Fraction Munchers was a game that I played on the Apple IIe and apple Macintosh computer, when I was just a kid. It was based on finding the fractions, that were adding, subtracting, multiples or divisables, using either the Numerators, or the denomenators. I still have some trouble playing it from time to time.
| Bugdom | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Macintosh Pangea Software Windows Hoplite Research (2000) Ideas From the Deep (2003) |
| Publisher(s) | Macintosh Pangea Software Windows On Deck Interactive (2000) Ideas From the Deep (2003) |
| Platform(s) | Mac OS 9, Microsoft Windows |
| Release |
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| Genre(s) | Platformer |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Bugdom is a 1999 platformvideo game originally created by Pangea Software for Mac OS 9. It was included with the iMac DV 2000 and later iBook models. The Microsoft Windows version, released in 2000, was developed by Hoplite Research and published by On Deck Interactive, a division of Gathering of Developers.[1]Bugdom was generally well received by critics, being praised for its graphics, gameplay and soundtrack but criticized for certain technical glitches as well as gameplay repetition, and sold fairly well.
Bugdom's story centers on the Bugdom, a kingdom inhabited by insects that appears as an outdoors bug environment. Originally, the kingdom was peacefully ruled by the rollie pollies and ladybugs, but not long ago, the kingdom was overthrown by the tyrannic and pompous King Thorax, leader of an evil clan of fire ants, as well as their evil follower bugs recruited prior to the kingdom's downfall. Thorax now rules the kingdom with an iron fist, and the ladybugs have been imprisoned in spider web cages scattered across the environment. The player assumes the role of Rollie McFly, who has survived the ambush of the kingdom by taking refuge in the lawn area. Rollie must travel to Thorax's anthill on the distant reaches of the Bugdom, while freeing various trapped ladybugs along the way.[2]
A sequel, Bugdom 2, was released on December 30, 2002.[3]
Gameplay[edit]
The game is set in an outdoors bug environment, in the Bugdom, a kingdom once ruled by bugs, namely the rollie pollies and ladybugs that was overthrown by a clan of fire ants who captured all of the Lady Bugs and held them as prisoners, leaving their leader, King Thorax, to rule the land.[2] The player visits several colorful locations throughout the kingdom, namely a lawn (levels 1 and 2), a pond (level 3), a forest which resembles a bug's interpretation of a garden (levels 4 and 5), a beehive (levels 6 and 7), a nighttime-themed level (level 8), and an anthill (levels 9 and 10).
Players navigate through ten different stages as Rollie. Rollie has the ability to jump, kick, and roll, the latter two of which can be used to attack most hostile enemies. Nuts are scattered throughout the level which, upon being opened, have power-ups, keys, clovers, buddy bugs, or enemies. Gates can only be opened when Rollie has the appropriate colored key. Lady bugs are trapped at several points of each level and can be freed by kicking their web cages. When Rollie reaches the level exit, a hollow log to be exact, the players score is tallied based on the number of ladybugs freed, the number of clovers found, and if all four pieces of the blue clover has been found. In Level 9, if you found all 4 gold clovers in the entire game, which are levels 2, 6, 8, and 9, they will be tallied in that level.
PC version[edit]
The PC version was originally developed by Hoplite Research and published by On Deck Interactive, a division of Gathering of Developers.[1] Following the acquiring of Gathering via Take-Two Interactive in 2002, the game was ported again by Ideas From the Deep.[4] However, Take-Two Interactive apparently continued publishing illegal copies of Bugdom, prompting Ideas From the Deep to contact the FBI's crime division. Despite this, Take-Two Interactive continued to publish copies following the debate.
Creatures[edit]
There are lots of insects out to kill Rollie so he must survive and save the Bugdom. Some bugs help though.
- Ladybugs - They once ruled the Bugdom with Rollie McFly until trapped in webs by the terrible minions of the anthill led by a giant ant in the name of Thorax. Now Rollie has to rescue them by kicking the web trap, making the beautiful bugs fly to safety. They appear in every level except level 7 and 10, the last two bosses.
- Buddy bugs (bees) - These small striped bugs behind Rollie are like smart bombs that can immediately be shot on enemies, killing them. They come from nuts and are in handy when Rollie is being attacked by lots of enemies. They appear in all of the levels.
- Termites - These are minor enemies in the Bugdom that come from nuts. They appear in probably all of the levels.
- Slugs - These large fat creatures are invincible, so they must be avoided. They appear in levels 1, 2, 3, and 8.
- Boxer mantis - These green mantises wear boxing gloves. The player needs to kick or roll into them quickly, or Rollie is in for some pain. They appear in levels 1 and 2.
- Spear throwing ants - These minions of King Thorax have ugly faces and spears. They must be attacked three times before they die. They also hate water. There's also a variety that throws rocks in levels 2 and 8. They appear in levels 1, 2, 4, 8 and 9.
- Mosquitoes - These female flies attack Rollie from above and drain both his life and rolling energy, swelling their heads. Rollie must attack them when their noses are impaled in the ground. They appear in level 3.
- Water hoppers - These buggers can be defeated only by buddy bugs and should be avoided at all costs. They appear in level 3.
- Water spider - He is an aquatic taxi. If Rollie gives him a coin, the water spider will offer him a ride, making Rollie avoid the killer fish and frogs. He appears in level 3.
- Killer fish - These fish eat Rollie, resulting in an instant kill. They can be avoided by riding the water spider. They appear in level 3.
- Human feet - These pounding feet do big damage to Rollie, even if he runs into them from the side. They appear in level 4.
- Spiders - These eight legged monsters drop down in front of Rollie. They attack by shooting web. They've made webs that King Thorax's minion fire ants have trapped ladybugs in. One of them appears on the main menu. They appear in level 4 and 5.
- Dragonflies - These green insects will offer Rollie a flight and can shoot fireballs (a spoof on actual dragons). They appear in level 4 and 5.
- Bats - These mammals are a danger of riding the dragonfly. If the player flies over the wooden fence, a bat eats Rollie, resulting in an instant kill. They appear in level 4 and 5.
- Caterpillars - These spiky creatures are like the slugs but bigger. They appear in level 4, 5 and 8.
- Bees - These striped monsters follow Rollie wherever he goes. When they sting him, they die. They can be painlessly dispatched by rolling into them. They appear in level 4, 5, 6 and 7.
- Bee grubs - These small white grubs with bee faces can be killed either by being kicked or being jumped on. They appear in level 6 and 7.
- Drone bees - These muscular bees can fire their stingers but they die if they fire them. If Rollie is on the ball, they will pound try to pound their fists instead. They appear in level 6 and 7.
- Queen bee - This giant bee can spew blobs of honey that generate lots of bees. When fighting her, avoid the shadows as they have spikes. Roll into her face to defeat her. Also, you can shoot buddy bugs at this female giant. She appears in level 7.
- Fire ants - These elite soldiers of King thorax can fly and shoot fire. They can be defeated by using a buddy bug. They appear in level 8, 9 and 10.
- Fireflies - If they see you in their flashing glow, these annoying creatures can carry Rollie off to somewhere that could kill him. They will explode if shot by a buddy bug. They appear in level 8.
- Toxic gas roaches - These cockroaches have green gas masks that protect them from the toxic slime. In level 8, the gas they leave behind explodes if ignited by fire ants or buddy bugs, so they may die without Rollie having to fight them.
- Ghost ants - If you kill a spear throwing ant in level 9, he will rise again as a ghost ant. He cannot be kicked but he will die if he is in lava or water. If you hide for a while, he will dissipate.
- King Thorax - The game's final boss. The king of the fire ants can shoot sparks from his staff and to defeat him, Rollie will have to kick the water pipes so they quench the fire on his head, then kick him. After he repeats this process, King Thorax will fall and the game will be completed.
Reception[edit]
| Reception | ||||||
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Pangea Software considers Bugdom to be their most popular Mac game. The Mac OS version of Bugdom received generally positive reviews, according to a 70% on GameRankings.[6] Dziga Robilev of IGN rated Bugdom a 7/10, calling it 'one of the best crafted platform games available for the Mac.'[7] However, Robilev also stated 'The only thing holding this baby back is that the levels themselves don't offer enough variety. There is a lot of the same activity being performed over and over again. Still, the game is a fun play and younger gamers will definitely have a good time with it.'[7]MacMagazin rated the game a 6/6 Mac score, saying 'We are sure: Bugdom will be the summer hit this year among the Mac games.'[8] iMacSidian rated the game a 5/5, saying 'Bugdom really fills the huge gap of platform games for the Mac... The graphics are absolutely top notch - you have to see it to believe it.'[8] Mac Gamer's Ledge rated the game a 4.5 out of 5 score, calling it 'a feast for the eyes and ears.'[8] AppleLinks called the game's musical score 'fantastic' and called the game 'one of the first games that really can be enjoyed by both children and adults.'[8]Inside Mac Games rated the game a 4/5, saying 'Bugdom is certainly a great game... and it is good enough to rival many of the Nintendo 64 and PlayStation titles that it is similar to. Its easy-to-grasp controls and interface are almost totally transparent, even to new users, and the feel of the game is just plush and polished - as is the look.'[citation needed]
Sequel[edit]
A 2002 sequel, Bugdom 2, stars a grasshopper named Skip who attempts to retrieve his stolen knapsack from a large Bully Bee. As of March 1, 2002, it has sold over 30,000 copies worldwide, prompting Pangea to rerelease the game as a shareware release.[9]
See also[edit]
- Truform, rendering technology used in Bugdom
References[edit]
- ^ abWalker, Trey (October 27, 2000). 'Bugdom Coming to PCs'. GameSpot. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
- ^ abBugdom - Description. Pangea Software. 1999-12-01.
- ^'IGN: Bugdom II'. IGN. 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-19.
- ^'Bugdom Ships!'. Ideas From the Deep. March 24, 2003. Archived from the original on February 11, 2015. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
- ^Breen, Christopher (December 1999). '1999 Macworld Game Hall Of Fame'. Macworld. Archived from the original on June 11, 2001.
- ^'GameRankings: Bugdom'. GameRankings. 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-21.
- ^ abRobilev, Dziga (2002-06-07). 'IGN: Bugdom Review'. IGN. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
- ^ abcd'Pangea Software: Bugdom Reviews'. Pangea Software. 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-19.[dead link]
- ^Deniz, Tuncer (2002-03-01). 'Bugdom Goes Shareware'. Inside Mac Games. Retrieved 2009-09-19.
External links[edit]
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
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.
Old Mac Bug Game
“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.
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.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.
Old Mac Bug Game Download
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?
Old Mac Bug Games
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Please understand that I only mention games because I believe they’re interesting, good, and/or fun. Never because I received a free copy or to earn a small commission.