Video game lovers rejoice; the Internet Archive, an online collection of movies, TV shows and music, has recently introduced the Internet Arcade to the masses. The Arcade is a compilation of 900 classic arcade games made free-to-play for anyone with a mouse and Wi-Fi connection.
Available games to play include selections from Atari, Namco, Activision and various other developers that once dominated the video game world. That is, before the colossal industry crash of 1983 made arcades a thing of the past and introduced the future of home consoles.
All you need to do to play any of the Arcade’s offerings is to visit their website (https://archive.org/details/internetarcade), make a selection, and go from there. No downloads or installations are necessary, which is a definite plus if you’re an impatient individual like I am.
If you want to check out the Arcade for yourself, but don’t know what games to start with, here are three popular examples for you to keep in mind:
“Pac-Man” – If you’re new to arcade games in general, why not start with what’s arguably the most famous one of all time? Spend an afternoon escaping from colorful ghosts, powering up on pellets and racking up the high score so you can brag about it to your friends. The Arcade also features “Ms. Pac-Man” and “Jr. Pac-Man,” so take some time to become acquainted with the entire Pac-family.
“Street Fighter II” – If you’re a fan of button-mashing fighting games, any “Street Fighter” title will easily quench your thirst for high-octane action. Play as Ryu, Ken, Guile and other classic characters, and “Hadouken” your way to victory.
“Rally-X” – A simple, but addicting racing game that definitely can make you more frustrated than elated due to the abundance of other racers to crash into combined with the fact that your car will spin out if you accelerate too fast. Nevertheless, the replay value is off the charts, and it features a fun, catchy soundtrack that’ll easily get stuck in your head.
Happy playing everyone, and may the one-ups be abundant for you in the coming days.
