Tux Racer

Tux Racer is a 3D computer game starring the .

Sunspire Studios seems to have gone bankrupt, as their domains [http://www.sunspirestudios.com/] [http://www.tuxracer.com/] have been sold. According to . Their demo of version 1.1 can still be downloaded [http://www.fileplanet.com/files/80000/84323.shtml here].

In the game, the player controls Tux (or one of three other characters) as he slides down a course of snow and ice collecting herring. Ice is best for gaining speed, snow helps maneuverability and the occasional rocky patch will slow Tux down. There are also trees in the way and flags to mark out the course.

The controls are typical of a racing sim, except that the up arrow, paddle , will slow Tux down when at a high speed and can also be used to increase the length of a jump. Jumps can be caused by the shape of the landscape or by holding down the energy key (usually e) and releasing it. Releasing the key when a jump is imminent will naturally make a larger jump.

Players can design new courses by creating (or, more easily, modifying) three bitmap images, to indicate height, surface and objects (trees, flags, herring, etc.).

Like most, if not all, open-source games, its replay value is improved by being easily modified. The game can be quite amusing, although unrealistic. If it is altered, not only can penguins fly, they can exceed mach number one.

For Linux users, package tuxracer-extras , with additional courses.

Roxor Games has released an arcade version as a redemption game; it only has left and right controls.

=External links=

*[http://tuxracer.sourceforge.net/ Old open-source versions of Tux Racer] *[http://www.roxorgames.com/tux.html Tux Racer Arcade]