Armagetron Review
Armagetron gets an update for 2009
Highlights include a customizable playing arena, HUD, unique graphics, and AI bots. For the more advanced ArmageTron player there are new game modes in ArmageTron and a wide variety of physics settings to tweak as well.
Anyone that can still remember the arcade game days will remember TRON, if not the old Sci-Fi movie Tron that sparked the creation of the game. The movie-inspired arcade game Light-Cycles and spawned a host of clones that actually earned more than the movie during its initial release.
ArmageTron is one of the clones. Fortunately for Ubuntu / Linux users there are quite a few things about this game that set it apart from the other clones:
* It’s free to play and available for every OS.
* It’s in 3D rather than the classic top-down arcade style.
* It also has a free on-line multi-player option.
Here’s why Armagetron is so much fun!
The object of the game is to not hit the walls, though there’s far more to it than that. You pilot a Light-Cycle and you can no speed it up or slow it down, but only turn left or right. As your Light-Cycle moves it leaves behind a solid trail called a wall. Any other players (including yourself) that run into the wall die.
The walls will never vanish, so you’ll have to be careful not to put yourself into a corner and use your walls to work other players into corners. The last light-cycle left standing wins in Armagetron. It’s also important to note that the closer the player rides to a wall, the faster his Light-Cycle will go. The result is an exhilarating, fast-paced game full of fast paced strategic planning. ArmageTron Advanced also comes with an off-line mode for those with a slow connection. The AI and gameplay are still completely customizable, you wont lose much in the way of playability.
Speaking of customization, that brings me to another of this program’s high points: you can change whatever you want about the game. When you combine that with a wealth of different game modes and possibilities, you have yourself a very addicting and entertaining arcade game that you will not tire of easily.
ArmageTron Advanced is a free multi-player game with simple, casual-oriented game-play. What have you got to lose? I have created a .Deb installer for ArmageTron that Ubuntu users may download here
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For a light cycle game it’s pretty good.
AI is customisable, so you can have either really stupid or fairly smart AI opponents. The sounds are also pretty retro and remind you of the film.
Camera angles can sometimes leave you not knowing where other players have been. So you’ll sometimes crash as a result of that.
I’ve not tried against other people yet, but it should be good for a quick bit of fun. More so if you’ve seen the film or are watching it at the same time.