GLtron

{{Infobox software

|title = GLtron

|logo = GLTron.png

|caption = Logo

|developer = GLtron.org

|author = Andreas Umbach

|released = {{Start date and age|1999|df=yes}}

| latest release version = 0.72-beta-8

| latest release date = {{Start date and age|2016|07|31|df=yes}}

|genre = Snake game

|platform = OS X (OS X 10.7+ currently unsupported), Mac OS 9, Linux, Windows, MorphOS, Symbian, Android

|website =

|repo = https://sourceforge.net/projects/gltron

|license = GPL-2.0-or-later

}}

GLtron is a 3D snake game based on the light cycle portion of the film Tron.{{cite web | url=https://www.macobserver.com/columns/slackersguide/2006/20060911.shtml | title=The Slacker's Guide - Something Cool For the Nerds: GLTron | author=Chris Barylick | date=September 11, 2006 | accessdate=2008-11-12 | work=The Mac Observer}} The game is free and open-source software and has been ported to many mobile and non-mobile operating systems such as Windows, MacOS, Symbian{{Cite web | title = Symbian Port | url=http://mobile4dev.blogspot.com/2011/01/gltron-ported-to-symbain-s60v3.html | accessdate = 2011-01-26 | date=2011-01-26}} and Android{{cite web | url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.glTron | title=GL TRON | publisher=Google Play | accessdate=2014-03-02}} over the years.

Development

After being originally a private university project by Andreas Umbach in June 1998, the game's open-source development started when the source code was put to SourceForge around 1999 under the GPL-2.0-or-later software license. The game's soundtrack features the track Revenge of the Cats, which was composed and performed by Finnish musician Peter Hajba, who is also known by his demoscene nickname Skaven.{{Cite web | title = GLtron related links | url=http://www.gltron.org/links.php | accessdate = 2009-05-10}} Ports to new platforms are primarily developed by the game's community.

Gameplay

Image:GLtronwin.jpg

The aim of the game is to be the last player riding. Cycles can be boosted with a limited turbo. There are various gameplay styles, including switching the gameplay from "booster" to "wall accel" to "both". "Booster" has an extra button for boosting, in addition to the standard left, right, glance left, glance right buttons, while "Wall ride" increases a player's light cycle's speed automatically depending on how close they are to an opponent's wall. "Both" incorporates both options for increasing the player's light cycle's speed.

There are several arena sizes that can be selected, from "tiny" (which is best for two players on normal speed or people practicing their reflexes with 3 "mcp himself" difficulty-level bots on "crazy" speed) to "vast".

The game is played using the keyboard to control the vehicle and the mouse to control the camera position, players can out ride competitors across the geometric grid.

Reception

In 2006, GLTron was recommended by The Mac Observer for its graphics and sound, considered good for a free software game, and support for different screen resolutions and input devices. Other reviews were positive too,[http://www.insidemacgames.com/news/story.php?ArticleID=14045 GLTron Reviewed] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808050850/http://www.insidemacgames.com/news/story.php?ArticleID=14045 |date=2016-08-08 }}

by Cord Kruse on insidemacgames.com (September 12, 2006){{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20140607000126/http://www.1up.com/features/102-free-games 102 Games That Are: Free To Own]}} on 1up.com (archived) for instance The Linux Game Tome gave 4/5 stars.{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20121215202853/http://www.happypenguin.org/show?glTron gltron]}} on The Linux Game Tome (2012-12-15, archived)

The game was ported to multiple systems like Linux, Windows, MacOS as also mobile systems that have support for OpenGL ES like Symbian,{{Cite web | title = Symbian Port | date=25 January 2011 | url=http://mobile4dev.blogspot.com/2011/01/gltron-ported-to-symbain-s60v3.html | accessdate = 2011-01-26}} Android,{{cite web | url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.glTron | title=GL TRON | publisher=Google Play | accessdate=2014-03-02}} and as also the OpenPandora handheld.[https://repo.openpandora.org/?page=detail&app=gltron gltron] on repo.openpandora.org Gltron was downloaded between 2000 and 2016 1,500,000 times from SourceForge alone,[https://sourceforge.net/projects/gltron/files/stats/timeline?dates=2000-07-16+to+2016-07-22 gltron - stats] on sourceforge.net while it is also packaged with many Linux distributions like Debian.[https://packages.debian.org/jessie/gltron gltron] on packages.debian.org