I may not be the most avid gamer around, but I know what I like, and that's Burning Monkey Solitaire. Sure, there are tons of card games to choose from for the Mac, but only Freeverse can pull of the serious solitaire game/monkey joke combo in that special burning monkey way.

There are a few features I've come to expect from BMS, like lots of game styles to choose from, nice graphics, corny jokes, and burning monkeys. That's all still there, but now it's also a Universal Binary application, so Intel Mac owners can enjoy full speed monkeys, not Rosetta-laden slow pokes.

Burning Monkey Solitaire 4

Aside from the monkey-laden interface that gives BMS its charm, it is also hands down one of the best solitaire games out there. It offers over 30 different styles of solitaire, customizable card decks and backgrounds, automation and help when you want it, and plenty of cheats if you need a little help.

If you need to experience even more monkey goodness, the Freeverse folks include a joke database update feature. All you need is an Internet connection, and BMS takes care of the rest. That same Internet connection also lets you upload your game scores to an online database where you get ranked against other BMS players.

BMS4 lets you know it wants an Internet connection.

Solitaire makes for a great diversion, but you don't always want the game interface offering additional diversions. Not a problem. BMS lets you fine-tune the monkey antics by making them more active or less active, and you can also control the volume level if the game sounds are distracting - or if you want to sneak a game in without anyone else hearing.

System requirements for video games can be a real show stopper for some potential buyers. Although BMS4 plays amazingly smooth on Intel-based Macs, I was pleasantly surprised when it played without a hitch on an 867MHz iBook G4.

The Bottom Line
Fantastic graphics, plenty of solitaire games to choose from, 52 card pick up with real pick up lines, and monkeys - burning monkeys! What more could you possibly want? Bagels?