Tomb Raider Anniversary For Mac

The Games

General Troubleshooting
(see individual game pages for
game-specific problems)

News & Opinion

Contact Details & Links

Other Information

The Last Macintosh &
The Last Classic Mac OS:
A Tribute

Tomb Raider Summaries:
An opinion on the classic games

Old Tomb Raiders on New Macs

May 18 2020

With Apple's decision to end 32-bit support, and introduce Catalyst to allow conversion of iPadOS apps to macOS, from 10.15 Catalina onwards, Dave has made a further update to the otherwise mothballed 'Old TRs' article to document its consequences, as well as updates to the Boot Camp and emulation sections due to Microsoft ending support for Windows 7 in January 2020. Since Dave now games on hardware other than Macs, these are based on documentation and news coverage rather than experience.

Apple have also announced the depreciation of the OpenGL and OpenCL graphics libraries in favour of their own Metal API. When these are in turn removed from some future release of macOS, further games, including TRs, may be affected. It's possible that no current Mac TR will run at that stage, or that manual installs of the older libraries may be required.

STOP PRESS: While preparing this update a number of viable sources have indicated that Macs based on Apple's own ARM chips, possibly a 12-core version of the A14, will appear during 2021. Previous Mac CPU transitions (M68K->PPC->x86->x86-64) have offered temporary backwards-compatibility at best. Any further updates will have to wait on a formal Apple announcement.

Also, Valve ended native VR support on Macs at the start of May 2020 because that relies on OpenGL features (Vulkan) not directly supported in Metal. Windows-on-Mac options (BootCamp, emulators) should still function.

March 28 2019

Aspyr Meadia have pointed out that after OS 10.14 Mac OS will no longer support 32 bit games:http://www.feralinteractive.com/en/news/933/

This means that TR Anniversary and Underworld won't be playable on Macs running the new 64 bit (only) systems.

October 20 2016

With no new Mac or iOS Tomb Raider news in the last several months it would appear that MacRaider is in a state of stasis. Indeed, with The Rise of the Tomb Raider only just now releasing on PS4 it looks unlikely (hardware specs not withstanding) that even that title will make its way to the Mac platform.

It was my intention, when taking over the site that it would be a static repository for the information accumulated by Kerrie and while there has until recently been the occasional report by me and the inclusion of the ' Old TRs on newer Macs' page kindly contributed by Dave it seems that MacRaider may be reverting to that original vision.

When MacRaider started, Tomb Raider could be played on a lowly 7200/90 Power PC Macintosh running System 7. It would seem that the latest iterations of the game have not only outgrown MacRaider but possibly the Mac platform itself.

For those who still enjoy playing the early games the information will remain available here for the interim and I am still more than happy to answer any email queries about those games.

Happy Raiding.

February 13 2016

Aspyr have posted information on their support site that an Apple security update could break some Mac games. As TR2 is included in the list of affected games it might be prudent for users to check this information..

Also of interest is the news that some of Aspyr's games will no longer support Mac OS 10.7 or older. Although Tomb Raider is not specifically mentioned it would be reasonable to expect that some games will be affected.

More info here

September 3 2015

Square Enix have released yet another Lara Croft game for mobile devices. 'Lara Croft Go' is available for iOS and Android from the Apple App store for around US$5. I haven't played much of it yet so too early to form an opinion but the game is getting good reviews.

June 5 2015

For those with iOS devices a new Lara Croft adventure called 'Relic Run' is now available free on the App Store. Game play is very similar to another popular game in the same genre. I haven't played much of it yet, mainly because I'm not very good at 'runners' but the graphics look good....and it's free!

February 1 2015

If you are looking for more Tomb Raider to play don't forget trle.net. The site has been around for many years and is a repository for a vast number of TR custom levels. An interesting article can be found here. A link to the site can always be found in the MacRaider links section.

December 9 2014

Tomb Raider II has been released for iOS and is available on the App Store. I haven't finished TR 1 for iOS, mainly due to the controls which eventually took their toll. Judging by the many complaints around the net the controls for TRII are no better. A shame really since both games look really good on an iPad with retina display. Square Enix stubbornly refuse to make the game bluetooth keyboard compatible even though Apple i devices are.

September 1 2014

I have made a small update to the TR11 & The Golden Mask page relating to playing the Intel version:Tomb Raider II and TR II: The Golden Mask

June 21 2014

The next Tomb Raider game in the current series has been announced entitled 'The Rise of the Tomb Raider' Since the game seems to be following in the footsteps of last years reboot it doesn't seem any more likely that I'll be playing this one particularly if the current trailer is any indication.

Of more interest (to me) is the announcement of a sequel to Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light enetitled 'Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris'. The game will be available on PC, X Box One and PS4 and will incorperate four player co-op.

April 24 2014

The 'Old Tomb Raiders on New Macs' page has been updated. Dave has brought the page up to date as of Mavericks. This will probably be the final update for the page due to changes in his gaming set up and the increasing improbability of playing any of the early Tomb Raiders in the newest Mac OS.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dave for his tireless work on what is surely one of, if not the most comprehensive articles on the subject.

I would also like to remind everyone that the page includes a handy, colour coded section for those wanting to quickly ascertain whether or not the TR they want to play will run on their hardware/software.

January 30 2014

Happy Birthday Mac

January 30 2014 marks the 30th anniversary of the Macintosh computer. I have been using Macs for most of that time and have seldom touched a PC. MacRaider is still being produced on the same Power Mac G4 as it was when I took over the site in 2008 running OS9 Classic. Obviously MacRaider would not exist without the Macintosh computer and I may never have played Tomb Raider if I wasn't already using the platform.

Many Happy Returns Macintosh.

Dccember 19 2013

At last some interesting classic Tomb Raider news; Tomb Raider 1 has been released for iOS (iPhone/Pad etc). Although not specifically Mac related I thought it worthy of a new post. I have only just begun playing on an iPad with retina display and the graphics look great. Some people have complained about the controls but I haven't found them too bad. Perhaps steering Lara while running could be improved. The game is available from the Apple App Store now for a measly US99c.

RIP Tomb Raider 1996 to 2013

With the release of the Tomb Raider reboot it is obvious that the game I have loved playing for more than a decade is gone and has been replaced with something far darker, more bloodthirsty and (for me) disturbing. It was always my hope that Tomb Raider would become more light hearted and even include more of Lara's dry humour but it seems that the developers have decided to take the opposite route and I have no wish to play a game which focuses on the pain and suffering of any character let alone my favourite, Lara. FWIW I believe that the old formula had a lot of life left in it and many more areas to be explored. Tomb Raider has joined a genre that I have no interest in no matter what name is given to the game or character.

Reportedly the developers have at least gotten the gameplay right with the new game. It's just a pity that they could not have implemented this within the old format.

With all of this in mind I would like to pay tribute to a game which has given me many hundreds of hours of gaming pleasure but has now (for some of us) come to an end.

It now remains to be seen how relevant MacRaider is in 2013. If people are still accessing the site for information/help regarding the original games I would appreciate an email so I can get some idea of the level of interest.

I will acknowledge that the new game has received excellent reviews. I think it is a pity though that the developers have had to alienate some die hard Tomb Raider fans and take the path they have.

January 18 2013

As there has been no real, new Mac/Tomb Raider news since the release of Underworld for OSX and Aspyr haven't seen fit to port any more of the early TRs to OSX since releasing TR2, it seems that MacRaider might be in a state of stasis. The site will remain online as a support base and I will report any new news should anything arise.

I have posted an update to the Old Tomb Raiders on New Macs article from Dave.

FWIW recent news/footage of the new Tomb Raider reboot have only served to galvanise my opinions of the game and it is doubtful that I would even play the game once it reaches the cheap bins. A question to ponder might be: when does Tomb Raider stop being Tomb Raider and start being some other game with only the title and character name attached to it?

May 17 2012

At last some good Mac/Tomb Raider news! Feral Interactive have announced that they will be releasing Tomb Raider Underworld for the Mac on May 31st. Good things come to those who wait!

For more information follow the Feral Interactive link on this page.

February 14 2012

Happy Birthday Lara! The 'real' Lara that is ;-)

November 11 2011

It has become apparent that if you choose to run the Classic Tomb Raider 2 Golden Mask levels in the new Intel game you will not be able to save your progress i.e. if you try to save the game will quit to the desktop. There is currently no fix for this but if a workaround is found I will certainly post it here.

November 5 2011

I have received information from Attila that the Classic TR2 Gold levels can be played in the new OS 10 re-release. Also Manu has been able to get anti-alissing and wide screen working although this requires a special app. This and all other information on the new Intel TR2 can be found on the Tomb Raider II & The Golden Mask page (link at left).

RIP Steve Jobs 1955 - 2011

October 28 2011

The re-released Tomb Raider 2 for OS 10 (Intel) is now available at the Apple app Store for US$7.99. Thanks to Manu for allerting me to this.
It doesn't seem as though the Golden Mask levels have been included.:-(

September 28 2011

I have been in contact with Aspyr Media to try and find out more information about the re-release of TR2. They were forthcoming with a few extra snippets of info:

The re-release will be available for download through the Apple App Store.
It will be compatible with OS 10.6 and 10.7.

I asked if The Golden Mask levels would be included but this was not answered.

I also asked about the possibility of the other Classic Tomb Raider games receiving the same treatment and was told that: 'We are assessing the re-release of multiple titles from our catalogue to be released in the same manner'. Slightly cryptic but encouraging ;-)

Go to my News Archive for more news!

MacRaider is a one-person Mac-user fan site, dedicated to bringing you the best possible information to help ease your way through the Tomb Raider games.

On MacRaider you'll find detailed information on every version of Tomb Raider, from the original 'Tomb Raider' of 1996 (released as 'Tomb Raider Gold' on Mac in 1999) to 'Tomb Raider Anniversary, released in 2007.

Note that much of the information is equally applicable to the Mac, PC or console games as the gameplay is virtually identical!

MacRaider is a very plain site, with none of the bells and whistles that are infesting many other sites. There is a reason for this - my intent has always been to make MacRaider accessible to any Mac user who can play any of the Mac Tomb Raiders. Therefore I chose a 1996 Power Mac 7200/90 with a 33.6k modem as a baseline - anything on this site can be easily accessed on any Mac from then on!

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary (Last updated 16 December 2009 )

About The Game

Important Notice (3 May 2008)

Although MacRaider is by definition targeted at Tomb Raider on the Mac, I don't yet have access to an Intel Mac. As TR Anniversary is Intel Mac only at this time, I am therefore unable to play the Mac game. However, as the gameplay is identical on Mac, PC, PS2 and X360, all my walkthroughs and general tips are applicable to the Mac game, so you should find all the information you need to beat the game on these pages.

The main restriction at this time is that I'm not able to post Mac savegames, nor am I able to accept emailed savegames to get the player past a difficult spot. Hopefully, when the Universal update is released in the near future, I will be able to get the game running on my old G4 Power Mac and finally be able to post savegames, in which case I'll post a notice here!

About Tomb Raider: Anniversary (updated 8 March 2008)

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. Performance on other GMA MacIntels such as the Mac minis and older low-end iMacs is not mentioned but it seems that as long as they meet the minimum system requirements they should manage the game as well! (I'd already had independant opinion from Colin a few weeks ago that the GMA 950 MacBook worked fine but as I'd not had confirmation I refrained from saying anything here at that time...)

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.

About the Mac Game

14 February 2008 - Feral Interactive have announced that the Intel version of Tomb Raider Anniversary for Mac will be released worldwide on 15 February 2008, with a demo available 14 February! The demo will probably be the same as the PC demo, which is the first half of level 3 The Lost Valley, up to the cutscene where the T-Rex appears. This means that my Lost Valley walkthrough to that point should be applicable to the Mac demo, although some features may differ in the demo (link from my Walkthrough section on this page).

Sometime in the coming months Feral will be releasing a Universal patch for use with the Intel game release, to make the game playable on high end PowerPC Macs in either OS X Tiger or Leopard.

Go to Feral Interactive's Tomb Raider Anniversary page for up-to-date details of system requirements. At this time (14 February 2008) the only requirements listed are for the Intel version of the game, but PowerPC system requirements will be included when the Universal version nears completion. Note that Intel integrated GMA graphics won't be supported, which rules out MacBooks, the Mac mini, and some earlier model low-end iMacs (all the current aluminium iMacs are supported).

Robosoft Technologies handled the Mac conversion.

Note that as I neither own, nor have access to an Intel Mac, I won't be able to provide Mac-specific support at this time. And when the Universal version is released it's likely that my G4 Mac won't meet the minimum requirements, which means that I may never be able to provide Mac-specific support for things such as savegames (although my walkthrough is fully Mac-compatible!) And even if there's a possibility that the Universal game will run on my Mac I'll still have to upgrade to OS X Tiger or Leopard, something I've been avoiding as OS X Panther continues to be my preferred system as it handles the classic Mac TRs better than Tiger (Leopard doesn't run the classic environment at all...) If I do upgrade to Tiger or Leopard I'll have to install it on a separate hard drive, and if I'm not successful running Anniversary then I'd be deleting that system install anyway so it would be a complete waste of money. Yes, there are a lot of 'ifs' there, and until more details of the Universal patch are released I can't say more...

Following are the Intel Mac system requirements as at 14 February 2008 - note that the minimum Graphics RAM has been reduced to 64MB (was 128MB), and the recommended best system is Leopard (was Tiger). Minimum input is now listed as mouse - the mouse is now used for primary control in conjunction with the keyboard - with Game Pad recommended as before. Otherwise these system requirements are the same as the earlier interim requirements.

Updated system requirements (at 8 March 2008)

Minimum (Intel) System Requirements
Processor: 1.83GHz
RAM: 512MB
Graphics: 64MB
Mac OS: 10.4
Hard Disk: 4GB
Drive: DVD
Input: Mouse

Recommended (Intel) System Requirements
Processor: 2.4GHz
RAM: 1GB
Graphics: 128MB
Mac OS: 10.5
Hard Disk: 4GB
Drive: DVD
Input: Game Pad

This game will run on GMA graphics cards with shared RAM.

Intel Only
Designed for Intel processors only

A Universal (Intel and PPC) version of the game will be made available in the new year.

PPC Mac requirements are yet to be advised, but the PPC processor minimum is expected to be a bit lower than that specified for Intel Macs.

About Tomb Raider Anniversary

Tomb Raider Anniversary is a tribute to the game that started the epic adventure series, the original Tomb Raider released in 1996, first for Sega Saturn, then later that year for PlayStation and PC. In 1999 it was released for Mac as Tomb Raider Gold.

For those familiar with the original, Anniversary will be instantly recognisable but at the same time refreshingly different. Gone are the pixelly graphics and blocky terrain, to be replaced with a much more sophisticated environment that broadly approximates the original but has been assembled on a larger scale to accommodate the vastly superior capabilities of the evolved Lara Croft. Along with this the player will find that although the gameplay is broadly familiar, it has also been updated to a modern style, having much in common with Tomb Raider Legend from April 2006. Which is nothing of a surprise as Anniversary was developed using a modified Legend game engine by Crystal Dynamics, the developers of Legend. There are, however, some additional moves for Lara and I'll explain these in the walkthrough as I go.

For the traditionalists among us Lara is sporting her original costume, and her weapons will also be similar to the originals including the classic pistols with unlimited ammo, along with the shotgun, auto pistols and sub-machine guns! The enemies will be generally much the same as the original, but updated as well, so if you've a yearning to fight wolves, bears, and the T Rex, then you won't be disappointed! The terrain will be probably the most changed, with places like the Lost Valley on a much grander scale!

Anniversary will probably not please all the TR traditionalists, but for many it is a very fitting 10th anniversary tribute (albeit a little late...) to a classic game that brought a new genre to console and computer games, and should appeal to anyone who liked Legend!

For a wide variety of information on the game Eidos has posted the official Tomb Raider: Anniversary website, including a range of trailers, wallpapers, screenshots, concept art, and much more! This site is aimed at broadband users, but with some patience dialup users can still access some of the material.

Other Links
- More official information is available at the Eidos Tomb Raider: Anniversary page.
- There is also some good coverage at 1UP.com , with larger screenshots and a higher definition downloadable trailer (use their search function to find their Tomb Raider Anniversary information).
- More industry coverage is available at GameSpot (use their search function to find their Tomb Raider Anniversary information).
- TRO-Online has some good content, although the site is French.
- Stella's Tomb Raider site also has a good coverage of the game, including walkthroughs.
- Feral Interactive will be releasing the Mac game Q1 2008.

Release Timeline

Tomb Raider Anniversary was released 1 June 2007 in the UK (7 June in Australia) for PC and PlayStation 2. Versions for PSP, Wii, Xbox 360 and Mac follow later.

On 19 June 2007 on the official Tomb Raider Anniversary site Eidos confirmed that TR Anniversary will be available for Xbox 360 as downloadable episodes! This is in addition to the May announcement of a Wii version in development.

On 14 August 2007 Eidos released more information about the Wii version of Anniversary, slated for release late 2007. Apart from the new control system, there are also new puzzles where Lara can interact with the environment in ways not seen before in TR, using items such as an 'archaeological toolkit'. I was instantly struck by the similarity of the new Wii puzzles with the interactivity of games like Myst! Check out the trailers at the official Tomb Raider site for some intriguing Wii gameplay details.

Around 2 November 2007 the Xbox 360 boxed version of Anniversary was released in Australia! Unfortunately the slated release date of early November for the Australian Wii Anniversary has been put back to the last week in November, so those wanting to check out the new gameplay features will have to wait a little longer...

On 23 November 2007, Feral Interactive announced Anniversary for the Mac! It will be released first quarter 2008, initially for Intel Macs, but with a Universal patch made available for download a little later. See above for more details and system requirements.

On 15 February 2008 the Mac Anniversary was released by Feral Interactive.

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It has been brought to my attention that it is possible to get an Intel Mac running OS10.6 (Snow Leopard) to recognize a Playstation 3 Sixaxis controller. This can then be used to play TR Anniversary! The controller needs initially to be connected to the Mac via a USB cable. Holding down the PS button for a few seconds connects the controller. The cable can then be dissconected as the pad is now connected by Bluetooth. The controller can also be remapped in Anniversary to the players specifications. Note that the controller needs to be Bluetooth connected before starting the game and must be dissconnected via the Bluetooth menue after use otherwise it will dissrupt the Macs sleep. At this stage there doesn't seem to be a way of checking the battery level of the controller.

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I've now included details of the Mac demo in my walkthrough!

Go to my TR Anniversary walkthrough for all you need to beat TR Anniversary on most platforms including the Mac, and the PC/Mac demo!

I've not yet completed the Time Trials, and due to many other commitments I may never complete them, but beating the later ones will require similar techniques to those earlier in the game, so browse my Peru Time Trial notes at the end of each level for ideas for the later levels...

This walkthrough was written from the PlayStation 2 game. The PS2 gameplay is much the same as the PC, with the main difference being the controls, so this walkthrough should be suitable for most versions of the game that eventually appear (other than hand-held such as PSP which may differ in some ways). This walkthrough should also be fully compatible with the Mac game, PS2 control references excepted. If I'm able to run the Mac game on my old dual G4 Mac, I'll make any minor changes I find necessary!

As is usual for me, my walkthrough doesn't detail every single step Lara takes, but will include all necessary information to enable you to complete the game. The more tricky the spot, the more detail I give! My philosophy has always been to give the player enough information to complete the game, but not to take them by the hand every step of the way - I leave some of the discovery for the player.

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I've rolled all my general gameplay tips into my walkthrough. If I find that there's a need to post Mac-specific tips in the future then I'll do so here, otherwise you should find all you need by checking out my TR Anniversary walkthrough.

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I don't have access to an Intel Mac, so I'm not able to post any Mac savegames at this time. If it's possible for me to post savegame downloads from the Mac game later in the year I'll do so, but as yet I'm not able to make any commitment about this...

In the meantime go to Stella's Tomb Raider Anniversary page for links to some Mac savegames - these should help you get past any part of the game if you're stuck.

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Whether I post anything here also depends on whether I'll be able to run the Universal Mac game. I'll advise when I know more.

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