SuperTuxKart

SuperTuxKart
Developer(s) Joerg Henrichs, Marianne Gagnon, Eduardo Hernandez Munoz, Steve Baker, various others
Artist(s) Jean-Manuel Clemençon, various others
Engine Antarctica (0.9–)
Irrlicht (0.7–0.8.1)
PLIB (0.0.0–0.6.2)
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, AmigaOS 4, AROS, MorphOS, Cross-platform
Release date(s) 2004 (first release)
2016 (latest release)
Genre(s) Racing
Mode(s) Single-player, Multiplayer

SuperTuxKart, also known as STK, is a free and open-source kart racing video game, distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License, historically under version 2 of that license, but under version 3 since 2008.[1] It features mascots of various open-source projects. SuperTuxKart is cross-platform, running on Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, AmigaOS 4, AROS, MorphOS and other Unix systems.[2] The latest stable version of the game is version 0.9.2 and was released on July 1, 2016.[3] SuperTuxKart features, since its 0.9 version, an all-new graphics engine called "Antarctica".[4]

SuperTuxKart started as TuxKart, an open source game for Linux by Steve Baker which stopped being developed after version 0.4.0.

Gameplay

Screenshot of version 0.9

SuperTuxKart's gameplay is similar to Mario Kart but has become more distinctive over time. The characters are open source mascots, with Mozilla Thunderbird being the race referee. The game may be played in single player or local multiplayer mode. Online and networked multiplayer are scheduled to be added in release 0.9.3.[5]

SuperTuxKart has several race modes:

History

SuperTuxKart is based on TuxKart. In 2004, TuxKart was selected by The Linux Game Tome to be their "Game of the Month" project. The project collapsed due to disagreements, and the project was forked. The result, dubbed SuperTuxKart, remained unplayable and unmaintained until 2006 when Joerg "Hiker" Henrichs[6] resurrected the project and, with the help of Eduardo Hernandez "Coz" Munoz,[6] released the game in a playable state.[5] In 2008, Marianne Gagnon (aka. "Auria") joined the project and eventually replaced Munoz as one of the project leaders after his retirement.[7]

In 2010, SuperTuxKart switched away from using SDL and PLIB libraries for graphics and started using the Irrlicht Engine. This change was finalized in version 0.7.[5] In 2013 and 2014, the game participated in Google Summer of Code as a mentoring organization.[8] The migration of the code repository (but not the asset repository)[9] from Sourceforge to GitHub was officially announced on 17 January 2014[10] (the download site remains on Sourceforge). On April 21, 2015, version 0.9 was released which used a highly modified version of Irrlicht,[11] including an entirely new graphics renderer dubbed Antarctica,[12] which enabled better graphics appearance and features such as dynamic lighting, ambient occlusion, depth of field, global illumination and so forth.

Characters

Similarly to Warmux, the official characters are the mascots of free and open source projects, except for Nolok, who does not represent a particular open source project, but was created by the SuperTux Game Team as the enemy of Tux. There are also other characters that can be downloaded as add-ons from the SuperTuxKart add-ons website.

Tracks

Most default tracks must be unlocked by completing active challenges in the Story Mode.

Reception

Full Circle Magazine named SuperTuxKart as one of the top five racing games available for Linux, describing it as the game to try if you're "tired of realistic driving".[13] Linux Journal also praised the game, saying that "the courses in SuperTuxKart are fun, colorful and imaginative" and that "If you've played the original, you'll be impressed by the new, hugely improved, SuperTuxKart."[14] Although it did not make it into the APC Mag top five free games, it received an honorable mention.[15] In 2009, TechRadar cited it as one of the best games to put on a Linux netbook.[16]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "supertuxkart/stk-code Git commit ID eb482c7: Updated the GPL version to GPLv3.". Github. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  2. ↑ "SuperTuxKart Downloads". SuperTuxKart. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  3. ↑ "STK 0.9.2 release".
  4. ↑ "Antarctica engine".
  5. 1 2 3 "FAQ – SuperTuxKart". SuperTuxKart. SourceForge. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  6. 1 2 File data/CREDITS from SuperTuxKart 0.4 distribution
  7. ↑ Goodwin, Charles (April 6, 2007). "Open Source Games: Interview: Ingo Ruhnke aka Grumbel". Retrieved April 28, 2012.
  8. ↑ SuperTuxKart participating in GSoC 2013, stkblog.net. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  9. ↑ https://supertuxkart.net/Source_control
  10. ↑ Henrichs, Joerg (January 17, 2014): Migrating to GitHub.
  11. ↑ Antarctica: Overview
  12. ↑ Antarctica:Technical Details
  13. ↑ Min, Andrew (October 2007). "Top Five Racing Games" (PDF). Full Circle Magazine (6). Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  14. ↑ Gagné, Marcel (November 1, 2007). "Cooking with Linux – Because Nothing Says High Performance Like a Good Race". Linux Journal. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  15. ↑ Sbarski, Peter (January 21, 2008). "Top 5 best (free) open source games". APC. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
  16. ↑ Oxford, Adam (February 12, 2009). "12 of the best games for your Linux netbook". TechRadar. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
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