|
|
|
|
||
        |
|
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
3 Smileys - 1 Smiley Poor, 5 Smileys Excellent Title: Mac Fun Pack 2 (Lode Runner 2, Real
Pool, Play to Win Casino, America's Greatest Solitaire Games)
Platforms: Mac OS
Forward Buying collections of games is usually a great way to get more games for your buck. Instead of buying one game for $35 - $50, you can get a whole bunch of games for about $20 - $30. Buying a collection is also a risk since you might not like every game or some of the games might just be bad and not even played. The Mac Fun Pack 2 has four games that should appeal to everyone; Lode Runner 2, Play to Win Casino, Real Pool, and America's Greatest Solitaire. Are these games worth installing on your computer or does this collection bring together four games that wouldn't sell on their own?
Play to Win Casino 
Play to Win Casino has six casino games including Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Slots, Video Keno, and Video Poker. There is a PDF manual that provides information about the rules of the games and in-game help that gives strategies and even more game rules. Play to Win Casino makes it clear that its goal is to teach people the rules and strategies of the casino games so that when they play in an actual casino they will be better players. The manual even gives tips on when to stop gambling! While Play to Win Casino does give some advice such as telling you when most people recommend standing or hitting in Blackjack, some of the advice is just simply repeating the same statistics. Other games, such as Video Keno and Slots, are based on luck and there is no strategy with these games.
If the tips and tricks were really as incorporated into each game as the manual says, I probably would have overlooked many of the faults such as bad graphics, bad sound effects, lack of a multiplayer option, and poor handling of money. What I mean by poor handling of money is that you start out with 25,000 dollars and you can withdraw up to 25,000 more dollars at any time. I doubt most people go to Las Vegas with 25,000 in their pocket so I think that this should have been changed to be closer to reality; such as letting people choose a limit of some sort. The graphics are also quite poor as you can see in the screenshots. All of the graphics are simple one-dimensional drawings with very few animations. The so-called "sounds of a real-life casino" are not even close to the real thing. Further adding insult to injury, there is no multiplayer capability. I'm not expecting GameRanger compatibility because Play to Win Casino was released before GameRanger was introduced. However, hot-seat capability seems to be a given considering that gambling is a social activity. Conclusion: If you are even halfway serious about playing a good gambling simulation, look elsewhere. If you just want to gamble without losing a lot of real money and don't care about my objections, then Play to Win Casino is an okay game to buy. I give Play to Win Casino 1.5 Smileys.
America's Greatest Solitaire Games
The in-game help function is acceptable although it is a little sparse at times and does not have any strategies for first-time players. There are no statistics but the top ten scores in each game are kept with the name, score, and time. The collection of games are very extensive with 37 different games, many of which I had not seen before. Along with old favorites such as Klondike, Free Cell, and Eight Off there are more obscure games such as Golf, Forty Thieves, Shamrock, and Towers. I think that there is a good mix of games from easy to difficult and they should appeal to all solitaire lovers. The biggest complaint I have with America's Greatest Solitaire Games are the graphics. There are just a few backgrounds and card backs to choose from and I find most of them to be unappealing. The cards are also not nice to look at but are of a good size so I wasn't squinting. I don't understand why you can zoom out to make the cards even smaller, but you can if you want. Conclusion: If you're looking for a good, inexpensive solitaire game then America's Greatest Solitaire Games is one that I can recommend. I still think that Eric's Ultimate Solitaire CD trumps all other solitaire games for its added features, but if you're a casual solitaire gamer then you can't go wrong with America's Greatest Solitaire Games. I give America's Greatest Solitaire Games 4 Smileys.
Real Pool
What I liked most about Real Pool is the clean interface and the many options to view the pool table. You can change the angle of viewing, change the point of view of the camera, and you can zoom in and out. You can also get extra help by using the included aiming device that puts an arrow on a ball that is pointing in the direction of a pocket. You change which pocket the arrow is pointing to by pressing the P key and which ball the arrow is on by pressing the tab key. However, the aiming device only helps you with hitting the balls in their center and doesn't seem to offer advice on hitting the ball to one side or the other. There is also no help in the angle because sometimes you should hit the ball from above and other times you should hit the ball from below. Still, the aiming device is a nice addition and was helpful to me. I also really like the multiplayer aspect and playing with other people over the Internet is a great addition. After all, pool is a social game and if there was no multiplayer I would have given Real Pool a lower score. Conclusion: Real Pool is a pretty good pool simulation game and if you want to learn how to play pool and get some books to properly teach you the rules, I can recommend this game. Having multiplayer is a great addition and the clean interface makes it easy to play. I give Real Pool 3.5 Smileys.
Lode Runner 2
Lode Runner 2 can best be described as the original Lode Runner in a 3D world with greatly improved graphics and music. To all readers who have played the original Lode Runner, please evaluate how much you liked the experience. If you really liked Lode Runner then you'll love Lode Runner 2 and vice-versa. To everyone else, I'll describe the game in more detail. Basically you play as either Jake or Jane and run around a 3D world to collect all of the gold. In order to do this, you need to dig holes in bricks that reappear after a few seconds. You have to make sure you have an exit route because you can't climb out of a hole unless there is a ladder there. You also can't stand in the same space as a reappearing brick because you'll die. Other moves include climbing ladders, scale over bars, falling down over a corner or a hole that he's dug (but not an edge), and collecting stuff. The stuff that you collect are gold, bombs and other power ups that help you out in avoiding the monks that inhabit many of the levels. If you touch a monk, you automatically die. Your only strategies are to avoid the monks, dig a hole so they fall in it, or use a bomb. However, monks reappear just like the bricks so you'll never be entirely free of them. You also have multiplayer play and an easy-to-use level editor.
I played the original Lode Runner and I thought that game was really fun and addicting. Lode Runner 2 just leaves me bored. The isometric perspective makes it difficult to really see where the monks are in relation to Jake or Jane. Sometimes I thought the monk was in front of me only to find them just above or just below. Everything looks really small and I found myself straining to see all of the details. I also didn't like the fact that when you restart either after dying or from a saved game, the level restarts. So if you died getting the fiftieth gold coin, you'll have to get all fifty coins. Saving only sends you back to the start of the level, no matter when you save the game. These aspects really try my patience and even though you can go to any level that you want to, the whole point is completing each level. Conclusion: If you really liked Lode Runner, you'll probably love Lode Runner 2. If you haven't played Lode Runner then I'd download the demo and try it out yourself if my description sounds interesting to you. Overall, I'd give Lode Runner 2, 2.5 Smileys.
Conclusion So you have a pool game, a solitaire collection, a gambling simulation, and an arcade game in the Mac Fun Pack 2. If you're looking for these types of games to fill your collection and you're willing to have second-rate games then go ahead and purchase the Mac Fun Pack 2. I don't like playing a game and saying to myself or others, "This game isn't very pretty and it's simplistic but I only paid $5 for it." I'd rather spend a bit more money on a game that I can play for a long time and not have any regrets than save money and play a game that is substandard. You may think differently and so all I can do is recommend that you look at the screenshots, my descriptions and try the demos when available to help you make a decision that is best for you.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
America's
Greatest Solitaire Games is actually a pretty good collection of solitaire
games. While it's not as great as Eric's Ultimate Solitaire CD from 
