7 Best Retro Games to Play Online With Your Friends

Bring the competition to your gathering with these classic games

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Key notes

  • The best retro games should have a long history with gameplay that still has some relevance.
  • There are plenty of free retro games currently available on the market, and all you need is a browser to play them.
  • All of the entries in this guide are free-to-play, and they all belong to long-established and beloved franchises.
retro online games
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Many users might install some of the best emulator software to play retro games from the 1980s and 1990s. However, you don’t need to install any software to play games these days.

With the improvement in technology, virtually everything is available online. This includes sites with a game emulator that allows you to enjoy your classic games on your browser.

The gaming option available includes a plethora of NES, Master System, Genesis, SNES, DOS, Game Boy, and arcade retro games. So, you are not short of options for retro games online unblocked.

This guide has gathered the best retro games you can play with your friends online for absolutely nothing.

Can new computers play old games?

New computers can play old games effectively. Some old games have been improved to work with modern computers.

However, if the game cannot work natively, you can use an emulator. Lastly, some of these old games are now available on emulator websites to play online.

What is the best browser for gaming?

Playing games within your browser, no matter how retro or simplistic they may look, will always feel better when the interface through which you’re doing it has an intense gaming vibe.

The best browser for gaming is undoubtedly Opera GX. Being the first browser specially created for gamers, Opera GX boasts features that will take your gaming experience to the next level.

This browser has everything from a clean and high-quality interface to gaming-centered integrations like Twitch and Discord. Lastly, it excels in all the features that make a modern browser. So, you can always use it as your default.

Opera GX

Opera GX is the world’s first and only gaming-oriented browser, so use it to play your online games in style!

Which are the best retro games to play online?

Pac-Man – Progressive retro online game

Pac-Man retro games online

Pac-Man is a points-scoring game originally launched in the arcades during the 1980s. This is one of the highest-grossing arcade games in history that won the hearts of players worldwide.

It’s a simple maze chase game in which players clock up scores by gobbling up all the dots and fruits on its levels. The simplicity of Pac-Man, like other retro games, is in many respects its beauty.

There are loads of websites and retro games online stores you can play Pac-Man games on. To play the original Pac-Man, check out the Original Pac-Man site. Or you can play a Google doodle variation of Pac-Man.

⇒ Play Pac-Man 

Zelda: A Link to the Past retro games online

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past was one of the best games on the 16-bit SNES console.

This is one of the RPGs of Nintendo’s Zelda series, and for many fans, it remains one of the best additions to the franchise. Many Zelda fans can now play this epic RPG all over again online on retro games websites.

You can play Zelda: A Link to the Past at numerous retro game sites that include SNES emulators. Play Emulator is one of the good websites to play A Link to the Past at. That website also consists of many other Zelda games for fans of the series to play.

⇒ Play A Link to the Past

Super Mario World – Challenging retro game

Super Mario World

Super Mario World was the launch title for the SNES console, and it’s one of the best 2D platform games ever. This Mario game introduced Yoshi, the dinosaur for players to ride on through levels.

The game includes a map with 96 levels for players to discover and play through. It was a big leap forward from the more linear platform games of its time.

⇒ Play Super Mario World

Doom – Multiplayer game

doom

Doom defined the 3D first-person shooter genre on Windows and consoles and the best multiplayer online retro game. This is a first-person shoot ’em up in which players blast through demonic hordes throughout a series of levels.

It was one of the first games that seriously embraced online multiplayer gaming during the earlier years of the web. So, Doom was the game that redefined PC gaming a few years before Microsoft launched Windows 95.

Doom got released on lots of gaming platforms. You can play the original DOS Doom at Legendary videogames ONLINE. Play Emulator includes five of the Doom games for consoles.

⇒ Play Doom

Donkey Kong – Award-winning game

Donkey Kong

This is a 1980s arcade game in which players jump barrels tossed down levels by Donkey Kong to rescue the princess. Donkey Kong has its place in the gaming hall of fame primarily because it was the first game to include Mario in it, and is currently the best free online retro game.

This was one of Nintendo’s very earliest game titles from the big N’s foremost game designer Mr. Miyamoto. Aside from being the first game with Mario in it, it also started the Donkey Kong game series.

⇒ Play Donkey Kong

Sonic the Hedgehog – Fast-paced gameplay

sonic hedge

Sonic the Hedgehog was the first game in SEGA’s Sonic series, launched in the early 1990s.

This is a 2D side-scrolling platform game comparable to the early Mario titles. However, Sonic the Hedgehog has faster-paced gameplay than many of the alternative platform games of its time.

This was the game that sold the SEGA Genesis. The original Sonic the Hedgehog online game will provide a lot of nostalgia for fans of the series.

⇒ Play Sonic the Hedgehog

Tetris – Easy to play

Tetris

Tetris is another of the most widely played games in gaming history. This is a game of Russian origin in which players rotate falling blocks into lines to amass points and stop them from stacking up.

The game’s designer originally released Tetris on the Electronika 60 in the 1980s. However, the golden age of Tetris was when Nintendo had rights to the game and distributed it with the Game Boy.

Tetris was an ideal game for gaming with the portable Game Boy.

There are many variants of Tetris you can play online. If you want to play the classic Tetris Game Boy game, check it out on the arcade spot (linked in a subheading).

You can also play a color variant of the game on the Tetris website.

⇒ Play Tetris

How do you play retro games with friends online?

There are some online multiplayer retro games you can play with your friends on your browser. A good example is the PiePacker game which can be played with up to three friends.

On the other hand, some other retro online games require you to download an emulator software before you can play with friends. If it is just for fun, playing from one of the emulator sites should do the job.

Those are just a few of the great retro games online. You can have loads of fun on your browser with your friends playing the classic games we have listed in this guide. So, be sure to explore all the options there.

Also, before you leave, check some quick tips to optimize the gaming performance and get the best experience.

Have you played any of the retro online games listed on this list? Feel free to share your experience with us in the comments below.

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