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September 27 2011 - It has been brought to my attention that Aspyr Media are planning to re-release Tomb Raider 2 for OS 10.7 (Lion): http://www.insidemacgames.com/features/view.php?ID=571 Would it be too much to hope that they might re-release threir other prviously ported TRs as well? Thanks to Matt for this info.
July 29 2011 - I have updated the 'Old Tomb Raiders on New Macs ' page with some changes and additions from Dave (the Author). Compelling reading for anyone looking for information on the subjects covered.
May 16 2011 - The Death of Lara Croft?
As more and more information is released
about the new Tomb Raider 'reboot' it is becoming clearer that the
franchise is moving in a direction I'm not willing to follow. Lara is
now being touted as 'vulnerable' and that is a side of our heroine I
have never wanted to experience. Couple that with the fact that the
genre of the game seems to be shifting to survival/horror and it is
clear that the new game and indeed the character of Lara Croft is
moving too far away from the one I have known and loved for over ten
years.
Also given the fact that no Mac support seems to be forthcoming for
most of the latest games it is likely that updates on MacRaider will
be even less frequent.
Although I normally enjoy reporting on any new Tomb Raider news
regardless of platform, the new game appears to be sufficiently far
removed from past TR games that, sadly my interest is not there.
MacRaider will remain online and hopefully be a helpful resource for
all of the earlier games. I will also continue to answer emails
regarding any of the first eight TR games but support for the latest
'Tomb Raider' will not be forthcomming.
April 3 2011 - The Crystal Dynamics Tomb Raider Trillogy set for PS3 including HD versions of Legend and Anniversary as well as a re-release of Underworld, should now be available in most parts of the globe, The single Blu-Ray disc also includes some extra goodies but unfortunately not the Underworld DLC levels (sigh)
March 3 2011 - It now seems certain that Mac OS 10.7 (Lion) will no longer support Rosetta. This means that no non Intel applications (including games) will run in this OS. For MacRaiders this means that the only Tomb Raider that will run in 10.7 will be Anniversary - a consideration when deciding whether or not to upgrade.
January 17 2011 - I have been in contact with Dave, a longtime MacRaiding acquaintance of Kerrie's from England, who has kindly agreed to share his memory of their joint experiences of getting older Tomb Raiders (and by extension other games) to work on newer Macs despite changes in hardware and operating systems over the years. This information can be found on a new page: Old Tomb Raiders on New Macs. I have also added a couple of pertinent links to the links page.
December 22 2010 - Crystal Dynamics have announced that they will be releasing a trilogy Blu Ray disc containing HD versions of Legend, Anniversary and Underworld for the PS3 in the new year. Legend and Anniversary were previously unavailable in HD on that console. This means that just about every Tomb Raider game (apart from Angel of Darkness) can now be played on the PS3. Thanks to Dave in the UK for this information.
December 17 2010 - Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is now available for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad the latter being in HD. They are being made available for purchase and download through Apple's iTunes App Store. Also, more information has surfaced about TR9 which will be called (wait for it) ...Tomb Raider!
It will indeed be an open world game and will be yet another 'reboot' for the franchise. It seems that Eidos / Square Enix are once again rewriting Lara's background story. This time we will see a young Lara shipwrecked on an uncharted (no pun intended) island and will have to learn new skills to survive and become the adveturer we know today (apart from the fact that we apparently don't know her at all). She will have to create weapons and search for food etc. As more information is released I will start a new dedicated page.
December 6 2010 - There have been rumors for some months now that the next Tomb Raider game will be an "origins" story, one that pre-dates the other games and tells how Lara became who she is. The Head of Studio of Crystal Dynamics has now confirmed that this will indeed be the story for TR9. It has also been suggested that TR9 will be an 'open world' adventure meaning that there will be one large environment rather than several locations as with previous games. Hopefully more info will be released soon.
Meanwhile I have been working my way slowly through Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light and although I was all set not to like it I am finding it highly enjoyable. Just as long as they don't make the 'real' TR games like that. ;-)
September 30 2010 - Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is now available for download for the PS3 through the Playstatiion Network and for the PC through Valve Software's Steam site.I have also made a small update to my Guardian of Light page.
August 21 2010 - Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is now available for the XBox 360 through XBox Live. Apparently more downloadable content will become available for the game in future. Hopefully not exclusively for XBox.
July 21 2010 - Apparently the PC and PS3 versions of Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light will be released one month after the XBox 360 version . The Xbox version is being released earlier to coincide with Microsofts 'Summer Of Arcade' promotion.......or something.
July 10 2010 - A release date for the XBox version of Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light has been announced as August 18th. The PS3 and PC dates are yet to revealed.
March 18 2010 - I have created a new page for Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light. Athough the game is not officially part of the Tomb Raider series and there is no word yet on a Mac edition I'm assuming that most people who visit MacRaider will be interested in any game featuring Lara so any information I accumulate about the game will be found here.
March 12 2010 - A little more information about Guardian of Light can be found at Gameinformer here.
March 4 2010 - Crystal Dynamics have announced a new game titled "Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light" which will apparently be available in digital download form later this year. Not much information is known as yet such as which platforms it will be available for. A spokesperson from Crystal Dynamics has stated that "it is not the next Tomb Raider" (note the lack of the words 'Tomb Raider' in the title) and that more information will be released in a few days Though there is not much to see at present the official web site is here: http://www.laracroftandtheguardianoflight.com/
March 1 2010 - I have recently become aware of an online petition directed to Eidos/Crystal Dynamics with the purpose of persuading them to release the two TR Underworld XBox DLC levels 'Beneath the Ashes' and 'Lara's Shadow' for other platforms. I would urge anyone who does not own an XBox and would like to play these levels to sign the petition. It's free and does not require any registration (donation is optional). Find the petition here: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/tru_dlc/
February 1 2010 - Lara has been included in the Guinness World Records 2010 Gamer's Edition, notching up six entries including "Most Successful Video Game Heroine" and "Most Detailed Video Game Character". More info can be found at tombraiderchronicles.com and more on the Gamer's edition of the Guinness World Records here
December 16 2009 - It has been brought to my attention that it is possible to use a Playstation 3 Sixaxis controller on the Mac under Snow leopard for playing TR Anniversary. Details on the Anniversary page.
October 18 2009 - As there is a noticable lack of new Tomb Raider news lately I though I would point out an interesting graphic over at TombRaiderinc for those who haven't seen it. It is a graph showing the sales figures for every retail TR game to date. You can probably guess which TR has sold the most copies but you may be surprised (as I was) which game has sold the least (probably not the one you're thinking).
June 15 2009 - I have made a small update to the Tomb Raider and OS X Classic page regarding a possible problem playing TR3 Gold in OS 10.4.11 (Classic).
May 31 2009 - Eidos have released a downloadable patch for the PS3 version of TR Underworld to include 'Trophies' in the game. I'm still not sure what trophies are or do but obviously Eidos has determined that they are more important than fixing the numerous bugs which continue to plague the game. Some people on the Eidos forums have suggested that the update has made some parts of the game worse. You might like to read the comments for yourself before deciding whether or not to download. As trophies are unimportant to me I'm opting to pass.
April 4 2009 - I have been in contact with Feral Interactive who have given me the bad news that no universal Mac port of TR Anniversary will be forthcoming. In their email they said: "getting the game to run on a PPC machine was a lot more complex than first expected." Niether could they impart any news of a Mac port of Underworld .
Meanwhile I have been tardy in reporting that the two downloadable levels for TR Underworld on the Xbox are now available through Xbox Live and walkthroughs can be found at Stellas TR Site
March 2009 - March 2009 - marks the tenth year of MacRaider's online presence. The occaision brings with it, for me mixed feelings. Firstly, I am happy to be able to continue to make the site and it's content available to everyone and preserve all of Kerrie's hard work. At the same time I am sad that Kerrie could not be here to celebrate the milestone.
In other news, Square Enix, the makers of the Final Fantsy games look set to buy troubled Eidos Interactive. Hopefully this means that Tomb Raider will continue for a while yet.
February 14 2009 - Happy Birthday Lara! The PS2 version of TR Underworld is scheduled for release in Australia on February 19 with the US to follow in March.
January 24 2009 -The PS2 version of Underworld is now available in the UK while reports of release dates for other countries continues to vary. The Australian release date is still TBA. Eidos have shed 30 employees including Creative Director Eric Lindstrom and have suggested another "rejuvenation" of Tomb Raider in the future, a suggestion which always worries me.
January 16 2009 -Happy New Year! Eidos have stated that "sales of Tomb Raider Underworld have failed to live up to its expectations." I have a few ideas on why that might be the case. However a local games store told me that it had been selling like hot cakes. This despite absolutely no in store promotions anywhere my home city. Meanwhile I have been able to afford a Playstation 3 console and am now playing through Underworld. So far, loving every minute!
21 December 2008 - I have included a link on the Tomb Raider: Underworld page for those looking for a walkthrough. I've also updated my Q & A page with an explanation regarding my entries (links above).
November 2008 - Feral interactive are reporting on their web site that a Universal Mac port of Tomb Raider Anniversary will be available 'in the new year'. Meanwhile I have contacted them regarding a Mac port of Underworld but unfortuanately they've informed me that there is no news as yet. Underworld has been released on all other major platforms barring the PS2 in the US and Europe with Australia to follow on December 4th. The only news on the release of the PS2 version (the one I'll be playing) seems to be 2009.
29 October 2008 - The Tomb Raider Underworld Demo is now available through Xbox live for those with a 360 and a PC demo to follow on the 31st of October.
25 June 2008 - This news is a little delayed as I've been sick the last 9 days... Eidos have opened the official Tomb Raider Underworld site! There are a couple of new screenshots posted there that I've not seen before, and it looks like the rumour of Lara being able to Scuba dive might be true! I've been waiting for that since the first time I played Tomb Raider so I'm stoked :) Eidos have also posted a downloadable MP3 of the main theme - this is a high quality 256k file, so check it out.
3 June 2008 - There are now a couple of reviews of the Mac version of Tomb Raider Anniversary on the web. The Inside Mac Games review is very positive and gives the game an 8.5/10, and the Applelinks review is even more positive, and gives it 5/5. From my impression of the game on both PS2 and X360, both reviews are well balanced and worth checking out if you've yet to decide!
I've also posted an update on my TRLE Custom Level Notes page about one aspect of playing custom levels on an Intel Mac.
25 March 2008 - I have created a small new page for the original Tomb Raider: Anniversary Edition from Core Design - this game was cancelled in favour of the Crystal Dynamics developed Tomb Raider Anniversary so was never released. Planet Lara are now hosting a variety of media from the game, and interviews with members of the original team, and I've included several links to this material for those who might be interested. I've also updated my Tomb Raider: Underworld page with another link and some notes.
9 March 2008 - MacRaider is 9 years old today! Thanks to you all for using MacRaider, as without that support it would never have made it this far :-)
8 March 2008 - Feral Interactive have amended their system requirements for TR Anniversary after testing on a MacBook with GMA integrated graphics with shared RAM. They now say that the game is suitable for Macs with integrated graphics, such as the MacBook. More on my Tomb Raider Anniversary page.
15 February 2008 - Feral Interactive have released the Mac demo of Tomb Raider Anniversary, for Intel Macs only. Go to the Feral TR Anniversary page for the links. This is a large download at 273MB so isn't suitable for dialup connections. The Mac demo is the first part of level 3 'The Lost Valley', so my walkthrough for that level should be suitable for the demo as well.
14 February 2008 - Feral Interactive have announced the release of the Mac Tomb Raider Anniversary! The Intel-only game will be released worldwide on 15 February 2008, and the demo will be available on 14 February 2008. The PC demo is the first half of level 3 The Lost Valley - the demo ends when the T-Rex appears in the cutscene - so I'd assume the Mac demo would be the same. In that case just use my Lost Valley walkthrough to that point (some features may differ in the demo though). Link to my walkthrough from my Tomb Raider Anniversary page.
NOTE that I am unable to play the Intel release as I don't have an Intel Mac. Feral intend releasing a Universal patch in the next few months so the game can be played on PowerPC Macs, but as my Mac is likely to be well under the minimum specs to run the game I don't expect to be able to play the Universal game successfully either. And to even attempt it, I'll have to update to OS X Tiger or Leopard, something I've been avoiding as it would only be of use to try running TR Anniversary and would otherwise be a waste of money. So at this time I'm not able to say whether I'll be able to provide any Mac-specific support at all, including any Mac savegames... Of course my walkthroughs are fully compatible with the Mac game so Mac players will still find my game coverage useful!
1 February 2008 - On 31 January 2008 Tomb Raider: Underworld was announced on the official Tomb Raider site! Little information has been released yet but I'll keep updates on my new Tomb Raider: Underworld page. This next game in the series is set for release for Christmas 2008 so there's a bit of a wait yet...
26 January 2008 - There is no official announcement from Feral Interactive yet about the release of the Mac Tomb Raider Anniversary, but eagle-eyed visitors to Feral's site will notice that the TR Anniversary link on their home page has moved from the 'Coming Soon' section to 'New Releases'! I'd assume that this means the Mac Anniversary isn't far from being on the street..? This initial release will be the MacIntel game only, with a Universal patch released sometime in the next few months for PowerPC Macs... I'll continue to post any official news from Feral on my TR Anniversary page, as I become aware of it.
19 January 2008 - Those of you who've not been following my MacRaider blog may not be aware of my growing interest in switching to console gaming for my future gaming needs. For reasons I explain in my latest post 'More comment on Apple, gaming, and the future of MacRaider' (and in several earlier posts) I have now settled on console gaming for my future Tomb Raiding, and specifically the late model HDMI-equipped Xbox 360 through a high-definition LCD TV. Basically, the Mac no longer makes much sense as a gaming platform - console gaming now makes a lot more sense to me into the future. MacRaider will continue, and I'll continue to provide the best walkthroughs and info I can, but my comprehensive Mac-specific support for future Tomb Raiders will no longer be forthcoming. However, I will continue to provide support for all those Tomb Raider games I am able to run on my MDD Power Mac, which means at least up to Angel of Darkness, so I'm still here for the classic Mac gamers! I hope you can come along with me for the ride!
25 December 2007 - Merry Christmas! (From Tomb Raider Chronicles ) Play Magazine will have a preview of the next Tomb Raider - Tomb Raider 8 - in their January magazine (they will be releasing it for paid download in the near future). Rumours have been circulating that the game will be named Tomb Raider Underworld, and that now seems to be official, with the game centred, at least in part, around the Mayan culture of Mexico. It will follow on from Tomb Raider Legend and pick up the loose threads from the end of that story. It appears to be coming to PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3, so that pretty well confirms that my next gaming platform will be an Xbox 360 (and now that the 65nm CPUs are in circulation the last hurdle to my purchase of a 360 has passed). The game will feature many advances over Legend & Anniversary, including (but not limited to) improved lighting, and environmental interactions such as Lara getting realistically dirty where appropriate. Once some official details are released I'll start posting them on a dedicated TR Underworld page, but for now you can check out Tomb Raider Chronicles which is likely to have all the news as it becomes available! So far the new game looks very promising, and as Crystal Dynamics delivered on Legend and Anniversary, there's every chance that they'll do a top job on Underworld as well!
13 December 2007 - The Wii Edition of Tomb Raider Anniversary has yet to be released in Australia, and even when it is I still can't afford a Wii so can't review it. But it has been released in the US and Europe, and is getting very mixed reviews. Although some reviewers seem to agree on many of the problems, which are centred around poorly thought out controls, patchy grapple use, a sloppy camera, and the lack of automatic targeting (with some serious combat problems when combined with the dodgy camera), the reviews have widely differing ratings, between 4/10 and 8+/10! It makes me wonder whether some of the reviewers actually played very much of the game at all...
Without personal experience I'm inclined to think that the real worth of the game is around the mid-point of these extremes. With that in mind you may like to check out the GameSpy TR Anniversary Wii review which gives it 3/5. For more extreme points of view you could have a look at either the Eurogamer review, which gives it 4/10 and was written by a woman who seems to be almost as big a TR nut as myself (so I'm inclined to believe that she at least played a fair bit of the game and gave it a good chance!), or the GameZone review, which gives it a more optimistic 8/10 but seems to be viewing the game through rose-coloured glasses (so I have to wonder just how much of the game he played...)
My friend Dave has also checked out the Wii game, and he tends to agree with reviews like that from Eurogamer. He found the game controls hadn't been given much thought and he saw the same problems. He considers it to be seriously flawed, to such a degree that he returned the game and exchanged it...
The general consensus seems to be that if you've played Anniversary on another console or a PC, then there isn't enough reason to buy the Wii game even without considering the problems! Which is a great pity as the possibilities of TR on the Wii were fascinating, and could have given the game that extra little bit it needed to round it out for us explorers, for whom the combat isn't the main attraction...
9 December 2007 - I've completed a site-wide spring cleaning, including fixing some broken links & tidying up some pages. I've also revised my downloads. From now on I won't be posting any SIT downloads - all downloads on this site are now ZIP. For my reasons, and general download troubleshooting, go to my Download Problems page.
3 December 2007 - Tomb Raider Anniversary for Wii has been put back again. Nintendo Australia are now quoting 14 December, back again from the last estimate of late November. My local EB Games is quoting 20 December. If it doesn't make this date it's probable it will be pushed back into 2008 due to the difficulty with shipping at that time of year... It's worth noting that the official Tomb Raider Anniversary site has had some new postings, with lots of Wii gameplay vids to download for those who can't wait for the game's release!
27 November 2007 - I've received clarification from Feral Interactive about the system requirements for the forthcoming Mac version of Tomb Raider Anniversary. There will be a Universal version - it will be released after the Intel version is shipped, and it will be available as a downloadable patch to use with the Intel release. The system requirements for PPC Macs will be advised later but it's expected that the minimum CPU for PPC Macs will be a bit lower than that already advised for Intel Macs. And Feral have advised that both the Intel and Universal releases are intended for a first quarter 2008 release! Go to my Tomb Raider Anniversary page for more details and system requirements. There is a possibility that I may just be able to run the game on my dual G4/1.25 MDD Power Mac, so hopefully I'll be able to provide at least some Mac support for the game!
26 November 2007 - Updating the system requirements for the Mac Tomb Raider Anniversary - it now appears that there will be a Universal release early in the new year! This was not made clear until today, when the official system requirements were updated on Feral's site after the initial announcement last Friday stated that it would be Intel only. Go to my Tomb Raider Anniversary page for more details.
24 November 2007 - Tomb Raider Anniversary for Mac has been announced! This time Feral Interactive will be publishing the game, and the conversion is being handled by Robosoft Technologies. Go to my Tomb Raider Anniversary page for more information and System Requirements. The Mac Anniversary will be for Intel Macs only... (UPDATE - there will be a Universal release!)
6 November 2007 - Tomb Raider Anniversary for Xbox 360 has been released in Australia! The 360 version was originally intended as an Xbox Live download but in recent weeks I heard that a disc release was on the way. It was, and hit the streets late last week (I had my grubby mitts on a copy prior to release, but as I don't have a 360 it didn't follow me home ;-) However this will only be of interest to those 360 owners who have had no access to Anniversary on other platforms, as the 360 game is the same gameplay as the PS2/PC releases with the only variations being to the graphics quality.
On the other hand the Australian Wii release of Tomb Raider Anniversary has been put back. It was originally slated for early November but is now back to the last week in November. So those waiting to check out the new gameplay features will have to wait a little longer...
28 October 2007 - Two days ago Apple ceased support for the Classic Mac OS, when OS X Leopard was released without support for the Classic environment. I've updated my Mac Tribute page with a modest tribute to an OS that is officially deceased but won't lie down yet! I've also posted the same entry to the MacRaider blog for those who look there first.
In other news, the Wii version of Tomb Raider Anniversary is slated for release in Australia on 8 November 2007. I was hoping to be able to check it out and post some impressions and gameplay notes, but I'm not yet able to afford a Wii to play it on... In the meantime don't forget to check out a couple of Wii gameplay movies posted on the Official Tomb Raider site! With the addition of new mini-puzzles that take advantage of the Wii controller, as well as an electric torch Lara can carry and which is pointed by moving the controller, this looks like an interesting new direction for Tomb Raider!
23 August 2007 - Eidos have announced more details of the upcoming Wii version of Tomb Raider Anniversary! Not only will the controls be transformed for the Wiimote/Nunchuck controllers, making the gameplay experience very different to what we're used to, but new interactive puzzles have been created that require the use of an 'archaeological toolkit'. This should give the game a degree of interactivity not before seen in TR - imagine using a small trowel or brush to expose a wall carving, then making a rubbing with a pencil and paper to record the details of the carving. Or drawing a symbol in sand as part of a puzzle, and much more.
Now some of you might notice something here - this is starting to sound like a cross between the classic TR gameplay and the interactivity seen in games like Myst! It'll be fascinating to see how this works out, and I may just bring forward my Wii purchase to coincide with the release of TRA Wii late this year, and push back my X360 purchase into 2008. After all, a 360 is essentially the same gameplay as a PS2, just with better graphics...
Check out the new movie posted at the official Tomb Raider site, showing some of the Wii gameplay elements - the glimpses of the Wii gameplay shown in the movie are tantalising to say the least!
16 August 2007 - Further to the release of the new iMacs, benchmarks are appearing that cast a shadow over the new ATI graphics. The first graphics benchmark is not at all flattering, and gives the new top end ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro 256MB a lower gaming frame rate than even the previous low end GeForce 7300 GT 128MB with a slower Core 2 Duo CPU! Considering that the top 24" iMac now comes with the option for a 2.8GHz Core 2 Extreme CPU, the apparent degrading of the graphics means that the new iMac may be seriously hamstrung for gaming, despite any other performance increases.
Check out my New iMacs - Graphics Update 2 (Benchmarks) blog post for more detail and links to the relevant reviews. I'll be updating that post as I find reviews of the graphics performance of the new iMacs. So far it's really interesting to see a comparison of the old and new, both with the top end CPU and GPU available at the time!
If this is the case, and if the graphics drivers aren't significantly improved over the life of the aluminium iMac, then we could be waiting a long time for a better gaming iMac than the previous white model, with the next major revision not expected now for another 12-18 months!
The only improvement with the new Radeon graphics is that they handle DirectX 10, but that's only of use if you're playing games in Windows Vista and very few of us are likely to want to bother doing that. And there are GeForce graphics with the same DirectX 10 support that could have been used instead, and have been well received in PC gaming. So why did Apple switch to ATI at all? Was it because of Apple's desire to make the new iMac thinner that they switched to Radeon..?
Of course there are the other issues with the new iMac - the glossy screens and the new MacBook style keyboard - which could well rule it out of consideration for some people anyway, whatever the graphics performance!
I have to say that if I was in the market for a new iMac for myself right now, I'd be frantically trying to get the previous model white 24" with the 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo and GeForce 7600GT 256MB graphics before Apple run out of them - I doubt I'd consider the new model at all!
8 August 2007 - Apple have announced the new iMac range, and it looks like you get a lot more for your money with them! I've also added a post on the new range in my blog today so check it out for some more details on my take on the new 24" iMac!
17 July 2007 - I've now completed and checked all my Tomb Raider Anniversary walkthroughs! During my second run through the game I found several more pickups and I've made some significant additions and amendments to some levels, and tidied up the complete walkthrough page. Check it out for more details!
3 July 2007 - Now that I've completed my Tomb Raider Anniversary walkthroughs I turned to consider the responses to my 'Is MacRaider still relevant?' poll. I'm happy to say that I've decided to continue MacRaider in its current format, fully supported, for some time to come! For more details go to my Poll result post for my response to the comments I received and the reasons I'll be continuing to support the site. My thanks to everyone who responded!
2 July 2007 - I've now completed my Tomb Raider Anniversary walkthroughs! They contain a guide to finding every Reward in the game, hints on beating every boss, and the routes are fully explained and follow either the most direct path, or at least a logical progression through each level where there is no set path. They have yet to be checked and I may have missed the odd ammo or medipack pickup, but I'm confident that there won't be much to add to the walks, and you'll find that they give all the information you need to complete the game!
The whole process took me 26 days of between maybe 3-6 hrs most days, with some days more than that. I'll now take a short break back in the real world, and in a week or two I'll replay the complete game on medium difficulty to check my walkthrough. Some time after that I'll replay it again on high difficulty and make notes of any differences I find. This process could take some time so please be patient...
29 June 2007 - I've now completed my first draft walkthroughs for the game levels of Tomb Raider Anniversary! When I say draft, I really mean that they are fully detailed but have yet to be checked. They contain a guide to finding every Reward in the game, hints on beating every boss, and the routes are fully explained and follow either the most direct path, or at least a logical progression through the levels. I may have missed the odd ammo or medipack pickup, but I'm confident that there won't be much to add to the walks, and you'll find that they give all the information you need to complete the game!
All that's left now is my Lara's Manor walkthrough, and completing the extra gameplay information. Once that's done I'll take a break then get back to a second run through to check everything in a few weeks. Later still I'll have a look at each level at high difficulty setting to see how they differ (the walks have been written at medium difficulty setting).
27 June 2007 - I'm now working on the final level of Tomb Raider Anniversary - 'Final Conflict'! I'm getting the walkthroughs finalised as fast as I can, but although they are as accurate as possible at this stage, and include all Rewards, as well as detailed tips on beating the major enemies and completing the levels, I've not checked them yet so some pickups may be missing. But I'm confident that there's not much I've missed, and they give you all the information you need to complete each level :-)
23 June 2007 - Turns out my replacement modem was sent overnight air freight so I now have it, but why couldn't they have sent it a week earlier..? Anyway I shouldn't have any problems updating the site, at least until the new modem fails...
I'm updating my Tomb Raider Anniversary walkthroughs as fast as I can. I'm going great so far - today I'm well on the way to finishing level 11 'Sanctuary of the Scion'. There are only another three levels to go after this, so keep checking on the above page for updates!
20 June 2007 - Back on 8 June I negotiated a replacement modem under warranty from my ISP, the second time I've had a warranty claim on a Siemens SpeedStream modem in 21 months. I was told it would be despatched soon after, so about 1-2 weeks wait. Bad, but could be worse. The next day I called them again as my faulty modem was worse and could they speed up the replacement. Today I received an email telling me that it's just been sent, 12 days later! Assuming it's accurate then it could be another 1-2 weeks before I actually see it. But of course the email could be wildly late being sent...
I've managed to patch up my existing modem and it's hanging in at the moment but if it fails then I won't be able to update my Tomb Raider Anniversary walkthroughs until the replacement arrives! My apologies but I'll do the best I can. I'm going well so far - today I'm working through level 10 'Obelisk of Khamoon' & there are another four levels or so after that, so keep checking on the above page for updates!
10 June 2007 - I'm having big problems with my ADSL modem at the moment. It's under warranty so a replacement is on its way but it may not arrive until Friday 15 June, or even the week after. I'll try to speed it up a bit but as my dialup account is email only if the ADSL modem dies completely I won't be able to update my Tomb Raider Anniversary walkthroughs as I write them! My apologies but I'll do the best I can.
7 June 2007 - It's here! I now have my PS2 copy of Tomb Raider Anniversary! I collected my pre-order this morning and was pleasantly surprised to not only get a $10 discount, but to also find that it is a 'Collector's Edition' with a second disc containing the complete Gametap Retrospective Documentary celebrating 10 years of Tomb Raider, music tracks from both Anniversary and Legend, and some other documentary content including a wallpaper of the Lost Valley which I've not seen before! I will now be starting work on my walkthrough, so keep an eye on my Tomb Raider Anniversary page for regular updates!
2 June 2007 - Tomb Raider Anniversary released! Tomb Raider Anniversary for PC and PlayStation 2 was released in some countries on 1 June 2007. The Australian release is still scheduled for 7 June so I have a few days to wait for my PS2 game... Once it's released here I'll start posting my impressions and walkthrough so keep an eye on my Tomb Raider Anniversary page for updates!
If you've not yet decided whether to buy the game, the official site has a wide variety of information and downloads, including a PC demo, PC screensaver, and lots of videos, desktops etc. to download. The movie downloads have an mpeg option which plays in QuickTime but can be quite large - for a smaller download that plays in QuickTime, the iPod version (mp4) is fine. The site is targeted at broadband users but those with dialup access and lots of patience can still access some of the content. The T. Rex is awesome and is featured in a wallpaper and video!
(rant) Those who have visited the official TRA site will have noticed a 'Community' section, with links to various fan sites. Eagle-eyed visitors may have noticed that MacRaider is not included in the fan site listings. Why is this? I'm glad you asked ;-) On two separate occasions I emailed Eidos requesting that they include MacRaider in their listing of TR fan sites on the TRA Community page. They did not respond in any way to my requests - MacRaider was not added to their listings, nor did they reply to my emails. One possible conclusion to draw from this is that Eidos doesn't want a Mac TR site darkening their doorstep, but whatever the reason I can only say 'Eidos, you get royalties from Mac players as well!' (/rant)
27 May 2007 - Poll - Is MacRaider still relevant? I'm running a poll on the MacRaider blog to see if you think MacRaider is still relevant. The last Mac Tomb Raider was Angel of Darkness, released in December 2003, and when TR Anniversary is released in a week or so there will be two new Tomb Raiders that have been released since then on other platforms. But there is still no news of a new Mac TR and there may never be another on Mac. Does this make my Mac Tomb Raider site irrelevant or do you want MacRaider to continue? Please leave a comment in this topic on my blog - I will be making a decision based on the responses I get there so it's up to you! If there is little interest in MacRaider continuing then I'll probably tidy it up and leave it as an unsupported online archive for Mac gamers playing the older Tomb Raider games.
19 May 2007 - Tomb Raider: Anniversary Update According to the respective Eidos sites, Tomb Raider Anniversary will be released on 1 June 2007 in the UK and 6 June 2007 in the USA. The date for the Australian PS2 and PC versions is still shown as 7 June 2007 on the Australian Atari site. So it appears that the general worldwide release date will be the first week in June!
The official Tomb Raider Anniversary site is being regularly updated with desktops, screenshots, movies and more, and there is now a lot of background information on the game, and peeks behind the scenes at Crystal Dynamics. This site is aimed at broadband users, but if you're on dialup and have some spare time and plenty of patience you may still be able to access at least some of the material.
19 April 2007 - Tomb Raider: Anniversary Australian delay? Aaaargh! It appears that Tomb Raider: Anniversary will be delayed in Australia. According to Atari Australia, the Eidos distributors here, the release date is now listed as 7 June 07. The official site is still quoting a 'May' release, but that's probably deliberately vague due to regional variations. And I was starting to think that game delays were improving in Australia... In any case I'll be posting my Anniversary impressions and walkthroughs as soon as possible, whatever the release date, so stay tuned - hopefully I'll be able to get my hands on a demo a little earlier!
13 April 2007 - Tomb Raider: Legend's 1st Birthday! Tomb Raider: Legend was released one year ago today in Australia and has since appeared on almost every conceivable platform. Almost... The only notable omissions are Linux and, you guessed it, Mac. And after this time I'm certainly no longer holding my breath for a PowerPC Mac Legend. Of course MacIntel owners can play the PC version, as long as you don't mind buying a copy of Windows, installing Boot Camp, and rebooting every time you want to play. Better than nothing I suppose but for me console gaming makes a lot more sense!
On the other hand it's now less than 5 weeks until the release of Tomb Raider: Anniversary here in Australia! I have my PS2 pre-order in, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a similar pre-order bonus to last year's Legend - a PS2 demo disc. There has yet to be any announcement but if I do get an advance demo then rest assured that I'll be posting first impressions and a walkthrough pretty quickly so stay tuned!
9 March 2007 - MacRaider's 8th Birthday! - Yes, MacRaider is 8 years old today! In game fan-site terms that's almost geriatric, and for all that time I've provided continuous support (apart from the odd day or three here and there). This isn't the oldest TR site on the web but at least one of the older sites hasn't been continuously supported all its life. MacRaider's longevity is all down to you, the reader - without all the great feedback I've had, and continue to get (thanks Greg, and everyone else!) I doubt I'd have had the determination to keep it going all this time. And whatever the future of Tomb Raider on the Mac, I hope to continue the site for as long as there is a Tomb Raider!
In keeping with the new MacRaider blog format, and the mature age of the site, I've switched the home page colour scheme from the yellow news text to a more conservative light grey. Have I done the right thing? Let me know what you think!
6 March 2007 - MacRaider :: the blog - Yes, I've started a blog for Tomb Raider and general Mac gaming comments and opinion that don't really fit into this news column. Check it out!
24 February 2007 - The Tomb Raider: Anniversary official site has now been updated with more details on this tribute to the original Tomb Raider I, for release in May! There is more information on the game, a couple of new wallpapers, and a second downloadable trailer which includes some of the starting video of the game (an updated version of the original starting FMV) and some short gameplay clips showing some of Lara's new moves. For example, Lara can now balance on the tops of thin poles, and 'wall-walk' while hanging from a rope. The only location shown so far (Peru) is instantly recognisable to those who are familiar with the original Tomb Raider I.
Go to the above official site, or my Tomb Raider: Anniversary page, for more details.
20 February 2007 - Tomb Raider: Anniversary for PlayStation 2 now has an official Australian release date - according to the Australian PlayStation site it's due for release on 15 May! This also seems to be the US release date, at least according to GameSpot.
On the other hand there is still no news on a Mac version of Tomb Raider: Legend. It's now 10 months since the PC Legend release so there is still a chance it may come to Mac, but if so it could be a MacIntel only release as that would be an easier port. There could also be problems porting the DirectX graphics calls to OpenGL, and this could be a serious limiting factor for future Mac game conversions unless Apple take serious steps to update OpenGL.
Apple have been working on OpenGL for multiple processors, but as long as they continue not to take gaming seriously then the future of Mac gaming may have severe limitations. It seems that Apple still consider gaming to be a frivolous pastime and not worthy of serious consideration (an attitude that contributed, at least in part, to the rise in dominance of Windoze back in the '90's) so they may continue to only support casual gaming. But gaming is a major driver to get hardware into the home market, a fact Microsoft learned long ago - there is no argument that DirectX is superb and Microsoft have invested heavily in its development with outstanding results. If Apple took OpenGL and gaming as seriously, then maybe Mac gaming could finally be a viable alternative? Let's not forget that in the early days of computer gaming, the Mac was the platform of choice!
21 January 2007 - I've updated my Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary page with more information about the new game, slated for release in the northern Spring of 2007! This is looking like a great tribute to the original Tomb Raider of 1996, so check it out!
Previously I noted that the UK magazine MacFormat Issue 176 DVD contained a comprehensive archive of MacRaider Mac TR savegames. I have now obtained a copy (2 months later in Australia) and there are some problems. I've yet to receive an answer to my concerns, so I don't know whether they will be including these again in a future DVD release in their proper form. They managed to omit my TR2 Gold and TR Last Revelation savegame packs from the DVD, although everything else I sent seems to be fine. They also managed to mess up my logo on the MacFormat DVD interface - I offered to send them a logo ready to use, but they instead took a copy direct from my website (with my permission) and failed to remove the transparency from the GIF prior to converting it to JPEG for use on the DVD. As a result it looks a mess, as those familiar with GIF transparencies will appreciate. But as the MacFormat DVD interface is extremely clunky (I was trying to force-quit it when it finally loaded...) then many of those who use the DVD will likely browse the DVD in the Finder.
25 November 2006 - I've added a new page for the next game in the Tomb Raider series! 'Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary' is a fully revamped and updated tribute to the original Tomb Raider from 1996 - it is being developed by Crystal Dynamics and is based on an enhanced Tomb Raider Legend game engine. Go to my 'TR Anniversary' page for more information!
I've also updated my Tomb Raider: Legend page with some information about playing the PC Legend on an Intel Mac. If you've had experience with this I'd appreciate your feedback!
19 November 2006 - The UK magazine MacFormat Issue 176 DVD contains a comprehensive archive of MacRaider savegames for every Mac Tomb Raider! Included are savegames from the start of every level of every Mac Tomb Raider (except the first level of each game) and extras for beating bugs or difficult places, or for interesting spots (the levels are as I've indicated in my walkthroughs). This archive includes many saves that have never been posted on MacRaider due to bandwidth limitations, including level start saves for every level of Last Revelation and Angel of Darkness! These savegames have been specially put together by me for MacFormat and come with comprehensive readmes. MacFormat Issue 176 is now available in the UK, and will arrive in other countries sometime over the next couple of months so look out for your copy :-)
I've had some feedback about playing the classic Tomb Raiders in OS X Tiger Classic mode, and I've updated my Tomb Raider and OS X Classic page with that information.
And finally, I've completed the PlayStation 2 version of Tomb Raider Legend a fourth time (on the highest 'Tomb Raider' difficulty for the second time). This was mostly just for fun but I also used it to check my 'high difficulty' tips in the walkthrough. No changes were necessary...
7 October 2006 - I've added a dedicated page about playing the classic TR games in the OS X Classic environment! I've also tidied up many other pages.
14 September 2006 - On 12 September 2006 the Power Mac G5 disappeared from the Apple Store - from that day Apple no longer sold a PowerPC Macintosh. In memory of the Macintosh computer, I've posted a short tribute, 'The Last Macintosh'.
7 September 2006 - Updated Intel Mac News.
- 17", 20", and 24" models. Yes, 24"! That makes the top iMac 24"
(61cm) a proper TV size! I've been hanging out for that :) However,
as usual, Apple do not specify response times for their iMac
monitors: judging from previous releases they are likely to be
significantly slower than the best in the market, but Apple monitors
are known for good colour and contrast which in part compensates for
the slower response times. Take a DVD movie into your local Apple
Centre and check them out :)
- Core 2 Duo processors from 1.83GHz to 2.33GHz, depending on the
model. The Core 2 Duo is a 64-bit processor with significantly more
power than the Core Duo in the previous models.
- Graphics ranging from integrated Intel GMA 950 in the base model,
X1600 128MB or 256MB in the intermediate models, and GeForce 7300 GT
128MB or 7600 GT 256MB in the top model. For gamers, the base model
is not worth bothering with as the integrated graphics are not good
for games. The X1600 in the intermediate models, especially when
optioned to 256MB, is a quite reasonable gaming option. But for the
best gaming go for the 24" with the optional GeForce 7600 GT. (See
below for info on running PC games on an Intel Mac.)
The standard 24" model comes with a 2.16GHz Core 2 Duo, 1GB RAM (as do most of the range - about time!), GeForce 7300 GT 128MB, 250GB SATA HD, and 8x dual layer Superdrive, for $US 1,999 ($AUS 2,999). This is only a few hundred dollars more than the previous 20" Core Duo! If you option the 24" with the 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo and the GeForce 7600 GT 256MB the price increases to $US 2,374 ($AUS 3,589). Extra RAM can be optioned as well, but it may be cheaper to upgrade it yourself. But BEWARE that to upgrade from the standard 1GB to 2GB (3GB maximum) will require replacing *both* the original 512MB RAM modules, thus negating some of the cost savings. Do your own sums, and use good quality RAM!
Overall the new 24" iMac overcomes most of my resistance to the iMac range, and is the first iMac *ever* that I'd consider buying. My only reservation is that the optional GeForce 7600 GT is not state of the art, although it is a pretty capable graphics card.
- Use Boot
Camp to dual boot into Win XP. The most awkward way to run
Windoze, but still by far the best option for running Win games: any
Win game that will run in XP on a PC will run just as well using Boot
Camp on an Intel Mac (subject to hardware specs of course).
- Parallels
Desktop. This runs Win alongside Mac OS X, so is much more
convenient. It is yet to offer game support so is not yet a gamers
solution, but as I understand they intend to provide full game
support in future versions. On the plus side Parallels will run any
OS you like, including all versions of Windoze since 3.1 and all
Linux distros!
- CrossOver
Mac. This runs Win software without the need for either
rebooting, or a virtual machine, so is the most Mac-friendly
solution. However there are limitations on the Win software that will
run using CrossOver, and currently very few games can be played.
Check their site for software compatibility information.
7 June 2006 - I've now completed Legend for the third time to put the finishing touches to my Tomb Raider Legend walkthroughs and gameplay information. This time I played on high difficulty - 'Tomb Raider' - just for the extra challenge, and to see how big a difference it makes. I've now updated the walkthrough with comments for each level on playing at the highest difficulty setting!
5 June 2006 - I'm playing Legend for the third time to put the finishing touches to my Tomb Raider Legend walkthroughs and gameplay information. This time I'm playing on high difficulty - 'Tomb Raider' - just for the extra challenge, and to see how big a difference it makes.
1 June 2006 - I've completed checking my Tomb Raider Legend walkthroughs and gameplay information - this was done by playing the complete game over again, so they should now be very accurate :-)
20 May 2006 - I'm now replaying Tomb Raider Legend (on PS2) to check and amend my walkthroughs and gameplay information! This process will probably take a week or three as I won't be rushing it, but the walkthroughs are already quite accurate before I check each level - I'm just cleaning them up and adding the odd minor detail here and there to round them out. As I finish checking each level walk I'll update the status so look for that if you want the updated versions. Unfortunately there is still no news on the Mac game, and it's now over a month since the PC release...
30 April 2006 - I've now completed my Tomb Raider Legend walkthroughs and gameplay information! They are still subject to amendments and ongoing checking but should now be complete, with instructions for finding every Reward and beating every level. Now all that's missing is the Mac game...
13 April 2006 - TR Legend was released in Australia today on PlayStation 2, and I'm busy checking it out! So I am now able to start working on my Tomb Raider Legend walkthrough and information. Keep checking back regularly for updates!
6 April 2006 - Apple have just made an announcement that rivals the Intel switch bombshell of last year - they are now officially supporting dual-booting on Intel Macs into either OS X or Windows XP, as of OS X 10.4.6! The beta release of 'Boot Camp' is now available, and the required firmware updates for all Intel models have also been released. They have also announced that this feature will be included standard with OS X 10.5 'Leopard', the next major update to OS X. The user will need to buy a suitable single-disc version of Windows XP separately. Only time will tell how this will affect game porting to OS X - there will always be a hard core userbase that will prefer to see games ported to OS X, but will it be enough to make it worthwhile for the developers? On a positive note it will also put an end to the middleware problems that have stopped many Mac game ports in the past, albeit at the cost of buying Windows XP. Keep an eye on Inside Mac Games for news on the implications of Windows booting on the game industry!
Note that I'll be updating my Tomb Raider: Legend PS2 walkthrough as necessary but I will only announce major updates in this news column, so be sure to check the walkthrough itself for the latest updates!
3 April 2006 - I've updated my Tomb Raider: Legend Demo walkthrough!
2 April 2006 - I've updated my Tomb Raider: Legend pages with first impressions and a walkthrough from the Legend PS2 Demo! Yes, a walkthrough - is this the first Legend walkthrough on the web..? This game rocks, check it out!
More on the Apple PC - As expected, some enterprising people have managed to get the Intel iMac to boot into Windows XP! This is a response to a dual-boot competition, where the iMac had to be able to dual-boot into either OS X or Windows at the user's choice. The dual-booting seems to be trouble free, but does require some trickery to overcome the new Intel boot sequence (which won't boot Win XP without modification, but should boot the next Windows release). This seems to be a nice solution for people who need to use Windows occasionally, but problems arise with the graphics drivers - the Mac GPU (graphics processor) is different to a PC GPU and Win XP can't drive it. This could be a tricky one to get around as it may require rewriting the XP drivers, and that probably won't be easy. So as yet it could be OK for occasional basic PC functionality, but don't expect to play accelerated PC games for a while yet, if ever... As yet I've not seen a Universal Win emulator but this is probably only a matter of time.
4 February 2006 - I've updated my Tomb Raider Legend page - be sure to check it out! No Mac Legend news yet though...
11 January 2006 - The Apple PC has arrived! The fateful day has arrived a little earlier than expected - Apple announced the first Apple PC yesterday, powered by an Intel Core Duo at up to 2 GHz, and available for purchase now, 6 months ahead of their forecast for the first Intel Apple! Apple have continued the iMac name for their first PC, which for this Mac fan at least is something of an insult given it is no longer a Mac as defined by the processor family (68xxx/PPC), but a PC family processor (x86). Now I have nothing against an Apple PC per se - Apple's reputation for innovation, and the modified version of OS X, should make it an outstanding PC - but it's not a Mac! Unfortunately, despite an option of 256MB Radeon graphics, the new 'iMac' still can't be considered a serious game machine as the monitor response time is still too slow and won't handle motion well (16ms, where 10ms or less is needed for good motion handling). In fact it's not even that good for movies for the same reason...
Apple have also announced their second PC - the MacBook Pro - which will be available in February and seems to be a PowerBook replacement, despite having a smaller screen than the top PB. At the moment it's being offered alongside both the PB and iBook as a pre-order, but that could well change.
As yet I've not been able to get any info on whether Windows software can be run on the new Apple (under simulation?), or whether there will be dual boot, but I'll update when I hear more.
7 January 2006 - I've posted an interesting document written by my friend Dave. It's a summary of all the Tomb Raider games and a comparison of the gameplay. Please note that although our opinions coincide on some topics, this document is not necessarily indicative of my opinions and is posted only for information! Check it out here.
31 December 2005 - I've updated my Times Exclusive Level page with another download site. I've also updated my TRLE Troubleshooting page.
16 December 2005 - I've updated my General Problems (troubleshooting) page, which covers problems applicable to some or all versions of TR, as well as other Mac things that may affect the TR games.
24 October 2005 - Finally,
I've got around to something I've been wanting to do for some time
now - posting a bunch of screenshots from Angel of Darkness! They're
stored on my new .Mac site, and linked from my main Angel
of Darkness page!
I've also updated my Links
page, removing some redundant links and adding some new ones.
11 August 2005 - I've updated my Custom Levels Troubleshooting page with more about switching between the Carbon and classic Level Players to solve custom level play problems. I've now found it can fix some bugs while playing!
23 April 2005 - Tomb Raider 7 Announced! Eidos have announced the seventh Tomb Raider! Named 'Tomb Raider: Legend' it is claimed to be a return to the core values of TR that made the game so popular in the past. Go to my new Tomb Raider: Legend page for more details!
16 February 2005 - I've added some more TRLE Custom Level troubleshooting info on my TRLE Problems page, regarding an issue where a Custom Level that won't run in the Carbon Player, could well run in the Classic Player! Or vice versa...
19 January 2005 - For those who are running OS X and have not been able to get the early Tomb Raiders (particularly TR1) to run in classic due to graphics problems, help may be at hand! For some time a project to port 'OpenGLide for Windows' to Mac has been underway, and it now appears to have reached the stage where it could be a solid fix for the problems with the early TR games in classic! 'OpenGLide for Mac' emulates a 3Dfx Voodoo (Glide) graphics board and gives support for some older games to run in 3Dfx mode by patching them through OpenGL. Although some games aren't yet able to use it (e.g. Hornet Korea, bummer...) the early TR's seem to run quite well! For more info, go to the OpenGLide for Macintosh project site. You should also be able to find it on Mac sites such as MacUpdate with the keyword 'openglide'. (On my Mac, TR1 and TR1 Gold were the only early TRs that wouldn't run correctly in classic - TR2 was quite good. I can now play them all on my PM G4!)
3 January 2005 - I've updated
my Angel of
Darkness walkthrough with details of how to access and play the
illegal outside area in the first level 'Parisian Back Streets', on a
Mac! Great fun, check it out!
I've also posted a new, improved version of my GodMode cheat guide
for those who have had problems getting it to work. It's linked from
the above new walk, as well as the Hints and Tips/Gameplay Tips
section of my Angel of Darkness page.
13 November 2004 - I have updated my TRLE Custom Level page with new information about using MP3 audio files, which are included in some custom level downloads, in the Mac game! This is IMPORTANT information for anyone playing custom levels on a Mac!
18 October 2004 - I've updated
my Angel of
Darkness pages with a few small amendments.
It appears that Toby Gard, one of the original creators of Lara
Croft, who left Core Design a long time ago to develop 'Galleon',
joined the Eidos owned company Crystal Dynamics a few months ago to
work as a senior designer on Tomb Raider 7! (Crystal Dynamics was
given responsibility for developing TR7 after the controversy over
the TR6 development by Core Design.) Hopefully his return to TR
development will result in a TR7 more true to the original ideals,
and more acceptable to gamers! There are also rumours that Eidos is
contemplating the TR7 PC release in the 2005 northern summer, but
this is not confirmed...
5 June 2004 - Well, not 'news' as such... I've finally got around to watching the second Tomb Raider movie, on DVD (I missed the cinema release...) So what did I think? Well, I thought the first TR movie was a reasonably successful and entertaining attempt to bring TR to a different medium, and despite its faults did catch something of the TR spirit. But the second movie, with similar faults (and more), didn't come close to doing it for me - in fact I was left with the impression that I'd just watched a poor attempt at a James Bond spinoff. Not that it doesn't have an interesting concept, a few nice TR-ish moments, and the odd speccy stunt, but overall it lacks any direction and for most of the movie it just founders about trying to make sense of itself. And failing... After this I doubt there will be a third, and maybe there should never have been a second..?
6 May 2004 - Original Fan Art Competition - 'Tombraiders.net' and 'Tales of Lara Croft' have announced a contest for original fan art. They're inviting artists from around the world to submit their best Tomb Raider and Lara Croft artwork. The winner will have his or her work featured in the third issue of the Tales of Lara Croft comic art fanzine and receive a $50 gift certificate for art supplies from Blue Line Pro (bluelinepro.com) plus a free copy of Tales of Lara Croft #2. Four runners up will get a free copy of of TOLC #2. The deadline for submissions is May 30, 2004. For complete contest rules visit http://tombraiders.net/forum/.
11 April 2004 - I've posted
another save pack download for Angel
of Darkness for those who find the game crashes loading 'Louvre
Galleries'.
I've also included another Mac-made TRLE custom level on my Custom
Levels page.
9 March 2004 - MacRaider is 5 years old today :-) The main reason for its longevity is the support of the TR community - that means all of you! I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for the encouragement you've given over the years, and for supporting me by using my site! I hope to continue for a long time yet :-)
1 March 2004 - I've posted another Angel of Darkness savegame to get you through the timed gate in 'The Lost Domain'.
29 February 2004 - I've posted
a couple of extra Angel
of Darkness savegames (the Proto and Boaz battles).
I've also updated the Angel
of Darkness Hints with more detail for the cheat.
23 February 2004 - I've finished Angel of Darkness! Check out my Angel of Darkness home page, and my AoD walkthrough page for the latest updates! All I need to do now is check and tidy my AoD information, otherwise it's pretty well complete.
17 February 2004 - I've posted some downloads for Angel of Darkness, including a couple more saves to get you past two crashes people have told me about, and the solution to a puzzle later in the game.
11 February 2004 - (The
following turned out to be due to an early sighting by me of one of
the PC viruses going around, which manifested as a spurious 'return
to sender' email received by me. Not only is it a PC virus which
doesn't affect a Mac, but my Mac is fully protected and has been
thoroughly scanned! However, I have no control over what happens to
files after they've been uploaded to the server,
and even though my ISP is very careful about viruses on their
servers, there is always the possibility that an infection could
happen. For your own protection, be sure that you have good virus
protection, and that you keep it updated!)
IMPORTANT NOTICE It appears that someone may be using my email
address as an originating address on their own mail, whether
deliberately or inadvertantly! It is just possible that this may end
up getting me barred from my ISP for spamming, although I have never
done anything remotely resembling that practice. I never send
uninvited emails or unwanted attachments, and I do not keep a mailing
list! Most of you will know this of course, and if it happens that my
ISP does pull the plug on me, I won't be able to notify you as my
website will either cease to exist or will be unavailable to me. So
if I do appear to disappear (that is, if this site is not updated for
a *couple of weeks* while I'm working on AoD, or I don't answer
emails after a *week or more* - give it at least that long), I would
appreciate it if you could contact my ISP at http://www.bigpond.com/,
tell them about my suspicions, and give your support! But hopefully
it will never happen! Thank you :-)
7 February 2004 - Now the site restructure is complete (well, almost...) I should be able to spend more time with Lara v6! I'm working on my AoD mini-walk as I go, but it should be considered a draft and subject to revision at any time until I remove the Under Construction warning!
31 January 2004 - Quick note - my dual G4 arrived a couple of days ago (early!!!) and I'm checking out AoD while learning to live with OS X ;-) Please bear with me - I want to rebuild the site before posting my AoD stuff, otherwise it'll get very complicated (I thought I'd have another week or two to get it done...) If you're interested, I'm running a dual G4/1.25 with 768 MB RAM and a GeForce4 Titanium with 128 MB VRAM. I've turned Full Screen Anti-Aliasing on at 800x600, and AoD looks gorgeous! There are slight but noticeable slowdowns in the large open areas in Parisian Ghetto, but they don't affect gameplay...
26 January 2004 - I've posted a draft mini-walk for the early stages of AoD. This is written from the PS2 game, but should be mostly applicable to the Mac game as well!
25 January 2004 - IMPORTANT
NOTICE! MacRaider will soon be undergoing a major restructure, and
many internal site links will change! The home page will not change
of course, so please bookmark it as a fallback in case your other
bookmarks become obsolete. I'll do my best to keep this as painless
as possible! (This upgrade is likely to be at least 2 weeks away yet
as it involves a lot of reorganising, one reason I've put it off for
so long!)
The reason for the restructure is the arrival of 'Angel of Darkness'
on the Mac. I was not expecting to be able to play it due to not
having enough computer to run the game, but I have found a way to
upgrade to a new Mac! My new G4 Dual Processor will be arriving in a
few weeks, and once I work out how to run OSX I'll be starting on
some 'Angel of Darkness' posts, including a mini-walkthrough! Stay
posted!
21 January 2004 - 'Angel of Darkness' (TR6) for Mac has now reached the Australian distributors! If you just can't wait for it to get to your local dealer, then it's available online from Try & Byte ;-) And watch this space for news about AoD on MacRaider!
21 December 2003 - 'Angel of Darkness' (TR6) for Mac is now shipping! Go to Aspyr Media for more info on the Mac game. Note that it does have rather hefty hardware requirements - be sure to check these out on the Aspyr AoD page before ordering! The good news is that these have been reduced from the anticipated pre-release system requirements. Won't help me though as my G3 is way below the minimum...
13 November 2003 - I've updated my Level Editor page with another Mac TRLE Custom Level author!
31 October 2003 - Aspyr Media
have announced Angel of Darkness (TR6) for Mac, for release late
2003! However, before you get too excited, it has some hefty hardware
requirements. Check out my Angel
of Darkness page or Aspyr
Media for more details.
I've also updated my Custom
Level page with a note about the 'LevelManager' shareware custom
level installer.
10 September 2003 - I've
updated my Angel of
Darkness page with a link to a good 'Angel of Darkness'
walkthrough, by Stella, written from the PC game. More details in my
walkthrough entry.
I've also added a couple of entries to my Custom
Levels page - one is about how to fix a small number of missing
Samples, the other is about playing levels designed for other
versions of Tomb Raider!
21 July 2003 - Due to the controversy surrounding the recent 'Angel of Darkness' release, for the first time in the over 4 year life of MacRaider I've felt the need for an Editorial! My personal opinion of course, so feel free to disagree ;-)
17 July 2003 - I succumbed to curiosity and bought the PlayStation 2 version of 'Angel of Darkness' (TR6) a couple of days ago. So I have updated the Angel of Darkness page with my early impressions of the first 10 levels or so! And yes, it could well be worth getting!
29 June 2003 - Following the recent USA release of 'Angel of Darkness' (TR6) on PS2, I've now updated my Angel of Darkness page.
11 June 2003 - I've included another Mac level designer - Mirai - in the TRLE entry on my Level Editor page. His levels are well worth checking out!
29 May 2003 - I've listed a new Mac-made TRLE Custom Level from Atsushi Yamakawa on my Level Editor page! Check it out and support Mac level designers!
28 May 2003 - Eidos Interactive recently gave a firm date for the release of 'Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness' (TR6) on PC and PlayStation 2 of 17 June 2003! This is the USA release date, and may differ slightly in other countries of course... But there's no news yet on whether a Mac conversion will be done, or when that may be. I hope to be getting the PS2 version when it's released here in Australia, and I'll try to post some first impressions as soon as possible!
27 March 2003 - I've added an update to my Custom Level page with more information about converting MP3 samples to WAV files for use in the Mac Level Converter (to avoid damaged TR4 files!)
26 March 2003 - I've updated
my Custom Level
Page with details of a simple workaround for using the MP3 Audio
files included with some recent custom levels! There are also a
couple of other updates on this page.
Note that Custom Level downloads from trle.net
are now mostly in Mac-friendly format! This site is also the most
comprehensive site available for anyone who wants to download Custom
Levels! Thanks Michael :-)
11 December 2002 - I've posted a link to download the Times Exclusive Level! This level is PC-only, but once installed, some of the files can be transferred to the Mac and played in the TR Level Player! See my Times Exclusive Level page for a link to this level. The installation instructions and walkthrough are also linked on that page!
5 December 2002 - Minor updates to the TRLE entry on my Level Editor page. And don't forget to check out the new Mac custom levels posted recently in that entry!
30 November 2002 - MacRaider
has undergone a MAJOR UPGRADE! It was necessary for me to reduce
bandwidth to contain running costs, without compromising my high
level of service to the Tomb Raider community. The main changes are
removal of the screenshots, and posting the walkthroughs in
downloadable format. Most of the pages have been updated, and many of
the page links have changed, so please update your bookmarks! My
apologies for any inconvenience this upgrade may cause. Please let me
know of any bad links.
The Mac-designed TRLE Custom Levels entry on my Level
Editor page has also been updated with some new Mac levels so
check them out!
10 November 2002 - In order to
contain costs, and continue to provide my high level of service to
the Tomb Raider community, MacRaider will undergo a MAJOR UPGRADE on
or around 1 December 2002!
Although the 'look' of the site won't change, many of the page links
on the site will be different, so be sure to re-visit the new
MacRaider home page and update your links!
All the important Tomb Raider information will continue to be
available, however the screenshots and some pages not directly
relating to TR will be removed...
3 November 2002 - It seems that the release date for 'Angel of Darkness' (TR 6) on PC/PS2 has been put back about 3 months to February 03. I've not seen an official press release yet, but I've heard it's to ensure the best possible game and that November would not have allowed enough time. If a Mac version follows it could be several months after this, but there's no news on that yet...
26 September 2002 - I am very
pleased to be able to include links to some Mac designed TRLE custom
levels on my Level
Editor page! Please check them out and show your support for Mac
level designers!
Aspyr Media have released the TR Chronicles 1.0.2 updater, which
replaces the buggy 1.0.1 updater withdrawn some time ago. Go to the
Aspyr Media site,
click on the Support button, then select the TR Chronicles entry for
download information.
28 July 2002, 10 August 2002, 5 September 2002 - Minor updates, mainly to consolidate and tidy up all the TRLE Custom Level gameplay info on my Custom Levels page. Here you'll find hints, troubleshooting info etc. about Custom level download, conversion, and play on a Mac! This includes a fix for the 'missing sound effects' problem with many custom levels!
21 July 2002 - I have now re-written and updated my custom level download, conversion, and play notes, and these now have their own page! Go to my Custom Level Notes page.
24 March 2002 - Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness - Yes, Eidos Interactive and Core Design have announced details of the next Tomb Raider! Check out my Angel of Darkness page for more details and a link to the official site, which has some screenshots and other goodies!
20 January 2002 - I've had confirmation that the second android bug in the TRC 'Red Alert!' level can be encountered in the Mac version. Updated details are in my walkthrough, linked on the TR Chronicles page. A savegame pack to get you past this bug, and the other 'Red Alert!' bugs, is also linked on that page!
13 December
2001 - News Flash! - I've found the cause, and the fix,
for the loss of sound effects in some converted custom TRLE levels,
and why TRwest won't run for me. Same problem, simple fix - ESSENTIAL
information for anyone downloading and converting levels! Check my
Custom
Levels page for details!
I've also added some info to my TRLE
Download notes.
I've posted a note from a reader about another bug in the TR
Chronicles 1.0.1 updater - this time with Lara using the rope near
the leprechauns at the start of 'Old Mill'. See my Chronicles
page for details.
14 November 2001, 19 November 2001 - Updates to my Links page. The Croft Times site has been a bit difficult to reach lately, but I'm not sure whether it's just down temporarily or whether it's permanent...
29 October 2001 - I've added
some notes to my Custom
Level page, with the solution to a problem I've experienced where
levels convert but the sound effects are missing.
I've also updated all the TR
Chronicles savegame downloads, so check out the new listing!
12 October 2001 - News Flash! The TR Chronicles 1.0.1 updater has introduced a bug, at least to the first level 'Streets of Rome', which stops Lara smashing some windows. This means that you can't progress any further through the level. If you find this problem here, or anywhere else in the game, replace the updated TRC 1.0.1 with the original 1.0 version until a new updater has been released.
7 October 2001 - I've posted a
set of TR Chronicles savegames
from difficult or buggy places. This is in addition to the levelsaves
already posted.
For those of you hanging out for the next Tomb Raider, 'TR Next
Generation' (TR6), don't hold your breath... According to the
Core Design
site, it's scheduled for release November 2002 for PC & PS2, so
there's more than a year to wait. And probably longer for the Mac
version, if it does come to Mac... (Note - when I last visited Core
Design's site it was very slow, and the text in the Flash graphic was
almost illegible... And the graphic wasn't good enough to be worth
the wait! Let's hope they've improved it!)
10 August 2001 - I've found a way to run the Times Exclusive TR4 Level using the Mac TR Level Player! Check out my Times walkthrough page for details (it's included in the TLR walkthrough download).
31 July 2001 - I've updated my games pages and posted two sets of level start savegames - one for TR 3 Gold (The Lost Artifact) and the other for TR Chronicles.
26 July 2001 - IMPORTANT NOTE! I've updated the TR Chronicles 'Red Alert!' walkthrough with another critical savegame bug in the final level 'Red Alert!' This makes a total of 3 savegame bugs in this level that can stop you finishing the game - make sure you read the details in the walkthrough so you can avoid them!
20 July 2001 - Tomb
Raider Trilogy should now be shipping!
I've added details of another couple of TR
Chronicles bugs (one bug in 'Labyrinth', and an installer problem
in OS 8.6 on some computers).
13 July 2001 - I've updated my
TR Cheats with a couple for TR Chronicles - these have been checked
by me and work! They are included in the Gameplay
Tips download.
I've also added more information on TR Editor downloads and
conversions to my Level
Editor and Custom
Levels pages.
Tomb Raider
Trilogy is scheduled for shipping 18 July from Aspyr
Media!
American McGee's Alice (3rd person action horror game) is scheduled
for shipping 16 July from Aspyr
Media.
25 June 2001 - TR Chronicles definitely shipped a few days ago. If you have a pre-order in, you should receive it soon if it hasn't already arrived. Still no news on the TR Trilogy release...
23 June 2001 - I've updated
the TR Level
Editor and Custom
Level pages, with more detail on converting levels, and some
extra download sites. Be sure to keep checking there for more
updates.
I've not had confirmation yet, but it looks like the TR Chronicles /
Editor pack is now shipping - the Aspyr
Media site lists it as 'Buy Now'! No indication yet of a date for
the TR Trilogy release...
17 June 2001 - I've added some
stuff to my Gameplay Tips download to do with a neat Mac function for
use in the Main Menu and Special Features sections of Tomb
Raider Chronicles.
I can now also confirm that the 'TR Chronicles' final level savegame
bugs, which are present in the PC version, are also in the Mac game.
Check my Chronicles
page for more details.
16 June 2001 - Aspyr Media
have announced that the TR
Chronicles and Level
Editor package, and TR
Trilogy are now Gold Master. They should both be available soon,
and can be pre-ordered from Aspyr
Media. Note that TR Trilogy contains the first ever Mac release
of TR III Gold (The Lost Artifact)! I have already posted most of the
info you need to play these new games, so check out the relevant
pages of MacRaider for TRC & TR III Gold walkthroughs, Gameplay
Tips etc.
I've also added more info to my Custom
Levels page, about PC specific installer files included with some
recent Custom PC TR level downloads.
2 June 2001 - Aspyr
Media have announced the forthcoming release of a new package -
'Tomb Raider Trilogy'. This pack will contain the first six TR games,
from TR I to TR III Gold! Check my Trilogy
page for more details. Note - this is the first appearance of TR 3
Gold on Mac... it's finally arrived :-)
The Mac Tomb Raider Level Editor is still in beta testing. Stay tuned
to Aspyr Media or
Westlake
Interactive for updates! This will be released as a pack with TR
Chronicles in the near future.
19 May 2001 - Westlake
Interactive have announced that the TR Level Editor is now beta!
That means the TR Chronicles/TR Level Editor pack shouldn't be too
far away now :) Check their News page.
Links for Level Editor downloads are now available on my Level
Editor page.
I've also updated and amended my TR
Chronicles info, including the walkthroughs. Be sure to check
back after the game's released for any further updates I may need to
make for the Mac version. Note that the PC version has some level
design bugs in the final level - I've given details in the Iris
Artefact 'Red Alert!' walkthrough. As they are level design bugs they
are likely to affect the Mac version as well.
American McGee's Alice should be released for Mac around mid-2001,
published by Aspyr
Media.
16 April 2001 - Westlake
Interactive have announced that TR Chronicles beta is nearing
completion, and they have also announced more details on the Level
Editor. (Mac and PC levels are completely interchangeable and can be
converted and played on either platform!) Check their News page.
I've posted some more links and information for Tomb Raider Level
Editor levels and files on my Level
Editor and Custom
Levels pages.
7 April 2001 - Aspyr Media have posted their TR Chronicles mini-site and are taking pre-orders now. The TR Level Editor is also included on the TRC mini-site! No confirmation yet of a release date... Stay posted!
23 March 2001 - Westlake
Interactive announced on 21 March that Tomb Raider Chronicles for
Mac is Beta! They have also confirmed that they are now looking at
the Level Editor to evaluate a conversion to Mac, and that it is
looking encouraging so far.
They have completed conversion of the special TR4 game needed to play
user-designed levels and this will definitely be included with the
Mac TRC release. So even if the Editor is not able to be ported, Mac
gamers will at least be able to play other user-designed levels from
the web! (This was an issue I lobbied Westlake to consider if the
Editor could not be converted - seems like it paid off :)
28 January 2001 - Westlake
Interactive announced on 26 January that Tomb Raider Chronicles
for Mac is 'first playable'. They are having a smooth run with
conversion to Mac, which isn't surprising considering their prior
experience. However they can't say yet whether they will be porting
the TR Level Editor...
Tomb
Raiders.com have an expanding number of User-designed levels for
the PC TR Level Editor. If you're able to play them, there are some
very good levels already posted!
17 January 2001 - I've updated some links on my Links page, and removed several others due to the disappearance of the sites... No news yet on TR III Gold or TR Chronicles for Mac.
27 December 2000 - I updated the Tomb Raider Level Editor Tutorial Level walkthrough to include a secret I missed first time through... See the next entry below for a link to my TRLE notes.
26 December 2000 - I've posted more details on the PC Tomb Raider Level Editor, which was included with the PC TRC release. There's even a walkthrough of the Playable Tutorial Level!
23 December 2000 - My TR: Chronicles review has been updated. My Gameplay Tips page has also been updated with info on the TRC weapons, enemies, moves etc. (but not the Cheats as yet.)
21 December 2000 - I have
finished my TR:
Chronicles walkthroughs! They are still under review, but should
be pretty accurate now. I'll update my 'About TR Chronicles' review
soon. And my Gameplay Tips page... Stay tuned :)
I've posted notes about the Bink FMV's (in the PC version of 'TR:
Chronicles') in the Gameplay Tips download (the gameplay Tips
download is linked on all TR pages to TR Chronicles). Includes detail
of a viewer that can let you see these in all their glory on a
reasonably fast Mac (in case, like me, you haven't been able to view
them in Virtual PC). This player also runs the original Bink videos
from the PC TR: TLR release.
I've added a bug notice to the Last
Revelation page. It's for 'Temple of Horus Pt I'.
14 December 2000 - My walkthrough for the Ireland Adventure ('Haunted Island') of Tomb Raider: Chronicles is now posted! One more to go...
8 December 2000 - My walkthroughs for the first two adventures of Tomb Raider: Chronicles are now posted!
4 December 2000 - I've posted my walkthroughs for the Rome levels of Tomb Raider: Chronicles!
29 November 2000 - I've
received my PC copy of 'Tomb Raider: Chronicles' (TR 5)!
'Tom' has emailed me about a goodie I missed in 'Aldwych', in the
London levels of TR
III. Tom has also worked out the reason for the Scrap of Paper
you find at the start of 'Underneath the Sphinx' in TR:
TLR. Both these are included in the relevant walkthrough
download.
5 November 2000 - I've posted more details about the forthcoming Tomb Raider Chronicles (TR 5). TRC is due for release this month (November 2000) and I intend to buy the PC and PSX versions as soon as they're released. Mac version to follow, date unknown.
14 October 2000
- 'Tomb Raider Chronicles' (TR
5) is coming to Mac! No idea yet as to a
release date, but I've included a couple of links in the TR
Chronicles entry for more details of this soon-to-arrive new
game.
Unfortunately, there is no news yet about a Mac TR III Gold release
(TR: The Lost Artifact). Please let me know if you hear of a definite
news release!
24 September 2000 - I 've posted a little more news about the forthcoming Tomb Raider Chronicles (TR 5). I've also posted my walkthrough of The Times Exclusive Level for TR: TLR!
15 September 2000 - I've posted my TR III Gold walks, info, and a short review! Go to my Tomb Raider III page for more on Tomb Raider: The Lost Artifact (TR III Gold). The link to my TR: TLA walkthrough is included in the TR III walkthrough.. I've also added notes on the TR: TLA enemies on my Gameplay Tips download, linked on the same page.
9 August 2000 - There's a BUG in 'TR: The Last Revelation' in 'Cleopatra's Palaces II', which can stop Lara accessing the upper levels in the Golden Lara room. Go to my Last Revelation page and check out Game Bugs for more detail. I've included the warning in the walkthrough for 'Cleopatra's Palaces II' (level 30). Also, I've made a couple of minor corrections about the goodies in the same level.
5 August 2000 - I've posted a
small page on some of the Mythology and History in The Last
Revelation - it's included with the TLR
walkthroughs download. (The content of this page is also included
in the appropriate places in the walkthroughs.)
The TLR weapons, enemies etc. have now been checked and should be
OK.
3 August 2000 - My Last Revelation walkthroughs have now all been checked! There are a number of amendments and additions, and extra information has been added in places to explain the history and mythology behind TLR. I've also included a shortcut in 'Hypostyle Hall II' which uses the Corner Bug, and a trick in 'Cleopatra's Palaces II' to get some free extra goodies :-) I may be making some minor additions in the next week or two if I find any more tricks, or to explain more of the mythology or history.
31 July 2000 - My TLR walkthroughs have now been checked up to the end of the Cairo levels ('Citadel'). I'm trying to give more info about the mythical beasts Lara meets, like the beast guarding the 'Citadel' in Cairo. The TR: The Last Revelation 1.0.2 updater is now available, and is linked on the same page!
28 July 2000 - My TLR walkthroughs have now been checked up to 'Alexandria - Part II' (Cleopatra's Palaces II).
26 July 2000 - I've added a
couple more TLR problems to the Last
Revelation page regarding Savegame losses and a RAVE issue. These
are in addition to the vehicle control errors in the TLR manual.
My first three TLR
walkthroughs - up to the end of the Karnak levels ('Guardian of
Semerkhet') - are checked.
22 July 2000 - The Tomb
Raider: The Last Revelation manual has a number of errors in the
vehicle controls!
I've now confirmed my first two TR:
TLR walkthroughs - 'Cambodia' and 'Valley of the Kings'. I'll be
checking and confirming the remainder as soon as possible - stay
tuned!
17 July 2000 - Whoops... I'm playing Tomb Raider III again, and I found a pickup I'd missed in 'High Security Compound' - it's right at the end of the level. Two Uzi mags and a couple of Grenades are worth getting! Check the updated walkthrough download for details.
10 July 2000 - I've updated my Gameplay Tips page with the TLR weapons, enemies, vehicles etc. They're still under revision, but should be pretty accurate.
1 July 2000 - My TLR walkthroughs are now posted! Note that they are still under revision, but they should be quite accurate.
24 June 2000 - I've not yet received my copy of TLR, so I won't be able to start posting my walkthroughs until at least 27 June. Please be patient...
14 June 2000 - Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation is now shipping!
1 June 2000 - Core Design are working on Tomb Raider 5, for release last quarter 2000 on PC, DC and PSX!
16 May 2000 - TLR Mac is now
beta, with Westlake Interactive forecasting completion in June
2000!
An uncommon OpenGL
rendering problem submitted by 'Frank'.
I'll be posting my 'Last Revelation' walkthroughs as soon as possible
after I receive my copy of TLR Mac from Aspyr Media.
30 April 2000 - Read my review of The Last Revelation.
23 April 2000 - Aspyr
Media have announced that they will be handling 'Tomb Raider: The
Last Revelation', for release in the northern summer (about
July/August). TLR Mac is currently being developed by Westlake
Interactive.
For those who want to try running the PC version of TR III Gold (The
Lost Artifact) on a Mac, here's the links: go here
for the main info; also here
and here
for additional solutions (all at 'tombraiders.com' forums). No news
as to if or when it will be ported to Mac, but it is likely to be
released given the recent release of TR II Gold by Aspyr Media as a
free download for owners of the full game.
1 April 2000 - It's now official - 'Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation' (TR 4) is to be released for Mac! Westlake Interactive are porting it, and have announced an approximate release date of Northern Summer 2000 - that means maybe June/July for southern hemisphere MacRaiders like myself, where it will be Winter of course. I can't wait :-) There's no news yet as to who will be handling the commercial release, but let's hope it will be Aspyr Media, as for all previous versions. So brush up on your Tomb Raiding skills, because TLR is the hardest of them all - those secrets can be near impossible to find (I'm over half way through my second run in Virtual PC, and I've only identified 65 of the 70 secrets so far... I think I'm going to need a bit of help). Lara also has new moves, some of which are very difficult - like jumping from one rope to another!
26 March 2000 - I've been
notified of an error in my TR 3 South Pacific 'Coastal Village'
walkthrough, to do with the 'impossible' pickup on the rock ledge in
the village. See my updated walkthrough
for more details. Thanks to Conrad
Odegaard for the information :-) The unreachable Medi Pack in
the hut nearby still hasn't been solved though - if you figure it
out, please let me know!
I'm making slow but steady progress with my second run through the PC
version of TR 4 'The Last Revelation' at the moment, and finding lots
more secrets! Talk about devious ... it's incredible what you have to
do to reach some of them. By the time it reaches the Mac I should be
ready to start writing my walkthroughs, so there shouldn't be too
much delay. If you're struggling with it already in Virtual PC, and
need some help, please email me and I'll try to help out.
There's a way to beat the cold water in TR 3 Antarctica
- see the cheats on my TR Gameplay Tips page for more details. Thanks
to Alfred for this one.
There's also another possible bug with TR
3 - if you manage to find all the secrets, start a new game, and
get all the weapons for the second run through. Thanks to
Becky for confirming this one :-)
28 February 2000 - Aspyr
Media's February newsletter, in the TR 2 Gold item, hinted at a new
Lara to come! I can only assume from that comment that Aspyr have won
the rights to the Mac version of Tomb Raider 4: The Last Revelation!
If so, that's great news ;-)
The UK magazine MacFormat has published its reader poll for the 'best
of' for 1999. Guess which Mac game came out a very clear winner, with
23% of the vote? Tomb Raider Gold! Its nearest rival was Douglas
Adams' 'Starship Titanic', with 11%. Third place went to 'Unreal'
with 10.5%. This is a big change from last year, when Quake, Riven,
and Civilisation II were very close finishers, each gaining an almost
equal share of 60% of the vote, with the final margin only a handful
of votes.
16 February 2000 - If you're
having trouble with the bug in Lud's Gate (TR3), I've posted an
alternative route submitted by Lucy < lmj@pe.net > - go
here to check it
out (it's at the end of my TR3 Lud's walkthrough)
Westlake Interactive have three un-named projects in the pipeline.
Could one of these be TR 4?... There is also a special level of Tomb
Raider 4 commissioned by the Times newspaper which is PC only - could
that also be under consideration by Westlake Interactive for porting
to Mac? More details on the PC version from The Times here (site
no longer available), including a special seven part Lara Croft
short story - 'Down among the dead' -written by Erica Wagner, the
Times literary editor.
I've completed my first run through 'Tomb Raider 4: The Last
Revelation' in Virtual PC. It's not easy, and I only found 54 of the
70 secrets :-( Better luck next time through... It really is a return
to Lara's roots with the emphasis more towards the puzzles than in TR
2 or 3, and some of them are very tricky. It's also a bit confusing
in parts, and there is a lot of movement between levels - there are
56 distinct level changes, although some are short transit stages.
The first two levels are the training in Cambodia, and these now
count in the game statistics (including the 8 secrets). The remaining
54 levels are set in various places in Egypt. Great game, and I can't
wait for it to get to Mac!
6 February 2000 - I've posted a pack of savegames from the start of each level of Tomb Raider II Golden Mask - the add-on for Tomb Raider II. Go here to download. The Tomb Raider Problems page now covers all versions, as well as other Mac/Tomb Raider issues.
29 January 2000 - The Tomb Raider II Golden Mask walkthroughs are now complete! Go here to check them out. I've also updated my Golden Mask review here. Due to interest from several MacRaiders, I've posted a new page on playing Tomb Raider in Virtual PC here.
24 January 2000 - 'Tomb Raider
II Gold' Mac release is now available as a free download from Aspyr
Media, for owners of the commercial Tomb Raider II Mac release only.
Go here to
download. Go here
to read my review. I have just downloaded it today, so I'll get
walkthroughs posted as soon as possible. Watch this space.
I've added a section on the TR III problems page for submissions
about other TR III issues. Click on the green arrow below for
details.
13 January 2000 - I've
updated my 'Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation' (TR 4) review, now that
I'm about a third of the way through the game in Virtual PC. Go
here for my
opinion, and an idea of what to expect when it gets to the Mac.
I've added some info about the TR
III FMV's, and how to view them in Quicktime Player - they're
included in the Gamepla Tips download. There's also a new link on the
Links page here to another
Tomb Raider site, from Chad - his TR4 walkthroughs are very
entertaining! The TR3 problems page has been updated with a couple of
comments - go here
for more info.
24 December 1999 - I've just bought the PC version of Tomb Raider Last Revelation (TR 4) yesterday. Go here for my first impressions of this great new Lara Croft adventure! I'll post a few screenshots and more details around the new year, once I get the chance to do some serious Raiding over the Christmas break...
11 December 1999 - I've posted a small page detailing all the Mac Tomb Raider III problems I've encountered so far, such as errors in the manual, and possible bugs. Go here to see it. If you notice any bugs, please let Aspyr Media know, and send a copy of the email to me so I can post them here if necessary. I've also posted the savegames for the start of each level of Tomb Raider III. Go here to download. Lastly, I've now had a good look at Tomb Raider II Golden Mask - the add-on levels for TR II. Go here to read my impressions.
24 November 1999 - I bought my copy of TR III Mac just two days ago (it's a bit slow getting to Australia), and there are some errors in the vehicle controls listed in the manual: The Quad Bike - the handbrake is the Sprint (/) key, and to dismount you use the Roll (End or \) key, together with the left or right cursor key. The Boat - the Jump (Command) key is reverse, not just a brake. The Mine Cart - to get out use the Roll key, together with the left or right cursor key as for the Quad. The UPV and Kayak controls look OK. My walkthroughs (written playing the PC version) seem to be accurate, at least for India - I haven't had the time to get further yet, due to having to work on my new house. Please let me know if you find any errors. I'll complete the checking of the walkthroughs, and update the relevant sections of the Gameplay Tips page with the vehicle details, as soon as I get a chance.
7 November 1999 - I'm moving house so I could be offline for a while - at least a couple of days, even if the new phone connection's OK. Before I got busy with the move, I was looking at Tomb Raider II Golden Mask (PC only at the moment...) and so far it's great! It's a new twist on TR II, set in the Aleutian Islands in the far North Pacific. Plenty of pickups, bad guys etc, and difficult puzzles to negotiate. More later... See you soon :-)
21 October 99 - I've
just finished Tomb Raider II without any interim saves - that is,
saving only at the start of each level from 2 to 18, and getting all
the pickups and secrets. Temple of Xian was not easy ;-)
I've also updated my introduction
to Tomb Raider III. TR III should be released soon - when it gets to
Australia I'll run it and check my walkthroughs to make sure they
match the Mac version. There could be a delay though - I've just
bought a house and it needs some work, so I'll be busy with that as
well.
12 October 99 - I've done some more work on the graphics to speed load times, and moved the Recent News to its own page (this one...)
11 October 99 - I've re-vamped some pages to speed loading.
10 October 99 - I've updated the Gameplay Tips page with the details on weapons, enemies etc in TR III. I'll complete the vehicle details when I receive the Mac version, as the controls will probably be different to the PC version.
9 October 99 - The Tomb Raider III Walkthroughs, including the bonus and training levels, are now complete! Go here to link to them all. I'll get the Gameplay Tips page updated as soon as possible. I hope TR IV doesn't come out too soon - I need a break from the keyboard when I move into my new house in a month or so (it needs a lot of work...)
3 October 99 - The TRIII 'London' walkthroughs are now posted here. Only Antarctica, All Hallows, and Lara's mansion to go!
18 September 99 - The Tomb Raider III 'South Pacific' level walkthroughs are now posted here.
5 September 99 - The second set of walkthroughs for Tomb Raider III - 'Nevada' - are now ready here.
29 August 99 - I've finished the walkthroughs for the four 'India' levels of TR III. Go here to check them out.
14 August 99 - Sorry for the
delay updating the site - I've been sick for a week or two with the
flu. I've finally finished TR III PC in Virtual PC ;-) If you want to
try it, make sure you download the second TR III patch from Eidos
Interactive - it fixes most of the problems with the PC version.
The first patch didn't really help much at all...
I've added a TR II savegame from just after the burner puzzle in '40
Fathoms', for those who really can't get through the burners in time
- download it here.
And I've finally updated the enemies & moves for TR
Gold - download my Gameplay Tips for the details.
26 June 99 - Tomb Raider III on the Mac? Yes...well, sort of. Go here for details. Obviously my G3/400 has arrived - I'm struggling with TR III in Virtual PC Win98 in Voodoo2. I'm now running TR Gold and TRII (Mac) on the G3 in Voodoo2 and they're great 8-) So smooth it's almost unbelievable. The G3's are a great game machine, but the cost will put them out of reach of most of us. I had what may be my last chance in a long time to get a decent machine, so I jumped at the opportunity.
9 June 99 - I've managed to get through the whole of TR I and TR Unfinished Business, without any interim saves - that is, I only saved the start of each level! Not easy, but it's worth it when you finally reach the end ;-). Next is TR II, once I've recovered. Also, my G3/400 is about to be delivered - it's having it's extra 128MB RAM installed now (for a total of 256MB), and I'm only waiting for the Sony 17" Trinitron monitor to arrive. I already have my Game Wizard 12MB Voodoo2 card (from ClubMac), so when the G3 gets here I'll be ready to go!
2 June 99 - I've updated the TR Gold walkthrough for 'Obelisk of Khamoon' so you can avoid the difficult Mummy on the way to grab the Eye of Horus near the start if you're having trouble.
For the remaining 3 months back to the site's first appearance in March 99, the news dealt with the Mac TR II and TR I releases, walkthroughs, and information. These items have been deleted. I've also edited some info from the rest of this page which was no longer applicable, and updated other entries where necessary. The remainder will be retained much as it is now for 'historical interest' :-)