ULTIMATE FLASH SONIC
		www.flash-game.net/game/
		Out-and-out classics; you just can’t beat them! The infamous blue hedgehog became the ultimate symbol for Sega and the mascot was probably its saving-grace. With a turn of speed akin to a Bugatti Veyron, and a healthy dose of attitude, Sonic The Hedgehog became a part of any gamer’s life in the early Nineties.

		STICK CRICKET
		www.stickcricket.co.uk
		With England finally overturning our illustrious antipodean cousins and returning the Ashes back to where they belong, cricket really ingrained itself into the consciousness last year. Stick Cricket had been around for quite a while before that event, but it probably benefited from its national popularity. Quite simply, it is as addictive as hell yet extremely simple to play.

		THING THING 1-3
		www.diseasedproductions.net
		With a backdrop out of a particularly grimylooking scene in Sin City and a nod to the beautifully orchestrated bloodbaths in Kill Bill, this excellent little third-person shooter will have you as hooked as the films. The Thing Thing trilogy initially started out with the character escaping from an asylum, hotly pursued by a horde of enemies.

		YETISPORTS 1-10
		www.yetisports.org
		The infamous penguin bashing. Probably one of the quickest Flash games to spread around the Internet in recent years, YetiSports part one soon built up a huge following back in 2002, with email and office challenges in abundance. Despite its simple conception, it proved to be an extremely addictive game.

		PRICILLA GONE MISSING
		http://port.snarlik.se
		Johan Tornkvist has produced a gem of a game here. Having studied at the increasingly infamous Hyper Island he has created a beautifully crafted game, with sumptuous graphics and attention to detail interspersed with clever navigational methods and original ideas – and all this centred round an odd little grey character.

		MOMENT ZERO
		www.geocities.jp/flashgame_zone/zero.htm
		Coming out of the Flash Game Zone in Japan, this imaginative shooter is exceptionally well designed and put together. It’s also very unique and doesn’t imitate many other shooters, as you will experience immediately the first wave of mechanical droids rapidly approach you.

		ENGLAND ACADEMY
		http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/
		Trust the BBC to commission and deliver an intelligent and extremely playable sports game. This Six Nationsinspired rugby contest is one of those games that will have mates goading and ear bashing across the country.

		TACTICS ARENA
		www.digisonline.com
		The characters in this turn-based strategy game are beautifully drawn and animated, following in the footsteps of Final Fantasy and Warlords. Commanding an amalgamation of fantasy warriors and mystical creatures this chess-like online battle will keep you up until the early hours.

		BIKE MANIA
		www.flashgames247.com/play/693.html
		Negotiating your bike over barrels, rocks, cars and various other obstacles without flipping takes a steady couple of fingers and a real sense and understanding of balance. It’s easy to play right from the off, but is also extremely challenging at the same time. The graphics are pretty good and the fluidity is exemplary.

		FINAL FORTRESS
		www.totallygame.com
		Defend at all costs! Excellent 3D graphics definitely make this siege-style shooter worth a look. Taking a futuristic slant on usual siege-type games with a laser canon being the focal point of your defence, the game also provides a welcome strategic element. With this you can re-enforce your battle line with anti-aircraft and anti-sea attack weapons as well as deploying mines to destroy the oncoming tanks and land-based units.

		SOCCER SHOOTOUT
		www.georgiapacificsoccer.com
		Writing this article on the eve of the World Cup, we had to include a football game. Knowing the way England get knocked out of the majority of tournaments, this particular game may not be the best choice. However, penalty shootouts it is, and with this point-and-click sim it’s a case of battling it out from both sides – the penalty taker and the goalie. It’s simple and basic but keeps the interest.

		AUTOFRAG: SUMO
		www.meltedmedia.co.uk/games/autofrag
		There had to be a driving game in this collection of top games, as they’re one of the most-played genres around, and this little gem is worthy of inclusion. Like a cross between a stock derby and a bout of Sumo wrestling, this game does take a unique twist on most driving games. With a mounted machine gun and rockets at your disposal it’s a case of destroying the other cars, which is accomplished quicker by forcing them out of the arena.

		3D POOL
		www.shockwave.com/gamelanding/
		Pool games are ten a penny online, but not many can match the detail and overall graphic crispness of 3D Pool. The only drawback is that you need a fairly highspec computer to enjoy it to its fullest capabilities, but in reality the majority of us will already be fully set up anyway.

		TANKS
		http://tanks.freeonlinegames.com
		This is a fairly faithful reproduction of one of the earliest versions of the game for home computers (alternatively known as Scorched Earth), and it doesn’t disappoint. Trajectory and power bombing are still the main objectives and it provides the ability to have as many as five tanks on the screen at once, resulting in a good playability.

		FORBIDDEN SIRENS
		www.forbiddensiren.com
		Now we know this isn’t a game in itself, but it is such a stunning example of Flash work (and it is game related) that we thought we would include it. Utilising a simple point-and-click navigational approach, the presentation combines a multitude of different digital media including video, digital publication and audio. Mysterious and quite edgy, this demo introduces you

		RUNESCAPE
		www.miniclip.com/runescape_game.html
		RuneScape is one of the largest MMORPGs available, in part down to the cost factor – zilch – but also due to its highly addictive nature. With a massive 20 skills that you can partake in and hopefully master at some point, it can become more of a hobby than an actual game.

		STACKOPOLIS
		www.stackopolis.com
		Winner of a recent Webby Award, Stackopolis pushes all the right addiction buttons in much the same way as Tetris. With attractive animations and graphics, a stressinducing soundtrack and relatively simple gameplay, it combines all the right elements to produce an all-time classic puzzle game.

		SPECIAL MISSION
		http://hallpass.com/media/
		The great thing about these types of games is that it doesn’t matter what language it’s in, you can be sure to pick them up relatively easily. Which is a good job, as our Japanese really ain’t up to scratch. That aside, this is a great speedy little run-and-gun-’em-down in which you have to rescue POWs (who bizarrely have a tendency to lift up their robes once released).

		COMCASTIC
		www.comcastic.com
		Professor T comperes a cultural quiz which takes in TV, film and music, and berates you every time you get a question wrong (which was quite often in this case). The quiz is quirky and amusing, even down to the end-ofpier background music, and highlights the progression in multimedia.

		WORLD DOMINATION
		www.totallygame.com
		Conquering the world is always a favourite pastime, and when you can go up against some of the world’s most corrupt and sadistic leaders it’s even more pleasurable. In this addictive turn-based strategy game it’s possible to spy on, appease, propagate a doctrine or simply bomb the hell out of four opposing leaders and their countries with your arsenal of nuclear rockets, planes and soldiers.