Macattack

MacAttack is a fast-paced, Tempest-style vertical shooter released exclusively for the Macintosh in 1993. Players save the Net by blasting waves of enemies that climb a 3D rendered playfield, working through 30 levels and dozens of foe types across five distinct difficulty settings.

Gameplay

MacAttack borrows directly from the Tempest/Arashi lineage, sweeping the player around the rim of a geometric well while enemies advance from the center. Five difficulty settings significantly alter pacing and enemy behavior, giving the game appeal across casual and arcade-veteran audiences alike.

Technical Highlights

The shareware build advertises 30 frame-per-second animation, large-screen play that fills the entire monitor rather than a postage-stamp window, digitized sound and music, and rendered 3D graphics. It runs on any color QuickDraw Mac from the SE/30 forward, including PowerBooks, the iMac, and G3 systems.

Distribution

Originally a boxed retail title, MacAttack was later released as $15 shareware via Kagi by developer Roger Kemper at New Reality Entertainment, with earlier retail distribution by GameTek. It also appeared bundled in compilations such as MacPack Blitz.

Version 1.99 Notes

The 1.99 update specifically addresses a hang that occurred on iMac and G3 hardware after a game ended, making the game playable on the era's then-current Macs.