"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. It was a personal fan favorite among Linux users, who often ranked it as the best or one of the best free games. In August 2000, Lee Anderson of LinuxWorld.com commended the game's graphics, speed, and the easiness of the ability to create tracks. In 2001, "TuxRadar" said the game provided a "shining light" of what free applications could achieve. 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. 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."