Do you remember going to the computer lab at school and starting up one of these computers below? After typing out a mother’s day letter or a poem we wrote in English class, We’d have free time to play whatever games we wanted. Sometimes the games didn’t have the option to save or you just didn’t know how to save. Therefore, you’d have to start the game from the beginning every time you wanted to play. Here are some of those childhood games from those times.
Ente via Wikimedia Commons
Pajama Sam
Do you remember this pajama wearing, blue child who would interact with inanimate talking objects? He would teach some of life’s greatest lessons like why you shouldn’t be afraid of the dark or how to eat the right foods. I wanted pajamas just like him. I think it was mostly the cape that appealed to me about his outfit. What child doesn’t want a cape attached to their pajamas? I also remember thinking the Pajama Sam: No Need to Hide when it’s Dark game was really scary for me. I mean look at this ghost looking ting below.
How to play now: Guide here
Via Adventure Gamers
Freddi Fish
This ambitious yellow fish and his green sidekick friend Luther were pretty much the aquatic equivalent of Sherlock Holmes and Watson. They would solve various solving mysteries under the ocean. You’d help them scour the ocean for clues and talk to animated ocean creatures Along the way you’d find gadgets and objects to help you along. Not to flex or anything, but I finished The Missing Kelp Seeds games like 20 times when i was 8. There were also some Freddi Fish children’s books published, but I never read them.
How to play now: Guide here
Spy Fox
Spy Fox was my James Bond before I knew what James Bond was. I mean, he pretty much was a child friendly version of James Bond who was also a Fox. However, to be fair, everyone in the game was an animal. I still think the cartoon animation of all those animals is great artistry. Overall, I loved this game because the mission was simple and there were little fun side games to play on your way to reach the end.
How to play now: Guide here
The Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is probably the most OG of all childhood games on this list. The overly pixelated graphics introduced me and probably many others to adventure games in the PC world. Were you going to correctly forge the river without losing a member of your party? Could you make it to the end before dying of cholera? I’d always be the banker so I could start off with the most amount of money to buy lots of ammo and go hunting. I’d say that this game was also one of my first introductions to shooting video games.
How to play now: Online here
theNerdPatrol via Flickr
Carmen Sandiego
Before they made a Netflix show about Carmen Sandiego, she the main antagonist in these childhood games. She was a crime boss who would carry out thefts with her henchmen. It was up to you as a detective to catch her and her henchmen in cities around the world. In each city you stopped, you’d learn facts about each country. I was being educated without even knowing it. Who would have thought all these games were made as a ploy for us to geography? Definitely not my 7 year old self. Eventually the game would end when you caught her. Personally, I found the game too hard to play myself and I’d watch other people play it.
How to play now: Play the original Where In the World Is Carmen Sandiego here. Check out this new modern version where you play using google earth
Putt-Putt
Looking back this game reminds me of the Pixar movie Cars. However, this was no Pixar movie. In my eyes, Putt-Putt is the precursor to Lightning McQueen. Along with Herbie, Putt-Putt was one of the original talking cars. He was a purple excited animated car who would go on adventures with pep, his best friend and puppy. You’d help them go on complete adventures together. Along the way, you’d play side games and complete side quests. This was my childhood game when I was around 8. I think that was because it was the simplest
How to play now: Guide here
Simcity
I’m going to be honest, I found this game way too hard to play. I also had no patience to play it. All I would do is find saved or premade cities and find entertaining ways to destroy it, like with the aliens. Somehow I found this extremely interesting and would do it for hours.
How to play now: Guide here.
RollerCoaster Tycoon
Similar to Simcity, I didn’t have the patience or understanding of how to play this. I only experienced it through other friends who played it. It was really fun to watch other people build their parks. I also remember all the detail in the game was really amazing. The developers really put a different person on every seat of the roller coaster.
How to play now: Depends on what game you want. Go to website for guide.
Mike Overall via Flickr
Backyard Sports
I friggin LOVED Backyard Sports. It was my favorite childhood game in my later adolescence years, like 10 or 11. That’s when I really started getting into sports. I’d follow and watch all the local Chicago sports teams. That allowed me to get a better understanding of sports which I applied to my Backyard Sports gaming. I tried playing NBA LIve and Madden at the time, but it was just too complicated for me. I felt like Backyard Sports had the right balance of complexity and simplicity for 10 year old me. Additionally, it helped fill the void of sports in my life at the time when I could play it or watch it on TV.
How to play now: Play online here
Big Thinkers
Before there was coolmathgames.com and other educational internet games. There was this. Of all the childhood games on this list, this was the most educational It made learning about math, science, and other school subjects way more fun than just sitting in a classroom. I think i played it recently. It just wasn’t as fun as any of the other games on this list. Nothing against their game play or graphics or anything. It’s just the subject of the game. I don’t really want to play games to learn educational material. Even if you don’t get the game, check out this speed run. The internet is unmatched.
How to play now: Play through Steam
That’s it for my list of childhood games that I used to play. Comment on your favorite one below!
