Xenoblaster

Xenoblaster was one of those games you'd find on a Flash portal in the early 2000s. It fit right in with the simple, quick-play titles that didn't require a download. You'd load it in a browser window and jump straight into the action, a common experience for that era of casual gaming.

You control a crosshair with your mouse, moving it across a static landscape. Aliens pop up from holes in the ground, and you click to blast them before they duck back down. Flying saucers also drift across the screen, adding another target to track. The main objective is to shoot every target that appears, scoring points and trying to survive as the pace gradually increases. The difficulty comes from the aliens appearing more quickly and from multiple directions, forcing you to react faster. It feels like a straightforward test of your reflexes and focus.