Tikkabik

It's probably telling that one of my all time favorite Mac games is Ambrosia's incomparable Escape Velocity. It's set in outer space, and it has you man the controls of a small spaceship as you travel from system to system, hauling freight and passengers for money. Eventually you can earn enough coin to trade in your meager vessel for a larger one, outfit it with weapons and more storage capacity. A branching storyline lets you become hero of the universe or a pirate, or just play endlessly as a merchant. I spent weeks playing this game when it first came out.

I've finally found a game that rivals it in terms of sheer gameplay. Over the long weekend I picked up Sid Meier's Pirates for PSP, and I can't stop playing it. It's awesome.

The basic premise is the same: You start out as the captain of a small vessel in the Caribbean in the 17th century. You start out by aligning yourself with one of the dominant naval powers at the time -- England, France, Spain or Holland -- and you set out to make a fortune and a name for yourself.

At each port you can buy and sell goods, repair your ship and recruit crew members. You can also meet with mysterious strangers who will offer to sell you special items or offer you tips on where you can get the best prices for your goods; talk with barmaids and bartenders about where your enemies are hiding, and meet with the governors of each city or town and establish relationships that may ultmately lead you to taking one of their daughters dancing.

Once you're out on the high seas, you'll face off against pirates and merchants; if you win in a broadsie battle you can either scuttle their ships and steal the contents of their holds, or add their ships to your armada (a fleet of up to five ships). Occasionally you'll have to board (or be boarded) and fight the enemy captain with swords.

Now, Sid Meier's Pirates isn't anything new -- Pirates is a franchise that's been around for years -- but thanks to a confluence of events and my preference for Mac games, this is my first exposure to it, and I just love it.

Awesome game. Strongly recommended. Definitely worth the $20 I paid at GameStop.