LINUXGAMES

A reader pointed out that the changelog for the upcoming SAS version 3.1 patch has been posted at the project’s forum; among the slated bugfixes are stability remedies for Linux users. SAS is an Unreal Tournament 2004 modification featuring three counter-terrorism-themed gametypes.

Holotz’s Castle, a classic side-scroller, has been updated to release 1.3.8. Changes in this release include:

• Porting to FreeBSD
• Updates to the German translation
• Fixed a bug making the game to return to the menu when it shouldn’t
• The videos with the solution to the levels are available in the game page

Screenshots: [ View ] Download: [ Holotz's Castle 1.3.8 ]

The FreeCNC project, aimed to recreate the Command & Conquer engines, has now been officially disbanded.

Lost Labyrinth, a roque-like RPG, has been updated to release 2.3.3. This release includes the following fixes and enhancements:

• Critical hits now with bows
• Trader shows details of character items
• New Monsterabilities: Breaks Weapons, Breaks Armor, Throws stones
• Inventory reworked:
• Items can be stacked from the belt into the backpack and vica versa
• Items can be used from the belt by dragging them on the bodyskeleton
• Items can be stacked and moved in the belt
• Itemmenue responds only when we do not move an item
• Bugfixes: Speed Trainer is cheaper now, Trapdoor and avoiding it, Mimic only in higher levels,
• Mystic Bolt and wrong graphics, Jumping Water monsters

Screenshots [ View ] Download: [ Lost Labyrinth 2.3.3 ]

People who have played the Battle Isle series in the past might be interested in a new version of Advanced Strategic Command. Release number 1.16.3 of this game contains the following changes:

• If the player choses to continue playing a map after victory, the defeat-event will be deactivated
• Windows version creates crash dumps
• Fixed compilation problems with gcc 4.1
• Fixed lack of energy in campaign map 7
• Fixed message loading on 64 Bit machines (when loading Savegames / Email-Games)
• Fixed memory allocation error
• Fixed triggering unit lost message when viewing unit movement range
• Fixed crash in AI
• Fixed: unit could be loaded into itself
• Fixed research transfer when starting new campaign map from old one
• Fixed replay bug
• Fixed: ai reduces movement of loaded units
• Fixed: mines and objects could be placed in not visible areas
• Fixed ammo transfer bug
• Large amounts of ammo are reset on game load

Screenshots: [ View ] Download: [ Advanced Strategic Command 1.16.3 ]

An updated release of Wine, an Open Source implementation of the Windows API on top of X and Unix, has been announced.Changes in this release include:

• A bunch of OLE fixes and improvements.
• DirectSound improvements, including full duplex support.
• Fix for the Windows metafile vulnerability.
• Many static control improvements.
• Some fixes for copy protection support.

Download: [ Wine 0.9.6 ]

Emulation fans might be interested in a new release of Mednafen which has recently been updated to version 0.4.3. This emulator, which uses OpenGL, currently emulates Atari Lynx, GameBoy, GameBoy Color, GameBoy Advance, NES, PC Engine(TurboGrafx 16), and SuperGrafx.The complete changelog for this release can be viewed here

Download: [ Mednafen 0.4.3 ]

People with children in the age range of 3 to 7, might be interested in this shareware game, LuaLua. This game pack includes several games including: “Soopa Koopa,” a puzzle; “Thinky Thinky,” a memory game; “Catch-a-Match,” a matching pairs game; “La La Land,” a musical phrase game, “Pig-Tac-Dog” a tic tac toe game, ,”Taquin” a slide puzzle and “Drag and Drop” a shape matching game. System requirements include SDL OSS Alsa or ESD OpenGL

Download: [ LauLua Demo ]

We have received some new screenshots of Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, being developed by Splash Damage:

ATI has released version 8.21.7 of their display driver for 32-bit and 64-bit x86 Linux systems. Changes include OpenGL 2.0 support, a smaller filesize, and a configuration option for secondary displays. Additional information can be found in the release notes and FAQ

ATI Driver 8.21.7 Download: [ ati.com ]

DXX Rebirth, a project to raise interest in the Descent game ports D1X and D2X has released version 0.3 of their packages.
Download: [ DXX Rebirth 0.3 ]

D2X-XL, a fork of D2X has released version 1.5.95.
Download: [ D2X-XL 1.5.95 ]

The ever famous /dev/urandom post of the week. Enjoy.

Name/Version: enemy lines 5 initlal release
Summary: Spaceship dogfight with 3d graphic and 2d gameplay.
Screenshots [ View ] Download [ enemy lines 5 initlal release ]

Name/Version: E.V.E. Paradox 1.1.1
Summary: E.V.E. Paradox is a game suite with four different games: Flick, Orbit, Arena, and Parity. Flick is a turn-based puzzler, Orbit is an arcade puzzler, Arena is a top-view action game, and Parity is a turn-based arcade puzzler.
Screenshots [ View ] Download [ E.V.E. Paradox 1.1.1 ]

Name/Version: Keep a cool head! 0.4.3
Summary: Board game based on “Ludo” / “Mensch ärgere dich nicht” written in Java.
Screenshots [ View ] Download [ Keep a cool head! 0.4.3 ]

Name/Version: SDL Squares 3.0
Summary: SDL version of the classic puzzle game, 8-square.
Screenshots [ View ] Download [ SDL Squares 3.0 ]

The latest release of xmame and xmess has been announced. Changelog for this release includes the following items:

• Everything from MAME 0.103 and MESS 0.103
• Modified osd_alloc_executable() to use mmap() by default. This prevents segfaults in the DRC core on systems that support the NX bit, such as AMD64 and Intel Prescott. Thanks to Julian Sikorski, Adam Moss, and Carl Fongheiser.
• Fixed a segfault that occurred when LIRC was enabled but lirc_init returned an error value. (Joe Quanaim)
• Added “-[no]lirc” to enable or disable LIRC support. (Joe Quanaim)
• Fixed several buffer overruns that happened when overly-long data was passed for “-ctrlr”, “-lang”, “-rec”, and “-pb”. Fixed other potential buffer overruns. Bugzilla bug 821.
• Files larger than 2GB can now be accessed on platforms with large file support.
• The “-createhd” and “-merge” operations in chdman are now a lot faster on Linux.

Downloads: [ xmame and xmess 0.103 ]

Fans of MMORPG might be interested in a newer version of Stendhal which uses the Arianne game development system. Updates in this release include:

• Added Venom rat.
• On death player lose Levels, XP, ATK and DEF.
• Organized data in Java Webstart. Everything is now inside stendhal folder.
• Added Protection zones to avoid PK.
• Fixed blood anticampers feature.
• New food system.
• Added potions.
• Added support command to talk with admin crew.
• Improved item stacking.
• Banned some improper usernames.
• Better source and data organization.
• Fixed a bug that happen when you kill a sheep.
• Improved data structure.
• New food system.
• Added sound system.
• Added drinks/poisons/poisonous creatures.
• Fixed inventory self closes bug.
• Stats show now equipped stuff too.
• New event system.
• Some creatures can heal themselves.
• Fixed food stackable bug.

Screenshots [ View ] Downloads [ Stendhal 0.42]

Lost Labyrinth 2.3.0, an rogue-like role-playing game, has been updated to version 2.3.0 Changes in this version include the following items:

• The tiles for floors and walls change every 5 levels
• We gain lorepoints and monsters leave treasure behind with spells and ranged weapons now too
• With the Q Key we can see the last 25 messages
• New Runetrap that teleports us back to earlier levels
• Maximum 50 Lifepoints when we chose “weak”
• Maximum 50 Manapoints when we chose “low mana”
• Dark Mana gives only spellpower/2 Manapoints
• Sorcery counts only for spells from spellschools (Not for Free Magic and Scrollore)
• Refresh/Magic Apple only twice per level (but remove 60 points)
• Trader shows amount of stacked items in our backpack
• Display a warning in Mainscreen when we are close to dying
• Display encumbrance in mainscreen
• Verification Number for Highscore (New entries of the same character remove other entries!)
• Typing errors in spanish version fixed (Thanx to joaquim!)
• Bugfixes: Sling working again, Display real casting success chance for spells

Screenshots [ View ] Downloads [ Lost Labyrinth 2.3.0 ]

An updated version of Freelords, a rewrite of the popular Warlords II, has come to our attention. Changes in this release include

• game is now saved at beginning of each round
• resolution can now be set during the game in the options dialog
• Configuration can now be saved in the option dialog
• two new scenarios
• GamePreferenceDialog is improved
• The bigmap buttons now are real-time scrollers
• added a FL logo in the w_edit
• added music support and a first track
• Windows cross-compiling supports Music,Threads and winsocks

Screenshots [ View ] Download [ FreeLords CVS-20060112 ]

Java Unlimited has been running a contest since Dec 1 to develop a game in Java using only 4 kilobytes of bytecode and resources. You have until March 1 to finish your entries. Things such as limiting the number of classes and using an obfuscator on your code would help reduce its size (code like this would not be how your college professor would like you writing projects :) ).

Ultimate Stunts, an updated version of DOS-game “stunts”, with OpenGL graphics, 3D sound, and Internet-based multiplayer, has been updated to release 0.6.1. Changes in this release include:

• Ability to record replays and view them
• Automatically detects Ultimate Stunts game servers in a LAN, by using a broadcast
• New Artwork including a new Jeep car
• New tiles

Screenshots [ View ] Download [ Ultimate Stunts 0.6.1 ]

Name/Version: Wah!Cade 0.8
Summary: Wah!Cade is a GUI front-end to the xmame, zsnes and dgen arcade emulator. This front-end is based on the Windows program, MameWAH.
Screenshots [ View ] Download [ Wah!Cade 0.8 ]

Name/Version: Angry, Drunken, Dwarves! 1.0.1
Summary: The goal of the game is to build large gems by matching up colors, then break them, raining more gems down onto your opponent.
Screenshots [ View ] Download [ Angry, Drunken, Dwarves! 1.0.1 ]

Name/Version: ChangeBlindness 1.0.0
Summary: A Java based game demonstrating the change blindness effect.
Screenshots [ View ] Download [ ChangeBlindness 1.0.0 ]

A reader pointed out the results of a course project for an Intro to Computer Graphics class at Stanford. Several of the games are available for Linux:

• The Deadly Soccer Ball
• Formula Inverse
• Heart Attack