title: Blog
post: OtaClock for Mac OS X
description: Old Windows Metal Gear Solid 2 utility for modern Macs
date: 2015-08-31
comments: true
flattr: true
github: https://github.com/xythobuz/OtaClock
parent: projects
position: 40
---

In 2006, Konami published a Windows and Mac version of a little program called OtaClock. It’s a borderless floating window looking like the Metal Gear Solid 2 Otacon Sprite, looking at the mouse cursor and showing the current time. [You can still download the original using the Web Archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20150130201810/http://www.konami.jp/kojima_pro/english/dl/item_ota.html)!

The Windows version still works pretty well and can also be used with Wine. There is a bug with the alarm feature of the english version, however. The included alarm file `Alerm.txt` [sic] is encoded in UTF-16, but the app want’s to read ASCII. Convert the file and the alarm feature works properly.

Unfortunately, the Mac version is only comaptible with PowerPC Macs. Because Apple removed the Rosetta emulator, old programs like OtaClock do no longer work.

So I decided to recreate the app, pixel for pixel. And I succeeded mostly :)

<div class="lightgallery">
    <a href="img/otaclock1.png">
        <img src="img/otaclock1.png" alt="Military Time, Date, Alarm">
    </a>
    <a href="img/otaclock2.png">
        <img src="img/otaclock2.png" alt="Normal Time, Date, Alarm">
    </a>
    <a href="img/otaclock3.png">
        <img src="img/otaclock3.png" alt="Military Time only">
    </a>
    <a href="img/otaclock4.png">
        <img src="img/otaclock4.png" alt="Settings">
    </a>
    <a href="img/otaclock5.png">
        <img src="img/otaclock5.png" alt="Sizes">
    </a>
    <a href="img/otaclock6.png">
        <img src="img/otaclock6.png" alt="Alarm Time">
    </a>
    <a href="img/otaclock7.png">
        <img src="img/otaclock7.png" alt="Alarm Settings (unimplemented)">
    </a>
</div>

I haven’t implemented the sound output for the alarm feature yet, but you can set an alarm and the animation will play.

I used [these](http://www.spriters-resource.com/playstation_2/mgs2/sheet/6789/) [two](http://spritedatabase.net/file/455) sprite sheets to extract most sprites, except for the AM/PM marker that was missing from both. I got them from a screenshot made using Wine.

You can find the code on [GitHub](https://github.com/xythobuz/OtaClock) and [my server](https://git.xythobuz.de/thomas/OtaClock). There is also [a pre-built binary](https://github.com/xythobuz/OtaClock/releases) on GitHub.

[OtaClock has been reviewed on Softpedia!](http://mac.softpedia.com/get/Wallpapers/OtaClock.shtml)