A short overview of the history of arcade games and flash games will show that there is a huge connection between these two types of games. Arcade games have a long history and, even though the arcade games were not in the past what we know them to be today, the same concept is the main ingredient for the new ones as well. The arcade games are usually simple, have iconic characters, a certain number of levels with increasing difficulty and they do not require high skills or much learning time. In addition, they do not have deep storylines as most console games have in our days. Today’s PC or console games with the same qualities can be considered arcade games.

Starting from the early 1920’s with the use of old ‘arcade games’ in the amusement parks (such as ball toss games, coin-operated machines or pinball) this whole ‘industry’ has evolved immensely. This passion for arcade games motivated their producers to always search for something better and more entertaining. They have outdone themselves every time something new appeared on the market. From wood made machines and mechanical or electronic scoring readouts to the playing of games online, all games have conquered the hearts of the ageless children. Because people enjoy these arcade games so much they want to play them all the time. This is why they have not even completely left aside the coin-operated arcade games. They resort to them in restaurants, shopping malls, bars or pubs. However, they are only a substitute to the computer versions because playing games online is much better.

When speaking of flash games, we must take into consideration the fact that they are a more complex, more modern, even if their ancestors are definitely arcade games. Flash games take their name from the platform used for their building - ‘Flash’, a program made by Macromedia. This modern interactive platform named ‘Flash’ has three major components: the player, the file format and the authoring tool. The main advantage of this program is that of being very easy to use. Because of this fact, the games built with the help of the platform have more options than others do. For example, a house the player destroys will burn down with different effects. In order to be more convinced of the high importance that this platform has for us when playing a flash game we should know that it is usually necessary to download a free version of Macromedia Flash Player each time one feels like playing free games online. Generally, you can download the latest version of ‘Flash’ from Macromedia. That is if your browser gets errors relating to Flash.

If you simply like to play good games online without knowing the whole technique that stands behind graphics, too many details about the designing of flash games are unnecessary. Flash games are all the games you play at home on your computer and have the ending ‘.exe’ (meaning ‘executable’). As long as they make you enjoy the spare time spent at home, the flash games will be your best friend. A favorite application can turn into a real sport because playing flash games stimulates competition and trains reflexes. Web sites that host these kinds of activities and offer you free games give you the opportunity of joining teams of players and of participating to mass championships online.

Today, flash games have come to incorporate the qualities of arcade games. Flash games have levels, characters and certain plots, just as the old games did, only they are more advanced. Built on the same basic concept that stands behind the old arcade games, flash games now present a bigger potential. Therefore, a wider public uses them. At least one can be found in any home and on any computer. They are short, usually easy to play and they have evolved the same way as arcade games - from shorter to longer, from simple plots to more complex and contemporary ones. When playing flash games you will have to accomplish a certain task. For arcade games, the idea is pretty much the same, meaning that you will have to solve a certain problem.

Many of today’s Internet web sites offer a large amount of games, which are very popular thanks to their interesting and exciting plots, but also because of the fact that they are free games. Playing games online offers the player the chance to meet and confront new people or people they already know. Several surveys have shown that people enjoy sites that have a large offer of free games and that they would rather play flash games than do other things, considered more attractive in general. Another conclusion was that adults are more likely to play flash games than teenagers are. This goes to show that playing has no age and as long as the activity relaxes and makes people have fun it will always create an addiction. There is a child in everyone expecting to have his share of free games online.

FreeCell Solitaire.

FreeCell Solitaire is an extremely addictive solitaire card game invented by Paul Alfille. It is fun and very skill-dependent. Nearly every game of FreeCell Solitaire can be won with perfect play. Only several FreeCell deals are known to be unsolvable. This makes FreeCell card game much more interesting and popular than solitaire variations like Klondike, where luck is a large factor in the game. With FreeCell, winning depends mostly on skill.

You have a better chance of winning if you plan your strategy carefully. Below you will find several simple rules that can help you to win FreeCell Solitaire on more regular basis.

1. Examine the tableau carefully before making any moves. It is very important to plan several moves ahead. The obvious moves are not always the best.

2. Make it a priority to free up all the Aces, especially if they are deeply buried behind the higher cards. Move them to the home cells as early as possible.

3. Try to keep as many free cells empty as possible. Be cautious! Once all free cells are filled, you have almost no space to maneuver. And your ability to maneuver is the key to this game. Make sure you have no alternative before placing any cards in the free cells.

4. Try to create an empty tableau pile as soon as possible. Empty tableau piles are more important than free cells. Each empty tableau can be used to store an entire sequence instead of a single card. And it doubles the length of an ordered sequence of cards that can be moved from one tableau to another. (If the long sequence move involves both empty tableaus and free cells, it is often called supermove.)

5. If it is possible, fill an empty tableau space with a long descending sequence that begins with a King.

6. Do not to move cards to the home cells too quickly. You may need these cards later to maneuver lower cards of other suits.

Some FreeCell Solitaire deals are solvable very quickly, while others take more time to solve. Replaying the same shuffles in a number of different ways will allow completing the most difficult ones. The more you play the more games you are able to complete. Continue to practice using the strategy above and soon you will find yourself achieving better results and enhancing your enjoyment of playing FreeCell Solitaire.

A brief history of Tetris

Tetris was the first computer game that involved falling tetromino pieces that the game player must align in order to create an unbroken line which subsequently disappears in order to free up more game play space. If the player is unable to make an unbroken line, the game play space quickly gets crowded until the point where no more space is available and the game is over.

The game of Tetris was first programmed in 1985 in the former Soviet Union by Alexey Pazhitnov. It ran on a machine called an Electronica 60 but was quickly ported to run on an IBM PC in the same month of its initial release. One month later and the game had been ported for use on the Apple II and the Commodore 64 by a programming team in Hungary.

The game quickly saw interest from a software house in the UK, Andromeda, who released it in the UK and USA in 1986 although the original programmer Pazhitnov had not agreed to any sale or licensing agreement. Nonetheless, Anromeda managed to copyright licensing for the game and marketed Tetris as ‘The first game from behind the iron curtain’. Tetris was an instant smash hit and had thousands of people hooked.

A new company, ELORG, took up negotiations on behalf of Pazhitnov and eventually the licensing rights were granted to Nintendo in 1989 for a sum of between 3 and 5 million dollars. Nintendo quickly exerted their corporate strength and forbid any other company to market the game that Andromeda had given license to, including Atari. However, Tetris had become the biggest selling game on all formats at that time.

Today Tetris is still hugely popular, with versions running on all formats, and still managing to get people hooked through its simple yet addictive game play.