Tech Spotlight

Games that started it all have come back to life in massive form.  Many companies are remaking these tried and true classics with new features, new twists, fresh graphics and clever sound tracks.  It’s amazing to comprehend that these simple arcade games like Pong are still being played today and actually people are hooked on these timeless classics in a genre called “casual gaming”.  The idea is, what once works always works.  In an age of many movies and music being remade I guess this is so in the gaming industry also.  Across my journeys around the Internet I have found many independent programmers doing just that and will share a few that’s worth playing.

JokerCade (www.jokercade.com) offers 2 different styles of PacMan with Pac Insect and Cars vs Trucks.  Both games offer the nostalgia of the original but with a lot of different features and graphics.  In Cars vs Trucks you drive an automobile and must knock down parking cones while avoiding the pickup trucks.  A very clever idea with a sound effect gallery that mimics actual road and car noises.

InterAction Studios (www.interactionstudios.com) brings you Chicken Invaders that is a throwback to Space Invaders only you must defeat tons of chickens that have taken over the world.  You still use a ship and shoot bullets but now you can navigate upwards and backwards unlike the original.  You can also get power-ups that increases your ships potent bullets.

Magic Chopstick Games (www.jardinains.com) brings you Jardinains 2 a unique twist on the Breakout family.  The main mission is still the same, you control a paddle and must knock a ball into bricks without letting the ball pass you.  In this version though there are little gnomes hiding behind the bricks and they throw flower pots at you making this a fun and at times frantic game.

All of the games listed above are considered Shareware and you can download trial versions to test them out and see if they are too your liking.  I have only listed a few casual games, there are literally thousands in this category all with there own twists and graphics.  A quick Google Search for Asteroids, Donkey Kong, Missile Command or whatever your favorite was will bring you hundreds of results of games for you to try that will bring you back to the 70’s and 80’s.