Developer: Delphine Software
Release Date: November 1991

Another game whose primary platform was the Amiga, Another World (released in North America as Out of This World) is one of those games notable for trying new things. Playing as a scientist transported into an alien world when an experiment goes wrong, it used vector graphics and rotoscoping animation to produce effects not often seen in 1991.

The rawgl project is a cross-platform engine that can use the assets from a number of different versions, including the Anniversary Edition on GOG.

  Buy Another World on GOG.com

  Buy Another World on the Humble Store

Developer: Rebecca Heineman
Release Date: October 1, 1994
Source Code Release Date: January 21, 2000

The original Macintosh port of Wolfenstein 3-D is the rare 1990's example of the Mac getting a better version of the game. Working for Interplay's MacPlay division and using the SNES port as a base, legendary old school game developer Rebecca Heineman created a version that improved upon the original. The game ran at a higher screen resolution, the pixel density on all the in-game graphics was doubled, the enemies have more frames of animation, the sounds were all remade with the fidelity that screams "hey check out my 16-bit sound card!", doors now actually tell you what color key they need, and there's even two new weapons: a flame thrower and a rocket launcher.

Consequently this version can't use the assets from the original PC version of the game. To play that version check out our entry for the original game. To play this version, get the assets from the Internet Archive.

In many ways this is the opposite of her port of DOOM to the 3DO in that she had plenty of time and the result is actually a good way to play the game (she also did the 3DO port of Wolfenstein 3-D, the result is similar to the Mac version). Hopefully having this as a separate entry isn't too confusing.

Developer: Rebecca Heineman
Release Date: October 1996
Source Code Release Date: November 30, 2014

Although DOOM is famous today for running on everything, this wasn't always the case, both because it wasn't until the source came out that it became a meme and also because, hard as it is to believe today, not everything in the early 90's was powerful enough to run DOOM, and often the results were very lackluster.

Rebecca Heineman was a legendary old school video game programmer, and one of the most famous and interesting ports she ever did was the 3DO version of DOOM. Except if you know anything about the ports of DOOM that came out in proximity to the original game, you know that the 3DO port is notorious for being of poor quality. So then why is it so well known? Because of the wild story behind it.

After having done the 3DO port of Wolfenstein 3-D (for which she also did th Macintosh port) she was contracted to polish up the DOOM port from a previous developer, but she soon learned that the publisher misled her, that no work had been done on the 3DO port, and she spent ten solid weeks getting the game to work, including having to address several shortcomings in th 3DO's SDK itself. When viewed through that lens, it's impressive the game runs at all.

In 2014 she released the source code to the 3DO version and the BurgerDoom source port (a nod to her nickname "Burger Becky") is the closest you can get to running the original 3DO version of the game. And I thought initially this was a deal where someone had just taken an existing DOOM source port and just emulated the experience but no, you actually need the 3DO disc image of the original game to run it. The result is a fascinating glimpse into the compromises necessary for console ports in the 90's. The levels are cut down (they're apparently mostly the same as the Atari Jaguar version) with a number of modifications to fit in RAM and decrease polygon count. The game has no multiplayer and no save progress other than remembering what level you were on. A series of video cutscenes did not make the final product. The one thing that's improved upon is the soundtrack since it was re-recorded by a live band in order to take advantage of CD audio tracks.

This is absolutely not the best way to play DOOM, we have source ports for the PC version elsewhere on this site. But as a retro gaming artifact it's an interesting experience. It's the E.T. of DOOM ports in that it's impressive not for its quality but for the fact that it worked at all.

Developer: Runing with Scissors
Release Date: September 24, 1997
Source Code Release Date: December 29, 2016

Postal is... something. It is simultaneously controversial and accepted. It is dark and sinister and yet also a parody not to be taken seriously. It's a satire of violence in pop culture while also being a violent piece of pop culture. A mass murder simulator handled with all the gravity of an angstly teenager doodling in a school notebook, when playing the game you're not sure to what extent you're witnessing a commentary on how society views violence, or if you're contributing to it.

It is also a fascinating slice of late 1990's game development outside of the major corporations and, given that the developer still exists today and still makes new entries in the series, an interesting example of long term success. They've made multiple sequels, spin-offs, remakes and even a movie.

When Runnning with Scissors released the source code to the public in 2016 they jokingly-not-jokingly said they wanted someone to port it to the Sega Dreamcast. Someone did. I figured if it can run on the Dreamcast it should also run on Mac and it does, officially, but only as a 32-bit Intel app.

So here it is. Back on the Mac again. Note that the assets it uses are the original version's, which is free on Steam and GOG, but not the Redux version. It should work with the files from either the Mac or Windows versions of the game.

  Buy Postal on GOG.com

  Buy Postal on the Humble Store

Developer: K-D Lab
Release Date: May 21, 2004
Source Code Release Date: June 4, 2021

Perimeter is a mid-2000's RTS game set in a science fiction universe in the distant future. The game has a focus on terraforming, energy production, and the ability to protect your installations with an energy barrier, the namesake Perimeter.

The original game Perimeter was released in 2004 and an expansion pack, Emperor's Testament, was released in 2005. The developer released the source code to the game in 2021 and released a version on Steam in 2024 called Perimeter: Legate Edition. All three are compatible with the source port.

Note that at this time the Mac support from the source port is considered experimental so I'm labeling this one Early Access. It runs on Apple Silicon Macs with the latest macOS but I have had limited ability to test it elsewhere so your mileage may vary. If you can't get it to launch you can report a bug to me. If the game runs but something in it doesn't function correctly, the developer's GitHub repo might be a more useful spot to report it.

  Buy Perimeter on GOG.com

  Buy Perimeter on the Humble Store

Developer: New World Computing
Release Date: June 1, 2001

Did you like Heroes of Might and Magic III and want more of it? Like a lot more? Good news - between 1999 and 2001 New World Computing put out eight expansion packs under the heading of Heroes Chronicles. Some were retail, others were free, but retailers like GOG have collected them all into one package.

Note that the way VCMI works you will also need the base Heroes of Might and Magic III game installed.

Although my aim is to host signed and notarized game bundles on Mac Source Ports, the VCMI project recently added Apple Silicon support and is sufficiently complex that at this time I'm going to link to their work. We may host a notarized version in the future.

Because the app bundle is not notarized, on first run you may run into issues. The shortest answer is to right-click on the app bundle (VCMI.app) and select Open. The long answer is here.

  Buy Heroes Chronicles on GOG.com

Developer: Altered Orbit Studios
Release Date: May 31, 2024
Source Code Release Date: May 31, 2024

It's impressive that the DOOM runs om everything. It's more impressive that the GZDoom project has turned the DOOM engine into an extremely versatile piece of software. There's a smattering of standalone games out there running on some variant of DOOM or GZDoom and one of the most amazing recent entries is Selaco.

Back when this game came out I and a few others tried building it for the Mac and there were graphical issues due to modifications made to the OpenGL renderer. More recently, CrowEater figured out the trick to building and packaging it for the Mac with MoltenVK to use the Vulkan renderer by default and the result is being able to play this frenetic boomer shooter on the Mac.

Note that this is an Early Access game both in the sense that the game itself is Early Access on Steam and also that this port is a work in progress. One known issue is that the opening splash screen is pink. Another is that sometimes when you die in the game you don't see the proper death animation but rather something that looks like an in-game error. But look past these and you'll find an excellent game to blast your way through.

NOTE: If you previously had the 0.89-BF version installed you will need to update the data files to 0.90 as the relationship between Selaco's code and its data content is very strict, however upgrading may break your saved games so you may want to finish whatever run you're on before upgrading.

Developer: Totally Games
Release Date: March 23, 1999

The last of the original line of Star Wars space combat games, Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance represents the culmination of the series with both single and multiplayer modes, a more modern game engine, and fully voiced in-game dialouge.

NOTE: this game requires a joystick and apparently they're not kidding about that as it kicks you out if it doesn't detect one.

At the time of this posting, DREAMM 4.0 is in beta so I am labeling this Early Access for now.

  Buy Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance on GOG.com

Developer: Totally Games
Release Date: April 29, 1997

Originally launched as a multiplayer sequel to both the X-Wing and the TIE Fighter series, Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter launched to mixed reviews due to the early state of late 90's multiplayer. A later expansion pack, the Balance of Power campaign (included in most modern digital versions) added a single player campaign.

NOTE: this game requires a joystick and apparently they're not kidding about that as it kicks you out if it doesn't detect one.

At the time of this posting, DREAMM 4.0 is in beta so I am labeling this Early Access for now.

  Buy Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter on GOG.com

Developer: LucasArts
Release Date: May 18, 1999

Regarded by some people as the best thing to come out of the prequel trilogy, Star Wars Episode I: Racer does exactly what it says on the tin: it's a pod racing game like the scene in The Phantom Menace. It has the teltale signs of a Nintendo 64 game that was also ported to PC and it shows, for better or worse.

At the time of this posting, DREAMM 4.0 is in beta so I am labeling this Early Access for now.

  Buy Star Wars Episode I: Racer on GOG.com