Continuum

Continuum is a 1987 physics-driven arcade game for the original Macintosh, written by Randy Wilson with art and encouragement from his brother Brian Wilson. Sometimes described as "asteroids in a maze with gravity," it pairs a thrust-and-rotate ship with smooth-scrolling cavern levels and a remarkably tight feel for a 512K-era black-and-white Mac.

How it plays

You pilot a small ship through enclosed planetary maps, fighting inertia and a pull toward each level's gravity well while shooting bunkers, dodging walls, and racing for the exit. Momentum and fuel management matter as much as aim.

Origin story

The Wilson brothers originally signed Continuum to Broderbund, who shipped it on other platforms but never released it on the Mac. After reclaiming the rights, the brothers gave the Macintosh build away as "beerware," and a Commodore 64 port surfaced separately under the name Magnetron.

System requirements

Designed for a 512K Macintosh and the small 1-bit screen of that era, the game runs comfortably on later black-and-white and grayscale Macs and inside Mini vMac.

Source and preservation

Brian and Randy Wilson have released the original source code into the public domain; community ports and mirrors of version 1.03 (and 1.04) keep both the playable game and its source readily accessible.