Still, sometimes it’s fun to look back and play some retro console classics and if one desires, it’s perfectly possible to use your Mac to achieve this, with NES, SNES and even N64 games all attainable with good graphic and speed performance. Read on after the break to see how.

ROMS

Since we’re going to be emulating games on our Macs, there’ll be no need for cartridges, nor any way to use them if we had them. Therefore, one must attain ROMS, or files which contain the games. The legality of this is somewhat questionable and opinions vary as to it being piracy or not but most consider emulation fairly harmless. A quick internet search for “the old computer” will usually throw up a website which contains the required results.

1. NES

The Nintendo Entertainment System was launched in the US in the mid-1980′s and proved to be an iconic 8-bit classic, with worldwide success and many unofficial clones launched in Soviet Eastern Europe. To emulate NES games, we have a few choices in Mac OS X, but after trying most of them out, I’m going recommend you go with Nestopia.

Simply follow the link and navigate to the relevant Mac OS X download to install Nestopia – it’s a free download. That done, you can grab your ROMS and direct the app toward them via the built-in menu.

2. SNES

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System was the 16 bit follow-up to the NES and was no less successful than its predecessor. With such classic titles as Starfox, Super Mario World and Pilot Wings all finding a home on the SNES, there’s little wonder that its games are still being played today.

To get started playing SNES games on our Mac, we need to grab a copy of SNES9X, which is also free. Download and install SNES9X as normal and then launch the app.

SNES9X contains more options but is still very simple to configure and all you should need to do is navigate the menu to “File -> Open ROM Image” and select your ROM.

3. Nintendo 64

Coming a decade later than Nintendo’s original 8 bit console, the Nintendo 64 was, appropriately, 64 bit and featured significant graphical improvements over its predecessors. For this reason, it takes a little more resources to emulate Nintendo 64 adequately but there’s still plenty of games which run just fine on a Mac.

For our N64 emulation, I’m going to recommend Sixtyforce which has managed to handle the games I’ve tested on my MacBook Pro without many glitches. Sixtyforce is free to use but there is a charge to unlock all the app’s functionality. ROMS are loaded in the same way as SNES9X and Nestopia, accessible via a menu.

Conclusion

The process of running emulated retro games on your Mac really isn’t too difficult at all and probably the biggest challenge is sourcing all the game ROMS you wish to play. If desired, a joypad can be plugged into your Mac to complete the experience. In addition, there’s even an app which turns your iPhone into a NES style controller – I’ve tested this out and found it to be surprisingly usable.

If you chose to install to a different folder, you’ll need to locate it. Right-click on your Steam icon and click properties, take note of the Target location. If you’re in Windows 7 and Steam is running, you might need to right click the icon in the task-bar, then right-click the small steam icon as per the image below.

In my case, I want to make some room for Skyrim (!!!) on my SSD. So I’m moving Supreme Commander 2 to my RAID array. Please follow the steps below, substituting where appropriate:

1. Browse to the appropriate folder – in my case that’s “C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common”.

2. Right click on the game folder and click Cut as per the image below (yes it’s basic stuff, but many people nowadays don’t have a clue about file management).

3. Browse to the hard drive and location that you wish to relocate the folder to. In my case that’s D:\Games. Right click the white space and click Paste. Be patient while the folder moves.

4. Once that’s complete, we need to run a command prompt. Click the Windows button and type in cmd and hit Enter.

5. We need to browse to the original Steam installation folder. So in my case I would type:

cd C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common

6. We then need to create a virtual link to the new location. Very easy to do. Remember that this needs to have exactly the same name as the folder we just moved. In my case, the name of the folder was “supreme commander 2″, so the command is:

mklink /j "supreme commander 2" "d:\games\supreme commander 2"

Hit Enter. If this worked correctly you should see a message that says something like:

"Junction created for supreme commander 2 <<===>> d:\games\supreme commander 2"

Just to recap – the mklink command is used in the following format:

mklink /j "the location where the game used to be" "the location where the game is now"

If you have any trouble, please post below and I will gladly help.

1. OpenTTD

OpenTTD is a clone of the commercial game Transport Tycoon Deluxe. It’s extremely detailed, and has remained one of the highest rated Linux games of this type for years. You’re given a world that’s populated by several small towns, mines, factories, etc. Each of them is a source of supply or demand, and your job is to build an efficient and profitable transportation system to keep everyone happy.

The only thing that makes me reluctant to recommend OpenTTD is that it’s got a very high learning curve. Don’t expect to sit down the first time and just figure it out. Even a simple thing like connecting a mine to a factory with a rail line involves half a dozen steps involving multiple menus. The website does provide some info for help get started, and YouTube has a few helper videos as well.

2. Unknown Horizons

This is a great game that so far hasn’t received much attention. This is probably due to the fact that it’s still in Alpha status, and while its quite fun, it is still lacking some features, and comes with a very limited supply of game maps. As a player in Unknown Horizons, you try to colonize various pieces of land to produce new resources like wool, lumber, and liquor.

The downside here is that to the best of my knowledge, they have not yet implemented a “smart” AI to play against. Because of this, the game is fun, but only for a limited time. At some point, you’ve built and colonized all you want, and there’s essentially nothing left to do.

I mention this game because it’s got great potential, and I’m hoping some code-savvy readers might try it out and enjoy it enough to pitch in with development.

3. CorsixTH

CorsixTH is somewhere between a clone and a port of the commercial game Theme Hospital. In fact, to get the game running, you need at least some of the game files from Theme Hospital itself. Don’t let that stop you though, as most of those files can be acquired from the free demo, which is linked from the same page as the CorsixTH download.

The demo does not include ALL the files found in the normal game, so you may eventually come across something you can’t do without the original game files.

4. LinCity

In spite of the name, this is not actually a clone of SimCity, but it is certainly inspired by that game. The idea is quite similar, you build up a small villiage into a thriving metropolis. As your city grows, you unlock new ways to improve it. Even those unfamiliar with SimCity should be able to pick it up without much trouble, but learning to efficiently satisfy your citizens and your wallet can take a lot of practice.

Mappers/Viewers

Tectonicus

Tectonicus offers several impressive features, most notably the high-detail zoomable rendering and integration with Google Maps. With setup it can work with your server to show player location on the map in near real time, allowing you a virtual window into your world.

Be warned though. With all the detail and layers of zoomability, the initial rendering of the map is sloooooooowwwwww. On the Core 2 Duo test machine used for this article, it took almost 30 minutes for a fairly small map.

Minecraft X-Ray

A fine example of software that does one thing and does it well. Minecraft X-Ray lets you fly around, over and under your world. The particularly useful feature is that you can use the function keys to specify certain block types to highlight. These blocks will pulse with light, making it extremely easy to spot their locations.

Map Editors

MCEdit

While MCEdit’s interface takes some getting used to, it is undoubtedly a very useful map editor. It includes brushes for manual edits as well as 3D region selection for fills and clones. As a bonus, MCEdit also lets you edit a few of the properties of your world such as player location and spawn point.

To run MCEdit, you may need to also install PyGame and OpenGL bindings for Python. Ubuntu users can do this from the Software Center or from the command line with

sudo apt-get install python-pygame python-opengl

Unfortunately, MCEdit seems to be the only full featured map editor for Linux that supports the current map format (McRegion). If any readers are aware of another functional editor, please let us know in the comments!

Skinning

Novaskin

This is a web-based skin editor for Minecraft. Not only can you draw your own as needed, but it also includes a library of skins already made by other users. Everything from zombie suits to Star Trek uniforms is already there and can be used in your own game.

SkinEdit

Where Novaskin is the fancy new web skinner, SkinEdit is the tried-and-true local editor. You’re given a grid with pixel space for all body textures, and whatever you paint is immediately apparent on the comically running preview person.

SkinEdit hasn’t been updated in a while, but (so far) Minecraft’s skin system doesn’t seem to have changed in the mean time.

Player/Inventory Editors

InvGrid

This is a simple, no-nonsense approach to inventory control. Each toolbar and inventory slot is accounted for and you can set the value of each as you wish. The other tabs of the program allow you to define scripts and set game properties such as time of day and player position.

MCPlayerEdit

MCPlayerEdit, a console application, can do many of the same things the best GUI applications can do, and a bit more. With this application you can set bookmarked locations, change time of day, warp between zones, and of course edit your inventory.

Bonus – Minecraft Structure Planner

Ever start a new project, then realize partway through that it’s going to take a LOT more work than you expected? If so, you’ll probably appreciate the value in the Minecraft Structure Generator. This handy little tool does just what it says – it helps you plan out structures and keeps track of all the materials you’ll need to build it. It’s even got prebuilt templates for things like suspension bridges, domes, and mazes.

Conclusion

What we’ve included here is only a handful of the applications available to enhance this already great game. Combining several of them can let players accomplish amazing things. If you think we’ve missed any of the best utilities, or just want to show off some of your creations, sound off in the comments.

The developers of Steel Storm, Kot-in-Action Creative Artel are back again with the next installment, Steel Storm: Burning Retribution. The formula is still the same, an action-packed top-down shooter with strategy elements woven throughout. This time around, there are new weapons, more maps, new enemies, new missions, bonus campaigns, and new multiplayer features.  Steel Storm: Burning Retribution also includes Episode I, so you can play it again or, if you are new to the game, for the first time.

About the Game

In Steel Storm: Burning Retribution, you take on the role of a ship pilot. Rather than going into space, the ship hovers low to the ground, making its way through canyons and man-made structures. The ship is equipped with standard cannons, but you can pick up a variety of weapons along the way, including missiles that are quite destructive.

Although it is a top-down shooter, it is rendered in a 3D environment, so you can adjust the camera angle to suit your taste. You also have full control over graphics features so that you can adjust settings to run on your computer. It is suited to run well on both fast and slightly older machines.

Enemy ships can appear on the spot and may fire at you from several different angles at once. You will need some coordination to dodge them and fire at the same time. To help you with this, Steel Storm offers a few control options, including mouse+keyboard, gamepad, and Xbox 360 controller support.

Gameplay

This game is not your typical arcade shooter. Do not expect to meet wave after wave of enemies on a linear map. Instead, you must complete mission objectives, which sometimes involve exploration, back-tracking, and finding the right tools to get the job done. Some of those tools include keys, force-field generators, and teleporters. You will still have to fight wave after wave of enemies, all while trying to complete those strategic objectives.

For the most part, you can just keep your finger on the trigger whenever enemies are around, but you will need to use your environment to effectively dodge attacks and stay alive. Once all of your ships have been destroyed, it will send you back to the beginning of the mission. Therefore, you cannot survive without some tactical maneuvering.

Campaigns are only part of the fun with Steel Storm. It also has complete multiplayer functionality with deathmatch, co-op campaigns, and capture the flag matches. There are usually several servers online to choose from, as well as a Steam multiplayer community. Moreover, it is quite easy to setup your own server and go into a private match with your friends. Multiplayer is a great way to get a taste for all the weapons, shields, and other goodies Steel Storm has to offer, and testing them out on your gaming friends is quite fun.

Lastly, Steel Storm includes an editor, allowing players to create their own campaigns, death matches, and capture the flag matches. The developers have even posted a video tutorial to help you get started making your own missions.

Availability

One of the great things about many indie games is that the developers care about reaching as wide an audience as possible. Steel Storm: Burning Retribution is no exception and is available for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.

You can try Episode I for free, which is more than a short demo. It is a stand-alone game in itself. Steam users can get the Windows and Mac version through the normal process for $9.99.  Ubuntu users can purchase through the Ubuntu Software Center for the discounted price of $8.99.

Final Verdict

Steel Storm: Episode I was already a fantastic game all by itself, and many would probably have been willing to pay just for that game. With Burning Retribution, you get Episode I and the new game, all for under $10. It is hard to find fault in that, and I could not find any other faults with this game. If you are a fan of shooters and like to get a lot for your money, this game is worth it.

Avadon: The Black Fortress is a RPG game developed by Spiderweb Software. While it may not has big names and budgets like Blizzard and Electronic Arts, its games are extremely addictive and high quality. If you are looking for a RPG game with good graphics detail, storyline and game’s characters development, this is the game to go for.

Getting Started

Just like any other RPG game, you will pick your character at the beginning. There are four character classes: Blademaster, Shadowwalker, Sharman and Sorceress. You can only choose one character at the start, but there are chances to add members to your group as the story progresses.

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Storyline and Gameplay

When the game starts, you will have to click through a series of conversations and dialog. In short, you are a servant of Avadon and your job is to protect the Pact, five nations that have banded together in a fragile alliance, that is to hold back the waves of invaders that seek to destroy you.

During the game, you receive quests – main and side quests. The main quests are those that you need to complete and the side quests are optional. One thing to note, side quests don’t mean that they are easy to accomplish. You might need to spent a great deal of time just for the side quest.

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When engaged with enemies, the game makes use of the turn based fighting style to carry out the fight. All characters get a turn of their own and they can either make a move, cast spells, carry out attacks or heal others.

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As you win a battle, you gain experience. Once your experience points reach a level, you can level up and gain attribute points and skill points. Depending on your character class, you will want to focus only on certain attributes and skills/spells.

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Conclusion

There are a few things that I like about the game:

Good gameplay

What I like about the game is that the storyline is simple and clear and you know clearly what you have to do next. During the storytelling, there are parts where you have to interact by selecting choices, much like the Dungeons and Dragons style. During combat mode, the turn-based fighting style makes it easier to control your teams and there are more time to formulate strategies.

Good graphics

While it won’t win prizes for the best graphics design (it is not even in 3D), it does comes with impressive artwork and graphic details.

click for full image

Low system requirement

Avadon: The Black Fortress runs surprisingly well on my 5 year old laptop with no dedicated graphic card. In fact, the minimum requirement is only 800Mhz of CPU power and Windows XP (or Mac).

There are some RPG games developed by big names that are just plain boring. Avadon is definitely not one of them. As you progress through the storyline, it gets more addictive.

Avadon: The Black Fortress is priced at US$25. It is available for Windows and Mac. iPad version to be released in June 2011.

Avalon: The Black Fortress

Note: The exact step-by-step procedure can vary from one OS to another. Whenever possible we will include details enough to work everywhere, but it’s possible your system may not behave exactly as indicated here. Additionally, Minecraft is still in development and is currently in Beta 1.4. Some of this information may change over time.

Basic Server Startup

While there is a Windows-format .exe file to run the server, all platforms can use the .jar file identically, therefor this guide will cover the .jar method. You will of course need a working Java installation on the machine which will be running Minecraft. For best performance and stability, Linux users are encouraged to use the official Java runtime instead of an open alternative.

If Java is installed and the .jar file is downloaded to an appropriate location, open up your command prompt/terminal to the location where you saved the .jar file. You’ll want to make sure the file is in its own directory, as it will generate several other files and directories the first time it is run.

To launch the server, enter the following command (all OSes):

#The -X options are recommended memory settings for improved performance
java -Xmx1024M -Xms1024M -jar minecraft_server.jar nogui
#The "nogui" option can be omitted if you'd like a GUI,

At this point, the server will generate the needed config files as well as a base world for players to join.

Configuring the Server

You may be tempted to load up the client and play right away, but at this point, nothing is configured. Shut down the server and take a look at the .jar file’s directory again, and you’ll see several new files.

Most are pretty self-descriptive. But for the sake of being thorough, here’s a summary:

• world – Directory containing map data
• banned-ips.txt – List of IP addresses specifically banned from connection
• ops.txt – List of Operator (admin) names
• server.properties – Main server configuration file
• banned-players.txt – List of banned players by name
• server.log – Server’s log file
• white-list.txt – List of players specifically allowed via whitelisting

The one we’re most concerned with is server.properties. This file holds pretty much all the configuration options the server allows. The default one looks something like this, but with comments added for clarity.

#Changing this will generate a new world folder with this name
level-name=world
#Toggles whether or not The Nether is active on this server
hellworld=false
#Enable or disable mob spawning at night
spawn-monsters=true
#Whether or not to verify logins.  Better security if left to 'true'
online-mode=true
#Enable or disable cows, pigs, etc
spawn-animals=true
#Maximum number of concurrent players
max-players=20
#Bind to particular IP.  It is STRONGLY recommended this be left blank in most circumstances
server-ip=
#Whether or not to allow players to harm eachother
pvp=true
#If you want to be able to reproduce your level, you can specify a seed number
level-seed=
#Which port to bind the server.  Take note of this, you'll likely need it later.  
server-port=25565
#Whether or not to enable whitelisting.  See link in section above for details on whitelisting.  
white-list=false

External Access

If you’re attempting to run this on a home broadband connection, you likely have a few extra steps you’ll need to take before anyone but you can access your server. First, you’ll need to know if you need port forwarding. In short, anything running as a server on your computer binds itself to a certain port number. That way, any data coming into that computer labeled with that port number will be routed to the correct program. If you’re behind a home router, the router must be made aware that you’re running a server so that all incoming data on that port goes to the right computer.

Still with me? Port forwarding can be tricky but here’s a summary of how to get the job done. If it’s not enough, here’s a great site devoted entirely to helping with this task.

For starters, we’ll need to know the IP address of the Minecraft server. There are a dozen ways to do that graphically depending on your OS, so here are two ways that’ll work on any major OS from the command line:

#Windows
ipconfig
#Linux/OSX/Any UNIX-type
ifconfig

On home networks, it’ll likely start with 192.168.x.x. Take note of this as the server’s IP. Your router’s IP is likely very similar, but replace the final number in the set with a 1. For example, if ifconfig showed you 192.168.1.50, your router’s IP is likely to be 192.168.1.1.

Now that we’ve got the server IP and a good guess at the router’s IP, open a new tab in your web browser and enter the router’s IP into the address bar (once again, likely 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1). Chances are you’ll face a login screen. If you don’t know the password, try using the factory login.

Once you’ve got logged into your router, look around for NAT, Virtual Server, or Port Forward settings and enter the IP and port of your server as required.

Once again I highly recommend PortForward.com if you run into any trouble.

Dynamic DNS

Most home broadband users have a dynamic IP address, meaning it changes every so often. For people to be able to easily access your server, you’ll need to have a good name they can always access instead of an ever-changing IP. That’s where dynamic DNS comes in. When you sign up with a (often free) dynamic DNS provider, they give you a name like myserver.dyndnsprovider.com. You run a small client program on your server that connects to the provider every so often and informs them of any changes to your IP. Whenever someone accesses the name, they forward the request to your current IP.

There are several such providers out there, but this author has always had good luck with No-IP.com. Signup is quick and free and they provide client software for every major OS.

Additionally, some routers and modems have built-in support for many popular dynamic DNS providers. It may be worthwhile to check your device before trying to install local client software, as it could save you a lot of headache.

Conclusion

It may have taken a little bit of time, but hopefully at this point you’ve got a solid server up and running. Setting up any server can be a hassle. This one, at least, is all but guaranteed to keep you and your friends entertained for quite some time.

About the Game

Like many of the free FPS games, Red Eclipse is primarily geared toward multi-player matches, and although it includes some single-player functionality, it refers to it as “practice” and does not offer any storyline or cut scenes like you would expect from a commercial singe-player game.

In terms of multi-player variations, it has all the match types you would expect plus a few extra. Matches include: Campaign, Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Defend the Flag, and Time Trial. Another match type, Bomber Ball, is a variation of Capture the Flag that requires you to deliver a bomb to the enemy base before it explodes in your hands. Red Eclipse also includes numerous “mutators” that modify the gameplay in a variety of ways when applied. Some of them are:

• Vampire – hurting others helps restore your health
• Expert – only headshots kill you and enemies
• Jetpack – holding jump makes you fly around
• Instagib – one shot kills

Weapons include: Fist, Pistol, Sword, Shotgun, SMG, Flamer, Plasma, Rifle, Grenade, Rocket, and Melee.

Graphics and Visuals

Based on the Cube Engine 2, Red Eclipse offers a pretty decent graphical experience. It will not blow you away, but it can impress at times with its dynamic lighting, shadows, explosive effects, and general bloody carnage. Motion blurring and reflections further help immerse you in the gameplay.

Character models for the players are somewhat generic in their almost Halo-looking spacesuits, but they serve their purpose sufficiently.

The weapons look impressive, particularly the sword (although I had little success actually cutting someone without getting shot).

Gameplay

One benefit of using the Cube Engine 2 is that Red Eclipse is fast – extremely fast.  Even on a low-end notebook, I was able to get full effects and super-fast gameplay.  The speed is particularly useful when taking advantage of features like the ability to momentarily walk up a wall or leap from an impossibly high ledge, features the game makers refer to as “Agile Gameplay”.

The game modes are thoughtful, and one can expect that more modes and mutators will be added as the game matures.  Many of the multi-player servers may be empty when you look for online matches, as would be expected with such a new game, but there is usually at least one server with active participants.

Some things with Red Eclipse take time to get used to, such as needing to press a key to pick up a weapon. Although that is probably more realistic than the snatch-and-shoot style of other multiplayer FPS games, it tends to slow down an otherwise fast-paced game. It also makes it unlikely you will be able to hit enemies with a barrage of different weapons in one attack.

The controls are pretty straightforward and fully customizable. Those who are used to the mouse+keyboard assault combination will feel right at home.

One of the most unique and promising features of Red Eclipse is the Editor. It already features a good number of maps, and users can create their own with an in-game editor. This means that you can literally walk around in your world as you create it. This is a feature of the Cube Engine 2, which makes switching back and forth between editing and testing a matter of keystrokes.

Overall Impressions

Red Eclipse is not a game changer in terms of the FPS genre, but it will definitely attract those who are familiar with its multi-player predecessors. Furthermore, features like the mutators and editor place it a little higher than some of the other free and open source FPS games.

While the graphics will not blow you away, the gameplay is fast and fluid, allowing for intense battles and a lot of the agile gameplay the developers promised to deliver. Red Eclipse passes the ultimate test of being fun without complications. For that, it gets a four out of five. Oh, one more thing. When you play the campaign, be prepared to shoot zombies.

The weird thing about M.A.R.S. is that it is very different from the typical top-down or side-scrolling space shooter in that your ship is very much at the mercy of the gravitational fields surrounding the ridiculously close planets. It is very easy for your ship to go spinning out of control, making navigation a significantly large part of the challenge. To make matters worse, bumping into a planet causes damage, but that is just all part of the fun of M.A.R.S.

Some of the outstanding features of M.A.R.S. include:

• Colorful 2D graphic artwork with shader support and cool particles
• single player and multiplayer functionality
• online multiplayer matches
• aggro-system artificial intelligence for bots
• lots of awesome weapons, such as AFK-47, WT-Flamer, Flubba, and Fist of Ali
• special abilities: heal, blast, freezer, and fire wall
• customizable ships
• space-age symphonic metal soundtrack, composed by a Hungarian band called Obsidian Shell.
• Multi-language support
• keyboard and joystick input
• match customization

M.A.R.S. has a good mix of game styles that should keep the attention of gamers, particularly for multiplayer matches.  Among the game types are:

• Deathmatch – The rules are simple: kill or be killed.
• Spaceball – protect your planet from the sphere of death
• Teamdeathmatch – team up against your common enemies
• Grave-itation-pit – make use an instant kill projectile, but be mindful that it is very sensitive to gravitation, making it difficult to navigate
• Cannonkeep – capture the remote control (like capture the flag)  and use it to aim a huge cannon at your opponents’ planets rather than yours.

Believe it or not, there is actually a back story to all of the action. The year is 3547, and you are a fighter pilot in a war raging between several colonized planets. Your mission is clear: protect your home planet at all costs, even if it means the total annihilation of your enemy’s planet (something you can actually do in Cannonkeep).

OK, so the story is not exactly going to captivate you, but the gameplay just might. M.A.R.S. is an exciting trip into a world where gravity is king and the best weapon you have is your mind. What it lacks in story depth, it more than makes up for in action and strategy.

M.A.R.S. A Ridiculous Shooter is free and open source software and has already made its way into some Linux distribution repositories.  You can also download the game free of charge for Windows, Mac OS X, or for any other platform, if you are willing to build it from source code.  For screenshots and a look at gameplay, including a video of some adorable children playing the game, head over to the M.A.R.S. website.

At first glance, bejeweled-style combined with RPG may seem weird to many. Some may even find it boring. But I can assure you that it gets more interesting and addictive as you play.

In the game, you play the role of a young girl named Claudia. She is thrust into adventure as she searches for her missing uncle among the chaos. In the journey, she has to fight off gremlins and lanas. All she has is four elemental power: water, fire, earth and wind to help her ward off the enemies.

Unlike the usual RPG game where you can move the character around, you will have to complete the bejeweled gem swapping game to be able to move. Similarly, you have to gem swap to form 3 (or more) in a line to build up your elemental power. Each color of the gem represent different meanings. The purple gem allows you to walk, while the blue, red, green and yellow each represent the water, fire, earth and wind element respectively.

To fight the enemies, you have to build up the elemental power and throw it at the enemies. Enemies also come with different elemental type and you need to throw the correct elemental power to the correct enemy for maximum damage.

As you gained experience, you can up the level of your elemental power and also cast a higher level of enchantments and spells.

As you advance into higher level, you will have more power, spells and ability. And of course, the enemies, especially the boss, are also becoming more difficult to deal with. Juggling between the power build up (gem swapping) and attacking the enemies (throwing of the gems) can be a tough play, especially when you have plenty of gremlins surrounding you. You can be easily thrown into a panic attack when you need to quickly build up a certain power (say the fire element) and the red gem is not widely available. It tested your speed, as well as your mind. Here’s a video to show the game in action:

Unlike bejeweled, you can only swap two gems horizontally. There is no option to swap gems vertically. That makes the game more difficult. For beginner, you can choose the easy mode which will allow you to play through the various level effortlessly. Those who love challenge can choose the difficult mode which will really test your speed and bejeweled skill.

Legend Of Fae is priced at US$14.99 and you can find it here. There is also a demo that you can download and try it out before you buy.

Free Giveaway

The developers of LOF has gladly sponsored us 10 license keys to be given to all of you. Here’s how you can participate in the giveaway contest.

Step 1

Please fill in the form with your real name and email address so that we can contact you if you are chosen as a winner. The giveaway activation code can be found on our Facebook page.

Step 2

Share this giveaway post in Facebook or Twitter.

This giveaway begins now and ends Monday, 28th Mar 2011 at 2359hrs Pacific Time. The winners will be selected at random and announced via email.

Share and enjoy!

Legend of Fae

MakeTechEasier would like to thank endlessfluff for their generosity while participating in this giveaway. Interested in sponsoring? We’d love to hear from you. Get in touch with us.

Steel Storm: Episode I is available for free download for Linux, Mac, and Windows. Episode II is still in beta, but those who pre-order at a reduced price can play the beta version now. This review will cover Episode I.

Visual Presentation

Steel Storm is very pleasing to the eyes. Do not let the words “top down” fool you. Although it functions like a 2D top-down shooter, the game is actually rendered in 3D, giving you the full depth of each level, ship, and obstacle. Weapons fire and explosions are as bright and colorful as you would expect from a modern 3D shooter.

Steel Storm includes advanced graphics features like dynamic lighting and anti-aliasing, which make the game look stunning, compared to others in its genre. With moderate graphics settings, it worked well on both my 2.6Ghz quad core desktop and my Intel Atom/Nvidia Ion-based netbook.

You can choose different camera positions for your ship, which is particularly useful if you prefer a slightly angular view rather than straight top down.

Features

The Linux version of the game came with both 32-bit and 64-bit executables, making it easy to install and run. To begin the game, you create a player profile and are immediately given options to start the action. The game supports multiple graphics resolutions and fit my 1440×900 precisely.

Episode I includes single-player campaigns, where the player must fight enemies, collect power-ups, and complete specified mission objectives. It also has the type of multi-player functionality you would expect in a first-person shooter, with death match and cooperative play. You can join currently running servers or host your own public or private death matches or campaigns. Do not expect to find a lot people in active matches, but that may change over time.

For even more extensibility, Steel Storm also has a level editor, allowing you to create your own campaigns and death matches. The editor is easy to use and builds upon already established level designs.

Gameplay

The default control scheme uses the mouse and keyboard, but the control system is customizable and supports the use of a gamepad. I found the gamepad to be more appropriate for this type of game, using one analog stick to control movement, and the other to aim.

The average enemy ship is pretty easy to defeat, although it will still require dodging and hiding behind safe objects. Stationary guns also pose a threat, particularly if ships are also attacking at the same time. Some larger ships are more intelligent and require a bit more strategy, but you should not have much trouble defeating them one-on-one. The real challenge is taking on multiple ships at once. The most enjoyable weaponry are the missiles, and once you have them, you will definitely want to make use of them to quickly take out nearby enemies with one clustered shot.

Unlike some retro top-down shooters, Steel Storm actually requires you to do other things besides just shooting. You must find ways to open force fields, destroy enemy installations, and escape certain areas within a given amount of time. All of this adds a little more thought to the game, which is good if you like that type of gameplay and bad if you only wanted to blow things up.

Finding your way through a level to complete tasks can be confusing at times, but fortunately, there is a map to help you figure out where you have been and where you need to go.

Overall Impressions

Steel Storm is fun, and the added features make it a game you could potentially enjoy for hours. For multi-player fun, you may need to schedule matches with friends, but it should be easy to pick up, even for casual gamers. Considering it is free of charge, you get quite a lot, including the source code. Steel Storm’s gaming engine is licensed under the GNU General Public License, meaning you could conceivably create your own maps and enemies for it.

This game will not revolutionize shooters, and the strategy will not keep you up at night, but the gameplay is addictive enough to warrant the purchase. I give Steel Storm a perfect 5 out of 5.

Remember the Humble Indie Bundle where you can play any price you want for 5 great indie games? Well, it have returned again, with more exciting games. Humble Indie Bundle 2 now comes with Braid, Cortex Command, Machinarium, Osmos and Revenge of the Titan.

For those who have not heard of the Humble Indie Bundle, this is a game bundle where you can pay what you want to buy the 5 games in the bundle. The full price for the bundle cost $85. The money collected by the developers will be donated to charity. You can choose to how the money is divided: between the game developers, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, or the Child’s Play Charity.

Braid

Braid is a platform game in a paintery style where you manipulate the flow of time to solve the puzzle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqtSKkyJgFM

Cortex Command

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8gdIcdVkEM

Machinarium

If you like puzzle games, Machinarium will captivate you. The setting is rich and visually appealing, complete with a likable robot protagonist. The background scenery looks hand- drawn and inert, but much of it is interactive and necessary to complete the puzzles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwZBdWRSBRs

Osmos

The objective in Osmos is to grow by absorbing other motes. Propel yourself by ejecting matter behind you. But be wise: ejecting matter also shrinks you. Relax… good things come to those who wait.

Progress from serenely ambient levels into varied and challenging worlds. Confront attractors, repulsors and intelligent motes with similar abilities and goals as you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrzhlTn1_ds

Revenge of the Titan

Revenge of the Titan is a combination of tower defense and real-time strategy. You can build towers to defense against the invaders. At the same time, you can collect resources and upgrade your towers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05r_-Fp5Vfo

All of the games work great on Mac, Windows, and Linux.

Grab your Indie bundle now!

As popular as it already is, Minecraft is still in the Alpha stage of development. The information here is based on Minecraft Alpha 1.2.5. At this point, anything and everything is subject to change.

Finding Your Minecraft Data

Quite a few of the things we’ll do here today will require you to know where the application data is stored. Keep in mind, I don’t mean the location of the Minecraft exe/jar file, I’m talking about the location where it stores your saved worlds and other data.

On Linux, it’s in /home/YourUserName/.minecraft

On OSX, it’s in /Users/YourUserName/Library/Application Support/minecraft

On Windows, it can be access quick and easy by putting %appdata% in your file manager address bar. You should find a .minecraft folder.

For the rest of this post, I’ll refer to this location as the “data directory”.

Texture Packs

The recent updates to Minecraft have made this quick and easy, but for those who are new I’ll touch on it a little bit. After you’ve logged in, you’ve got the option to manage textures and skins. To install a pack, all you’ve got to do is drop the ZIP file into the data directory’s texturepacks subdirectory. That’s it, you don’t even have to unzip it.

Migrating Operating Systems

If you need to run Minecraft on a new OS but don’t want to lose your carefully crafted world, there is hope. You might at first think of simply copying the entire data directory, but I can speak from experience when I say that it doesn’t always work.

Instead, start by launching the game at least once on the new OS, so that it generates a data directory, then copy only the saves and texturepacks directories from your old install. This will give you all your prior worlds and textures (assuming there are no version conflicts or other nasties).

Running a Server

Now that there’s something of a Survival Mode for multiplayer, there’s a lot more reason to want to run a server. You can download the server application here. This jar file contains the full server for all platforms, and can be run like just about any jar file with

java -jar minecraft-server.jar

I’d recommend that once you start the server, you let it run for a minute or two while it generates the necessary files for your game. After that, quit the server without logging in. This is so that you can first edit the (recently generated) server.properties file to set your game options.

Once that’s done, start the server back up, launch your game client, and select multiplayer. Enter the IP of the server. Assuming you’re running both game and server on the same computer, you can just enter 127.0.0.1 for the IP address.

Bridges

Most Minecraft players encountered the difficulty of building bridges pretty early on, and I still see a lot of new players asking about them. The problem is this: you can only add a block by anchoring it on the face of another block, but what if that face is pointing away from you? Currently the only solution (short of loads of scaffolding) is to rather dangerously step out toward the end of your bridge, and as soon as the slightest sliver of the face shows, place your block.

Update: A reader pointed out that holding the shift key and walking backwards toward the end of your bridge is a much faster and safer way to build out. As long as you’re holding shift, you will not fall off the end.

Water and Lava Control

Liquids in Minecraft are somewhat odd and can take some practice to manipulate. The most important thing to know is that both are effectively infinite, as long as they’re flowing downhill. The trick to both is to know that you can partly control the depth and angle of the flow by stacking (and optionally removing) blocks below the surface. The screenshots below should demonstrate.

With lava, where you can’t easily see or access the blocks below, I suggest dropping gravel into the lava which will act like the screenshots above, from the bottom up.

This is, of course, only a portion of what can be done in this original and innovative game. If you’ve got a Minecraft construction worth showing off, let us know in the comments.

1. Grappling Hook

License: Commercial
Price: $14.95

A highly addictive game, Grappling Hook has you taken prisoner by some sort of “big brother” alien organization that likes to study humans like rats in a maze. Along the same lines as the hit game Portal, Grappling Hook is probably best described as a puzzle platform game. Each level requires you to simply find a way to the end while avoiding obstacles that will lead to your untimely demise. One of the unique tools at your disposal is the grappling hook itself. If attached to a green wall, the hook can pull you across a room, lift you over a dangerous pit, or even save you from a dangerous fall in mid air.

Grappling Hook is a commercial game available for Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows. You can download the demo for free, which is just enough to get you hooked. Add in a level creation tool, and Grappling Hook is sure to distract you from work for hours.

2. What Makes You Tick: A Stitch in Time

License: Commercial
Price: $15.00

A sequel to the point and click adventure, What Makes You Tick?, A Stitch in Time is filled with puzzles, mini games, and a text-based story that develops as you progress. Players will be impressed by the artwork of this game and will be reminded of the many great point and click adventures of the past.

With clues to find, puzzles to solve, inventory items to use, and multiple characters to engage, A Stitch in Time offers hours upon hours of game play and is sure to pull you away from work and maybe even keep you up at night. It includes 7,500 lines of story dialogue, so you had better get out your reading glasses.

In the story, you play a young man named Nigel Trelawney, summoned to Ravenhollow to settle his deceased father’s estate. Nigel soon learns, however, that not all is well in Ravenhollow, and the adventure begins.

A Stitch in Time is an Adobe AIR game that runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

3. Caster

License: Commercial
Price: $4.99

A fast-paced third-person shooter, Caster throws you into wide-open dangerous terrain, sometimes requiring you to blast your way through, while other times requiring a little more strategy. Each triumph earns you money that you can use to get new power-ups that give you really cool abilities, including ultra high speed, cannons that can raise or lower the ground, a shield generator, and much more.

Looking like he might be Mega Man’s younger brother, the protagonist in Caster is as adorable as he is deadly. Once you build up your abilities and can speed through levels, blasting anything in sight, you will surely be addicted. The price is dynamite for Caster, and includes free updates. It is available for Linux, Mac, Windows, iPad, and iPhone.

4. Vera Blanc

License: Commercial
Price: $14.56

With comic style art, text-based dialog, and an intriguing mystery to solve, Vera Blanc: Full Moon and Vera Blanc: Ghost in the Castle, are games that will remind you of your childhood and Carmen Sandiego days. And just like those bygone adventures, you will find yourself quickly engrossed in the storyline, successfully avoiding the work sitting on your desk.

Vera Blanc is the daughter of one of the wealthiest men in the world, and after a surgery that cures her of brain cancer, she gains mental abilities, both an exception memory and the ability to read minds. The mind-reading involves a hangman-like mini game, adding challenge to the clue-finding and general sleuthing. Other mini games are scattered throughout the story, giving you well-timed breaks from the reading and clicking. One misstep can truly result in your demise, just like any good text-based adventure would.

The Vera Blanc games are available for Linux, Mac, Windows, iPhone, and iPad.

Not enough?

If the above are not enough for you, check out the following:

4 Linux Games You Probably Have Not Played

Free Mega Games Pack For Linux

5 More Linux Games You Probably Haven’t Played

Linux Game Review: Sun Blast

PlayOnLinux

Of the multiple approaches to running Windows software on Linux, PlayOnLinux is without a doubt the best choice for Sims 3. This is not because it’s any more “capable’ of running the program, but because PlayOnLinux provides an install script specifically for this game which makes the process FAR simpler than it would be on Cedega or Wine alone.

I recommend that you do not use the PlayOnLinux package provided by your distribution. In testing for this article, I found the pre-packaged versions to be much less functional and reliable than those provided by the PlayOnLinux website. They have up-to-date packages for nearly every major distribution available here.

Beginning Installation

When ready, click the Install button at the top of the PlayOnLinux window. You’ll be given a list of known applications, and you’ll find The Sims 3 near the bottom on the Games section. When selected, you’ll get a bit of additional information about the game and its compatibility.

For the record, I believe they are incorrect about Shop Mode not working, as I had no trouble building and furnishing a house.

When ready to begin, click Apply.

A Note About Prefixes

PlayOnLinux uses prefixes to isolate game installations. When you install a game such as The Sims, you get the equivalent of a new instance of Windows for that game. If you then install a different game such as Spore, PlayOnLinux will create a NEW instance of Windows (a new prefix) for Spore to run. This prevents your files and settings for one game from interfering with another.

Dependencies

This is where PlayOnLinux really shines for Sims 3. On plain Wine or Cedega, you’d have to manually install several packages into your prefix before you can even begin the actual Sims install. Fortunately for us, PlayOnLinux takes care of all that. Before Sims begins, you’ll be prompted to install packages such as Gecko, the Microsoft C++ Runtime Library, and Mono. Allow each of these to complete before moving forward to the next step.

You’ll be given a choice as to whether you’d like to install through the DVD or the downloaded package. Either should work with PlayOnLinux, but the remainder of this guide will be using the DVD edition.

Sims Install

When the dependencies have completed, you’ll be asked to insert your media. CD/DVD drives should be detected automatically, but if you have trouble, you can specify a location by choosing Other. Pick the drive and move to the next step.

STOP. At this point it should have launched the Sims 3 Installer from your DVD. If that didn’t happen, go back and verify that you’ve selected the proper location of your installer.

If you DID get the Sims installer, then proceed exactly as you would in Windows.

If asked about the Download Manager, I’d recommend that you not install it. While it’s possible it may work on your setup, it has caused nothing but trouble on the tests I’ve done. Game patches can be applied manually (discussed in more detail at the end of this guide).

When the Sims 3 Installer window is finished and closed, proceed to the next PlayOnLinux screen. You’ll be asked a little bit of basic information about your video card and if you’d like to create shortcuts.

Important – Before You Play

In the opening paragraph, I hinted that one of the problems with getting Sims 3 to run was because of the copy protection. In order to work around this problem you’ve got to replace the “TS3.exe” file with one that does not contain this copy protection. Unfortunately MakeTechEasier cannot provide such “cracks” or even links to them. You should have no problem obtaining more information from big brother G.

For Sims 3 to run, you’ll have to find a modified TS3.exe on your own, and use it to replace the one in your Sims 3 installation. This will likely be found in “~/.PlayOnLinux/wineprefix/TheSims3/drive_c/Program Files/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/Game/Bin“.

Once that’s done, you’re ready to play!

Extra – Getting Updates

Earlier I recommended that you skip installing the EA Download Manager. This leaves us with no updates to the game, and Sims 3 is certainly not without its glitches. Fortunately PlayOnLinux has a Patches category which includes a script to install Sims 3 updates manually.

That’s it. Enjoy!

Sun Blast is a cross-platform, independent game from OBLONE Software that offers you exactly that experience. With it, you will feel like you are immersed in the arcade action, as space debris, enemy vessels, and menacing star ships all take aim at you.

Background and Features

The game begins with a story intro, where you will immediately feel like you are back at your mother’s house playing Super Nintendo for the first time. Rather than the ever-popular voice-over acting, Sun Blast tells its story in text, and it revolves around some kind of invasion of enemy forces threatening to blow up the sun, or something along those lines. But let’s face it, you will not play this game for the story, so onward to the action.

The visual setting for the game is simply stunning. Like most native Linux games, you can configure the game to your monitor’s optimal resolution, providing you with HD graphics. The sound effects and music are appropriately intense, assisting the visuals in the immersion effect.

For the game, you can choose from three different ships, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Enemies include small star ships, large star ships at the end of some levels, and the environment itself, which often necessitates a lot of dodging.

Gameplay

Although the visual appearance of Sun Blast is impressive, its strength is the gameplay. For control you can choose to play with the keyboard or a Nintendo Wii remote. Yes, you read correctly. All you need is a bluetooth adapter, and you can rather easily connect your Wii remote and start playing.

There are two Wii settings: the one-handed remote control style, and a two-handed, sideways gamepad style. Both require you to move the Wii remote to control the ship. The movement is smooth and fluid, although making sharp movements too far in one direction can cause the Wii remote to momentarily go off track (something that happens even on the Wii itself).

Because of the nostalgia Sun Blast evoked, I found myself wishing I could use a traditional controller, but Sun Blast does not come with joystick support. After programming my gamepad to work with it, however, I found holding the Wii remote sideways to be more enjoyable and actually easier to control.

Like any space shooter, the game requires a lot of button pressing, but it also gives you the option to use “autofire”. As you navigate through a level, you are presented with power-ups that afford you with new weapons, increased shield, or a speed boost. Noticeably absent are any power-ups for replenishing life, which means you have to be extra careful. To that end, there are no additional lives at all, which is starkly different from those old Nintendo games, especially those where you could cheat and gain more lives.

To complete a level, you may need to destroy a fixed number of ships, elude objects until the clock runs out, or simply survive until the end. At the end of each level, you can unlock new challenges that provide additional gameplay and also unlock wallpapers you can download from the game developer’s website.

The one downside I found to Sun Blast was the lack of any save feature. Without multiple lives and no ability to save, you must play a relatively perfect game and do it all in one sitting in order to be successful. For casual gamers like me, that is just not possible. After you defeat the first big starship in level 4, the game will give you the option to continue if you, for example, die on level 6, but you will have to go back and play the previous level again. Fail to get past level 4, and you will have to go through the first three again. This repetition will remind you why games evolved beyond the arcade games that Sun Blast reminded you of in the first place.

Overall Impressions

Sun Blast is very polished graphically, and the gameplay immerses you in the experience, even providing Wii remote force feedback at the appropriate impacts and explosions. While the lack of a save feature keeps it from being a casual “little bit at a time” game, the unlockable challenges add value and longevity.

The Wii remote feature is definitely one of Sun Blast’s strongest assets, and the $9.95 price is the best feature of all. The one-time purchase gives you access to all OS versions of the game, including Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and PC-BSD. A demo version is also available and you can play it first before you make a purchase. Sun Blast gets four galactic star explosions out of five.

Visit Sun Blast’s website

Setup Overview

It’s important to note that there are four pieces involved in a running game of DAoC:

Server: The game server (in this case, Dawn of Light) which accepts logins and coordinates all game activity. This includes combat, weather, AI, and virtually all other game actions.

Database: All the actual content, from players to equipment to quests, is stored in the database. It’s very important to realize the difference between the server software (Dawn of Light) and the database it reads from. When you need to change an aspect of the game, you change it here. Just about everything you will need to edit will be found here, such as XP rate and NPC locations.

Client: Presuming you intend to actually play on your server, you need the actual Dark Age of Camelot game. Fortunately this is a free download at DarkAgeofCamelot.com. You do not need the 14-day trial account, you can skip registration and download the client only.

Portal: When you launch the Camelot game, it would normally attempt to connect to the official servers. Clearly this isn’t what we want. DOL’s developers include a Portal with the package, it’s a small desktop program that lets you manage and launch custom servers.

Configuring the Server and Standard Database

The Dawn of Light server software includes a database that does not live up to the official servers, but provides enough data for an enjoyable game. Alternate databases will be discussed in the next section. The server and db can be downloaded together (or individually) here.

Before launching your server, you’ll want to run the DOLConfig application (as Administrator, if necessary) to set some basic server setup done.

You’ll want to pay particular attention to Game Type and IP. Your game type will determine if and how various RvR settings will be implemented, such as the keeps and towers in the frontiers. Your IP is the address the server is monitoring for connections.

IMPORTANT: If you set this to your localhost address (127.0.0.1), your local client will connect fine, but other computers will not. Make sure you use a real IP (like 192.168.1.10, or whatever yours might be).

On the Database tab, you’ll probably want to set the type to MySQL, with settings similar to the screenshot below. I should note that if you downloaded the all-in-one DOL package, the connection test might fail, as MySQL is not launched until you start the server. If you simply cannot get SQL connection working, you can try using XML as your database, though you may encounter performance and configuration problems.

Configuring the Client

Download: As noted above, the client can be freely downloaded from DarkAgeofCamelot.com. Expect the download to take a while. A long while.

Rollback: Normally, you’d be able to install the client, launch the portal (coming up next) and you’re ready to go. The only problem is that the current release of Dawn of Light does not support the latest release of the client software. This means there’s one extra step – the rollback. We’ve got to downgrade the client a little bit to make it fully compatible. The DOL forums keep up on rollbacks and the current thread on the topic is here.

Dawn of Light Portal

To launch your game to a custom server, you’ll need the Portal. It’s a small Windows application and its purpose is to let you find, manage, and connect to custom servers. It can be downloaded here, and installs much like any Windows application.

To set up connection to your local server, click the Custom Shardsr button. Next, right click any of the blank white space and add a new custom server.

If the dot is red, that means that either the server software is not running (launch Dawn of Light as Administrator) or that the portal has incorrect server settings. If the dot is green, you can create any username and password you wish, and log in. The server will save that information for future logins. If you want your friends to be able to connect, make you you forward port 10300 to your game server.

Alternate Databases and Advanced Config

If the builtin database is not enough for you, there are a few alternates. A few projects have sprung up dedicated solely to growing a massive DOL database. A quick search of SourceForge.net will bring up several examples, such as this and this.

If you want more server options than DOLConfig provides, there is a table in the database that holds several values for user adjustment. Install any SQL client you wish (SourceForge is a friend here as well) and open the DOL database to the server properties table. Each item will provide a description of the setting and a default value.

Conclusion

DAoC is a little bit dated by current MMO standards, but it’s still a whole lot of fun for those who know the game. DOL still has a way to go before it’s fully live-like, but even the standard built-in database is enough for an enjoyable game among friends. With Dawn of Light, you can once again begin breaking down towers and lasting that nasty Lurikeen who keeps stabbing you from behind.

Oh and for all you old-schoolers:
Currin, 50 Scout Alb/Guin/Divinity

Game Booster v2 is another great software by IOBit (the same developer as the IOBit toolbox) and it is designed to help you optimize your PC for smoother, more responsive game-play.

Usage

The usage is extremely simple. Download and install the game booster software.

Launch the Game Booster application. You should see a big button that encourages you to “Slide to boost”. If you are not computer savvy, sliding the button is all (almost) you need to optimize your PC. As simple as that.

What this “Boost slider” does is to stop the services that are not essential to the operating of the system. At the bottom of the window, you can actually view the detail of the services that are going to be stopped.

Game Driver

If you are playing the latest 3D games in the market, more often than not, you will need the latest driver for your hardware (mainly graphics card and soundcard). Game Boosters came with a Game Driver feature that will scan your current hardware and see if the driver is up to date. If not, it provides you with options to download and install the latest driver.

Game Essential

There are some components/software that are important (or useful) to a gameplay, like the DirectX. The Game Essential section checks the web for updates and update your system accordingly.

Game Defrag

While you have heard a lot about defragging your computer, few have heard about the needs to defrag your games. The concept is similar. Game booster will scan the particular game for all its files location and determine if they are scattered all over the place.If yes, it will defrag your game and bring all the files together. Theoretically, when all the files are together, the system has an easier way locating them, and hence the less seek time is required.

System Tweaks

As the name implies, the System Tweaks deal with tweaks that optimize the System settings. There are two options: Default and Top Performance. Unlike the main section where it shows you a detail of the tweaks that it performs, there is no way to know what it going to do to your system, until after the tweaks are performed. Furthermore, the tweaks require you to reboot your system.

Game Tools

The Game tools section contains a series of shortcut links to the various hardware option page, like Mouse, Keyboard, Game controllers, etc.

Conclusion

In terms of usability and simplicity, Game Booster v2 is top notch. However, there is just so much that it can optimize your system. if your hardware is not up to the mark, no amount of software optimization can help you improve your gaming performance.

They are available for purchase and download right over the Internet (often DRM-free), and some of them are pretty high quality. Here are five more you might not have played but are definitely worth giving a try.

1. Mad Skills Motocross

There is something satisfying about playing a 2D game in a 3D world. If you missed the days of motocross games that required you to keep your balance or face a horrific, bone-crunching demise, you will love Mad Skills. But this game is more than just a retro motocross game. It adds simple, yet impressive visuals, 5 powerups, 50 tracks, and the ability to make your own tracks.

The next version of the game will also have multiplayer support, allowing head-to-head competition. The demo for the game is available for free download and gives a good taste of the game. You can purchase the game online for $19.95.

2. Machinarium

If you like puzzle games, Machinarium will captivate you. The setting is rich and visually appealing, complete with a likable robot protagonist. The background scenery looks hand- drawn and inert, but much of it is interactive and necessary to complete the puzzles.

Rather than provide a downloadable demo, the Machinarium demo is fully playable within a Flash-capable browser. The creators of the game recently announced that the game had been pirated so extensively that they are now offering an amnesty price of only $5 to all who have pirated versions, but even if you do not have the game yet, you can still get the $5 price.

3. And Yet It Moves

A truly imaginative game, if ever there were one, And Yet It Moves involves a character who appears to be made out of paper, running through a topsy-turvy world that the player can rotate either clockwise or counter-clockwise. One wrong turn can leave your character in pieces, making the game a mix of platform action and strategy.

The demo of And Yet It Moves is available on the game’s website, and you can purchase the full version online for $9.99.

4. Tiny and Big

Granted, this game is weird and maybe even a little creepy, but it is surprisingly enjoyable. The world feels like a living graphic novel, complete with dialog balloons, and the playable character has an assortment of odd gadgets, including a grappling hook and a ray gun. With the grappling hook, he can pull in-game objects in any direction, and the ray gun can slice those same objects. In most cases, it is necessary to use a combination of both tools to manipulate the environment and advance forward in the game.

Tiny and Big uses a realistic physics engine and hand-drawn graphics for comic book authenticity. It has not yet been released, but gamers can find the demo on the game’s website.

5. OGS Mahjong

Mahjong is not a new game. Actually, it may be one of the oldest games in the world, but the appeal of strategically placing Chinese tiles on a table seems timeless. In the solitaire version of Mahjong, the player must match identical tiles that are not blocked by others.

There is no shortage of Mahjong games on any platform, but OGS Mahjong adds a 3D element that makes it more visually attractive and also easier to tell exactly how tiles are stacked. Best of all OGS Mahjong is free and open source, available for download from the game’s website. You can even download soothing music to accompany the relaxing gameplay.

Conclusion

The Indie game scene seems to be taking flight, thanks to the ability to sell them over the Internet and in online game stores that are willing to market them. Many developers are taking the opportunity to reach out to operating systems like Linux, which were previously ignored. The future for Linux gamers looks a little brighter.

If you do remember any of that, first of all, welcome to adulthood. Next, I would like to introduce you to FreeMGP (Mega games Pack) Vol 1. It will take you down memory lane, but even if you are too young to remember the games in this pack, playing them might still seem like a fun way to spend a summer afternoon.

Unlike the PC game bundles of old, there is no physical packaging for this game pack. Instead, you must download the 1.82 GB ISO image and burn it to a DVD. The entire pack of games is free (made up of both open source and freeware games), and this Linux version contains less games than the Windows one, only including those that have been tested and work well in Linux. Even with that limitation, it still includes 211 games. Nevertheless, all of the games are Windows games, so FreeMGP requires you to have Wine installed and operational.

Installation and Interface

Once you have the DVD burned, open it in a file browser. There is an autorun file, presumably for Windows, as well as three folders. You have to choose the Installer folder and run GamesInstaller.exe to start the installer program. I had to assume this was the correct way to run the program, as I did not find any Linux-specific instructions.

The Installer itself, however, is attractive and runs perfectly under Wine. It includes a side menu with game categories and a list of each game. To install, you simply click the check box next to any of the games you want and then click “Start”. It really cannot get any easier.

The games install quickly, as would be expected, and do not take you through individual installers. The only anomaly I experienced was that, with my dual-monitor setup, one of the monitors would turn off during installation, as if a game were about to start.

Once the games are installed, they will appear in your Wine menu, providing individual shortcuts for each game.

Gameplay

I did not test all of the games, but all of the ones I did test worked without any real problems. Some of them were even 3D games, and they all ran well. The compilers of the game pack have taken the time to pre-configure the games to work correctly under Linux. For example, if a game did not run correctly in fullscreen mode, they set it to load in a window by default. Like typical older windows games, this presents you with a variety of resolutions and window sizes, something that is unavoidable.

Once you get playing, you will likely forget about anything I just said, mostly because the games are fun, providing you with everything from all-out arcade action to thoughtful role playing. FreeMGP has something for everyone, children included.

I found most of the games required the mouse, keyboard, or some combination thereof, with a few responding to a gamepad. Many of the games are undoubtedly familiar and are still popular, like Glest and Wolfenstein 3D. Some, like Tower of Goo (the predecessor to World of Goo), can have you clicking for hours. Others like Aztec Challenge have an annoying nostalgic familiarity that is quite amusing. Then, there are games like Marble Arena that could probably still stand on their own with challenging and entertaining gameplay.

The Bottom Line

Pros:

• FreeMGP is easy to use and will provide you with a plethora of good games.
• It’s free, portable, and redistributable
• Even though you can probably find most of the games separately, FreeMGP will save you the time
• It has been configured to work with Linux. How cool is that?

Cons:

• Most of the games are pretty dated and may even draw an insult or two from your teenage brother
• They are Windows games that still require Wine, often producing wide variety of full screen resolutions or tiny game windows

Overall, FreeMGP is a mega pack of fun games, some of which you will definitely want to keep installed and may even pass along to your children. It is definitely worth a little of your time, and at zero cost, it is unquestionably worth the price.