Ahh, the 90s. What a great time to grow up! Granted, I’m biased, considering I was born in ’92, but I wouldn’t wish for anything else. The 90s were just an excellent time for movies, video games, and TV shows, which made me into the woman I am today. To pay homage to this great time in geekery, here are my favorite things from that wonderful decade:
Movies
This movie is in my top 3 favorite movies of all time. I’ve always loved dinosaurs growing up, and this movie brought them to life. (Fun fact: until I turned 11, I wanted to be a paleontologist.) I pretty much grew up with this film, so Jurassic Park will forever hold a special place in my heart because of how long I’ve treasured it.
- The Swan Princess
The Swan Princess is somewhat of a cult classic, especially to the 90s ladies. Watching it now, I’ve come to realize that Odette was such a boss. You go, girl, make Prince Derek realize that beauty isn’t everything!
- Space Jam
Speaking of another cult classic, this is a great movie that defined the 90s. Michael Jorden AND Bugs Bunny? What a treat! Plus, how could you forget that song?
Television
You best believe I tried to do the moves! And those were the best action figures, too. There’s something about Power Rangers that screams the 90s, like Tamogachis or Seinfeld, especially with the campy acting and bright colors. Plus, it was a great show to try to reenact on the playground with your friends. #TeamKimberly.
- Old Nickelodeon
What happened to Nick nowadays? It used to be so good! Hey Arnold!, Rugrats, As Told by Ginger, and original Spongebob were so on-point in this era. Nowadays, it’s just become another tween beauty-pageant along with the Disney Channel.
- Old Disney Channel and its Movies
Remember when Disney Channel had a soul? Remember when it was so real that you didn’t appreciate it until it was gone? I do, and I miss it, ya nasty.
Games
I got one of these bad boys for my 6th birthday, along with Pokemon Blue, and it forever changed me. Granted, yes, Pokemon was a bit of a tough game for a 6-year-old, but I loved it anyway. I still have my GameBoy—and all of my games—to this day.
- Super Mario World for SNES
Our Super Nintendo was the best luxury item in our home when I was a kid, and I remember us having so many great games, including Mario Paint, Yoshi’s Island, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. But the crowning jewel in our game collection was Super Mario World, which took me years to finally beat. I remember waking up in the mornings to find my parents playing it, and the older I got, the more I appreciated it. If you ever get a chance to play the original game, or an emulation of it, I highly recommend it.
- Spyro the Dragon
When we got our Playstation in 1998, we also got the first Spyro game, and it forever changed me. Spyro was the first game I could play through to the end all on my own, and made me fully appreciate video games. Up until that point, I had to have help with certain games, but Spyro was a game that I could play by myself or with my mom, and we would spend hours enjoying every minute of it.
Honorable Mentions
This is the part in the countdown where I list some miscellaneous pieces of pop culture that ruled my world back in the day.
- Anything Pokemon—cards, show, movie, merchandise
- Backstreet Boys
- LEGO
- Nintendo 64
- Snow Day (movie)
- Harry Potter (novels)
- Zaboomafoo
- Anastasia
- Dexter’s Laboratory
- Spice Girls
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