Burning Monkey Ii
| Filename | burning-monkey-ii.hqx |
|---|---|
| Size | 7,103.5 KB (7273950 bytes) |
| Downloads | 8 |
Released by Freeverse Software in 1999, Burning Monkey Solitaire II is a card game for Mac OS that bundles a suite of solitaire variants inside a vaudeville-style theatre populated by a heckling, joke-cracking troupe of cartoon monkeys. It is the direct sequel to Freeverse's 1997 original and a flagship entry in the long-running Burning Monkey series developed by Bryan Horling.
Setting and theme
The game is framed as a simian cinema or theatre: rows of animated monkeys sit in the audience, eating popcorn, throwing things, and offering running commentary on the player's performance. The decor mixes plush red curtains and wood paneling with a constantly shifting cast of primate hecklers, supplying the title's signature blend of solitaire and vaudeville absurdity.
Gameplay
Eight to ten solitaire variants ship in the box, including Klondike, Strict Klondike (which silences the monkeys), FreeCell, Canfield, Pyramid, and the prank classic 52-Card Pickup. Players bet fake money on outcomes and track win streaks against ranking statistics. The monkeys deliver hints, jeers, and bad jokes between hands.
A signature "world's most extensive cheating mode" lets players peek under cards, undo aggressively, or stack the deck, while a "Boss coming!" panic key swaps the screen for a fake spreadsheet at a single keystroke.
Engine and technical changes
Version 2.0 ran on 68k and PowerPC under System 7.0 through Mac OS 9, while the 2.5 update released July 30, 2001 added Carbon support so the title could run natively under Mac OS 8.6 through Mac OS X. Memory footprint stayed modest at roughly 16 MB RAM and 15 MB of disk.
Development and release
Freeverse, founded in New York City in 1994 by Ian Lynch Smith, distributed Burning Monkey Solitaire II as shareware with a $14.95 USD registration fee or a $24.95 boxed CD-ROM. Subsequent point releases (2.5.1 in 2002, 3.x as Burning Monkey Solitaire 2005) layered in additional decks, jokes, and Carbon refinements before the line concluded.
Reception and legacy
The series became one of the best-known Mac shareware brands of the late 1990s and 2000s, with Macworld covering nearly every revision. Its mix of competent solitaire engines and theatrical animal humor cemented Freeverse's identity until the studio's 2010 acquisition by Ngmoco and eventual shutdown in 2016 under DeNA.
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