The platformer built up what we now know as gaming. It gave us classics like Frogger and Donkey Kong, but those seem to have fallen into the same pit as the penny arcade. New games have become dependent on flashy graphics and high price tags. The good news is that you can still have a little return to your old days of arcade bliss. This is possible through the use of one of many online arcades. These little websites let you have some classic fun for no cost, but this isn't the only reason you should use them.

The first is that there is a great simplicity to them. You can log onto an arcade site and have a lot of fun in a few seconds. It just takes a few clicks to land on a game's page.

You can take five seconds to skim through the instructions and you'll be ready to go. If you want to play a game on a mainstream console, you will have to devote a lot more of your time. You'll need to drive to a store, argue with a clerk (well I do), sell your soul to pay for it, drive home, read the big manual, read the inserts summarizing the main points of the manual, fire up the console, insert the disc, punch through a few loading screens, etc. The point is that you're going to have to do a lot more than just enter a website. There are going to be times when you just want to waste 15 spare minutes on a video game. You will appreciate the grand simplicity of an online arcade in these situations.

Another great bonus is that you can play some of these old classics in newer forms. Games from your childhood have made the transition into the Internet age. Donkey Kong has new levels and new styles. Frogger has been taken to new lands with new designs. Sonic has even stepped up to the plate by whirling through new lands. These classics charmed you in their first incarnation and they should still have the power to charm you now. In fact they should do a better job. Their flash versions have updated graphics and quicker loading times. They are better, faster, and stronger than their former lives.

The best part of this porting is the simple fact that they're free. When you were younger you had to pour all of your hard-earned allowance into feeding the ever hungry machines. You're free from this burden now. The games are free too. They are available for endless plays. You don't have to worry about dying fifty times. You can just restart and play again. You can stop and start at will. You can really enjoy yourself without sacrificing your poor quarters to your second job at the arcade.

You should remember the old joy of the arcade. It can be brought back to life with the joy of the online arcade. Take a few minutes and indulge your gaming dreams in a format that is considerably cheaper.