Behold! The installation screen! If you're seeing this, that means so far, you're doing it right! The installer itself can be
found on their website and comes in the standard, DMG format. Nothing terribly fancy going on here, but the process is as painless as can be. After we're done here it's just a double-click of an icon and ...
Ah, one of the quirks of the Lite client. Seeing as it was designed for both non-subscribers and members on the go, it doesn't actually feature the library function. Instead, you must go to the GameTap website and select a game compatible with the Lite client, such as those from the
free play section, should you not be a subscriber.
So we hopped on over to GameTap.com and scoped out the games available. Using their
handy search function, we narrowed down their entire library to compatible games. Well, imagine that! The 1986 SNK release,
Psycho Soldier, is playable! A click in our browser (we successfully used both Safari and Camino) and the GameTap client booted up automatically, downloading our selection. This is probably where we should tell you about some of the limitations of the client itself.
First of all, it can only run in windowed mode. Secondly, you can't change any of the default control. After mashing at our keyboard in a sad attempt to find the right buttons (note: "z" through "b" seem to be a safe bet), we soon realized that documentation could be found on each game page. Desperately in need of a controller, we snagged
a driver for our Xbox 360 controller. Aside from having to press the "return" key for start, it has thus far worked flawlessly. As for the games themselves?
Fantastic. Now, you're probably thinking to yourself, "Hey Joystiq. I really don't think
Psycho Soldier is a good example of what GameTap can do on a Mac." We've tried out plenty of titles, including the underrated Neo-Geo shooter
Blazing Star, the 32X tragedy otherwise known as
Knuckle's Chaotix and much, much more. Thus far, the performance has been equal to our PC's running GameTap, which means that now, outside of illegal emulation, Mac owners have access to arcade perfection.
When it comes to
PC perfection, however, the Mac client can't even be bothered. Finding a few DOS and Windows titles hiding in the library, we attempted to boot them up with a huge grain of salt. Said grain proved useful as the client downloaded our games, then immediately rejected them in a crashing blaze of glory. This was, of course, totally expected, but we were really looking forward to some
Willy Beamish.
A few minor quirks aside, the first release of GameTap for Mac is solid. The titles that support online play perform just as well as they do on the PC, which means that now everyone can appreciate the multiplayer joy that is
Twinkle Star Sprites.
(Page 1) Reader Comments
Linux isnt just for servers anymore.
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The Linux market is a difficult nut to crack. And it's a far better server than it is a desktop.
As a gamer, I don't mind paying for Gametap or Steam.
The reason I use Linux isn't because I'm a cheap pirate, which is what you're making me sound, but because I chose not to pirate Windows instead.
I'd switch my OS over to linux straight away.. and then maybe get a mac next time i upgrade.
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