Must-Have Linux Games

With Tetravex, we've wrapped up our list of Ubuntu games, at least those that come preinstalled. That is, by no means, the end of your Linux games experience. In fact, we're just softening you up. There are literally hundreds of games that you can download, install, and play for free! So, before I finish up this chapter, I'm going to tell you about a few of my personal favorites.

Frozen-Bubble

Perhaps my favorite arcade-style game under Linux also happens to be one of the most addictive games I have ever run across. It is called Frozen-Bubble. This is a bright, beautiful, and colorful game with dozens of levels featuring a great musical soundtrack, cool sound effects, and at least one penguin. You'll just have to trust me on this onethis game is a must-have, and no, age doesn't enter into it. Still with me? Here's the premise.

Frozen, colored bubbles are arranged in various patterns against a wall at the top of your screen. Some kind of hydraulic press behind the wall slowly pushes the bubbles toward you (see Figure 19-15). Your job is to guide your cute little penguin gunner (so to speak) to aim the bubble launcher at the oncoming wall of bubbles. If three of more bubbles of the same color are together, fire a similarly colored bubble at that group, and the arrangement collapses. Destroy all the bubble groups, and you win that level. If any of the bubbles at the wall touch you, everything freezes over, and your penguin cries a river of tears. It's silly. It's fun. You are going to love it.

Figure 19-15. The incredibly addictive Frozen-Bubble.

PlanetPenguin Racer

This is one of my favorite, arcade style, games.

The idea is simple. Tux, the Linux penguin, races down snow- or ice-covered mountains on his belly (see Figure 19-16). As the speed increases, you try to dodge obstacles while picking up herring along the way. The action is fast-paced and exciting, with Tux taking flight off the occasional cliff or ramp. All this happens as you race against the clock.

Figure 19-16. Fast, frozen fun with PlanetPenguin Racer.

You can install this one easily via Synaptic. Search for planetpenguin-racer. Make sure you select the planetpenguin-racer-data and planetpenguin-racer-extras packages when you install. The extras package provides a number of additional courses.

Trust me on this one . . . you don't know the meaning of fun until you race down an ice and snow-covered mountain slope at breakneck speeds. PlanetPenguin Racer is a must!

Armagetron

Remember the 1982 Disney movie called Tron? Inside the computer, programs engaged in gladiatorial battles, fighting for their users. One of the deadly sports in this virtual world was a lightcycle race. Contestants rode a kind of motorcycle that left a wall of light in its wake. The cycles themselves can't stop. The only thing you can do is ride, avoiding your opponents' walls while trying to get them to crash into yours. The last program standing wins. The popularity of the lightcycle concept has created a number of variations on the theme, including one of my favorites. It's called Armagetron (see Figure 19-17). Think Armageddon.

Figure 19-17. Armagetron is an excellent recreation of the classic lightcycle duel.

Armagetron is easily installed using Synaptic. Just search for armagetron. While you are there, take a look for gltron, another fantastic lightcycle game.