Non video arcade games are exactly what they say they are, games that are not played on a video screen. This does not mean that these are limited to only pinball machines. As a general category, these will include every type of coin operated game that is not played on a video screen. The non video category will generally be broken down into three major types, single player skill, multi player competitive and pinball machines.
The single player skill category will include some of the more familiar carnival games such as skeeball, Rapid Fire Basketball and various shooting gallery games. These attraction of these challenges is based on the individual’s personal performance. The player’s ability to advance to more difficult levels, or achieve a high score is not affected by a competitor, it is based on personal achievement. Your ability is measured against the same criteria in every game, how high you score in the amount of time provided, or before you use up all of your turns (for example the fixed number of balls provided during skeeball). Also included in this category are Pachinko machines, although your success here is based mainly on luck.
The more common type of non video arcade games are the multi player competitive games. The arcade games that fall into this category will include (but are not limited to) foosball, air hockey, electronic darts, table top shuffle board, and coin operated pool tables. In addition to the ability of the single player (or team) to obtain a high score, the there is also the more immediate satisfaction in being able to defeat your friends in head-to-head competition.
Pinball machines, naturally are also included in the non video arcade game category, but they also have the added distinction of being able to be both a single player skill game and a multi player competitive game.
Non video arcade games may not be as technologically advanced, but they are every bit as exciting and competitive.
Where would the world be without inventions? Most of what we have originally came from someone’s ideas and dreams. The slot machines are no different. It’s unlikely that the inventor of this innovative, unique and sometimes addictive device ever imagined just how popular it would become.
The original slot machines were not made with providing any type of enumeration. They were actually designed to simply display poker hands. They were manufactured in 1891 and consisted of no more than five drums. When these were purchased and used in places of business, the owners decided to become innovative as well. To encourage the use of these gadgets they would offer their own prizes. Nothing elaborate mind you like the hefty jackpots that they now pay out. The winner usually would get a free drink or two for his efforts. The slot machines had caught on and there was no stopping them from this point on.
The actual first true slot machine as we know it today in similarity was the Liberty bell version that was invented in the basement of Charles Fey. Although interesting and intriguing they really didn’t become overly popular until they showed up on the famous Las Vegas Strip at the Flamingo Hotel. The Liberty Bell did however give a payout of fifty cents which was pretty darn good back in those days.
The slot machines grew in interest and design over the years. One particular machine had pictures of different types of chewing gum pictures on its reels. This is where the cherry and melon symbols were born from. Many years ago the Bell Fruit Gum Company had a bar logo. So you can guess how the slot machine ended up with this symbol which is still popular even today.
It was only a matter of time before the slot machine became electric and the very first one was called Money Honey. This wasn’t all that long ago and actually took place in 1964 Slot machines and the later to come fruit machines were just abounding with different symbols to add to the intrigue and interest of the game. It was this Money Honey machine that made the first payouts of up to 500 coins automatically without having to depend on an attendant to handle the transaction.
Eventually along came the very first video slot in 1996. This slot allowed for a second screen bonus round. It was called Reel Em In.
In today’s casinos you will find a very wide range of selection of slot machines. From single barrels up to 20+ barrels. Although much more complex in design then when they were originally made it doesn’t take away from the excitement that was experienced all those years ago.
Its amazing how something that was simply constructed in the basement of an individuals garage could be such a booming business today. Can you imagine what the casinos would be like without these machines? No doubt there would be a lot less people frequenting them.
Who else wants a fun and easy way to play real fruit machines without going to the casino?
There is something very interesting that you will notice when you first play Sonic games online. The fact that they are not only almost exactly like the games you use to play on your console gaming system, but you will also reminisce of the fun and enjoyable moments you use to treasure while playing Sonic Games during your earlier years.You may feel like a kid again when you first see the spiky blue hedgehog running and rolling at high speeds through beautiful and colourful levels of the game. In the online version of the game you can play as either Sonic, Tails and even Knuckles. Just like the classic, Dr. Robotnik is still your worse enemy and is always causing trouble.Sonics’ popularity has evolved in to comics, books and even cartoons. But when you want to match the popularity for its games, 2 dimensional is far better than 3 dimensional and that is because the game play is all around fun in 2D. This is perfect for Sonic games online as they are all typically developed as 2D games.If you are a RPG fan, then you have not been left out as you can also enjoy Sonic in RPG form. These variations of the game has many followers as they enjoy the strategy that is involved. The great aspect of these games are that they very closely follow the basics of the Final Fantasy gaming franchise. Also gamers have but their own characteristics to the games by producing cool and new characters in their developments.Sonic games online are available for you to play for free, they are widely available on the internet. The great thing about them is that you can play these games at your own convenience, all you need is an internet connection and flash player installed on your computer – no problem as flash is pretty much standard these days, and if you don’t have, it you can go ahead and download it for free from the Adobe website.
Do you want to play games online but aren’t too familiar with what’s currently out there or how to get started? Here’s a quick overview.Most online games are free, supported mostly by ads, though some games charge users for premium features. Casual games are the most popular because they are user-friendly, easy to learn and can usually be completed in 10 minutes or less. Massively multiplayer online games are fast gaining popularity and are the next major potential game market. Recent surveys conducted by Nielson show that 72.5% of households in the US have broadband connections. Homes with broadband connections are naturally the hottest target for online games. Also advances in software technology, especially the introduction of Java and Flash, have given a boost to playing games online. Here’s a summary of the various online gaming options now available —-Online First Person Shooter GamesThese games allow you to enjoy an arena style of play whereby you take on your competitor head-to-head. Since the introduction of DOOM in the early 90′s this type of online gaming has become extremely popular among the younger teenagers. What makes it a rage is its amazing graphics featuring exciting armed combat scenarios, deadly arsenals, and a cast of nefarious enemies to shoot at. Kids worldwide have been thrilled with the release of Doom 3, Far Cry, Halo2 and others. Another, older online game, also of the first person shooter type, is what has been described as “The best game ever” by the PC Gamer Magazine. In Half Life 2 the player is tasked with saving Earth from deadly aliens who have attacked our world. It has won more than 100 gaming awards. Another popular game is The Jackal, which takes you to Africa in the search of a mysterious killer. To succeed in your mission you have to exploit and play on the weaknesses of various warlords through crafting plots, using force and planning surprise attacks.–Strategic GamesAnother way to play games online is real time strategic games, which match you against other players or you can join a group or a board and form lobbies in the game rooms. Some popular options to select from are Pokemonindigo, where you can team up with as many as 6 members and battle your rivals to prove your team’s supremacy. This is a free game and can be played indefinitely. Another award-winning game is Microsoft Age of Empires, where players have to build up their tribes’ wealth and civilization by waging and winning war, thereby adding to their wealth. If you are a Star Trek movie fan, then Netrek is the game for you where two teams representing two different forces fight for control over the galaxy by combating enemy spaceships and conquering planets.–Web Browser-Based GamesWith the advancement in web technologies like JSP, HTML, Flash and Java, complex web browser-based games were created by developers which use Windows Explorer web browser as a client. These are mostly single player games where a user can create huge scores, but nowadays many multiplayer games are also being developed. The biggest advantage of these games is that they do not require any software installation at your end. The most popular of the browser-based online games is the famous arcade game Pac Man. Other free arcade games can be searched at Freearcade.com. Browser- based pet games are also very popular, such as Neopets an Net Pet where you can “virtually” adopt and play with your own pet. You can even buy them collars, food, toys and the like. This type of game is a big hit among grade-school-age children who play games online.–Massively Multiplayer Online GamesAs said, high speed broadband access has created a huge market for massively multiplayer online games (MMOG’s) where people from all over the world can login and play simultaneously. There are various types of MMOG games, the most popular being massively multiplayer online role playing games or MMORPG. The best example of MMORPG is Cyberdunk, the basketball MMORPG where you can be a player, a trainer or even own your own basketball team. As in any role playing game you have fictitious “avatars” whose looks and actions can be controlled by you. If you want to, you can outfit your avatars with training equipment and different accessories. The various players can even interact with each other. Some MMORPGS are also based on fantasy themes like sword fights, comic characters and even science fiction. Already, this sector of the gaming business is taking in a cool billion bucks a year. Another popular type of MMOG is MMORTS or massively multiplayer online real time strategy games. Like in strategic games, people can form groups and teams. Maybe you can even appoint yourself head of the team or General of the Army. The first MMORTS game was developed in 1998, called Mankind. It let you be a miner, mercenary, warrior or merchant, in each case involved in a quest to build an empire. Another popular MMORTS is Shattered Galaxy which was developed by Nexon Inc, Japan, and is a sci-fi type adventure game. At present, there is a fast-emerging concept of browser-based MMOG’s which are a comparatively cheaper way to play games online than the original MMOGs available in the market.