Concerning the quality of free online games...

This may sound a bit ungrateful of me, given that the games are all free to play, but I have noticed a growing tendency amongst many of the free online game websites to put every single game that is available on the web into their sites, regardless of the quality and reliability of the games concerned. Indeed, a great many of these games are of poor quality with bugs that cause major problems when playing the games, often including "logic traps" and other "fatal errors" that stop the games all together. Oops!

It seems that the chief motivation for this approach is simply to rapidly increase the number of games the sites concerned have in their inventories, so that they can boast things like "we have a collection of 2,500+ games". In my opinion this is a rather silly approach, because surely when someone plays any of the "buggy" games that don't work properly, they will get frustrated and annoyed. Surely that defeats the whole point of playing the games, and visiting the sites, in the first place? Oh dear...

Because I have always valued quality over quantity(!), my group of online game sites currently feature a more modest total of around 750 carefully selected high quality games. I have personally fully tested each of them to ensure there are no bugs and that they all work properly. So you can rest assured, you will find no frustrating and annoying problems with any of the games in my sites! To add to the fun, there are also many galleries of images, animated GIFs, music samples, movie clips, desktop wallpaper pictures and more, related to many of the games in my sites...

You can visit my sites (and check the quality of everything for yourself) by using these links:

Online Amusement Arcade #1

Online Amusement Arcade #2

Online Amusement Arcade #3

Online Amusement Arcade #4

100+ Mario and Sonic Games

More Mario and Sonic Games

Mario & Sonic Online Game Recommendations - Part 5

In keeping with what I wrote in my previous post in this blog, I have just posted Part 5 of my ongoing series of Mario and Sonic online game recommendations over in my new MarioSonicGames.com Blog, along with a summary of Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.

So, please hop on over there if you would like to try out the latest games I've recommended and also catch up on my latest posts relating to Mario and Sonic gaming.

Mario & Sonic Online Game Recommendations - Part 4

Here are the next four Mario and Sonic online game recommendations in my ongoing series based on the 100+ free Flash and Java games in my new site at www.MarioSonicGames.com (see also Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3):

Super Mario Brothers: Mario Remix
This clever fan-produced game is actually three different games in one great package - grab hold of Mario and go and play some "Super Mario World" with him, and when you're done with that, go and play some "Megaman" and then some "Gradius" with him too!

Super Mario Brothers: Bullet Bill (and its sequel
Super Mario Brothers: Bullet Bill 2)
Play a version of the classic original "Super Mario Bros." game, but with a quite literally smashing twist - you get to play as a Bullet Bill! Smash blocks, bash Mario, avoid scenery!

Sonic the Hedgehog: Ultimate Robotnik Duels
Take over the controls of one of Dr. Robotnik's (a.k.a. Eggman's) amazingly destructive flying machines for a head-to-head "death match" battle. You can play as any of the main characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog games, or even as Super Mario - so you can have your very own "Mario vs. Sonic" fight if you wish! Features brilliantly entertaining single-player and 2-player modes, and also a neat spectator mode where you can watch your computer play against itself.

(Just in case you want some more "Mario vs. Sonic" action, and just in case you haven't played it yet and haven't found out, you can also have a Mario vs. Sonic fight in the Super Smash Flash game I recommended in Part 3 of this series... plus you might also want to check this out: Mario vs. Sonic Interactive Flash Movie)

Sonic the Hedgehog: Sonic Boom
Shoot Sonic from a giant cannon and try to get him as far as you can. Hit the bonus items to increase Sonic's flight distance, but avoid the traps and bombs that will slow him down and stop him. Features unlockable extra characters and bunuses.

Enjoy! More recommendations in the near future...

Mario & Sonic Online Game Recommendations - Part 3

Here is the third part in my ongoing series of Mario and Sonic online game recommendations (see my blog post yesterday for Part 2). You can find these games plus over 100 more at my new site: www.MarioSonicGames.com

Here are my next game recommendations - there are five for you to try this time:

Super Mario Brothers: Luigi Gunman
Also known as "Mario World Overrun", this truly unique Mario game offers an exciting and challenging combination of first-person-shooter action and tower-defence strategy, all based in a Super Mario World setting.

Super Mario Brothers: Super Mafia Bros.
The classic original Super Mario Bros. game gets "The Godfather" treatment in this brilliant single-level homage.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog Flash
An excellent official Flash mini-version of Sega's 2005 "Shadow the Hedgehog" game for the Nintendo GameCube, Sony PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Xbox, complete with the gunplay that is now synonymous with Shadow.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Scene Creator
One of a series of three slightly differing Sonic Scene Creators (click here and here for the other two), this is great fun for Sonic fans who have an artistic side in addition to their gaming side.

Super Smash Flash
The name (almost) says it all - this is an awesome fan-produced version of Nintendo's 2001 GameCube game "Super Smash Bros. Melee", but with the added bonus of being able to play as (or against if you prefer) Sega characters such as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Shadow in addition to the standard Nintendo characters. The game features a host of unlockable extra levels and characters in single-player mode, plus there is a 2-player mode for some serious "VS." brawling action.

Enjoy! I'll post some more recommendations soon....

Mario & Sonic Online Game Recommendations - Part 2

Here is part 2 in my ongoing series of personal recommendations for the pick of the Mario and Sonic Flash and Java online games in my sites (see my blog post yesterday for Part 1). All these games can now be found together in one place as part of an ever-expanding collection of over 100 at my new site: www.MarioSonicGames.com

Here are my next four game recommendations for you to try:

Super Mario Brothers: Super Mario Sunshine 64
A superb fan-produced 2D version of the 2002 Nintendo GameCube game "Super Mario Sunshine", complete with a fully-functioning FLUDD.

Super Mario Brothers: Mario Bros. in Pipe Panic
Play as either Mario or Luigi in this lovely Super Mario Bros. themed homage to the all-time classic "Pac-Man" arcade game.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Ultimate Flash Sonic
One of the most popular Flash games on the web, and it's easy to see why - this incredible fan-produced effort is as close to a perfect game as you will find anywhere. With fast-paced, flawless Sonic platforming fun all the way, this game incorporates the best elements of all the classic 8-bit and 16-bit Sonic games, and includes unlockable extra characters, levels and other fun bonuses too.

And just in case you want it, here is a lovely little cheat password for the Ultimate Flash Sonic game that allows you to level-select the Ice Paradise zone when you play the main game as Tails, and also allows you to have Tails follow you if you want when you play the game as any other character (just like in the 16-bit Sega Mega Drive/Genesis "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" game if you have Tails follow Sonic): 115013101010101

(Additional note: If you use the above cheat password and have Tails follow Cream, he replaces Cheese the Chao who normally follows Cream.)

Sonic the Hedgehog: Sonic Rivals Dash
An official Flash mini-version of Sega's excellent 2006 "Sonic Rivals" game for the Sony PlayStation Portable, this has a 2-player option in addition to the single-player game for some real "Rivals" fun.

Enjoy! More recommendations tomorrow....

Mario & Sonic Online Game Recommendations - Part 1

I thought I'd start an ongoing series of personal recommendations for the pick of the Mario and Sonic games that can be found in all my sites, because there are now so many games to choose from (well over 100) that it can often be a bit daunting figuring out just which games to start playing initially. I hope that these recommendations will help resolve that. And whilst I'm on the subject, you can now find all of the Mario and Sonic free Flash and Java online games together in one easy-to-find place in a new easy-to-remember site:

www.MarioSonicGames.com


So, here are my first four game recommendations for you to try:

Super Mario Brothers: New Super Mario Flash
Play as either Mario or Luigi in this brilliant fan-produced Flash remake of the classic 8-bit and 16-bit Super Mario Bros. platform games. As well as including its own excellent ready-made series of levels for you to play, the game also features a programmable level editor for you to create and play your very own levels (and some example level codes are included for you to try too). This is rapidly becoming one of the most popular Flash games on the web - play it for yourself to see why.

Super Mario Brothers: Super Mario X
An entertaining Super Mario platform game with lovely original Flash graphics and a unique twist in gameplay.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Sonic Xtreme
A fast-paced and challenging Sonic platformer with Super Mario "Wigglers" to defeat in addition to classic Sonic Badniks.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Amy's Whack-A-Nik
Go on, you know you want to - Use your mouse to control Amy Rose's "Piko Piko Hammer" and whack as many SWATBot Badniks as you can in the time limit!


Enjoy! More to come soon....

Two new Flash games: Sonic Rush Adventure and Super Mario World

Here are two brilliant new Flash games for you to enjoy - one Sonic the Hedgehog (based on Sonic's latest game for the Nintendo DS - "Sonic Rush Adventure") and one Super Mario Brothers (based on the classic "Super Mario World"):

  Sonic Rush Adventure Flash

  New Super Mario Flash

You can play these games plus 100's more in my fun and games website.

Further Sonic and Mario Java-based fun

Check out these two links for some more Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Mario Bros. Java-based fun I created using ready-made templates:

  Sonic and Mario Interactive Cube

  Sonic and Mario Interactive Cube 2

Play Super Smash Bros. Melee with Sonic!

Yes, it's true - you can now play a version of the Super Smash Bros. Melee game with Sonic the Hedgehog as your character. You can also play as Knuckles and Tails, plus you can unlock Shadow! And of course, Mario, Luigi, Link, Pikachu, Kirby and the rest of the Nintendo cast of characters are in there too... Play it online by clicking on the link below:

  Super Smash Flash

Two Sonic the Hedgehog Java games I made

Just for the fun of it, I created the following two Sonic the Hedgehog Java online games using a couple of ready-made templates:

  Sonic Matchit

  Dr. Robotnik Abalis

Of course, they're not a patch on the Ultimate Flash Sonic game, but not much that's freely available on the web is. You can see all of these games, and loads more, at www.dan-dare.info.