For our first review at Games Kernel, we’re going to be looking at a version of the Linux gaming classic, Tux Racer.
Since Tux Racer was first released in 2000, it has had a fairly confusing history with several different versions (both commercial and free) being released. In this review we’ll be considering Extreme Tux Racer specifically, but in general the various different releases are all fairly similar. It’s based of Planet Penguin Racer, which was in turn based off the original Tux Racer, and is released under the GPL.

Extreme Tux Racer sees you guide Tux the penguin down a mountain, gathering as many herring as possible on route. You play through a series of cups comprising of several tracks, each requiring you to meet certain time and herring requirements to progress. You can control Tux’s left and right motion, as well as paddling in order to give a slight speed boost, and flapping to become briefly airborne.

Whilst the game isn’t hugely impressive in terms of graphics, there are some nice touches. The snow and ice of the course look good, and you leave a convincing trail behind you as you slide. The jingly music which at first is bright and cheery grows irritating after a while, but it can be disabled.

The game is simple to play, with a limited options and controls, but whilst the starting tracks are easy enough to appeal to small children, you are can add more challenging tracks. A limited number of courses can be downloaded from The Extreme Tux Racer Forums, but building your own tracks only requires an image editor - check out the ETR Wiki. If anyone does create a track, please feel free to link to it in the comments below so everyone can check it out.

So whilst I’d imagine most people have checked out Tux Racer at some point, if you haven’t yet go give it a try and leave us your feedback.