5 Nostalgic video and online games that will bring you back in time

Remember the days of coming home from school and heading straight to the PC with the soundtrack of dial-up Internet in the background? And who can forget weekend trips to the games shop for a new PS2 or Nintendo game to obsess over? There was nothing quite like putting off homework assignments in the name of catching the next Pokémon or winning the grand prix on MarioKart. For your next round of reminiscing, we’ve compiled our favourite nostalgic video and online games from our childhoods that we couldn’t get enough of. Let’s take a trip down memory lane, shall we?

POKÉMON RUBY AND SAPPHIRE

Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire were the best versions of the game to be released, change my mind! While LeafGreen and FireRed also continue to be iconic versions of the ever-popular role-playing video game, these two versions in the series’ third generation (and my Game Boy Advance SP) took up much of my time in my childhood. 

While the general concept and objectives of the game went unchanged from its predecessors, the introduction of double battles made things extra exciting during gameplay. Even after capturing all 202 Pokémon between the Ruby and Sapphire games, I still found myself excited to go back to the beginning of the game and do it all again.

MARIO KART

Yes, you can still play Mario Kart on your Nintendo Switch today but there was nothing like tilting your Game Boy or DS to the left and right hoping it would sway your character’s car to your desired direction a little faster. My first experience with this landmark of a game was with Mario Kart: Super Circuit. From dodging crabs on Shy Guy Beach to falling into lava at Bowser Castle, the game was nothing short of thrilling, especially with my favourite character Toad in the driver’s seat. 

Mario Kart’s continuous evolution to keep up with new consoles and platforms is a testament to its cult following. Now, you can zip through Sunshine Airport and Dolphin Shoals with car upgrades that six-year-old me could have never imagined. To this day, I still find myself slipping on banana peels and struggling with Rainbow Road.

NEOPETS

For the kids who weren’t allowed actual pets, there was Neopets. Set in the world of Neopia, the game had us users raising these Neopets like our lives depended on it. Even in its early days, the game included currencies and a Neohome that we could build to keep our Neopets happy. 

In 2023, it was announced that Neopets had been operating at a loss for over a decade. However, with some funding, a website revamp, and plans for a mobile app, the game was kept afloat. Today, Neopets is still up and running, though with a significantly less number of users. Not to mention, the majority of players are now legal adults—AKA over the age of 18—which is a far cry from its original fanbase way back when. 

CLUB PENGUIN

No “nostalgic games” list would be complete without Club Penguin. The game ran from 2005 to 2017 and dominated the virtual world for much of that time period. By late 2007, there were over 30 million active user accounts, which increased to 200 million in 2013. 

News of its discontinuation was met with major dismay and sadness. During its final days, the game’s universe lit up with players attempting speedruns and spending the last of their coins. Eventually, on 30 March 2017, a message that read “The connection has been lost. Thank you for playing Club Penguin. Waddle on!” appeared on players’ screens, marking the end of an era. 

MYSCENE

This one’s for the beauty and fashion girlies! Before my first real foray into makeup, accessorising, and dressing up, MyScene was there. There were a handful of games that came out of the MyScene universe, including Beauty Studio and the eponymous MyScene on CD-ROM (which happens to be my favourite). 

Mindless and easy to follow, the game included interactive quests like buying new clothes and accessories. Though it was pretty simple and repetitive, it was everything a pre-teen girl loooked for in a game. Cute graphics, meaningless quizzes, and creative freedom—I can see why six-year-old me was hooked. 

Explore more stories on gaming here.