The Internet Archive is the repository of the digital world’s artifacts. Along with the huge library of archived webpages, ebooks, movies, and music, it now offers an in-browser emulator that will allow you to run classic games and old programs inside the browser. So, if you get hit by nostalgia you can fire it up and play classic games like PAC-MAN, Adventureland, and The Hobbit among others. The not-for-profit organization has also curated the Historical Software Collection, with selective picks of historically significant software in one place.

The rapid pace set by technology makes applications and games obsolete very fast; sometimes, even before you can appreciate it fully. Some become collector’s items and inaccessible to the general public. The Javascript MESS emulator introduced by the Internet Archive just needs a browser to dial back the time for you. If you started learning on something like WordStar or Visicalc, then your wish to try them out for old time’s sake could be answered here. The emulator saves you the trouble of installing another third-party emulation software, and the trouble of hunting around for classic games and applications.

As they say:

Many of these software products were the first of their kind, or utilized features and approaches that have been copied or recreated on many programs since.

The Internet Archive says that many more games and applications will be added gradually. But what about the ones so far? Do they bring back memories?

Source: The Verge | Image Credit: Gamerscore Blog Via Flickr