Open games roundup
Week of October 5 - 11, 2014
Happy Saturday, open gamers! In this week's edition of our open source games news, we take a look at a fan version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time that removes the third dimension, MIT's game design MOOC, and more!
Fan edit to convert Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time to 2D
I love The Legend of Zelda, but I've got a bit of a soft spot for the original 2D entries in the series. And while many folks put Ocarina of Time, the game that launched Link into the third dimension, at the top of their list, I've always preferred A Link to the Past. Which is why I'm so intrigued by the OoT 2D fan project, which takes the classic Nintendo 64 game and reimagines it with two dimensional sprite art. It's not the first time someone has attempted such an undertaking, and since the developers are working from scratch, using a custom-built engine, it's not easy, but it's a great project for hardcore Zelda fans to rally behind. Here's hoping Nintendo leaves them alone. (via Wired)
Do-it-yourself arcade projects
Since the early days of the arcade, it's been a dream for most gaming enthusiasts to have an arcade cabinet in the home. The difficulty curve of creating your own home arcade has mirrored the decline of gaming in public spaces, and it's easier than ever to build your own. From cabinets built with cardboard boxes and laser-cut wood to a stand constructed on top of a mini-fridge, you'll find some awesome ideas for the gameroom of your dreams over at Make.
MIT's offers MOOC on game design
If you love playing games but have always wanted to make them, MIT is offering a Massive Open Online Course all about game design. You can register for credit for as little as $50, or audit the course for free. The six week course starts on October 22 and has some pretty stringent requirements: "Familiarity with board and video games; interest in designing and understanding how games work. Willing to learn and use a simple game programming language." I'll be taking the course and I'm looking forward to reporting on what I learn.
In other news:
- Shadowrun Online alpha is available for Linux. Tested with Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, but should work on other distros.
- PC Gaming Wiki releases its port report on Borderlands 2 for Linux.
- Retro action platformer Shovel Knight officially released for Linux.
- Is Final Fantasy XIII being released on Linux?
- Liam Dawe is leaving GamingOnLinux but that doesn't mean it's the end of the site.
Did I miss anything? Send the Opensource.com staff an email or tell me about it on Twitter. Be sure to follow Opensource.com on Twitter for breaking news on everything open source.
Thanks this week to Opensource.com staffer Jason Baker (who will finish his arcade cabinet one of these days and invite me over to play) and moderator Robin Muilwijk for their help in gathering stories.
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