Behold the Internet Arcade: a web-based collection of hundreds of games that span two decades of the arcade golden age, from the 1970s to the 1990s. Built by Jason Scott, the arcade is an enormous dose of video game nostalgia. The emulators he created even include boot-up sequences in which the games run through a self-analysis.
You could (and maybe should) lose yourself for days in this game collection. If you don't have that kind of free time, then be choosy and play these 15 classics:
• Joust: The protagonist is "knight riding a flying ostrich." Isn't that enough?
• Defender: Inspired by Space Invaders and Asteroids, this 2D classic will have you saving the planet from waves of hostile aliens.
• Food Fight: Find your inner Belushi and gobble up all the ice cream before the four malicious chefs—Oscar, Angela, Jacques, and Zorba—can catch you.
• Frogger: One of the simplest, most frustrating, and most famous games of all time.
• Galaga: No explanation needed.
• Outrun: Maybe the driving physics left a little to be desired, but the shifting behind-the-car third-person view became the template for many driving games to come.
• Pitfall II: I played the hell out of the Atari original, and II (Lost Caverns) is great, too.
• Street Fighter II: Hadouken!
• Return of the Jedi: Fly a speeder bike through the forest, pilot the Millennium Falcon, and take on a Star Destroyer.
• Tron: Because there's no racing like light-cycle racing.
• Zaxxon: Want to fly a fighter aircraft though an enemy fortress and blast everything in sight? Of course you do.
• Track & Field: Sure, it's basically button-mashing, but seeing your little guy sprint down the lane will get your real heart pumping.
• Qbert: The 1982 pseudo-3D classic is a must-play.
• Centipede: One of the great vertical shooters of the early 80s, and this one had horrifying bugs bearing down on you.
• Bionic Commando: The 1987 sequel to the classic Commando (also on the Internet Arcade).
The keyboard controls aren't exactly intuitive. Once you launch a game, hit Tab to see what button does what. You'll need to push a button to "insert a coin" in true arcade fashion, and the control buttons are set as the default main gaming buttons.
But one you get the hang of it, you'll be wasting your afternoon in no time. Now if you'll excuse me, I must run another heat in the 100-yard dash.
Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/tech-news/15-classic-arcade-games-you-should-play-in-your-web-browser-17370532
