Ah, the good old days—before social media took over our lives and when the biggest worry was rewinding VHS tapes before returning them to Blockbuster. If you grew up in the late 90s or early 2000s, get ready for a nostalgia trip that’ll make you want to dust off your Game Boy and blast some Linkin Park.
1. Blowing Into Game Cartridges (Even Though It Did Nothing)
Every kid knew that if your Nintendo game wasn’t working, you had to take it out, blow on the contacts, and slam it back in. It was basically science.
2. Burning CDs Like a DJ
Before Spotify playlists, we spent hours creating the perfect mix CD—only for the last track to fail right before the disc finished burning.
3. The Pain of Dial-Up Internet
That EEEE-AAAAA-KRRR sound haunts us to this day. And if someone picked up the phone? Say goodbye to your MSN Messenger chat.
4. Snake on Nokia Phones
Before Candy Crush, we had Snake. It was the simplest game ever, but nothing felt more satisfying than breaking your own high score.
5. Watching Cartoons Right on Time (No Streaming!)
Missed your favorite episode of Pokémon or Dragon Ball Z? Too bad. You had to wait a whole week for a rerun.
6. Windows XP & The Legendary Pinball Game
Every school computer lab had that 3D Space Cadet Pinball game, and we all pretended it was serious business.
7. The Magic of Flip Phones
There was something so cool about aggressively snapping your flip phone shut after a dramatic conversation.
8. Writing ‘123456’ as Your Password
Before cybersecurity was a thing, we all had the most predictable passwords ever. No two-factor authentication, just pure risk.
9. Owning a Tamagotchi (And Forgetting to Feed It)
Those little virtual pets were the first true responsibility we had. If you neglected them, well… rest in peace, buddy.
10. Renting Movies on a Friday Night
A trip to the video rental store felt like an event. The excitement of picking out a VHS or DVD, only to realize someone else already rented the last copy of your favorite movie. Heartbreaking.
Feeling nostalgic yet? If any of these memories hit you in the feels, share this post with a fellow 90s/2000s kid! And let us know in the comments—what’s one thing you miss the most from those golden years?