’s a case where the enhanced edition of a game expertly accomplishes its goal; it reminds fans of why they loved the original while making the game accessible to modern gamers.

Why? To start, the remastered graphics lovingly reflect the look of the original, serving mainly to make them look sharp on today’s much larger monitors. The enhanced edition also adds four new characters you can simply ignore if you want to remain faithful to the original, and it builds Shadows of Amn and Throne of Baal right into the package. There’s now a multiplayer option, too.

The reason Baldur’s Gate II is so fondly remembered is because of the excellent story and well-balanced combat. As you’d expect from a Forgotten Realms-based game, you can play through as the good guy, the bad guy, or someone in between. Your actions affect how NPCs and members of your own party see you and will open and close quests and other options.

Good RPGs create worlds you don’t just want to play through, but live in. And in that regard, Baldur’s Gate II is one of the most successful of all time.

The thing about putting together a list of the best classic Mac games is that it’s constantly changing. More games become “classic” each year, but it’s more than that. Countless games bubble just under the surface, waiting to be rediscovered or to get their “enhanced” edition to lift them back into the consciousness of Mac gamers. And with the ease of digital distribution, don’t be surprised if we’re soon talking about more of our favorites.

In the meantime, can someone remind me why the Mac versions of Fallout and Fallout 2 disappeared again?

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