Java Games: Why is everyone so excited about Java?

(Note: The Internet is a dynamic place and web sites can come and go quite quickly. This is one of my older and some of the links may not work anymore. If you find that this is the case I invite you to look at some of my more recent articles. My links section has my favorite links from past articles and is checked regularly for non working links. Wayne)

This week the focus is on Java games that you can play on the Web. The nice thing about Java games on the Web is that you can try them out to see if you like them and, with a little effort, you can set them up so that you can play them even when you're not on-line. After my string of education articles I thought that it was time to throw out some mindless fun.

First off I have have two versions of that classic computer game, Tetris. The first is a simple version that's small, works with the cursor keys on your keyboard and is quite playable. The second uses a larger gameboard with a few more enhanced features but uses letter commands instead of cursor keys. Why not try them both out and tell me what you think? These versions of Tetris along with many others can be found in the games section of Gamelan. This is the same site I mentioned two weeks ago in the article on programming but the URL has changed slightly--it is still a site recommended for all things Java. If Gamelan doesn't have enough games for you, then try Yahoo which has a complete section dedicated to on-line games of all types.

Two more very playable Java games can be found at Marcia's Games. One is a concentration style game played with animals in a barn and the other is a racing game that helps with elementary math skills.

Thunderbeam, a site dedicated to children's software, includes reviews, demos and a guide to cybergames (i.e. games on the Web). This site is well worth the stop.

Pinnacle - Fun and Games has a section of Java games that include Tic-Tac-Toe, Othello, Connect 4 and a few more with more titles announced. My kids really liked the Connect 4 game; of all the sites I think this one provides the most "bang for the Buck".

Finally, for the really small kids, we have the colouring book a cute little applet that lets you click on a

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