Back this Kickstarter: Crystal Quest Classic

Crystal Quest is beloved by a whole generation of Mac users who came up during the 1980s. It was the first color Mac game, an early entrant into the Macworld Game Hall of Fame and most recently resurrected for Xbox 360 in 2006. There's a new attempt to update Crystal Quest for new Macs, PCs and Linux boxes, but it needs crowdfunding to be successful, and time is running short.

The premise of Crystal Quest is simple: collect all the crystals and a portal will open that transports you to the next level. You have to avoid mines and bad guys shooting at you: Easier said than done, especially at higher levels.

Its fast, frenetic gameplay and smooth graphics made it a favorite of Mac gamers back in the 1980s. It also included a "CritterEditor" that enabled you to change the look and sound of the game.

John Ardussi of Game Mechanics has partnered with Crystal Quest's original designer Patrick Buckland to update the game for new hardware:

All the addictive levels and mesmerizing gameplay of the original have been retained in the design. The goal is to match the mechanics of the original with even better sound and graphics. Plus it will be on every platform we can get it onto. The initial release will be on PCs, Macs and Linux.

They're a long way to their goal of $30,000 with only a few days left to raise the money. So if you're an old school Mac gamer who would love to see this resurrected — even if you're gaming on a PC now instead of a Mac — do your part.

Peter Cohen