Mac Games

While iBooks do come with OttoMatic and Deimos Rising, they do lack those silly, time-waster games perpetually in the Windows Start Menu. But I've found if you look online there's many free versions to be found. Here's a few of my favorites:

MacSolitaire: If you play it enough, the card backs will change to cartoon versions of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates.

Freecell: Solitaire for pros! Very simple, but it will give you hints if you're stuck.

Bommo Sweeper: This Minesweeper clone offers several more difficulty levels and the ability to change the tile colors -- both top and bottom.

Pac the Man: If you grew up in the 80s, you know what this is.

Jewel Toy: Why pay for Bejeweled (or go online to use it) when you can get the original for free? This game has been a near-obsession for me. You can customize the jewels.

Glider Pro: At one time this was a commercial game from Casady and Green, but when the company went out of business, the rights reverted to the author, who decided to give it away. It's much easier to maneuver than in the cell phone version.

OneCard: A fast-paced Uno clone that allows for either normal or challenge scoring.

Cocoa Poker: We used to have several handheld versions of video poker sprinkled throughout our car. This one lets you determine what the lowest pair value that scores is (i.e., a pair of nines nets you a point but a pair of deuces gets you squat) and how many virtual dollars each hand is worth. Don't forget to turn on casino-style graphics in the preferences.

MacMAME: This isn't really a game but an arcade emulator. But keep in mind that MacMAME's site can only point you to a couple of games that the makers have made freely available because most of those old games still belong to the original companies (i.e., downloading the ROM images is illegal). Still, it is the Internet -- Mario Bros. and Arkanoid are out there, if you can find them.