Bill Kendrick

For the Florida politician, see Will Kendrick

Bill Kendrick (born 4 May 1975) is an American software engineer best known for creating and maintaining Tux Paint, an open source bitmap graphics editor for children. He is also co-founder of the Linux Users' Group of Davis in Davis, California. Kendrick began programming on Atari computers in the early 1980s and uses classic games as inspiration, releasing his programs under the New Breed Software name. He is also known as the founder or contributor to the SuperTux, Tux, of Math Command and Circus Linux! game projects.

Games

Some of New Breed Software's games include:

Defendguin

Defendguin is a game based on the classic Defender only featuring the Linux kernel mascot Tux, a common open source video game trope. The game features gameplay almost identical to Defender except for an optional big boss and ending sequence. The game features Tux defending his people from aliens (similar to the character from XBill) bent on turning them into evil penguinoids. The game has become quite popular, being reviewed by Linux Journal twice, as well as GamesForLinux.de and GP32 Homebrew Reviews. The populairty of the game has led New Breed to merchandise it in the form of a mug and mousepad for sale. The game has been released for Linux (RPM, binary), Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Zaurus, ZETA, BeOS, Haiku, Amiga OS 4, MorphOS, QNX, and RISC OS. It was also made as GP32, Nintendo DS, Wii, Sega Dreamcast and Sony PSP homebrew.

Mad Bomber

Mad Bomber is a remake of the 1981 Atari 2600 video game Kaboom!. The game features up to two players trying to stop a crook from dropping bombs by catching them in barrels of water. The game has been ported to Microsoft Windows from Linux. The game is included on the SuperGamer live-DVD as well as on disks put out by Retro Gaming Magazine and PC Magazine. In August 2007, Mad Bomber was one of first the games included in 'Red', a touchscreen-and-controller-based in-flight entertainment system found in Virgin America planes. The game was well received by Maximum Linux Magazine, TheLockerGnome, Linux for Kids, and Games4Linux. A T-shirt based on the game is also available for sale.

Teeter Torture

Teeter Torture is a shooting game like Space Invaders or Galaga only with the additional challenge of balancing the player's cannon on top of a teeter totter. This means the player must do more than just aim, they must also make sure not to fall. It is based on a 1982 concept by Larry Hutcherson of Exidy. The game is available for Linux, Microsoft Windows, MorphOS, Amiga OS 4, Nintendo Wii homebrew, and RISC OS. The page also lists links for the original Exidy prototype, now usable through MAME.

BoboBot

BoboBot is a platform game partly inspired by the Mega Man series. The game features no scrolling but does feature eight environments rendered screen-by-screen. The game also features secret areas and a variety of cartoon humour. There are also several boss enemies, after defeating them the player acquires new weapons. The game is available for Linux, Sun SPARC, and the Agenda VR3. The game was praised by Bob Ziminski, maintainer of The Linux Game Tome and the "Linux Quake How-To".

Entombed!

Entombed! is a one to two player maze game inspired by the Atari 2600 game Entombed. The game features a collection of archaeologists who fall into the "catacombs of the zombies" and then must make their way out, using potions to destroy or create walls and other tricks. As time goes on however, the zombies get faster. The Japan edition of LinuxWorld Magazine included Entombed! in their April 2003 issue. The game is available for Linux, Microsoft Windows, GPX2, Zeta, BeOS, Haiku, MorphOS, AmigaOS 4, RISC OS.

XBomber

XBomber is a multiplayer grid-based maze game inspired by Bomberman, in which players compete who can be the last man standing after attacking each other with bombs. It features 100 maps and a Death character that takes out players that wait too long. The game was well received by Games 4 Linux. The game is available for Linux (RPM/source), FreeBSD, and Sun Sparc.

PDA Maze

PDA Maze is a 3D first-person maze game developed for the Agenda VR3 but should work on any system supporting the X Window System. The 3D world is pre-rendered to cut down on the speed loss of live rendering and features multi-coloured walls, screen scrolling when rotating, four sky types, mouse and keyboard control systems, timers, sound effects and multiple in-game mini-map options. The game was listed in the "Free Application Showcase" section of the December 2001 issue of a Japanese Linux magazine. The game works on Zaurus, iPAQ, Mac OS X and the Atari ST.

Fight or Perish

Fight or Perish is a dungeon crawl game inspired by the Atari 8-bit game Dandy, better known as the inspiration for Gauntlet. The game is intended to support four players that explore dungeons while avoiding creeping enemies. Bombs can be used to destroy enemies, doors need keys to be unlocked and food and treasure can be collected. There are supposed to be four different characters in the game, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. The game is only in a primitive alpha stage and is only available in Linux compatible source code.

Virtual Kendrick

Virtual Kendrick is a tongue-in-cheek software toy designed to be a desktop application imitating its designer. The game features images of Kendrick with thought bubbles that show his thoughts on things he enjoys such as Linux, PHP Atari computers, his wife Melissa, his cats, and video games in general. The program was designed after a commentator on LinuxGames said "They should port Bill Kendrick [to the Zaurus]", in reference to New Breed Software's vast cross-platform support. The esoteric nature of the application has garnered it praise from GamesForLinux.de and programmer Ryan C. Gordon. The game is available in source form for Linux and the Zaurus to fit with the original comment.

TTT

TTT is a one to two player implementation of the classic game Tic-tac-toe, developed per request by the American Red Cross. It was designed to have a simple interface with adequate artificial intelligence, silly sounds and to be easy to modify and use. The game runs on Linux, Microsoft Windows, Amiga OS 4, BeOS, Zeta, Haiku, MorphOS and the Sony PSP.

Sludge

Sludge is a game designed solely for the Atari 8-bit line of home computers, inspired in part by Pipe Mania. The game is a puzzle game involving the player having to place down pipes to redirect stockpiling of a toxic sludge from a local factory away from where it would cause danger. The game contains nine levels of play.

External links

• Computerworld "An open palette: Tux Paint's Bill Kendrick
• Linux Users' Group of Davis: Past Officers page
• OSNews: Interview with Bill Kendrick of NewBreedSoftware
• This Week in Tech: Jumping Monkeys Episode 31: Bill Kendrick of Tux Paint
• Bill Kendrick's biography