Review: Mac Action Sack

By: Kirk Hiner

Genre: Action Collection

Format: CD

Developer: Bungie

Publisher: Bungie

Minimum Requirements: 68040 Mac, System 7.0, 4MB RAM, 8-bit color monitor, CD-ROM

Network Feature: Yes

3Dfx Support: No

Retail Price: $19.95

Availability: Out Now

Some of the best advice I received was given to me during college. I was in the most horrific play of all time (In the Matter of J. Robert Oppenheimer, for those of you taking notes), playing a witness in what was supposed to be a courtroom drama. Along with the other witnesses, I spent a good deal of time backstage waiting to be called upon. That's probably for the best because the play was so boring that--and I swear this really happened--one of the actors fell asleep onstage during a performance! Also, while back there, I received these words of wisdom from a guy named Stan:

"When doing stand-up comedy, never do a full hour of top ten lists."

You'd really have to know Stan to appreciate the statement. He was also infamous for asking me if boils are contagious, and for suggesting to a class full of feminists that perhaps the main female character in Joyce Carol Oates' short story "Where are You Going, Where Have You Been" deserved to get raped.

When I think of Stan, I can only shake my head in bewilderment. Yet I'm going to pull a Stan right now. I'm not going to give you an hour of top ten lists, but I am going to give you one. This comes from the good folks at Bungie, and it's their suggestion on what one can do with the sack in which the software of the Mac Action Sack ships.

10. Pack a lunch, have a picnic
9. Cover broken parking meters
8. Wet bathing suit tote
7. Put your extra pennies in it
6. Contain rabid badgers
5. Squeezin' cheese
4. Windsock
3. Trick or treating
2. Fill with acorns and other nuts
1. Emergency colostomy bag

I won't review the comedy content therein, but I will suggest for your approval that number nine is easily the funniest. What I am going to review is the content of the Mac Action Sack...again, for your approval.

One CD, six games, many hours lost. That's pretty much what you get from this compilation. The Mac Action Sack ships Minotaur, Pathways into Darkness, Abuse, and the complete Marathon Trilogy. That's some really good stuff, provided you don't already own them. But Bungie has made their purpose for this compilation quite clear. Well, their first objective is to make many, many dollars, of course. But their second is to introduce new iMac and iBook owners to the wonderful world of Macintosh gaming.

As always, Bungie succeeds. So let's take a quick look at how they've done so.

Minotaur

This multiplayer role-playing game holds the distinction of being the first game to ever be published as a Bungie title. The graphics are simple yet elegant, and the gameplay is typical of today's higher-tech role-playing games. You create a character and send him/her into numerous adventures. With the assistance or hindrance of your co-players, you must solve puzzles and complete missions, gaining skills and knowledge as you progress.

Mac users who are used to the real versions of Dungeons & Dragons type games will probably enjoy this introduction to their computer counterparts. Those who have played more modern computer versions, however, may be put off by the dated look and capabilities of Minotaur. Minotaur's big fault, however, comes from the multiplayer capabilities...or lack thereof. There is no effective way to play it alone, yet the multiplayer game is only compatible over an Appletalk or ethernet network. Forget playing this with your friends across the street or across America. Minotaur is relegated to those with with Macs directly connected to one another. Good for graphic design firms, bad for everyone else.

Pathway into Darkness

After Maelstrom, this may be one of the first games I ever played on my LCII. It was only a demo, I believe, but I recall thinking how cool it was that I was seeing the game through the character's eyes. The rest of the world apparently thought so as well, and the gaming market quickly became bogged down with first person shooters. Pathways wasn't the first of its kind, but it was the first notable title for the Mac (correct me if I'm wrong), and for that it deserves a round of applause.

The game is still fairly fun these days, and the crudeness of the graphics and gameplay give it an odd charm in much the same way that the guys in the rubber suits give Godzilla> movies charm. It's also somewhat of a release to play a first person shooter without having to use every key on the keyboard. Left, right, forward, backward, shoot. Sometimes, that's all you need.

Abuse

And sometimes, it's not. Although it's later in the release cycle than Minotaur or Pathways, Abuse is the one that's most reminiscent of the early arcade games. It's a side scrolling action game in which you use the keyboard to move your character and the mouse to aim your gun.

And believe me, there's a lot of aiming to be done. Abuse is intense, and the complexity of the controls only adds to the confusion on screen. But it also doesn't take long to realize that the controls are perfect for a game of this type. Get used to them and get ready to kick some alien butt.

Abuse is the kind of game that, as a kid, I would've stayed up all Saturday night playing with my friends. Heck, who am I kidding? I would've stayed up all night playing this in high school and college as well. Were it not for my desire to keep my current job, I'd stay up all night playing it now. This would actually prove to be beneficial in the long run as it would keep me away from...

The Marathon Trilogy

Consider this History of the First Person Shooter 101. Marathon, Marathon 2: Durandal, and Marathon Infinity. It's not entirely unlike watching the first Star Wars trilogy in one sitting; the effects steadily get better, the story continues to develop, and Han Solo loses all of his personality by the end of it all.

Okay, so the analogy isn't perfect, but what analogy ever is?

It's arguable that the Marathon Trilogy kept Macintosh gaming alive in the early nineties, and it's easy to see why. A great combination of action and puzzles, it set the standard for the onslaught of first person shooters to come out for the both the PC and the Mac for years to come.

And that's just what this collection is all about. These games have set standards, and the Mac Action Sack is here to point this out to all the new Mac owners. But it also serves as a great reminder to those who have been playing games on their Macs for some time now, and it catches up those of us who may have missed these games. Like great songs and movies of years past, classic games don't die. Although technology may have surpassed them, other elements keep them fresh. Such is the case with the bulk of the Mac Action Sack.

So let's review. Mac Action Sack from Bungie? Excellent gift. Two tickets to see In the Matter of J. Robert Oppenheimer? Horrible gift...unless you're looking for a cure for insomnia, that is.

Fell asleep onstage. I still can't get over that.

I was good, though.

.

May 26, 2012