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Oni (Mac)

Imagine if you could marry the adventure and acrobatics of the Tomb Raider games to the martial-arts action found in pure fighting games like Tekken. If you have a clear picture of what that would be like, you've got a handle on Oni from Bungie Studios. It's a third-person-perspective action-adventure fighting game, but with a distinct Japanese animation flavor.

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Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation

Who would have guessed when we met her that Lara Croft - assertive, independent, self-assured, and a phenomenal shot - would prove to be such a tease? Having virtually defined a new genre of third-person action-adventure in 1996, the Tomb Raider franchise lures us back each holiday season much like an old relationship trying to rekindle itself with promises that "it has grown" and that "things will be different and even better this time around." However, with the last two games, developer Core and publisher Eidos have disappointed even some of Lara's most devoted fans. The series refuses to evolve beyond the basic yet beguiling formula: leap around ancient tombs, shoot foes (animal, human, and superhuman), and unravel the elaborate puzzles and traps that guard these premodern mysteries. Lara does have some new moves in Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation, but in the end, none of them takes her far enough in any new direction.

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Tomb Raider 2

Tomb Raider heroine and cyber pinup girl Lara Croft has been an international success since early '97, but the game's original publisher, Eidos, deprived Mac gamers of the chance to participate in the pop culture phenomenon. Even PlayStation junkies got to play Tomb Raider I and II. But thanks to Aspyr Media, Lara has been raiding tombs on the Mac recently. Is it too little too late? Tomb Raider II's engine is long in the tooth; its once-cool graphics are dated; and it lacks a multiplayer option, which has been the hot area in gaming for some time. However, late arrivals are better than no-shows, and Tomb Raider II still has plenty to offer.

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Tomb Raider 3

She's back! Action heroine Lara Croft returns in this impressive action adventure game from Eidos. Once again, the world's most famous "grrrl gamer" must jump, swim, climb, and shoot her way through numerous challenges. There are five locations and 15 massive levels to explore, including the South Pacific, India, London, Antarctica, and Area 51. Unlike previous games in the series, this version lets you visit any of the gaming areas in any order you prefer. This change enables beginning players to immediately appreciate the diverse gaming environments and designs of different levels that have captivated advanced gamers for the duration of the popular series.

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Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force (Mac)

The single player game is VERY immersive, putting you in the role of Ensign Munro, second in command of the Hazard Team. You get mission briefings, weapon training on the holodeck, and even time to hang out in the break room before being sent on Away Missions to insure the survival of your ship. Player models are quite good, with perhaps the most realistic faces I've seen in a computer game, with lips that seem to match the spoken dialogue exactly. Having nearly all the Voyager cast members for voice actors helps as well. The missions, for the most part, aren't too difficult for anyone with FPS experience but are still a lot of fun. ~Alex

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Rogue Spear (Mac)

Red Storm Entertainment and creator Tom Clancy's genre-busting game Rainbow Six combined elements of first-person shooters and tactical strategy games and grabbed numerous game-of-the-year awards. With those credentials, it was virtually inevitable that the gaming community would be graced with a brand new--and much improved--sequel. Rogue Spear, the 1999 follow-up to Red Storm's Rainbow Six follows the old adage that if something isn't significantly flawed, don't attempt repair. Though Rainbow Six featured some minor bugs and game-play concerns, Red Storm keeps the proven game play intact, but improves the 3-D engine and implements fan requests, such as increasing sniper support and adding a "peer around walls" key, to create a near-flawless follow-up.

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Heavy Metal F.A.K.K.2 (Mac)

F.A.K.K.2 is a universal warning to all Federation deep-space navigators, indicating a dangerous biohazard where life enters and only death remains. F.A.K.K.2 is also the name of a world so sublime, with a secret so great, that only the most terrifying classification could keep the spoilers away. F.A.K.K.2 is also a woman who has assumed the name of the world she cherished, when that name alone could no longer protect her tranquil paradise from greed, cruelty, and annihilation. With vengeance in her soul, love in her heart, and two fully automatic, four-barreled blasters in her hands, F.A.K.K.2 is a ravishing avenger on a deadly mission. A steel-eyed huntress and expert warrior, F.A.K.K.2 fights with a single purpose: she will not rest until she's freed her sister from the ruthless, power-hungry monster who abducted her when he ravaged their majestic planet and stole its greatest secret.

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Star Trek Starship Creator Warp 2

Build ships and test them in a mission environment with a whole new Starship Creator featuring a Klingon B'rel-class Bird of Prey; easy-to-use graphic mission-creation engine; personal photo retouching to make the user a uniformed officer; and exporting of ships to the Deep Space Nine game Dominion Wars. The game works modem to modem or across a local area network.

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Driver (Mac)

Since the early days of Atari's Pole Position and Accolade's Test Drive, computer and arcade driving and racing games haven't often deviated from a basic formula. Aspiring speed racers place themselves behind the wheel of one of several real-world or fictional cars and attempt to complete a curvy track under a strenuous time limit. Recently, however, games like Interstate '76 and Midtown Madness eschewed the constraints of typical race games by adding elements like combat and realistic driving situations. GT Interactive's Driver continues to break formula with an engaging story line, mission-based gameplay, and a special Director Mode to coordinate, save, and replay the most thrilling car chases.

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Last Call

The goal of Last Call is to earn tips. To earn tips, you must mix drinks quickly and accurately as well as deal with your customers. Drinks range in difficulty from the no-brainer vodka shot to the Alabama slammer. Last Call features 20 patrons, each with distinct personalities and quirks. As with life, there are other more subtle goals. These will become more apparent as you play and enjoy Last Call.