Occasionally on our “site of the day” we add links to fun online games. Sometimes they are just silly time wasters and sometimes they are really well designed or unique in some way. This got us at aroundmaine.com thinking – what are some of the best online games out there?
After extensive “research” (yeah, that’s what we’ll call it) we have compiled a list of our top 10 favorites. The list is in no particular order since our favorite game seems to change by the week. You may have to sit through a few ads to get to some of the games, but they’re worth the wait!
To be fair, we used a few guidelines. First, the games had to be free. Second, they had to be web-based, meaning you don’t have to download the game and install it to play (although you will need Flash and Shockwave installed on your computer). Finally, we tried to include a variety of styles of games, since not everyone has the same taste. We also wanted to choose games that aren’t too widely known, so you won’t find Wheel of Fortune or Family Feud in our list.
Our list wouldn’t be complete without a game like this. The first video game ever created was an early version of pong (actually played on an oscilloscope) and it’s been popular ever since. This is just an updated version of the same idea, where you play from a first-person perspective behind the paddle. The longer a rally lasts, the faster the ball goes, so this game can get challenging in a hurry. The view takes a little getting used to, but once you get the hang of it you can waste a lot of time here.
Tip: If you're having trouble judging where the ball is, try playing with one eye closed!
Ok I fudged the rules a little on this one. When I was a kid there was an old game for Macs called “Dome Wars” that I used to play all the time. Dome Wars is still around, although it requires a download. This game is pretty similar, and has the added bonus of being web-based. The concept is pretty simple – each player controls a “tank” and you try to shoot the other tanks on the screen by adjusting the power and angle of your gun. Scoring points allows you to buy additional weapons/armor before the next round. One difference between Tanks and Dome Wars is that in Tanks you can also buy fuel to move your tank short distances to get a better position. The graphics are pretty basic, but this is a great game to play with a group of friends.
I know what you’re thinking…two tank games in the top ten?! Not really. Despite having “Tank” in the name, the two tank games don’t have anything in common. The goal of this one is to drive your indestructible tank and actually get hit by the bombs from enemy helicopters. The explosion will shoot your tank into the air, where you score points by crashing into the helicopters. The more helicopters you destroy while bouncing from one to another before you hit the ground again, the more points you get.
A previous Site of the Day on aroundmaine.com. In this game you control a very flexible stick-man character with Spider-Man like abilities. The goal is to travel (via wires shot from the stick-man’s arms) as far as you can without falling off the bottom of the screen, flinging yourself off the top of the screen, or getting stuck and killed by the back edge of the screen. The game map is on a loop, but although the obstacles repeat themselves, it seems like I never go through an area the same way twice.
If you want a change, try using as few wires as possible! With some strategic swinging you can really launch the stick-man a good distance. But the wires only reach so far, so don’t get too greedy or you’ll find your stick-man plummeting off the bottom of the screen.
This game is very addicting, but after you play for a while the sounds get to be like nails on a chalkboard. Best played with the sound off, this game challenges you to clear a number of balls from the screen by switching adjacent balls and connecting at least three same-colored balls in a row. You get big bonuses for clearing larger amount of balls at once, so always be on the lookout for those elusive four or five ball clusters!
This is an oldie but goodie which first was introduced in 1998, and appeared as a site of the day back in 2002. You control three snowsuit-clad kids in a snowball fight against an ever-growing number of enemy kids. Originally launched as a holiday card for IconNicholson, this little game became a huge hit. Even though the snow has finally melted, it’s always fun to enjoy a little snowball fight!
This game is an interesting spin on a standard motorcycle game. The biker must navigate different maps to collect one or more orbs and then make it to the exit point. The twist is that the bike can drive anywhere – including up walls and upside down on the ceiling if you get enough speed – just so long as the biker doesn't make contact with any of the walls, floor, or ceiling. The game has simple controls consisting of the arrow keys to move and the space bar to change the biker's direction. You'll find yourself flipping, spinning, and popping wheelies all over the place as you move from level to level.
Tip: If you beat some levels within a set amount of time you can unlock new gear for your bike!
This might push the limits of our “not too widely-known” rule, since it is available in the gaming section of several popular websites. Nevertheless, this was a major distraction during my college days, so it warranted a spot in our top 10. The goal of this word game is to take a randomly supplied jumbled word and making as many words as possible from the letters. You don't have to get all the words to move on to the next level, but you do have to get at least one word that uses all the letters. This one is a fun game to play with a few people, and who knows? You may even learn some new words!
This game is impressive for a few reasons. First, this is the largest game on our list in terms of its scope. It is similar to the old Super Mario Bros. game for the original Nintendo, combined with elements from Sonic the Hedgehog, but completely done in Flash! That just seems cool to me. Second, the hand-drawn graphics and smooth animation are unique and very well done. And third, I like the background music. The game itself is a little short, but definitely worth checking out.
A recent Site of the Day and currently my personal favorite game to play, this simple looking game actually requires a lot of strategy. The concept is simple – kill the “creeps” that march in lemming-like fashion across the screen. This is accomplished by building towers that serve two purposes – funnel creeps along whatever path you build, and shoot the creeps as they come in range. The trick is finding the best combination of maze to build along with the right placement of the different types of towers. There are 50 levels of creeps, which get harder as the levels go along. I have yet to kill all the creeps, but if you do, there are three difficulty levels, along with different “challenge” modes to keep you coming back for more.
This game also has some cool extras . You can view the mazes other players have used to get ideas for your own maze. You can also submit your score and compare with other players, or set up your own group where you and your friends can submit scores to see who is the best.
Ok, that was our list! If there's a game you play all the time that you think we should add to the list, let us know! If we like it, we may just add it to our collection.
Adam Cutter
aroundmaine.com
April 25, 2007
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Our list wouldn’t be complete without a game like this. The first video game ever created was an early version of pong (actually played on an oscilloscope) and it’s been popular ever since. This is just an updated version of the same idea, where you play from a first-person perspective behind the paddle. The longer a rally lasts, the faster the ball goes, so this game can get challenging in a hurry. The view takes a little getting used to, but once you get the hang of it you can waste a lot of time here.
Ok I fudged the rules a little on this one. When I was a kid there was an old game for Macs called “Dome Wars” that I used to play all the time. Dome Wars is still around, although it requires a download. This game is pretty similar, and has the added bonus of being web-based. The concept is pretty simple – each player controls a “tank” and you try to shoot the other tanks on the screen by adjusting the power and angle of your gun. Scoring points allows you to buy additional weapons/armor before the next round. One difference between Tanks and Dome Wars is that in Tanks you can also buy fuel to move your tank short distances to get a better position. The graphics are pretty basic, but this is a great game to play with a group of friends.
I know what you’re thinking…two tank games in the top ten?! Not really. Despite having “Tank” in the name, the two tank games don’t have anything in common. The goal of this one is to drive your indestructible tank and actually get hit by the bombs from enemy helicopters. The explosion will shoot your tank into the air, where you score points by crashing into the helicopters. The more helicopters you destroy while bouncing from one to another before you hit the ground again, the more points you get. 
A previous Site of the Day on aroundmaine.com. In this game you control a very flexible stick-man character with Spider-Man like abilities. The goal is to travel (via wires shot from the stick-man’s arms) as far as you can without falling off the bottom of the screen, flinging yourself off the top of the screen, or getting stuck and killed by the back edge of the screen. The game map is on a loop, but although the obstacles repeat themselves, it seems like I never go through an area the same way twice.
This game is very addicting, but after you play for a while the sounds get to be like nails on a chalkboard. Best played with the sound off, this game challenges you to clear a number of balls from the screen by switching adjacent balls and connecting at least three same-colored balls in a row. You get big bonuses for clearing larger amount of balls at once, so always be on the lookout for those elusive four or five ball clusters!
This is an oldie but goodie which first was introduced in 1998, and appeared as a site of the day back in 2002. You control three snowsuit-clad kids in a snowball fight against an ever-growing number of enemy kids. Originally launched as a holiday card for IconNicholson, this little game became a huge hit. Even though the snow has finally melted, it’s always fun to enjoy a little snowball fight!
This game is an interesting spin on a standard motorcycle game. The biker must navigate different maps to collect one or more orbs and then make it to the exit point. The twist is that the bike can drive anywhere – including up walls and upside down on the ceiling if you get enough speed – just so long as the biker doesn't make contact with any of the walls, floor, or ceiling. The game has simple controls consisting of the arrow keys to move and the space bar to change the biker's direction. You'll find yourself flipping, spinning, and popping wheelies all over the place as you move from level to level. 
This might push the limits of our “not too widely-known” rule, since it is available in the gaming section of several popular websites. Nevertheless, this was a major distraction during my college days, so it warranted a spot in our top 10. The goal of this word game is to take a randomly supplied jumbled word and making as many words as possible from the letters. You don't have to get all the words to move on to the next level, but you do have to get at least one word that uses all the letters. This one is a fun game to play with a few people, and who knows? You may even learn some new words! 
This game is impressive for a few reasons. First, this is the largest game on our list in terms of its scope. It is similar to the old Super Mario Bros. game for the original Nintendo, combined with elements from Sonic the Hedgehog, but completely done in Flash! That just seems cool to me. Second, the hand-drawn graphics and smooth animation are unique and very well done. And third, I like the background music. The game itself is a little short, but definitely worth checking out.
A recent Site of the Day and currently my personal favorite game to play, this simple looking game actually requires a lot of strategy. The concept is simple – kill the “creeps” that march in lemming-like fashion across the screen. This is accomplished by building towers that serve two purposes – funnel creeps along whatever path you build, and shoot the creeps as they come in range. The trick is finding the best combination of maze to build along with the right placement of the different types of towers. There are 50 levels of creeps, which get harder as the levels go along. I have yet to kill all the creeps, but if you do, there are three difficulty levels, along with different “challenge” modes to keep you coming back for more.