I previously enjoyed Introversion Software’s Uplink and Darwinia, both ported to the Mac by Ambrosia Software. I really looked forward to DEFCON, Introversion’s next title after Darwinia. After all these years, I finally got around to playing it. Based on screenshots and reviews, I knew it evoked memories of WarGames, the 1983 movie about the threat of nuclear war. As with Darwinia, the game’s graphical style was quite unique and certainly effective for the subject matter. Colorful vector graphics represent the action on a world map. Everything plays out in real (but sometimes accelerated) time. When a new game begins, you quickly deploy radar stations, silos, airbases, and naval fleets. Naval units include battleships, carriers, and submarines. The action picks up as the threat level ticks down from DEFCON 5 to DEFCON 1. At DEFCON 3, combat begins. At DEFCON 1, nuclear weapons come into play. The goal is to inflict casualties on your enemies and prevent casualties in your own cities. A running score is shown on screen. Things can swing widely at the end, taking a player from first place to last place and vice versa as the final volley of nukes reach their targets.

So far, I have been battling different combinations of computer AI opponents and having a lot of fun. DEFCON also supports multiplayer games against human players on the internet or a local LAN. I haven’t tried that yet.

I have always enjoyed arcade games in the style of Breakout and Arkenoid. Those games made effective use of paddle controllers, which declined in popularity over time. One of the many games inspired by these classic titles was Runic. The experience was a little different with a mouse, but the core gameplay was very familiar. Behind the arcade action was a bit of a story involving Dark Wizards enslaving the people of Utharkland. The task of freeing the people falls on you, the player. As is typical with Arkenoid derivatives, there are power-ups. In Runic, you collect potions for recipes to create spells. Spells may be cast to unleash various effects that aid in destroying items on screen. There is also a magic shop, which is accessible between levels. There, you can buy more potions or special abilities. One thing I really liked was that you could have multiple power-ups active simultaneously. In some games like Runic, a new power-up immediately replaces the previous one in effect. Every so often, there were levels that included a boss. In addition to the typical bricks and objects to smash, you had to defeat the boss by inflicting damage until the boss’s health was gone.

All in all, it was a pretty fun game. After completing Level 100, I was presented with a victory message: “Congratualtions!!! The fate of people from Utharkland is in their hands! You set them free!” I guess the developers really like exclamation points.

Along with Wingnuts 2, I have been playing another Mac exclusive title, Redline. I don’t own many racing games. I used to enjoy quite a few coin-op racing games back in the golden days of video arcades. However, I am certainly not a hardcore racing sim aficionado. I prefer a less realistic arcade racing experience. Thankfully, Redline has several modes available: simulation, arcade, turbo arcade, and strict. In addition to standard races, it also supports time trials and challenges.

After driving several races with a BMC Mini, I turned my attention to the challenges. Completing challenges is the way to unlock additional vehicles. So far, I have completed eight of out twelve challenges. This unlocked the following cars: DeLorean, Chevy Corvette, VW Golf, Dodge Charger, Audi TT, Dodge Viper, Lamborghini Diablo, and Porsche 959. I still have to complete the Downhill Corners, City Corners, Offroad Corners, and Racing Trial challenges.

I recently brought out my Logitech RumblePad 2 for some arcade action in Wingnuts 2: Raina’s Revenge. I’ve had it for quite a few years but haven’t played it in a while. I really liked the original game from Freeverse Software, Wingnuts: Temporal Navigator. It was very much in the spirit of one of my all time favorite coin-op arcade games, Time Pilot. Wingnuts 2 raised the bar graphically and also added some depth and flexibility to the gameplay.

One nice addition in the sequel is the inclusion of multiple aircraft on your carrier. You choose your plane at the start of each mission. During the mission, you can land on the carrier and swap into another plane. That is useful if you need to change tactics or if your plane is damaged or running low on fuel. Each aircraft is rated for its speed, turning ability, fuel capacity, and shields. Also, each plane has a rating for its guns, bombs, and missiles (on more modern aircraft). You add to your selection of planes as the game progresses. Some of the early planes you are provided are the P-51 Mustang, Bell P-39 Airacobra, Macchi Mc.202, and A-10 Thunderbolt II. Enemies are similarly based on real aircraft. Once you lose a particular plane, it is gone forever. You want to protect them like “lives” in a typical arcade game.

When I first played Wingnuts 2 years ago, I wasn’t sure I liked the game mechanics as well as the original Wingnuts. This time around, however, it appealed to me much more. I definitely like the swappable aircraft. The much improved graphics don’t hurt either.