Are you a millennial that looks back wistfully at the “golden era” of console gaming? Whether you were a Nintendo or Sega fanboy, the chances are you’ll have consigned your favorite retro games to your memory bank. What if we told you there was another way to relive those childhood moments?
Thanks to the wonders of HTML5 – the latest iteration of Hypertext Markup Language – developers have been able to bring the best-loved retro console and arcade games back to life in the most resource-lite way possible. According to TechRadar, HTML5 delivers and powers all kinds of gaming applications, without the need for clunky additional software like browser plugins. The rise of HTML5 is what caused the end of Adobe Flash, which rapidly lost support from the likes of Steve Jobs at Apple.
HTML5 has been a huge success in other aspects of the global gaming industry too, not least the iGaming sector. As the proliferation of smartphones and tablets gathered pace, iGaming software developers moved fast to design and build their slots and table games using HTML5.
In transforming online casino games into fully responsive experiences, there is now much more flexibility. Mr Green is an example of an iGaming operator that’s gone one further to design a native mobile app that operates its full portfolio of games for iOS and Android devices – without even having to load up Chrome, Firefox, or Edge. In addition, players can enjoy them 24/7 on any device or screen with a reliable 4G or Wi-Fi connection. In other words, users can do everything within the app that they could do on their desktop, including depositing and withdrawing money securely.
But if you’re more of a video gamer than a casino gamer, read on as we outline some of the most powerful renditions of retro console titles ready and waiting to be played through your browser at the CodePen community – an environment that’s allowed front-end designers and developers to bring much-loved retro games to life on any screen.
The Legend of Zelda
Nintendo’s action-adventure The Legend of Zelda was first released on the NES. It’s still widely regarded as one of the trailblazers for action role-playing games (RPGs). Now, you can take control of the bold and brave Hylian man named Link on CodePen.
Super Mario Bros.
As you might expect from the best-selling video game franchise of all time, CodePen is awash with Super Mario reboots. One of the most extensive is the reboot of Super Mario Bros. 3, which reached North America and Europe in 1990 and 1991 respectively.
Sonic the Hedgehog
We can’t talk about Super Mario without discussing his arch Sega rival Sonic the Hedgehog. The CodePen community has also put together a CSS animation based on the 1991 original released on the Sega Genesis console.
Pokémon
It would be remiss of us not to mention the HTML5 Pokémon version that’s recently launched. It’s the second-biggest selling console game franchise of all time, after all. After its humble beginnings on the Nintendo Game Boy, there was mass hysteria in more recent releases, including the Pokémon Go app which became a phenomenon in pop culture.
Thanks to HTML5 remakes like the titles above, there’s no need to invest in a Super NES or NES Classic Edition to enjoy the world’s finest pick-up-and-play platform games.
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