If you could bring back classic Mac OS software, what would it be?

[joshc]

If you could bring back some classic Mac OS software (or a game) that could run natively on latest macOS, what would it be? Obviously modern macOS software is pretty good and modern Macs come with loads of really great apps, but I still sometimes wish there were a few more options like what we used to have.

Here's some that come to mind that I'd love to have modern versions of:

- Hypercard
- MacPaint
- MacDraw
- Freehand
- Ambrosia's games
- REALBasic, before it got way too bloated. Something closer to versions 2 or 3, with just a simple drag and drop interface builder and super simple syntax. I suppose Xcode with Interface builder/storyboard and Swift isn't too far off these days, but the way things link up and the fact you sometimes still have to delve into Objective C still makes it a little far from the simplicity of REALBasic.

 

[LaPorta]

Mac OS itself, except made stable underneath like early OS X.

 

[Phipli]

HyperCard. Without a doubt. Cross platform so I could use it on my work PC.

It's like how you end up using Excel for absolutely everything, without really wanting to, but HyperCard was designed for it and was flexible, powerful and could look good doing it.

I still use HyperCard for prototyping :


This one sets preferences for an extension.

(Edited to hide product details because this one was for someone else)

This one pokes hardware registers in a card.

 

[joshc]

Mac OS itself, except made stable underneath like early OS X.

that's what macOS is, mate.

 

[dr.diesel]

Spaceward Ho was my Fav game from back then, still play on occasion. Wish the source code could be had.

 

[LaPorta]

that's what macOS is, mate.

Not quite the same. Today’s macOS is a kludge of useless bloat. I prefer the cleaner OS 9 and below interface.

 

[Boctor]

WindowShade. I can't even justify a use case, but I want it.

 

[finkmac]

ambrosia games have modern versions i thought? i definitely got my ev nova fix on a modern computer in 2021


i would bring back:

apple applet runner

TeachText

cd remote

 

[Snial]

WindowShade. I can't even justify a use case, but I want it.

Yes, I really loved WindowShade - I have it on all my System 7.1 installs.

But to answer the OP question, my preference would be for ClarisWorks, probably CW3 or 4 before it all got a bit clunky. The ease of use for combining word processed documents with spreadsheets, graphics or painting was unparalleled: it was so efficient I could express ideas in CW faster than any other medium.

Also, IDEs and compilers with the relative simplicity of THINK C 5.

 

[mikes-macs]

I really enjoyed playing WarCraft II Tides of Darkness and Beyond the Great Portal BattleNet edition. This was long before World of Warcraft which is nice but not even close to the same thing.
It would be great if I could play these on a modern Mac with current Mac OS either original or upgraded versions that can play natively.
I have Mac OS 9 Macs that can run these but they have aging issues that make the game unenjoyable.

 

[VMSZealot]

MacPaint, yes - or, better yet, BrushStrokes
Hypercard, of course
But… most of all… I would really like to see the result of the 'Works' type package. A separate office suite is so bloated and clunky - great for office work, but not brilliant for the home. AppleWorks for preference, but even Microsoft Office in a pinch.

I'd also like to see support for 'proper' Quicktime returned. I'd like to see support for PICT files and so forth returned. But… especially for these use-cases… I appreciate that I'm in the minority. Most people don't care.

 

[cheesestraws]

TeachText

SimpleText was still in the sample projects until really quite recently - I don't know when it dropped out.

apple applet runner

masochist. or possibly sadist, I can't decide

 

[finkmac]

masochist. or possibly sadist, I can't decide

i just really like the icon and the demo applets

 

[discatte]

just let me run osx in 1-bit mode

 

[volvo242gt]

TextEdit is close enough to SimpleText...

I'd like to see the ability to customize the OS return. Seems like, as OS X got older, Apple removed the ability to do such. As an example, there used to be the CandyBar app. Used that to hack in the classic rainbow Apple menu icon on 10.4.11. Also reset the menu font to Chicago 12, etc. With my original MacBook, I was able to hack 10.6.8 to have the old aqua Apple menu icon.

 

[luRaichu]

Bring back Font/DA mover!

 

[Brett B.]

ClarisWorks 5.0.

I second the Ambrosia games. Spiderweb games as well (Exile series) but I think those are somewhat compatible.

I played a lot of Unreal Tournament, Starcraft, Halo, and some other network games back in the day. It's been so long now that I don't even remember what platform I played them on - had both Mac and PC's in that time period - nor do I know if they are playable on current machines. I just get an itch every so often to fire up UT2004 with a Bender skin and snipe people with the rail gun.

GTA III/Vice City/San Andreas, Battlefield 1942 & Vietnam, Max Payne series, FEAR, Vampire, Bioshock, Undying, AvP... man.. if I only I had more time to get my old games out. Early 2000's were really the golden era.

 

[adespoton]

Bring back Font/DA mover!

Well, I'm happy with OpenType fonts today, but I'd really love a built-in font editor again. A real one, that could do splines, kerning, ligatures, etc.
So maybe a Mac version of Fontographer? It used to exist, now Fontographer and FontLab are Windows-only :\

 

[joshc]

Some great suggestions, even a return of AppleWorks 6 would be fine.

Bring back Font/DA mover!

I'm for one, glad we moved on from that. Font Book works well.

ambrosia games have modern versions i thought? i definitely got my ev nova fix on a modern computer in 2021

EV Nova is the main one that's remained traction, in part because it had a Windows version and there's still a community around it.

They did release some of their stuff for OS X, but support wasn't maintained and I don't believe they released any 64-bit binaries of their apps? Stuff like Bubble Trouble X can't run on modern macOS since Apple removed support for running 32-bit binaries.

Some titles like Malestrom and Harry the Handsome Executive never made it to OS X.

I really enjoyed playing WarCraft II Tides of Darkness and Beyond the Great Portal BattleNet edition. This was long before World of Warcraft which is nice but not even close to the same thing.

You can play it on modern macOS, see this: https://stratagus.com/

I'd like to see support for PICT files

GraphicConverter. It's still maintained and supported by the original developer for modern macOS. Worth buying a licence from him IMO: https://www.lemkesoft.de/en/products/graphicconverter/

People mentioning multi-platform games: most of these it's easier to run them on Windows.

Starcraft might be the exception, pretty sure you can run the original on modern macOS still, there's also the remastered release which is good too. And this too: https://github.com/Wargus/stargus

 

[Scott Baret]

MacDraw II (no good equivalent)
Kid Pix
Print Shop
New Math Blaster Plus
Number Munchers
Word Munchers
Super Munchers
Fraction Munchers
ClarisWorks
Carmen San Diego (all of the original titles)
Oregon Trail
Battle Chess
Shufflepuck Cafe
Swamp Gas
The Treehouse
Spelunx
Kid Works 2
Midnight Rescue
Spellbound
OutNumbered
Spell-A-Saurus
Dinosaur Days
Monsters and Make Believe
Dinosaur Discovery Kit
BannerMania
HyperCard
MacWrite II

Also...the Chooser, the Control Panel (System 6 version), the print drivers that worked well, Scrapbook, Key Caps, and, of course, System 6.

ResEdit, too.

Note that I have MANY educational titles on here. We need to bring back educational software that works.