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For several years now, Macintosh users have been able to run programs designed and compiled for PCs by using an "emulator," a kind of computer program that understands the instruction set of one computer but runs on another. Connectix, a long-time Macintosh developer, sells a product called Virtual PC that provides Macintosh users with an excellent PC-compatible environment for running their favorite DOS or Windows applications. Virtual PC even comes bundled with a version of Windows 95 (or DOS or Windows 98) bundled inside it so the Windows-clueless Mac user doesn't have to go out and buy one of those icky blue boxes. So does SoftWindows, another emulator, developed by Insignia Solutions; in fact, SoftWindows is also available for many different flavors of the UNIX operating system, allowing bearded gnomes all around the world to run software written for the platform they so desperately hate. In any case, Virtual PC seems to be winning the battle for Windows-on-Macintosh cross-execution, and that's where I did my testing.
I could go on and on about what a neat product Virtual PC is. Personally, I'm awed by what Connectix has accomplished in integrating the emulated Windows environment into the Macintosh desktop. But what's that got to do with games? Rather than boring you with my programmer-centric fascinations, let me tell you the good stuff: The latest version of Virtual PC comes with DirectX 5.0 and Win95 drivers for the Techworks Power3D, a full-fledged 3D accelerator made for the Macintosh but built on the Voodoo chipset. Perhaps even better, since newer Macintoshes (except for the iMac) use the PCI bus for connecting graphics cards to the motherboard, just like PCs, you can take your favorite PC 3D-accelerator card, plug it into the Macintosh, install the PC drivers (through Virtual PC), and expect your favorite PC 3Dfx-accelerated game to run like a champ. Skeptical? I don't blame you. And in fact, your skepticism is largely valid. My testing found only one game that ran well amongst the handful of titles I tried out. Starcraft, Unreal, Quake II, IAF, Dune 2000 - all but Starcraft were basically unplayable, and Starcraft ran poorly at that. But there was one game I tried that impressed me - Eidos' Tomb Raider II, no slouch in the graphics department, was quite playable on my friend's Power Macintosh G3. Through the Techwords 3D card, I quite enjoyed playing TR2 and saw nearly the same quality visual effects I normally see on my Pentium II 300 at home, with a Diamond Monster 3D 2 card. Fast-scrolling anti-aliased terrain, 16-bit textures - it was all there. A little bit of frame droppage, occasional delays - yes, this wasn't a perfect experience - but by and large, Tomb Raider II ran like a top contender on Virtual PC.
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