Tux Racer was well-received, with the latest version seeing over one million downloads as of October 2001 since its release in January, according to Sunspire Studios.[10][2] It was a personal fan favorite among Linux users, who often ranked it as the best or one of the best free games.[19][20][21][22][23][24][25] In August 2000, Lee Anderson of LinuxWorld.com commended the game's graphics, speed, and the easiness of the ability to create tracks.[3] In 2001, TuxRadar said the game provided a "shining light" of what free applications could achieve.[26] In its 2001 preview, the Brazilian magazine SuperGamePower considered the game's graphics to be the best aspect and described the sound as not innovative, but good.[27] Also in 2001, MacAddict compared the game's fast-paced style to podracing in Star Wars and summed up the Macintosh port as "more fun than words can describe."[28]