My older sister and I used to rot away in front of the computer screen, even before MSN chat became a thing on which we'd pretend we were Australian and other such things (what? Just us?). Oregon Trail, pictured above, always ranked highly among our favorite MECC-supported games. Another, in which you used a fish 'splorin' the Great Reef as an avatar, O'Dell Downunder, typically came in a close second. What about you? What are some of your favorite '90s computer games from childhood or that you just discovered?
I say just discovered because yes -- there is totally an app for OT as well as a Facebook fan page. Oh, retromania. How you thrive on and how OK I am with that. As a Friday treat, please enjoy this super cute/awkward/strange video of some kid blazing the Oregon Trail below (I am pulling for Winky The Cat to make it to The Promised Land):
Also, how often did you keep those super old school names like Ezekiel in Oregon Trail? I usually just used Sweet Valley High monikers for my wagon of folks. Oh, and in case you're interested: I ALWAYS caulked the wagon for trips across the river.
Tell me about your favorite near-vintage computer games!
I was addicted to the computer game of Muppet Treasure Island when I was a kid. I'm still bummed that I can't play it on newer computers.
I loved playing the computer games that came on floppy discs during computer class when I was in elementary school. Oregon Trail was definitely a favorite of mine too. I always named the characters after my friends in class... and they always died :(
Math Blaster was where it was at!
Princess Maker II o.o
Yukon Trail, Math Blaster, Commander Keen....and so many others I can't even remember. lol
Frogger, Pong, Oregon trail, Yukon trail, math blaster
All the Sierra adventure games. King's Quest, Space Quest, Police Quest, etc. It's very rare that I meet anyone who knows what the hell I'm talking about when I mention these franchises, but I grew up on them. They were the stories I read as a kid before I ever voluntarily read books.
Also, the Ultima games. Ultima 4 was like the first game that ever rewarded your character for being a good person, whereas most games even today are still about killing everything on the screen.
@Ashley Nicole Anders@facebook - You probably did play a Carmen Sandiego game. There was Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, and then Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego?. I was obsessed with both. lol.
Rollercoaster Tycoon. And Barbie Magic Hairstyler. And every other Barbie computer game there was. Oh and Carmen San Diego.
I miss King's Quest quite a bit! I also miss Oregon Trail. Especially because as a kid, my cousins and I would reenact the game in real life with little toy wagons that we'd pull each other in. It was awesome!
The earliest Pokemon games. I remember being the very best, like noone ever was. Catching them was my true test, but training them, that was my cause. I travelled across the regions of Kanto and Johto, searching far and wide, For each Pokemon to understand the power that is inside.
Translation: Kidnap animals and force them to live in cramped conditions for long periods of time, only letting them out to maul one another.
But hey, I don't really miss them, because I still own them, and they stand the test of time XD
I remember in my kindergarten computer class we used to play this game called Zoombinis on the old school macs. I thought it was the greatest thing ever back then.
Battle Zone! My dad played it and showed me how and I loved it. I also had kids' games like Magic School Bus in Space and Pocahontas.
I miss Commander Keen, Wonderboy, Magic School bus and Toy Story
Oregon Trail was always hilarious. Early Sims City was fun. I liked destroying cities with monsters and crazy natural disasters :P There was another game - I can't remember the name of it - where you were a little mouse and you had to push around blocks to avoid cats and get pieces of cheese. It was pretty entertaining.
Rollercoaster Tycoon (still play it) Lemonade Stand, and Sim Zoo
Oh man, Oregon Trail!!!! Looveeeee :D
Logical Journey of the Zoombinis!
Not computer but from N64: Zelda and the Ocarina of Time <3
Freddi Fish, Rollercoaster Tycoon, Adiboo, and we had some game at school that was underwater, had a submarine, involved math and fish, can't remember what it's called and tried to look it up but found nothing.. it was in french, but don't know if it was originally in english
Oregon Trail is probably the one remember the best. I also had a floppy disc game called Scooter's Magic castle. We definitely were still getting floppy disc games even after we had CD games and my GUESS is CDs couldn't hold as much data as floppy to download on your computer. I'm not exactly sure. Some others I loved that come to mind: Roller Coaster Tycoon, Wheel of Fortune, Life, Monopoly. I remember my brother also playing Doom and this weird biker game. and Warcraft.
Edit: After looking more through comments, Toy Story and Where in Time is Carmen San Diego. I LOVED those games.
@Love_never_fails - It was crazy how many Barbie computer games I had. hairstyler, pet rescue, magic genie, fashion show, nail styler, the one that had a camera (one of the first digital cameras haha).
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When I was a kid we had a commodore 64, I loved playing Jet Boot Jack lol.. oh and Paragon!
and on the sega master system there was a game I loved called Space Harrier.
i never really played oregon trail..
but I LOVED carmen san diego and geosafari
I embraced my inner child nerd
Gyromite.The Legend of Zelda (the original)California Games (for commodore 64)
Madeline!
Bubble Bobble!
I was addicted to the computer game of Muppet Treasure Island when I was a kid. I'm still bummed that I can't play it on newer computers.
I loved playing the computer games that came on floppy discs during computer class when I was in elementary school. Oregon Trail was definitely a favorite of mine too. I always named the characters after my friends in class... and they always died :(
Math Blaster was where it was at!
Princess Maker II o.o
Yukon Trail, Math Blaster, Commander Keen....and so many others I can't even remember. lol
Frogger, Pong, Oregon trail, Yukon trail, math blaster
All the Sierra adventure games. King's Quest, Space Quest, Police Quest, etc. It's very rare that I meet anyone who knows what the hell I'm talking about when I mention these franchises, but I grew up on them. They were the stories I read as a kid before I ever voluntarily read books.
Also, the Ultima games. Ultima 4 was like the first game that ever rewarded your character for being a good person, whereas most games even today are still about killing everything on the screen.
@Ashley Nicole Anders@facebook - You probably did play a Carmen Sandiego game. There was Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, and then Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego?. I was obsessed with both. lol.
Rollercoaster Tycoon. And Barbie Magic Hairstyler. And every other Barbie computer game there was. Oh and Carmen San Diego.
I miss King's Quest quite a bit! I also miss Oregon Trail. Especially because as a kid, my cousins and I would reenact the game in real life with little toy wagons that we'd pull each other in. It was awesome!
The earliest Pokemon games.
I remember being the very best, like noone ever was.
Catching them was my true test, but training them, that was my cause.
I travelled across the regions of Kanto and Johto, searching far and wide,
For each Pokemon to understand the power that is inside.
Translation: Kidnap animals and force them to live in cramped conditions for long periods of time, only letting them out to maul one another.
But hey, I don't really miss them, because I still own them, and they stand the test of time XD
I remember in my kindergarten computer class we used to play this game called Zoombinis on the old school macs. I thought it was the greatest thing ever back then.
Battle Zone! My dad played it and showed me how and I loved it. I also had kids' games like Magic School Bus in Space and Pocahontas.
I miss Commander Keen, Wonderboy, Magic School bus and Toy Story
Oregon Trail was always hilarious. Early Sims City was fun. I liked destroying cities with monsters and crazy natural disasters :P There was another game - I can't remember the name of it - where you were a little mouse and you had to push around blocks to avoid cats and get pieces of cheese. It was pretty entertaining.
Rollercoaster Tycoon (still play it) Lemonade Stand, and Sim Zoo
Oh man, Oregon Trail!!!! Looveeeee :D
Logical Journey of the Zoombinis!
Not computer but from N64: Zelda and the Ocarina of Time <3
Freddi Fish, Rollercoaster Tycoon, Adiboo, and we had some game at school that was underwater, had a submarine, involved math and fish, can't remember what it's called and tried to look it up but found nothing.. it was in french, but don't know if it was originally in english
Oregon Trail is probably the one remember the best. I also had a floppy disc game called Scooter's Magic castle. We definitely were still getting floppy disc games even after we had CD games and my GUESS is CDs couldn't hold as much data as floppy to download on your computer. I'm not exactly sure. Some others I loved that come to mind: Roller Coaster Tycoon, Wheel of Fortune, Life, Monopoly. I remember my brother also playing Doom and this weird biker game. and Warcraft.
Edit: After looking more through comments, Toy Story and Where in Time is Carmen San Diego. I LOVED those games.
@Love_never_fails - It was crazy how many Barbie computer games I had. hairstyler, pet rescue, magic genie, fashion show, nail styler, the one that had a camera (one of the first digital cameras haha).