In Memoriam: Remembering the Flash games we grew up with
It’s never easy to take in the loss of someone dear, especially when you’ve basically grown up with them. It’s hard to not feel a tinge of nostalgia when we are reminded of our better and innocent days as a kid, back when Adobe Flash was still up and running. With Adobe Flash totally being blocked off the internet forever, those same games we used to play would also be facing the same fate.
So today, we’ll be walking back in time and remember Adobe Flash through the games we grew up with.
Interactive Buddy
First on the list is this fun little Tamagochi-esque ragdoll game. In this game, you are given the chance to play God and do anything you want to with this little “round boi” called Buddy. You can interact with him with your bare “hands” (i.e., the mouse pointer), or you could choose between the plethora of items in the shop, which include a grenade and a rocket launcher. You can launch Buddy up in the air, push him to the ground, bump him on the edge of the screen, literally anything virtually possible can be done to Buddy. This game is a stress ball in its own way, I mean who doesn’t get off by blasting this round blob of data and flinging him on walls, right? Sadly, Interactive Buddy went down with Flash, and has no playable version as of now.
Hot Dog Bush
Have you ever wanted to run a hotdog stand? Or have you ever dreamt of being the president? Well, worry no more! Hot Dog Bush is a game that revolves around the story of Former US President George Bush, from him being kicked out of the White House to him setting up a hot dog stand in the streets of Manhattan.
This game is a fun little business management game, where you play the role of a cook, frying those hotdogs to perfection while maintaining and managing your clients’ attention spans while also keeping tabs on their preferences. It’s a fun little game that teaches young entrepreneurs that money doesn’t just come to you, you have to work for it. Unfortunately, the game is also no longer available on the sites that used to host it, so looking to Flashpoint Project may be one of your options to play this game.
Bloons Tower Defense
It’s impossible for you to be a fan of tower defense games without having heard of Bloons TD. Being one of the pioneering Flash Element games in the tower defense genre, it helped pave the way for people who loved being kept on their feet without having all that button-mashing action that other fast-paced games offer. Although its browser counterpart is now unplayable, you can relive the hype of balloon-killing monkeys on the Nintendo Switch.
Adventure Quest Worlds
Do you remember all the hours you spent grinding and farming for that piece of armor set or for a certain weapon you really liked? Perhaps, you remember being on your knees and begging your parents to pay for your Membership Upgrade for AQWorlds? Well, no matter what it is that made AQWorlds sentimental to you, we all share those sentiments. From hanging out at Yulgar’s Inn, choosing a side between Good, Evil, and Chaos, and just straight up one-upping each other with your in-game houses.
Have you ever wanted to feel that nostalgic tinge? Well, not to worry! Artix Entertainment, creator of AQWorlds and other games like MechQuest, DragonFable, etc., have made a launcher so you can still access all their games even with the loss of Flash support for most sites. Now, grab your swords, bows, and staves and Battle on!
Surely, there are more games that you have played as a kid but were not mentioned here. Surely, you would want to play them again for good time’s sake. With projects such as Flashpoint, it’ll feel as if Flash never left. Downloading the program allows old-time gamers to relive their moments as children, browsing endlessly on Flash-based game hosting sites like Y8 and FRIV, almost without a care in the world nor the environment around you. Oh, to be a child again, right?