The Internet Archive, a site known for preserving old websites, recently ported more than 900 classic arcade games to Javascript as part of its Internet Arcade project. Each game can be played in your browser absolutely free.
It's an awesome opportunity to check out what people were playing decades ago or to return to some old favorites, but with all those arcade games from the '70s and '80s at your fingertips, where do you even start? Allow us to help.
For starters, you are going to want to avoid any game that doesn't have a simple control scheme. Many of these games don't translate their numerous buttons and joysticks over to the keyboard well, so it's best to stick to games you will actually be able to play. Games like the following, for example.
Centipede -Games like Centipede are perfect for browser play. It's an Atari classic, and it translates relatively well to a keyboard control setup. Use the up, right and left arrow keys to move your ship, and press control to fire at the oncoming insect army.
Burger Time -- Using the arrow keys to move left, right and up and down ladders, players must move the Chef over various ingredients in order to create a stack of burgers before moving on to the next stage. If that sounds too easy, that's because it is. Burger Time also throws evil food people at you in the shape of hot dogs, pickles and eggs, each of which will kill you instantly if touched. Avoid them, or as a last resort blast them with a handful of pepper. It's a challenging game, but a fun one that translates well to the browser.
Galaga -- Galaga is an arcade classic for a reason, and that's thanks to its simple, yet strategic, gameplay. You can only move left to right and shoot, and groups of enemies fly down to attack you in waves. Easy enough, right?. The big question is what you do when the enemy "Galaga" comes to steal your ship via tractor beam? If you let them hold your ship hostage, you can then attempt to shoot down the enemy fighter and rescue your captive ship. This allows your ships to combine, granting you double the firepower. It's a big risk, but that is exactly why Galaga is so much fun.
Frogger -- It doesn't get much simpler than Frogger, and in the case of trying to play in a browser this is most definitely a good thing. The classic game only uses the arrow keys as players must guide Frogger through traffic and over logs.
Golden Axe -- Still to this day one of the most well-known side-scrolling action titles, Golden Axe hasn't lost its charm. After picking a character, you simply move from left to right, cutting down enemies in your path in a classic sword and sorcery fantasy setting. You also have your special magic attack that can devastate multiple bad guys at once if caught in a sticky situation.
The best part about all these games is that there are no quarters required -- just load up on credits and have some fun.
Photo: Sam Howzit via Flickr (cropped) Internet Archive, C64 Wiki, GIFSoup, Giphy
