What was the best computer game I've ever played called and how can I find it again?

April 11, 2007 2:50 PM

What was the best computer game I've ever played called and how can I find it again? Somewhere around 1998-2000 I downloaded a shareware game (I think it was for Apple, but I also had a Windows machine then so it might have been for windows.) Help me find it again! Game description inside.

Each screen / level in the game was a factory of one sort or another. I think one factory was donuts, and you had to fill a box of them. When you'd complete the task of one factory, the screen would change and there would be a completely different kind of factory. There were conveyor belts, and other misc switches and toggles to get everything moving just right. There were also holding tanks for partial parts of complete widgets. What was this game! Thanks for any help you can give me.

posted by limitedpie to computers & internet (15 comments total)

Could it be Rocknor's Donut Factory?
posted by Milkman Dan at 2:59 PM on April 11, 2007

The closest game I can think of that somewhat matches your description is the Lucasarts game 'night shift'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_Shift_%28computer_game%29

http://www.the-underdogs.info/game.php?id=764
posted by MLMartin at 3:00 PM on April 11, 2007

The official site of Rocknor's Donut Factory has screenshots, free downloads, and so forth. I seem to see all sorts of misc switches and toggles, several different factories, and, like, over 100 levels. I think this HAS to be your game. Except for this anomaly: you say that each new level is a completely new kind of factory, but in Rocknor, it's donuts, donuts, donuts, all the way down.

If you're interested, I googled "donut factory shareware" to find this. :)
posted by Milkman Dan at 3:04 PM on April 11, 2007

It is definitely not Rocknor's Donut Factory. (I just checked the screenshot) Donuts were just one level. Each level was totally different in terms of what the item was. Also, the presentation of each factory "floor" or level was that items flowed down. In other words, partial objects to be assembled were at the top, with things combining as they got lower. By the time the reached the bottom of the screen (and thereby had been assembled) they were finished goods. And beleive me, I googled every permuatation I could think of before I asked here.
posted by limitedpie at 3:11 PM on April 11, 2007

Was it Factory?
posted by iconomy at 3:32 PM on April 11, 2007

OMG!!!! THank you iconomy!!! That is it! I never thought I'd find it. Now I just have to get a mac so I can play it again! Thanks!
posted by limitedpie at 4:34 PM on April 11, 2007

Ooops, marked my response as best. Really iconomy's was *the* answer. Thanks again!!!
posted by limitedpie at 4:35 PM on April 11, 2007

Now I just have to get a mac so I can play it again! Thanks!

You may have spoken in jest, but if you weren't ...

Short answer: a new Mac won't do the trick well, although SheepShaver might help you run old stuff on a new Mac; go for a used Mac that has the PPC chipset.

Long answer: The game states it runs on Mac OS 6.x. That means you will need what's nowadays called the "Classic" environment, since, with Mac OS X, the operating system was pretty much ripped apart and started from scratch. The "Classic" environment is essentially a software emulator for that older operating system.

The problem is that Apple discontinued Classic support when it ported its entire system to Intel computer chips, and, any new computer you purchase today runs on Intel chips. Thus, any new Apple you buy today doesn't have the capacity to run that game.

Except that there's this. I've not had personal experience with that.
posted by WCityMike at 5:36 PM on April 11, 2007

"I've just drained an hour of your life."
posted by Deathalicious at 5:51 PM on April 11, 2007

It's System 6.05, so I think that must be a 68000-series game. If that's the case, should be easy to run under BasiliskII. That's a classic Mac emulator that runs on PCs. Basilisk is actually MUCH better at emulating the very old Mac stuff than MacOS itself is!

On a modern PC, it's incredibly fast, as the 68000 series is very easy to emulate. (x86, by comparison, is a jumbled, nasty mess, and software emulation of it is very difficult.) It works extremely well.

The sticky part is getting a Mac ROM; Apple still chases people down for distributing it. If you can't find one you like (there were a zillion different roms, but Basilisk has 2 that it prefers), drop me a note (email's in profile) and I'll see if I can point you to a good source.

Also note that I'm a little confused by which version of Basilisk is 'official'. I linked you to the one I'm running. That version requires you to install the glib libraries as well (earlier versions didn't), but that's not too painful.
posted by Malor at 5:56 PM on April 11, 2007

Are you in the Detroit/Ann Arbor area? I have a CPU (no monitor) that can run classic (I think it's on 9) that I'm trying to get rid of.

If you're not, well, I'd send it to you, but I think shippin costs would be kinda insane just to play this game (unless it really was that great).
posted by klangklangston at 8:32 PM on April 11, 2007

I would like to piggyback on this question... In high school, one of the old Apple machines (probably Apple II*) had a videogame that allowed you to design a car. You got to put it through a wind tunnel and everything. What is it?
posted by qvtqht at 8:36 PM on April 11, 2007

If you need any assistance getting Basilisk up and running with System 7, drop me a line, e-mail's in the profile. I just recently did so myself for the express purpose of playing old Mac games.
posted by Durhey at 10:54 PM on April 11, 2007

qvtqht: Sorry to participate in the derail, but I think it may be called 'Car Builder'. I can't locate screenshots to confirm. I do remember that this particular game was actually a part of my auto shop class. Also, the way to get the best aerodynamics was to choose the frame with the best bumper, which unfortunately was the minivan, then you spend 15 minutes shaving down all the boxy minivan style to get something that looked like a B-2 bomber. Good times.
posted by kookywon at 7:42 AM on April 12, 2007

Here's a page that will have screenshots.

Again, sorry for the derail. I just really liked the game
posted by kookywon at 7:44 AM on April 12, 2007