quake 2
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The free 'Quake II RTX' demo is now available on Steam
To show off the capabilities of path tracing, NVIDIA has released an updated version of id Software's classic 1997 FPS Quake II. You can play the first three single-player levels of Quake II RTX for free, and if you own the full game, you'll be able to play the whole thing in path tracing mode, including multiplayer.
Nexuiz brings the twitch back to FPS on XBLA
It's circa 1999, and I'm in my freshman college dorm room, playing a game on my Windows 98 computer. It uses a clunky CRT monitor that takes up most of my desk, but on that monitor a series of images flashes by -- walls, a floor, a skybox overhead, more walls, more floors. Quickly, there's a flash of an colorful icon on the screen, and in first-person view I bound towards it. Just as I grab the quad-damage and jump off a cliff, an opponent appears in my peripheral. While falling through the air, I instantly move my mouse around just so, click the button, and my rocket lands perfectly alongside the enemy avatar, bursting it into a spray of gory red pixels. A real-life cry of anguish is heard from down the hall, where my floormate has just had to click to respawn. I smile, and run off to look for more prey. That's the feeling that made playing Quake 2 so magical back in the day, and Nexuiz is a direct descendant of that line. It was originally an open source shooter based off of the Quake engine, and developer IllFonic has now remade the game in CryEngine 3, set for release on Xbox Live Arcade next month. And though the Microsoft booth at CES 2012 is a long way away from my dorm room in both space and time, just a few minutes of gameplay pointed me right back to that formative experience. %Gallery-97412%
Quake II GWT port proves HTML5 isn't just for video
There's no question that HTML5 is good for more than just video, but if anything will put that misconception to rest, it's Quake II running in a browser. Apparently built by a trio of Google developers in their spare time, the Quake II GWT port uses a HTML5 canvas and WebGL for graphics acceleration (also seen demoed on the N900), which seem to get the job done remarkably well -- although it's still a long ways from running on certain non-Flash-equipped devices. Then again, this project was revealed on April 1st, but quite a few folks have already reported success in getting it up and running -- so, unless there's a global conspiracy to dash our hopes and dreams (always a possibility), it seems to be the real deal. Head on past the break to check it out in action.
Quake 3 ported to Android, shows off Droid's graphical prowess (video)
You should by now be well aware that there's no shortage of games one can play on one's beloved Droid, but just for the FPS old schoolers out there, how's about a nice Quake 3 port to pass the time with? Yup, the game that defined the term multiplayer before World of Warcraft came around has been enabled on the Android OS, finally finding another mobile home after residing on Nokia handsets for so long. For its short development time, this looks a very well refined translation of the software and offers you customizable controls to go with thoroughly playable frame rates. And if you have an older Android phone, don't despair -- Quake 2 has also been ported over, so once you've had an eyeful of the Droid, why not hit the source link to find out how to get in on the action? [Thanks, Anders]
Pandora project demoed on video, shows off hardware, Linux, and Quake 2
It looks like the Pandora project is really coming together nicely. EvilDragon has just posted this video on the GP32x boards of a development model up and running. It's pretty exciting stuff if you're a homebrew fan (and we know you are), featuring demos of the device smoothly running emulators like PicoDrive, PSNES, booting up a build of Linux, and even getting its Quake 2 on (at high frame rates and looking crystal clear). It's still going to be awhile before we've actually got our grubby mitts on one of these, but this is certainly doing a good job of whetting our appetites. Watch the video after the break and see for yourself. [Thanks, Chris]
Solid port of Quake II almost a reality on your DS
That is, if you have the proper equipment to support homebrew on your DS. And, on top of that, the port of Quake II on the DS runs less than optimally. So, there will need to be a few sacrifices on your end if you so desire to enjoy the FPS on your DS.First of all, there's no multiplayer at this time. Sucks, we know. Second, some of the code can get a bit funky. Because the game demands so much from the DS hardware, some of the levels don't really run that well. And, on top of that, some of the textures are misaligned. We're sure there are some other spots that need to be ironed out, as well.It may not be a perfect release, but we're glad to see the homebrew community trying projects like this. The DS may not have been designed with PC games in mind, but seeing the homebrew community work toward solid releases for these games is something we very much appreciate.[Thanks, Craig!]
