Back in the good old days of playing outside, coloring with crayons and recess, millennials bloomed on the cusp of a generation fueled by technology.
We were young enough to know what life was life before mom and dad could afford both cable and internet, or when they yelled at us to get off the dial-up so they could make a phone call. But, as we grew, so too did technology grow with us, and it became more entwined with our daily lives.
While the generations after us will never know what life was like before iPhones and tablets, millennials evolved from sprouts to fully fledged humans as technology progressed around us as well.
In many ways, that technology enabled our own growth and development. Some video games helped us learn to read, write and do math problems, while others honed our critical thinking and creativity. Here are just a few of the computer and console games that millennials loved during their formative years.
1. Club Penguin
Assuming your parents caved and coughed up the money for an internet connection, every 90’s kid spent hours upon hours making their penguin avatar and exploring the wintery world of Club Penguin.
If you were super lucky, you might have even gotten to try out the paid membership features, including additional games and fancy outfits for the penguin version of you.
Sadly, the game shut down in 2017, although a version of the massively multiplayer online game (MMO) called Club Penguin Island still lives on.
2. Reader Rabbit
Along with his friends Matilda the Mouse and Sam the Lion, Reader Rabbit guided youngsters through the basics of language arts, math and even music.
3. Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue
Released in 1996, Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue put players in the shoes of a young trainer, out to be the very best like no one ever was!
The game allowed you to journey through the Kanto region, catch and train your very own pokemon and battle gym leaders for prestige. Featuring the original 150 pokemon from generation one, this game was a cornerstone of many kids’ childhoods.
4. Mariokart and Super Smash Bros Melee
Everyone remembers Mario, Luigi, Yoshi and the rest of the gang.
When Bowser isn’t kidnapping peach, he’s a tough but slow opponent in Super Smash Bros Melee. Along with Mariokart, these were two of the most memorable games from our youth that featured these fondly remembered characters.
5. Animal Crossing
While I didn’t play this one myself, I remember feeling exceedingly jealous of all my friends who had this game.
Initially released on Nintendo 64 and shortly thereafter on GameCube, Animal Crossing let you collect items, befriend animals and go on adventures. Several spin-off versions of the game are still widely played today.
6. Runescape
Another favorite MMO of Generation Y was the vast world of Runescape.
Runescape was an online world that allowed you to make a character and level up different skills by completing quests that ranged from slaying monsters to baking pies. The online universe allowed players to interact and trade items with one another.
Although a wide array of features were available free of charge, the paid membership offered access to a slew of quests, items and options that were not available otherwise.
7. ClueFinders
A sequel to Reader Rabbit for growing youngsters, the ClueFinders series continued Reader Rabbit’s tradition of encouraging learning while also adding more exciting story elements.
The ClueFinders solved mysteries using math, language arts and logic. By completing problems and puzzles, you helped the team climb mountains, escape a lagoon and survive a night locked in a toy store after being shrunk to a mere three inches tall.
8. Oregon Trail
Welcome to the harsh reality of pioneer life!This beloved game was intended to teach kids about how difficult life was in the mid-1800s. It surely succeeded in its mission, as the phrase “you’ve died of dysentery” is permanently etched into the memory of every player.
9. Rollercoaster Tycoon and Zoo Tycoon
Who doesn’t want to build their own theme park or create their own zoo?Giving you massive creative freedom, Rollercoaster Tycoon and Zoo Tycoon made you the master of your very own parks. Whether you were making elaborate loops and corkscrews or seeing what happens when you delete a segment of the fence on the lion exhibit, being a tycoon was hours of fun.
10. Webkinz & Neopets
Webkinz and Neopets gave us virtual pets back when we weren’t allowed to have real ones. While Webkinz was an online game matched with a stuffed animal, Neopets were entirely virtual.
In all seriousness, judging by how difficult it was to keep our online pets alive and thriving, it was probably good that we weren’t yet solely responsible for any real-life furry companions.
11. The Sims
Perhaps the most impressionable game of them all is the one that many millennials are still secretly (or not so secretly) playing.
As a kid, it was fascinating to play an adult sim and see how fantastic grown-up life could be. As an adult? Well, it might be the same game, but the way we’re playing it may be a bit different.
You can certainly learn a lot from video games, but a healthy dose of escapism is always welcome from time to time.
