Linux Games and Edutainment Links & Info - Page 3

12 Flash games on the web:

http://www.maximumpc.com/timewasters?page=0%2C2

12 Terrific Time-Wasters!

Posted 05/02/07 at 02:42:08 PM by The Maximum PC Staff

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You’ve filed your last TPS report, delivered integrated solutions to actionable items, and thought outside the box to encapsulate synergistic value enhancement, and yet, somehow the clock is pegged at 4:50—immobile, mocking you as you try to find a way to spend the final 10 minutes of your day before you can strip off the yoke of your middle-management overlords. You consider ducking out but know that to avoid the next round of right-sizing, you should remain chained to your desk until 5:01. But just what should you do as you watch the clock tick away?

To make the end of the day a bit easier on you, we’ve scoured the Internet to find 12 fantastic games that will run in your browser—no downloads, no spyware, nothing to raise the suspicions of the IT department. Go ahead, devote some time to refining your zombie-fragging techniques, consulting tarot cards for guidance on future employment opportunities, or increasing your self-esteem by trouncing a coworker in a paper-airplane-flying contest. Remember, the man can keep you chained to your desk, but he can never take your spirit during those final soul-crushing minutes of the workday!
Paper Pilot


Screw the eye of the tiger, you need to thread a needle’s eye to succeed in this game

First, you build your plane using nothing more than virtual paper. Second, you throw your plane using a virtual you. Third, you challenge your friends to a winner-takes-all, email-based, single-throw deathmatch to see whose nerves are steeliest and who can huck his paper airplane the farthest. Do you have what it takes to out-toss your buddies? There’s only one way to find out!
Flash Element TD


Flash meets Zerging in this Warcraft-themed strategy game

The best part of Flash Element TD isn’t the endless waves of enemies that run through your little labyrinth, imploring you to kill them with automated, tower-themed weaponry. It’s not the witty sound effects that precede each mob, nor the strategic design of the baddies, which truly forces you to rethink your grand scheme as the levels progress. Flash Element TD rocks because you can set your defense, click Play, and get work done while the game chugs along.
Bauns


A real ball-buster of a game

Many of Orisinal’s games seem more like little films, engaging because of their aesthetics rather than their actual gameplay, but Bauns mixes up the equation, offering a straightforward look with addictive action.

A twist on the usual “knock down towers of balls” seen in Bubble Breaker, Chuzzle, and other games, Bauns incorporates a more challenging shooting method and a mix of power-ups; it also has that “just one more game” element that could very well keep you at your desk until 5:07.
Silversphere


A tip o’ the hat to Marble Madness

This game reminds us of the Atari arcade classic Marble Madness. Here, your objective is to roll a silver ball into a blue vortex to complete each level. The action takes place on a 2D maze of squares surrounded by water hazards.

Racing the clock in the initial levels is extremely easy, but the complexity ratchets up quickly, as higher levels introduce golden spheres that explode on contact, crates that must be used to form bridges, sliding ice cubes, and other obstacles.
You Don’t Know Jack


As close as most of us will get to being on a TV quiz show

The online version of Jellyvision’s classic party game looks and plays remarkably like the CD-ROM games of yore, complete with a snarky host, wacky sound effects, fun animation, and—most importantly—totally new, outrageously off-the-wall questions.

Here’s a sample: “According to Dante’s Inferno, which level of hell will David Blaine end up in?” Those who didn’t skip their European lit classes would know that magicians were damned to the eighth circle of hell.
All Hallow’s Eve


Stave off a ravenous horde of zombies

At first, it’s you and your BB gun against a few common zombies. Then the zombies get stronger and you buy better weapons and upgrade your home’s defenses. Before you know it, you’re packing Uzis and laying minefields and razor wire outside your house!
De-Animator


We think of it as a real-world trainer for a zombie attack

If you spend half your water-cooler time planning what you would do in case of a zombie attack, you should probably add a little hands-on training to your regimen. De-Animator is practically the IPSC of zombie training, making you stand your ground with a lowly six-shooter and granny’s shotgun. What the game lacks in color graphics, it makes up for in mood and atmosphere.
Flash Flash Revolution


And the Lord said: Let there be much button-mashing

Although it took us an hour to get the feeling back in our right hand after playing it, we heartily recommend Flash Flash Revolution—and its smorgasbord of music-driven reflex tests—as one of the best time-wasters on the Internet. While it’s just not the same as stomping on a dance pad, it’s the closest you’re going to get to the Dance Dance Revolution experience at the workplace.

Start with the original Flash Flash Revolution, and once you’ve worked up a stinky finger sweat, try graduating to the ever-so-fast Flash Flash Revolution Resonance version—the songs are better, but nearly seizure inducing.
White Chamber


Escape from your very own chamber of horrors

White Chamber imitates your cube-farm existence by placing you in a room that you must escape. By searching the room and clicking objects, you collect items you use to solve various puzzles. Once you make your escape, check out the two previous chapters of the game, Crimson Room and Viridian Room.
Virtual Police: The Genome War


Yippee ki yay, ready to play John McClane while on your lunch break?

It’s truly amazing that what was state of the art in coin ops in 1994 can be played in a flash player today. Sure, Virtual Police isn’t as graphically intense (if you can still call it that) as Sega’s coin-op hit Virtua Cop, but the game captures the flavor and feel of the original in the same way a graphic novel can capture a feature film. It’s somehow the same yet different.
Unique IQ Tests


Goose your gray matter

There’s nothing like the daily grind to make you feel bored and burned out. And, really, after years of tedium you probably are a little brain dead. To know for sure, launch Unique IQ Tests. This collection of timed puzzles will test your mental acuity and then spit out a score that neatly sums up your intelligence.
Tarot Card Reader


It’s like having a grizzled gypsy at your beck and call

For centuries answer seekers have turned to tarot cards for mystical insight. And why not? Looking for direction in the cards’ symbol-laden imagery is no more outlandish than consulting a horoscope or hiring a life coach. Tarot Card Reader marries that ancient art with the ease and immediacy of the digital age. When confusion over life’s big or little issues hits you, turn to the old, wise woman that is the web. Once in the browser-based Tarot Card Reader, choose the Romance, Career, or Friends category; type in your pressing question; and then carefully select the three cards that will spell your fate. You will have fun mulling over the cards’ meaning, and you just might come to count on their wisdom.

I have not tested all of these on Linux, but the ones I have played work perfectly in Linux (FLash should be cross platform unless a site requires a proprietary plugin or local client)

Casual Encounters--22 Flash Games Worth Getting Addicted To

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/fea...ual_encounters

Posted 01/15/10 at 09:00:00 AM by Rob Smith


When you don't have the time or resources to commit to a full-fledged FPS, strategy game, or RPG adventure, a fun, fast, browser-based game is sure to satisfy. We reveal our favorites—both current and classic

Five minutes here, a lunch break there, the urge to procrastinate. The free browser-based Flash game has evolved with the technology, producing some high-quality time-killers that can interrupt the most productive of days. With volume comes choices. But you don’t want to waste time browsing—you need the definitive go-to guide to the best of what’s out there. We did the leg (hand and mouse) work for you. Many sites collect hundreds of these free games—check out Kongregate.com, Armorgames.com, Gamebrew.com, as examples—but scan our list and you’ll be on the road to fun, free entertainment in no time. Plus, for a hint of nostalgia, or to get your feet wet with casual gaming, spend some quality time with classics of the genre, collected in our list of all-time favorites.
Dark Base III

Alien slaughter-fest
This top-down shooter franchise has been successful enough to spawn sequels, which says plenty about its quality. RPG-style level-up mechanics let you improve your abilities and arsenal, which is vital given the rampaging indigenous life forms intent on eating you and your hired-mercenary help. Mission progression lets you take on optional tasks that flesh out the story and provide further opportunities to earn experience and level up. (http://www.crazymonkeygames.com/Darkbase-3.html)

Wake Up the Box
Fun with physics
What else are you going to do when you find a box napping on a ledge? Prod him awake using the weight and shape of various pieces of wood in a physics-based puzzle, naturally. Mixing spatial challenges, occasional speed tests, and creative thinking, each of the 20 levels provides a unique test. If you get stuck, watch the handy video walkthrough of the optimal solutions. (http://armorgames.com/play/4839/wake-up-the-box)

Kongai
Whip 'em good
This collectible card game is blended with Street Fighter-like beat-’em-up mechanics and painted with a classic high-fantasy cartoon-art style (i.e., uber-buff dudes and improbably proportioned ladies). You start with three cards, which you’re likely to pick for the artwork since the mechanics take some learning. After a few practice bouts, you earn new cards and compete in ranked matches against other folks. Very, very compelling for Magic: The Gathering types who want a free option. (http://www.kongregate.com/games/Kongregate/kongai)

Flakboy
Happy to be the gun, spike, mine test subject
Figuring out the most effective method of delivering extreme damage to poor Flakboy proves incredibly engaging. Poor guy is scared of a yellow duck, which sets him in motion within a confined room outfitted by whatever spikes, mines, guns, and trampolines your cash allotment affords you to buy. The eight levels each require you to inflict more damage, which forces you to try new weapons as they unlock. Then set the duck loose and watch Flakboy smear the walls with his own blood! (http://www.a10.com/game/flakboy.html)

Hedgehog Launch
Not a bird or a plane, but a hedgehog
One hedgehog. One elastic launch contraption. Strap-on rocket packs. It all adds up to an obvious recipe for throwaway fun chasing your high score. Launch the hedgehog skyward then hope you hit the floating coinage. The loot is then used to buy upgrades to the rockets, better launch velocity, a radar device (largely ineffective, as it turns out), and more. Then you launch again. And again. And upgrade. And launch. And you’ll still be launching 10 minutes after you decided to stop. (http://www.kongregate.com/games/Armo...edgehog-launch)

Desktop TD Pro
Stop the critters scurrying across your desk
Tower defense has become the defining casual-game genre for its classic simple-but-deep mechanics, puzzling challenges, and characteristic “just one more go” play sessions that last into the wee hours. And this is one of the best. Inviting in its simple premise and early level setup, and then excruciating in the grip of vast strategic options as you place tower types, upgrade as you earn cash, and try to stop the enemies from exiting the arena. Give it five minutes; it’ll repay you in hours. (http://www.casualcollective.com/#games/Desktop_TD_Pro)

Red Fluxion
Remember to blink
Your tiny ship has plenty of firepower. Lasers blasting vertically; shots dispersing horizontally; homing missiles navigating towards targets. So many targets. Within moments, space is jam-packed with colorful shapes dispatching swarms, streams, and swirls of damaging objects not necessarily directed at you, but in such sufficient quantities to fill the blackness of space with their color. And that’s before you get to the monstrous boss battles that often require fine mouse control amid the manic shooting gallery action. (http://www.kongregate.com/games/zestygames/red-fluxion)

Crush the Castle
Flinging rocks for fun and profit
Armed with a powerful trebuchet, it’s your mission to launch projectiles at a castle until you bring the structure crashing down around the heads of the inhabitants. Kill ’em all, then move on to the next castle. The game’s 24 castles test your skill at timing the launch for the right speed and trajectory and mixing up ammunition options, which upgrade as you progress. Complete them all, then have a go at designing and testing out your own castle conundrums. (http://armorgames.com/play/3614/crush-the-castle)

This Is the Only Level
A many-trick pony
Thirty identical levels. Sounds like a hoot, right? But an incredible variety of invention makes each level a thoroughly unique or stylized challenge. This isn’t about using different routes from entry to exit, but interpreting the word clue to fathom the trick to solving a given level. When you have to refresh your browser to unlock a level, you know this is something a little bit different, a little bit special, and worth several do-overs to earn faster times and fewer deaths. (http://armorgames.com/play/4309/this-is-the-only-level)

Icycle
Is this for total aerodynamics?
Riding along deadly ice caps, across crumbling mountains, through volcanic tunnels, and amid collapsing buildings is dangerous enough. Doing it in the buff? Weird. But “naked guy riding a bike” captures the attention quicker than “random dude on BMX adventure to collect frozen soap bubbles.” And it’s totally compelling as the scale shifts for each level—shrinking the character to a few pixels in some cases—as he overcomes the obstacles to make the exit. Some levels are cunningly challenging, others a ride in the park. Naked. (www.dampgnat.com/icycle)

Finwick
Beyond the call of the mailman's duties
Delivering mail seems like such a mundane summer-vacation student job. Not in Finwick, where helping the Royal Mail (evidently set in England) can be very dangerous. This side-scrolling platform and puzzle game is framed by a story told in quick dialogue blurbs between characters and set among beautifully drawn (if deadly) forests, factories, and construction sites. Controlling a second character adds further puzzle challenge as you set platforms in motion and create safe routes to deliver one piece of mail. (http://www.smallgreenhill.com/games/finwick/)

Canabalt
Free running
Now this is extreme parkour… in black-and-white, pixel-graphics form. You’re escaping (from what is unclear) through buildings, across construction cranes and rooftops, at blistering Usain Bolt–plus-plus speeds, hitting just one jump key to skip over obstacles or leap through windows and across gaps between buildings. Scored purely on the distance you make before face-planting into the side of a building, you’ll keep trying for that longer run, pushed by the pounding sci-fi movie soundtrack pumping in the background. (www.adamatomic.com/canabalt)


GraveShift 2: The Sewers
Does not stink in the least

The isometric 3D puzzle-adventure game has been around for eons, and this one brings a colorful style to its Indiana Jones–wannabe character. You have to navigate through the sewers, picking up gold along the way, fighting off the rats, skeletons, and more. These sewers are dangerous, with spike pits and other traps adding to the challenge as you try to recover King Krump’s treasure. The terrific art style makes it easy to spend hours exploring and figuring out how to retrieve each piece of treasure. (http://www.mochimedia.com/games/grav...-2-the-sewers/)

Ultimate Assassin 2
Metal Gear Flash
This top-down stealth-action game recalls memories of early Metal Gear sneak, stab, hide, and escape gameplay. It’s extremely challenging as you move your assassin after the green “boss” target through 18 levels. Guards shine their torches and move through the environment in random directions. Your assassin can call on a brief invisibility (so long as you don’t move) and speed-burst to elude danger. After the hit, wait for the mission bar to fill before the exit is revealed, and hope the bad guys don’t spot the body and sound an alarm that sends them into a fast-moving frenzy. (http://www.games121.com/2009/06/ulti...ssassin-2.html)

A Dralien Day
Lose yourself in a puzzling journey

This tale of a dragon’s emergence from an egg and his travels through puzzle-infested environments is classic point-and-click adventure fare. Those big doe-eyes implore you to help the little fella through each area. Rather than pixel-searching for clickable objects, each interactive element in a scene is handily highlighted, so it’s easy to find the puzzles even if it’s not so easy to solve them. A full walkthrough is available if you happen to get stuck. (http://www.pencilkids.com/the-vault/a-dralien-day-page/)

Small Worlds
From small beginnings great worlds grow

An entry in the Casual Gameplay Design Competition, this quirky exploration game packs tons of style into its simple stick-character and block-graphics presentation. From an initial camera view zoomed in on your pixel “dude” you move around the world as the camera pans back to reveal its shape, paths, and direction to the exits. It’s more a game of wonder at the concept than a speed, movement, or puzzle-solving challenge, but still well worth your attention. (http://jayisgames.com/cgdc6/?gameID=9)


Casual Game Classics
Free Flash games have evolved over the years, but some of the best of all time have probably contributed to more lost office productivity than Rick-rolling and dancing hamsters put together

Bloons
A monkey armed with darts popping balloons? Sounds like the perfect game concept. It’s also thoroughly addictive as you work through the steadily increasing difficulty levels, aiming to pop the target number of balloons as new obstacles (and power-ups) are introduced. (http://www.ninjakiwi.com/Games/Bloon...ay/Bloons.html)

Mini-Putt
A quick 18 holes of mini golf can turn into hours of effort to bring your score down as low as possible. In this classic variant you judge angles and speed to putt the ball around, through, or over obstacles and into the hole. (http://www.addictinggames.com/miniputt.html)

3D Pong
See ball, hit ball with paddle. Repeat. Now three full unforgiving dimensions. (http://www.3dponggame.com)

Bejeweled
Possibly the greatest detriment to office productivity since Minesweeper! Who would have thought that matching sets of three gems would prove to be so utterly addicting? This classic puzzler has spawned a huge number of clones and sequels, and continues to be played in offices in the world over. (http://www.popcap.com)

Helicopter
Maybe the sound of constant mouse-clicking will make coworkers think you're being incredibly productive (or have some kind of crazy twitch). You keep the helicopter flying by pressing the mouse button, and release it to let it drop. Now just see how far you can make it through the tunnels while avoiding the obstacles. (http://www.addictinggames.com/helicopter.html)

Fantastic Contraption
What a head scratcher. The simple premise of building machines is actually a deceptively addicting physics puzzler. You place the pieces of the contraption and hope your choices make it, well, fantastic. It's easy to spend hours figuring out some of the later-level conundrums. (http://www.fantasticcontraption.com)

Best low cost console-like controllers I've used-

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?inv...DS-2PK&cat=JOY

Linux games either support these directly if they have joystick/gamepad support, or use Qjoypad to map keyboard keys to each button/direction on the pads.

All the buttons, digital pad and both analog sticks work fine in Linux. Haven't tested/tried the rumble feature in Linux, though.

http://qjoypad.sourceforge.net/

Also, Jkeys but I haven't tried it yet-
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=903858

DirectX 10 support in Wine is under development. Here's an older article: http://apcmag.com/directx-10-in-linu...-crossover.htm

And here's a list of games that use dx10: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...ctX_10_support

Wine's official DirectX to-do list: http://wiki.winehq.org/DirectX-ToDo

15 Games for Linux
(some new/recent)

http://www.linux-mag.com/cache/7745/1.html

Bullet Candy Perfect
http://www.charliesgames.com/wordpress/?page_id=203
Bullet Candy Perfect was released for Linux this past February following an October 2009 release for Windows. It is an update of the original Bullet Candy sporting a new engine and higher quality graphics. The game is an arcade-style shoot-em-up free-for-all. Although it was said that Bullet Candy Perfect is similar to Geometry Wars, reviews state that a faster pace, prettier graphics, and little extras make it worth playing.

The game has 50 levels, 3 difficulty settings, and support for gaming controllers. The price of this action game can’t be beat and system requirements are very modest. The game can be had for as little $1 although, officially, it’s pay what you want. A demo with 15 levels is available for this game.

Machinarium
http://machinarium.net/demo/

One popular game that has won many awards and earned placement on several best game lists recently was Machinarium from Amanita Design. It garnered raving reviews because of the rich graphics, lovable hero, challenging puzzles, and darling backstory. It is developed in Flash with all the advantages and disadvantages that brings. The advantages include being easier to port to alternative platforms like Linux and Mac, but the disadvantages of Flash in Linux are legendary.

The game played well for most users, but could exhibit undesirable behavior occasionally ranging from substantial slow-down to annoying lag at some of the most inopportune times - like when a count-down timer was running. Fortunately, these glitches were few and far between and seemed worth it to be able to enjoy the immersive and addictive world of Josef, our hero. The game ends with what can be seen as a setup for a sequel, but the main developer has said in interviews (1, 2) that is still undecided. The game costs approximately $20.

Penumbra
http://www.penumbragame.com/ageGate.php
Another company releasing their games for Linux is Frictional Games. Their first releases, collectively known as The Penumbra Series, not only brought the excitement of thrills and chills but also hope that Linux gaming is still alive and well.

This series consisted of three releases, each a fully functioning 3D first-person puzzle adventure set in a dangerous, scary, and challenging netherworld. The first installment had some first-person altercation segments, the second concentrated almost solely on puzzle-solving, and the third was heavy on task completion; although all three had elements of each. The Penumbra games were released individually in 2008 and 2009 at the cost of $10 and $15 each, but all three can now be purchased as a set for the bargain price $20.

World of Goo
http://2dboy.com/games.php
Much like Penumbra or Machinarium, World of Goo is a puzzle game wrapped in an immersive alternative universe. The object is usually to navigate through the gooey world by fashioning Goo Balls into tightropes, bridges, swings, towers, boats, and such.

Possibly more popular than Penumbra or Machinarium, World of Goo has a long list of raving reviews, but rarely is a game analysed for its social and political relevance. For most people, it is a beautiful world, lovable characters, challenging puzzles, and just plain addictive. World of Goo became wildly popular last year when its developers ran a “pay what you want” sale, but is currently priced at $20.

World of Padman
http://padworld.myexp.de/index.php?news
World of Padman is a more recent entry of the Ioquake3 3D first person shooters and like the others, it is Open Source software and free to download. It is based on the Padman comic strip and features similar physics and modes as other Ioquake games, but with more cartoon-ish textures and models with less bloody carnage.

There are plenty of additional maps and soundtracks available from community contributers and it boasts a rather large core team with frequent updates and releases. World of Padman began life several years ago as a mod for Quake 3, but was released as a stand alone game in late 2007. The community surrounding Padman has grown rapidly making the game quite popular and the recipient of several positive reviews. The graphics of this game might not appeal to all users, but it does make for some wacky gameplay suitable for gamers of all ages.

Hacker Evolution: Untold
http://www.exosyphen.com/page_hacker...on-untold.html

Hacker Evolution: Untold is a role playing strategy game where you play a computer hacker who needs to save the world from computers that are taking over, wreaking havoc, and replicating.

The object is to hack into enemy computers and drain the information and resources to solve the mystery before the computer program has taken the world completely over while clearing your name in the process. Originally released for Windows, the Linux version of this game became available March 2010. The game costs $25 and a demo is available.

Quake Live
http://www.quakelive.com/#home

Quake Live is a bit of a variation on the online multiplayer format. Unlike the more traditional in-game server/client relationship, Quake Live is experienced through your Web browser. On-site registration is necessary, as is downloading the proper plugins, but it is free to play. Profiles, placement, and statistics are stored at the Site as well. This Quake III re-creation works in Windows, Mac, or Linux.

System requirements are stated as Pentium III or better; GeForce 4 MX, Radeon 8500, Intel i915, or better; and a broadband Internet connection. Quake Live just recently celebrated their one year anniversary and its reception has been reported to be very high. Carmack stated that a premium subscription service will have to be integrated in the near future in order to pay for the continuation of the game. id spokesmen have estimated the cost for this service to be approximately $5 per month.

Galcon Fusion
http://www.galcon.com/fusion/

Galcon Fusion is a multiplayer arcade-like strategy game that reviewers have said is as easy to play as it is addictive. The goal is conquer as many neighboring planets as possible and the one with the most planets wins. This is done by building and accumulating resources and ships.

Galcon Fusion is available for Windows, Mac, Linux, and the iPhone. Galcon Fusion was released in February 2010 and is one of the few games available with Colorblind support. Team and single player missions are also supported. Galcon Fusion costs $9.99 and a demo is available.

Prey
http://icculus.org/prey/

Prey is an immersive 3D first-person shooter built on the Doom 3 engine. As such, the physics and gameplay are reminiscent of Doom 3 but the backstory and many features are quite unique. In Prey, the hero, his girlfriend, and grandfather (as well as many other beings) have been kidnapped by aliens for the purpose of energy (food). The hero wrangles free from his restraints and watches his grandfather killed by the aliens’ automated processors. He vows to find and rescue his girlfriend before she meets a similar fate.

The main characters are Cherokee American and many aspects of the game take advantage of that connection such as the manner of dying and respawning, spirit walking to navigate certain areas, and a spirit guide to help with some translations and clues. The hero explores the ship and shoots his way through bad guys and puzzles to end up saving the world. It was released for Windows in 2006, but Linux binaries weren’t released until December 2008. Prey is available from retail and online outlets for about $10 these days and the Linux installer is free to download.

QuantZ
http://gamerizon.com/games/quantz/

QuantZ is a unique puzzle game that seems to be a weird cross between Tetris, Frozen Bubble, and Neverball. The object of the game is to match marbles so that they cause colorful explosions. This is accomplished by manipulating the center object with your mouse and launching the marbles in order to collect enough to react.

When all the marbles are gone, the player progresses to the next level. The premise is simple, but the game is quite addictive and well worth the $12 price. QuantZ was released in August 2009 and a demo is available at the Gamerizon Website.

Upcoming and In-Development

Tiny & Big is another 3D alternative reality task completion adventure game.
http://www.tinyandbig.com/news/
The main character, Tiny, is a lovable being who is trying to retrieve his most valued possession from the antagonist, Big. His adventure takes him over perilous terrain where he must use his intellect, skills, and backpack of goodies to navigate towards the climatic showdown.

This game will be released for Windows, Mac, and Linux and there is currently a working demo available. The graphics might feel simplistic for some and the system recommendations include a Core2duo / Athlon X2 @ 2.4 GHz and a GeForce 8800 series / Radeon 2900 video card. There have been no hints to the final price or release date as of yet.

Frictional Games, makers of the Penumbra series, is working on their second major title due out in August 2010. The teaser video of Amnesia: The Dark Descent is even scarier than Penumbra. Like the Penumbra collection, Amnesia will be another interactive 3D puzzle-solving adventure, but developers said the puzzles will be more integrated into the story and game adding to the reality of the experience.

As excitement for this game builds, pre-orders are being accepted and if a certain goal is reached, additional content will be added. Preorders can be placed for $16. No demo is available as of yet, but developers state that the game is working on all platforms.
http://www.amnesiagame.com/#main

Speed Dreams is a new fork of the older well-known project TORCS. Developers forked Speed Dreams late 2008 in order to implement new features, cars, tracks, and AI elements and in order to allow for a more democratic commit process. Development continued throughout 2009 and the first version was released in February 2010. With Speed Dreams being a new fork and only a release candidate available, many distributions still provide TORCS instead. Although installing Speed Dreams can be a challenge since only the source tarball is available from developers, packages are available for Ubuntu 9.10 through PlayDeb.
http://speed-dreams.sourceforge.net/

Primal Carnage – Humans VS Dinosaurs is a first-person shooter that pits humans against dinosaurs. It’s primarily a team-oriented online multiplayer, but a single-player mode will also be available. It’s obvious that Primal Carnage is inspired by Jurassic Park as the environments and creatures look almost as though they were pulled straight from the movie.

The object is to complete task-oriented goals such as survival and capture-the-point. Primal Carnage is due to be released in Q4 of 2010. The estimated price for this game is around $2 and no demo is available yet. Screenshots and some early video are available at their Website.
http://www.primalcarnage.com/website/

Joe Danger is a an obstacle-laden motorbike driving game. You play a stuntman who must traverse tracks and perform tricks and jumps in competitions to earn points and win - or as one developer put it, “You laugh in the face of danger, and it laughs back, as you bounce from boulder to boulder, on fire, towards that pile of mousetraps.”
http://www.hellogames.org/

The graphics are a bit cutsy but it looks like great fun for all ages. Joe Danger is due to be released in the Spring of this year at a price rumored to be around $10.

Technically not a game, but interesting enough to mention here is Stellarium. A cross-platform, FOSS planetarium application. Pretty cool, reasonably intuitive interface and tons of features.

Paintown

Classic 2d sidescroll fighting games engine

http://paintown.sourceforge.net/


Screenshots and videos

http://paintown.sourceforge.net/index.php?page=media

Latest Playdeb site with point and click installers for lots of games on Ubuntu, currently 100+ and growing

9.04

http://www.playdeb.net/updates/ubuntu/9.04/

10.04
http://www.playdeb.net/updates/Ubuntu/10.04/

(Putting on my Carmac headdress... )

I predicted years ago that homebrew games written for classic emulators (SNES/NES/N64/GC, Genesis/SegaCD/Saturn, PS1/2, 3DO, Xbox1, etc) would become popular- I think the trend may be starting-

http://www.pineight.com/

The idea being, if game writers target emulators of past systems, then they are writing to a known API/hardware set (emulated or real), etc, eliminating the need to worry about the infinite combinations of PC hardware and software. This is why Flash and Java games are popular with developers- they are writing to a known virtual machine- emulators are just "virtual machines" of past consoles, not unlike the closed Flash and Java VM's.

The Wii has proven most people don't care about absolute pixel counts and rendering details- just well written, fun games, which all the systems I listed (and their emulators) are more than capable of doing.

BIGGEST LINUX GAMING NEWS EVER!

STEAM COMES TO LINUX!

http://games.slashdot.org/story/10/0...-Way?art_pos=5



...this single event will single handedly cause a LOT of Linux adoptions from Windows, IMO...

Pac-Man turns 30 today! http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/sci...=faces#slide=1

You can play a free Flash version online: http://www.freepacman.org/welcome.html

The birthday actually inspired me to install the actual arcade version, along with Mrs pac-man.

First, I installed sdlmame from the Ubuntu repositories. This will allow you to play a game ROM. Technically, you should own the ROM. In this case, Google is your friend!

Technically, according to the original Constitution writers, any claims of copyright have expired at least 2 years ago

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_..._copyright_law

...who do you respect more, the writers of the original US Constitution or the IP cartels that purchase corrupted legislation?

I'm playing the game ROMs! I think that answers that question!

BTW, I also got the original Space Invaders ROM. I spent a lot of quarters on that game. Enough to actually buy it.

Defender was my favorite, but it's near-impossible to play with the keyboard. I'll have to map out the joypad buttons the next time I load it up.

...and a hearty Wocka Wocka Wocka to all!

Which front-end is best to use? I picked gmameui only b/c it was the only one that showed up in Synaptic along with sdlmame.

I'm no expert, as this was a spur of the moment thing. I think that one of the Google hits suggested it. Sdlmame seems to be a terminal program, as it didn't install a menu link. But when run from the terminal, it doesn't look like a terminal program!

This site here says to use xmame. When I tried to install xmame, synaptic wanted to uninstall sdlmame. So I left it alone. That site has more than the xmame recommendation, if you know what I mean.

Maybe someone has tried both, and can give an opinion.

sdlmame is still being maintained whereas xmame is not. There's a thread around here somewhere that we discussed frontends in -- I'll see if I can find it.

Also, there's an emulator for laserdisc games (remember "Dragon's Lair"?). You can legally purchase "Dragon's Lair" and other games for it --> DAPHNE

Here it is --> http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1113281

A couple of options are brought up there. I haven't tried them in a while, so I don't know what's best.

Laserdisc? Who the hell had money for that stuff! After paying for necessities (food, gas, rent, beer and weed) there wasn't any money left for electronics. For a long time I didn't even have a TV.

Romeo is a Mame frontend written in Java, so it should run in Linux with jre installed-
http://stefanobolli.sourceforge.net/news.shtml

SDLMame packaged for ubuntu

http://sdlmame.wallyweek.org/

QMC2 is looking fine, with packages for Ubuntu 10.04 and other major Linux's

http://qmc2.arcadehits.net/wordpress/screenshots/

http://qmc2.arcadehits.net/wordpress/download/

Nobody had money for a Laserdisk arcade game- but Laserdisk movies in the 90's- dat wuz da shiznet!

Ultimate Edition Gamer's distro bootCD with lots of preloaded/configured games-

http://ultimateedition.info/ultimate-edition-gamers/

Rgb is a "posting machine"!

Don't hurt yourself in the neck: