There are many things we take for granted, some of those were found out during the pandemic. Things like the occasional trip to the store or casino were impossible so the population went online to play, such as some slots here, which proved to be an effective solution in a bad situation. Adobe Flash was one of these things that worked unnoticed in the background, but not that it is gone its absence is felt. In December last year, conveniently amid the lockdown period, Flash was discontinued by Adobe, to the dismay of many. Most know of Flash as it has enjoyed a long history on the web and has supported many applications in its time up. All things come to an end, however, and the fact that Flash is a very unsafe software helps justify the termination of the programme. Even Adobe themselves encouraged developers to move on to HTML5 in 2015. Despite this though, many grew up utilising the Flash player to play what would become known as ‘flash games’ online and its departure will be felt by millions. The following are some of the remembering best flash games of their time.
Football Heads – Made for the football fanatic, this game was perfect for hitting that spot where FIFA was not around to play. The game allows you to take control of miniaturised versions of your favourite football stars and try and outscore your opponent within a set time limit. Though the game is fun in the standard single-player mode, it reaches another level when it is played with a friend. The level of trash talk and competitiveness that arise in those sixty-second games is comparable to FIFA’s Pro Clubs and makes for a memorable experience.
Flood Runner 3 – Flood Runner 3 might be a surprise to see for some, and to others, it may be the first time they’re hearing of it. The game improves on its predecessors, cutting what did not work and refining its strengths, resulting in a smooth, satisfying experience that drains your time in front of your very eyes. In it, you play as a character running from, unsurprisingly, a flood. It makes for a futile feeling as you can never truly escape from it, but that does not stop you from trying to get the highest score possible anyway.
The Worlds Hardest Game – Compared to the others, this should be a recognisable game, perhaps for the wrong reasons. It has caused hours of frustration for many a player as they complain about the lack of checkpoints before being hit and sent back to the beginning of the level. The game certainly does live up to his name; players attempt to move a square through increasingly difficult levels while trying to avoid balls on a fixed pattern. It sounds simple but only a select percentage of gamers have likely finished the game.
The axing of Flash was a turning point in the gaming world. Suddenly, the games that people have grown up with were no longer available. However, the rise in mobile and console gaming should adequately fill the gap that flash games have left.