What made Gaming in the 80s and 90s so memorable? Why we still can't stop playing the classics and get so nostalgic over old game carts, magazines and arcades. Sure, the games were incredible with the birth of nearly every popular franchise we continue to play. But the games were only part of the story! What are some of your fondest memories of the time and what makes them so special for you?
I will nevver forget the arcades. Back in the day, with bo internet, you had street cred. Arcades where a good way to get that. I temember winning a street fighter champion edition tournament near my high school. We would go there for hours and skip school in the afternoon to go play. I also remember how i was dominating with Voldo in soulcaliber 2. What was great is that i started working when i was 15. So by 17yo (1998) i had my drivers license a car and money. So i would bring my friends and brothers to the arcades. Such great days. I would borrow my Dad Chevy van with 2 row of seats. Fill it up and hit the arcade. Was so great. I also remember DDR REVOLUTION. I remember playing on the hardest difficulty, with speed x2. Live at the arcade. I would complete the songs on perdect AA. EVERYONE would watch. I remember my biggest time was when the whole arcadw AND PEOPLE OUTSIDE (Bay windows) were looking. Having all this energy/emotions LIVE made for great moments. Kids today dont even know what they are missing.
Everything was so magical and the best thing about those era has been the need of imagination: with your own mind, you started to shape all the things that those pixels let us perceive just as basic forms! But yeah, at the same time, pixel art was amazing: in fact, nowadays we still have pixel art! Also the first polygonal games were incredible for us, they were like a first sign of a big era that was coming just for bringing us an additional dimension of fun. Today I watch my closet full of games, figures and comics and I look at them as something more than codes, plastic and paper...as you said they were and still are more, they're always been our symbols of connection with the world, the meaning of our lives. And, every time I look at them I remember that they were the reason for the man I am now, defects included. ...'cause nobody is perfect, yeah.
I miss local co-op back in the day. My friends had different consoles to me so we'd go round each others houses to play each others games. Great times. Gaming had such an affect on my life I was trying to break into the industry for many years. Still am. Now making my own as an indie. Didn't think I was going feel sad watching this video but here we are 🤣...
I was born at the right time! I was an 80s kid and a 90s teen! I was able to play the 8-bit, 16-bit eras! Probably two of the best decades for gaming in general in my opinion! The pure nostalgia, fun and frustration playing some of these games are cemented in my mind. Thanks for the trip down memory lane 😊
Every time I feel old, I do remind myself of that more than anything. I really wouldn't give up growing up during that time for just about anything. It was an awesome time!
Yeah this is a really great video full of the feels. I was born in Dec 1980 in the UK. Have fond memories of that time, even though the first console I actually owned was a sega Saturn. My dad gave me his c64 as a kid then I got an Amiga 500. Up until age 15 don't think I owned a game that wasn't pirated haha. then 1200 then I built my first pc when I got my first job when was 17. Then started the console years
@@grgmj1980 I believed that we were born in some of the best time to be alive since the history of humanity. Nothing less. After 2nd WW up until 2010 or around. I dont know exactly when, i would say 2012ish. Those days are gone now.
Me too. I still keep in the original box SNES NTSC with Super Mario World plus bonus game Super Mario The Last Levels I received it just for a receipt I paid for the console in toysRus. Yes we where sharing games with others and love it so much to meat each others and play together. Nowadays, recent days everybody are selfish and share their game experience (to others and on social media) with huge pride of what game with how strong and expensive computer, console they played with the most top graphics. Todays games are never gonna be the same as before, giving us joy spending times together and sharing same experience. Oh God miss those times.
You’re very welcome and so appreciative of your honesty and feedback. I tried to be as authentic and vulnerable as possible putting the video together and I’d hoped it would resonate with others. I’m truly grateful to see how many people have felt touched by it.
I felt the same way. At 37 years old, all I could think of was the memories. Everything mentioned in this video brought back memories of how things used to be. How cool it would be to be able to go back and live it all again.
born in 71, so I got to witness the complete beginning of Video games all the way back to home pong systems before cartridges and this was magic recaptured, awesome work my man!
70 for me , had all the home computers and consoles at some point . Atari ( consoles and computers ), Spectrum, Sega ,Nintendo , PS and Xbox . Never better than the 80s and going on days to the coast and seeing what games were in the arcades
You and me both. We also had pong. I went through so many systems starting with Odyssey 2 and Intelevision which were hand me downs from my brother. I loved every minute
Also can say it was good and times sure have changed and not for the better also another fact of life in those days places like Chuck E Cheese had actual tokens to use instead of what they now use along with arcades.
@@charlieg6913 Really sad though I was born a year after 12/1/1982 and a lot of stores and malls really went since the 80's and 90's. Big examples are Borders, Blockbuster and Toys R Us among others and the mall life went dead as you can see in other videos really sad with the way things are now and still liked those games in the 80s and 90s though now I know computer tech has advanced and well there are ways to turn a computer now to an old console vs when it was back then though for that info you have to look elsewhere and in other groups along with living back in that time period unlike when it was the actual 80s and 90s.
@@kellychuang8373 I completely agree. I miss those days very much. I wish I could go back. I'm always trying to recapture the feeling I had back then, but it's long gone. 💔
@@charlieg6913 Thanks for the move though I know I'm also not a professional RUclipsr either since that needs a lot of work but there are other channels about the old games like 1 known as PatmanQC you may look into and I can't guarantee about getting old consoles playing games that it can work let alone actual old gaming consoles either like I already said have to look in other parts or people and do experiments though people now aren't OK and have a lot of attacks now and it isn't gaming and life back then either that is now under threat today looked into other stuff as well like book bans for another. Among who knows.
@@GTSN38 hey knucklehead. Glad u grew up in my household. I had an older brother who is 9 years older so at 5 and 6 we were playing nes non stop. Also played the shit out of his Atari 2600. Just because he had it doesn’t mean I didn’t play it or have nostalgia for it. I then got a snes for Xmas in 91 and a genesis in 92 a sega cd the following year and a ps1 in 95 and a n64 in 96. Not to mention the countless Saturdays with my buddies in the early 90s spending sat afternoons at our mall food court arcade. So let me say, yes. I had them, played them and they are part of my memory. But thanks for coming
@@JeffYPbPr I had a Sega Master System but it wasn't relevant. Homeboy is d**k measuring over nostalgia. 😂 It's funnier (absurd) the more you think about it... acquiring older consoles is cheaper (easier) than current gen. I'm giggling like a school girl... 🤭
I was raised in the 80’s and 90’s. This video hit the nail on the head…gaming was and is an escape. I grew up from that little kid playing the OG Final Fantasy on Christmas morning. I’ve since been a GameStop manager, a banker, a restaurant manager and even a police detective…and gaming is still my escape. I’m still that kid playing video games on Christmas morning
And we wouldn’t have it any other way would we? 😊 It was the same for me, though I do very much miss the competitiveness and camaraderie it entailed within my group of friends. We often lose that growing up as everyone moves on.
@@ShmupJunkie Yeah times were really different then and TV's were made differently also there wasn't troubles like inflation, time and parts to deal with unlike now with places really closing and people really getting offended even with the hardware of that time it wouldn't work nowadays also hearing about attacks on Public Libraries too anyway for anyone looking into it check that out and another thing to worry about Cancel Culture and Karens among many others.
Yes it also brought that feeling too and also a lot of those old places are either gone or changed so much Chuck E Cheese used to have used actual tokens is 1 example. Among other things that really went.
I really think 1973 was the perfect time to be born. My brother was born then and literally was able to grow up with an enjoy Nintendo (NES) for example. I was born May 1980, besides Mario and Zelda on NES, I didn't really get into gaming until the Genesis and Snes.
Born in '74 so I'll be 50 years old weeks from now. Hanimex Pong, CBS Colecovision, Atari 2600, Commodore 64, Amiga 500, Amiga 1200 and then PC (in that order) were my systems. Still have my Amiga 1200 and around 300 of my Computing and Gaming magazines of that time. Great video ❤
I was born in ‘81 and I must say: this is your best video yet and that’s saying something. Comforting, yet heartbreaking and thought-provoking at the same time. What you said about connections is true. Well done.
I think we were truly privileged to witness gaming go from pong to this. I personally saw it go from a tape loaded timex sinclair, then an apple II, then dos, windows, snes, n64, ps2, and from that point I had a career and bought basically all of them. What a ride.
Yeah, same here. Started with the Atari 2600, then c64 over at a friends house, then SNES, PSX, Dreamscast…great times. Now I too have all of them. We were truly privileged.
This is perhaps the greatest video ever put on the internet. I was damn near tearing up at the end. The 80s and 90s...perhaps two of the best decades in the last 100 years. Thank you for the memories.
Born in 79. Raised during the 80s and 90s graduated in 98 which just so happened to be pretty much the end of the best gaming decades ever. From going to circle k and playing gauntlet until the quarters ran out and checking the phones outside for quarters just to go right back and play again. Then go home play baseball outside for a little while or if it was raining get right back to playing the nintendo. Those were the days that will never come around again. Adults and children were playing games alongside each other trying beat the game just realizing the $20 you had can now only buy you an icee and pack of gum or candy. Having to ask the cashier if they have change for a 5 just to drop all the quarters into one cabinet with hopes of beating your friends score or possibly making it onto the high score list on the game. Dang those were some awesome times.
You absolutely nailed it! It’s easy to see the amount of love and hard work you poured into this, and it spoke directly to this 80’s kid start to finish. Beautiful job SJ.
Thanks! I really did try to do something different here and not get bogged down in the technical details or chronological consoles. Focus on what it was like and the relationships. What brought it all together for me, the good and the bad. Really glad you enjoyed it. I'm hoping it's something people can come back to a few times over the years when they need it.
Arcades would of went out way earlier if not for sf2. I wasn't at a mall every day or month back then but when I'd go thered be a new fighting game to play. Street fighter 2 started all of that.
I miss being 5 up until my mid 20's. When i was able to completely suspend my disbelief with games & movies, while having that epic level of excitability, major passion and viewing the world as if it were one big magical place. The friends you forged when you were younger, hanging out with their friends or the kids in elementry school, high school and even college. You were constantly getting that flow/dynamic of socializing with multiple people, enjoying your hobbies together or whatever it was that you enjoyed without constantly having to worry about the responsibilities of being an adult. And I guess it all depends on where you're at in life, but i'd blast back in a heart beat to lets say 1990, instead of being 40 in 2024. :P The friends that i do have aren't in gaming, and most of my family members are out of the picture and we just don't get along that well anymore. Tough pill to swallow compared to how amazing things used to be. But ya, the internet, social media, and the never ending broccoli haired teenagers/20 year old cell phone zombies and viking birds nest-beard tatoo'd dooders, corporate lifeless soul sucking commercials, garbage pop music and so much more are a total sh** Storm. :P I'm so much happier when I'm at home, living in my late 80's/early 90's bubble. lol Saved by the Bell is calling, with a splash of Batsugun(Switch) and Dino 'Summertime girls'(RUclips) XD Living in the now, while bringing a lot of that past(80's/90s) to the present and blending it all together is how i roll.
@hyperboreen4854 with online only single player games being a thing, no, not at all we're not even in a bronze age or anything. But my turnaround comment could also be it's much easier to obtain a game one would want nowadays, not a physical copy but to play the game itself, physical games becoming somewhat of luxury also taints that gold era you think it is now
@@hyperboreen4854is it fuck. The thing that irritates me about modern gamers is how dismissive most of them are about retro games, like they're nothing compared to now. Not only is that categorically untrue - and I'm sick of having to pay for hundreds of hours of content on a game AFTER I've already bought it, and I don't need a game to last hundreds of hours, as it should be good enough without needing to be that huge - but it's incredibly disrespectful and ungrateful. Without the creations of the past, none of the games today would exist. Unfortunately, obsession with visuals, audio and online features seems to have taken over from gameplay. That and endless sequels. I'm fairly sure developers are running out of fresh ideas for games.
@@Nightopian1982 I play video games since the 80s, I love old games, but that doesn't change the fact that there have never been so many good games produced as today. Maybe expand your horizons, don't limit yourself to 2 genres and actually play some modern games other than the big obvious soulless AAA of the year (and some AAA are very good don't get me wrong). Try to be curious instead of complaining.
@@hyperboreen4854 You don't need to patronise me. It may stagger you to hear this, but I have actually played many of the modern era games (where's this 'two genres' remark come from anyway?), and I personally just don't enjoy them as much overall (and I never said I don't like any). I'm buying a Switch this year too. Arguments about such things are subjective anyway. Saying 'there have never been so many good games produced as today' is not a 'fact', sorry, and I imagine a great deal many people would disagree with that statement. It's all opinion anyway when it comes to favourite games/consoles/eras. Personally I just love the fact that so many people continue to love the games of the past, and if anything it's continuing to grow.
I was there. Born in 1985, growing up as a kid in the 90’s was truly the greatest. Soooooo many memories!! Soooooo many good times!! Soooo many good games!! I wouldn’t trade my childhood for anyone born within the last 30 YEARS!! I truly miss those days. 😢
We're just a few years apart... I'm going on 47 (I think, sometimes I forget lol). Around 4 I had my Atari 2600 kicking my butt. Was a little too young to fully appreciate but I still played the heck out of it.
Born in '82. Watching this was like seeing a highlight reel for a large chunk of my life. I'm glad to see someone point out that while the gaming scene by itself was warm and nostalgic, it was also the surrounding media and people in our lives that helped enhance both the magic of that era and each other. What a beautiful video. Thanks.
You're very welcome and so glad you enjoyed that and the message. I really wanted to do something different than the typical out there and highlight what the "feel" and experience of the time more than a chronological exercise. And at least for me (and apparently many others), it always comes down to how we got to share and experience it with others. I hope people take that to heart and continue that trend in their lives now best they can, so they'll have similar memories to look back on another 2-3 decades from now.
@@ShmupJunkie Well said (both the video again and your comment above). Yeah, pointing out the human connections is what really resonated with me the most.The part of the video talking about bringing games over to friends houses brought me back to my junior high days. I would literally have a laundry basket full of game rated stuff I would bring to sleepovers. Good times!
@@GanymedeXD Yup! Pop culture is officially dead. the 2000's in many ways felt like a total utter massive step backwards compared to the 90's, especially the early 90's. All was right, in my mind, at around 88-93, but once 1996 arrived things gradually started to get worse, with the exception of video games. ;)
Hands down, this is the best little nostalgia documentary about the culture of our generations that grew up on 80s and 90s video games... You made me think a lot about why it meant so much to us all. This is an extremely tasteful, thought provoking, and well done piece, my friend. Thank you for producing this.
Dang, you sure did. I was in 77, so it was early 80s by the time I was old enough to appreciate much. Atari 2600 years maybe, but I didn't really fall in love with it until the 8bit era. I still played the heck out of my 2600 though even if it kicked my ass as a 4yr old haha. But man do I remember the arcades fondly even as a toddler.
Imagine being a kid now with the games we have available today... The progression of games since my childhood was perfect.. growing up with poor graphics but insanely challenging games and slowly becoming more and more beautiful and immersive as I became more advanced as a person was magic. Young children shouldn't be given the latest offering if they want to have a real journey.. too much hard sell within the games now.. it's a bad direction for the experience. But times they are a changing as always
I would just like to point out that the life most of us in the Western world experienced during the '80s and '90s was all due to the hard work of those that came before us. Our grandparents, great-grandparents and our ancestors. We wouldn't have had the luxuries and free time we did if it wasn't for them. For that, none of us can thank them enough.
Very well put. In my case, we were immigrant refugees that arrived with nothing. And the opportunity the US gave them to start a life and raise a family can't be understated. I owe my childhood to the hard work my family put in to provide for me. Then it was my turn to do the same. Now I'm blessed to finally be in a place where I can do something like this as a hobby and bring some extra positivity into people's lives.
@@ShmupJunkie That's a beauiful story, brother! Thank you for sharing that. Your videos really are a blessing, and your love of these games and what they mean to your life really comes through in your videos. Of course, many of us feel the same way! 👍
True. It's like we were the "easy times make soft men" in the "Hard times make strong men, strong men make easy times, easy times make soft men, soft men make hard times" story. We are currently in the "soft men make hard times" portion.
@@DevanteWeary For sure. It's almost like time is cyclical, compared to linear. Always repeating until the end -- assuming there even is an end! You know, due to the cyclical nature of time. My head hurts, I must slumber now. 😆
Dude!!! So much to unpack and so much to say that I can’t possibly post in a mere YT comment. Every segment spoke to me, so much so that’ll have me watching this for years to come. Absolutely fantastic production, editing, music (big up Zak Vortex for making all the feels real) and most of all, the writing was sublime. Congratulations buddy, you’ve only gone and created yet another classic. Thanks so much for reliving the best eras of gaming and sharing it with the world!!
Thank you so much my friend. Really glad you got out of it what I put into it. I wanted to make something different and that I could watch myself some decades from now and enjoy. It took 3 months of work but I'm proud of the end result. Zak Vortex's music definitely kept me going and inspired me while working on this.
Extremely well done video! Hearing the music of all the different games and seeing games I haven't thought about in years, like Bionic Commando made this video hit home for me.
The chick in the thumbnail is from the cover of a Playboy I stole from my dad in the 90's. She's nude hunkered down on rollerblades. Brought back that good old 90's nostalgia, thanks.
I have that issue tucked away in my vintage porn collection. I think I was around 14 when my cousin and I were always on the hunt for ammunition and found this in a neighbors garage.
One of the best videos I’ve seen on remembering the 80’s and 90’s in gaming and entertainment! Thank you so much for taking the time to make this video…I treasured being a child and growing up during this era…I told my friend while sharing this video with him: “You hit the nostalgia button with a megaton force…”. That’s an understatement dude…thank you beyond words once again!
Low key, bringing tears to muly eyes with that tone you take. Videogames were my everything from 2 years old til my name became Dad. Our kids these days will never know the magic we felt being there for the whole thing.
You're right on that and also used to deal with a lot of those myself and even getting those titles isn't the same of actually living in that era considering what now is lost which is a lot.
At first, the CD games and 3D had a massive wow factor. At least for me and CD games on the PC Engine. I think it's because they were still the same style of games only amped up with newer tech. But once we got used to it, I agree I started to miss the older chip tunes and style of gaming in general. I guess that's why we still play arcade style games so often and I focus my channel on them.
Oh I agree with you there, about the charm. I've recently been playing Bari-Arm and Popful Mail on the Sega CD they both gave me that internal "this is cool" feeling.
This is one of the best RUclips uploads I’ve seen in a long time. From anyone. I’m 40, I refuse to let go of the 80’s and 90’s 😂. It was just such a special time to be a part of. I’ll be watching this video well into the future. Thank you!
As a 41 year old man...... This hits me right in the feels. If I could go back in time, 1995 would be the year. It was the last real year of the 16bit consoles so both Sega and Nintendo had some great games around that time and the excitement of the 32/64bit consoles was just around the corner. The arcades were at their height with the most popular games from Konami, Capcom, SNK, Taito, Midway etc being available. PC gaming was taking off with CD based games like Doom, Duke3d, Tie Fighter, Lucas Arts games etc. The internet was still an infant so no such thing as Tik Tok and I was 13/14 years old with mates who I would go riding and exploring with and would stay over at mates houses for the night and we would go crazy on Pepsi and Doritos playing street fighter, mortal Kombat, contra 3, turtles in time etc all night long. And not to mention we had that one rich friend who had a neo geo and a 3DO with the light guns and Mad Dog Mcree.... It was a good year for me and my friends. And I was big into grunge, punk and metal so listening to Metallica, Pantera, offspring, greenday, pearl jam, Alice in chains etc and making mix tapes for my walkman was just icing on the cake.
@@buckeyechad1 all of the above. It was the last real year of the 16bit consoles so both Sega and Nintendo had some great games around that time and the excitement of the 32/64bit consoles was just around the corner. The arcades were at their height with the most popular games from Konami, Capcom, SNK, Taito, Midway etc being available. PC gaming was taking off with CD based games like Doom, Duke3d, Tie Fighter, Lucas Arts games etc. The internet was still an infant so no such thing as Tik Tok and I was 13/14 years old with mates who I would go riding and exploring with and would stay over at mates houses for the night and we would go crazy on Pepsi and Doritos playing street fighter, mortal Kombat, contra 3, turtles in time etc all night long. And not to mention we had that one rich friend who had a neo geo and a 3DO with the light guns and Mad Dog Mcree.... It was a good year for me and my friends.
You did an exceptional job of reminding us what it was like back then. You've brought to life some long dormant memories. As a "gaming junkie" I've never stopped gaming but it was nice to touch base on something that I took for granted. Not gonna lie, some bittersweet memories were included. But overall, like you said, I wouldn't change a thing. If I am lucky enough to live to my 90s I'll still be gaming then and it's such a big and important part of my life I'll probably die with a controller in my hands. That might sound a bit too much, but my own grandfather is very much the same, he's in his 90s now , and *still* playing his N64 and PS2 and in fact a few weeks ago we had to hunt down a replacement PS2 for him. Maybe it's in our families blood but we are gamers through and through lol. But anyways, I imagine anyone watching this video probably gets that for some us it isn't just a hobby but part of our identity and even our way of life.
I never post comments online (in fact this is my first on RUclips lol) but I felt compelled to after watching this. You absolutely nailed it and brought back a tidal wave of nostalgia. I feel truly blessed to have experienced that golden era of video gaming. It felt like we were living in a magical world full of heart, meaning and purpose. The best years of my life. Thank you for reminding us of how special a time it really was by bringing it all together in this brilliant video montage. 👏👏👏
Thank you so much for the honest and thoughtful comment. I’m glad the video had enough of an impression to get you to comment. So I had to respond before it got buried. Hopefully it’s something you can come back to in the future if you’re ever feeling that nostalgic itch or for something uplifting. I certainly had a good time putting it together and have been overwhelmed by the response.
I can also say it brought back memories of me too and also some of those games I did play with some of that and also dealt with Castelvania Rondo of Blood not on a Turbografx-16 but it got ported over on a handheld of Playstaion named PSP under Castlevania Dracula X chronicles along with some others it was the early 2000's and I was different then really were cool times which sadly can't deal now and much outgoing along with other parts sold it since life was tough though later got to some emulation experiments with that as well. Sadly life went rough and things went down fast.
Thanks Shmup Junkie and these days it really went to disaster and inflation not what we experienced in the 80's and 90's. Along with a whole host of places that are now gone besides Borders and Blockbuster.
Born in 1979, in Brazil. Had an Atari 2600, then a Sega Master System, (and my friends had NES clones). It was just like that: playing a lot with friends, buying game magazines, renting cartridges on saturday morning, going to crowded a Arcade (called Fliperama here) to play Street Fighter II (we didn't use quartes on arcade, we used tokens, that looked like old telephone tokens, I still have 2 arcade tokens!) Later, had a Sega Mega Drive, a Super Nintendo and a 486 DX4 where I've discovered LucasFilm Adventure games, Wolf 3D, Etc... And later, emulators. Now, Switch with my kids. Good times, they'll never come back. So enjoy the moment! And I can assure something: today's kids love some classic stuff! You just need to show them!
An awesome essay on why we nostalgia so hard for this era as gamers. I was definitely the bullied nerd and games and computers were me escape. It's a love I still have to this day, but thankfully, I no longer need them to escape the world's cruelty, at least not often.
I have to admit that this was one of the most thoughtful, nostalgic videos that I've seen put together on RUclips. No corny jokes or extra antics, just a great stroll down memory lane with narration that was greatly executed. Well done!
I don't comment on many videos but 3 minutes in....This, this is just beautifully done to capture that childhood nostalgia. You have brought a tear to this 41 year olds eye. Well done! Nothing beats that comradery between single and competitive games. A standing ovation to you, my friend!
This video needs to be framed and put on a mantlepiece! The great selection of clips and stock photos, the fonts, Zak Vortex' music - a lot of love went into this video, so kudos to you and all involved, good sir!
Thanks! Yes I put a lot of love into this. It’s a personal video for me. One of my favorite things about it is most of the photos are not stock at all. They’re my personal photos I’m lucky enough to still have plus several people on my discord that contributed their childhood photos too. It added a lot of authenticity to the storytelling. I doubt most will recognize me in most of them.
I was the poor kid who couldn't afford anything but had rich friends who would get all the newest goodies. I finally got a SNES because it was my grandma's and she passed away. I remember renting Chrono Trigger from the video store and buying link to the past and super Metroid. Those moments changed my life forever. I don't think new generations have the same experience. I stopped playing for twenty years but got hospitalized for a month and started playing a switch. Now I'm a gamer again and it's helping me out like it used to.
OMG I agree with every single word you said. I never expected as a 42 years old man that this video would a made a tear in my eye. Thank you so much for bringing those memories back..
hahaha, you know what's funny? For many, people still feel like graphics never got any better. They prefer the pixel art and I love it too, but I can appreciate all the tech advances as well. Now we can have amazing pixel art and/or modern tech with the tools available. The indie games are just getting better and better.
@@ShmupJunkie I agree, the majority of new games I find myself playing are indie games, usually w pixel art. I love how far devs have pushed pixel art, it's gotten pretty insane.
Thanks for the contribution! 👍🏻 I’m a fellow Russian… my family having emigrated to the US as refugees in the 80s to escape the rampant antisemitism at the time. I was barely 2 when we left. Had we stayed my 80s and 90s would have been very different!
I remember my best friend got all the Nintendo consoles and games and I got all the Sega games and we would play all the games sharing at each others homes... Good Times..
I think the limitations sets a bar so only very talented ppl can make games. in the modern era with the likes of unreal any pleb can make a game with little investment. this just a thought and there are still bangers out there.
No. No it was not. Some of it was good. A lot of it completely sucked. There's a lot more good music being made now. I ought to know. Around a third of what I listen to is video game music. What do I listen to? Hyper Light Drifter. Bastion. To the Moon. Journey. FURI. Haven. Mass Effect. Tetris Effect. VA/HALL-A. IJI. Horizon Forbidden West. Nier Automata. There's good old stuff out there. But not like now.
But if you want to hear really good old video game music, it's the PC ENGINE you want. Or a rock soundtrack on Genesis like Road Rash, Eliminate Down, or Thunder Force III.
Thanks man! And thank you so so much for letting me use some of your music in the video. It really made a world of difference and helped inspire me along the way. I hope others enjoy it as much as I do and it sends some more people your way. It's been great to see your work hit the top of the charts!
Thank you so much for this splendid and moving video which reminds all of us, born in the 70s, of how we fought to have our passion recognized as a form of art and culture. How we grew up and learned as much from video games as from books, films, cartoons, music and comics. How we have witnessed a profound social and cultural change. How videogames have helped us understand the value of our passions, making us more sensitive, curious and independent. Thank you very much, I hope from the bottom of my heart that the message of this video will also help the youngest to seek new heights of creativity and awareness in all fields of culture, including videogames.
You’re very welcome and thank you for the thoughtful and deep comment. And the generous super thanks 🙏 Seeing so many others in the comments resonate with the overall message means a lot. We don’t live in a vacuum and as social animals we interpret and experience everything through our relationships. As much as I love all the games and culture of the time, it wouldn’t have had nearly the impact if I was isolated or communicating through electronic devices most of the time. Getting my son into tabletop D&D when he was younger and seeing how he fell in love with it (and still plays), playing in a campaign together, will always be a favorite memory of mine.
The 70s/80s/90s were so nostalgic for video games because it was a time of many firsts. Most of the game types were pioneered and slowly improved upon over time. We saw some of the most advancements in gaming in such a short period of time. From blocks and lines with bleeps and bloops to distinguishable characters with amazing background music.
Born in '83, I truly did get to experience this magical era. I was fortunate enough to get the Nintendo, Super NES, N64 and Gamecube. My cousins and I grew up going to the local Blockbuster and picking up a couple of games for the weekend, and also spending hours on co-op games.
So many memories of heading down to our local video store(Mega Videos) in the late 80's/early 90's and seeing the big selection of NES games for rent, with those fluorescent pink, blue & Green empty plastic cases standing behind the actual boxes, topped with those Smiley/Sad faced clamps which symbolized if the game was in or out for rent. Just seeing Mega Man 2's box art right before my eyes for the first time truly something else at the age of 6. The fun neon coloured fashion, big hair, awesome video store interior/decor, i could go on and on. Lets just say, the world used to be a LOT more fun back then. And the thing that sucks about getting old, is that memories can fade, and may not have the same impact, or be as nostalgic or vivid as they once were even compared to thinking about those exact memories 10+ years ago, like i did in my mid to late 20's. I guess that's what happens when memories become even more distant, plus your brain winds up making space for new ones. :P
Amazing video as ever! Here in Brazil my brother and I after Atari 2600 we almost grew up with computers games like 8bit MSX1/2 and 16bit Amiga 500/1200.
You were lucky in your very own way to grow up with systems most of us (including me) in the US didn't know about and couldn't play. I've been slowly catching up. I was too young during the Atari years so it never grabbed me the same. It was the 8bit and PC games that started my love affair.
Awesome episode dude I'm 53 back then we would all get together and pick different games for Christmas so we could play different genres it was truly the golden age
Born in '81. THESE WERE THE DAYS. Screw a pixel trophy, you were surrounded by friends and cheers. Nothing that happens, or is made, today can hold a candle to what was back then.
I won't lie, it brought some to mine while editing and seeing how certain segments came out. Super stoked with it and how much it's resonating with people so far. It was worth all the effort.
Probably my favorite video of yours. For some reason, I get so sentimental about those times in my life and the memories I had as a kid. Thanks for the trip down Memory Lane.
You're very welcome and love to hear it. So thank you. It's similar to an older video I did Amazing Shoot Em Ups of the 80s and 90s. The first 5 minutes of that video is what I used as a template for this one. I love making them so glad you enjoyed it.
That was beautiful I won't lie. It's funny. I never even grew up around those golden age years. Like I was a 2000's kid. But I still feel that nostalgia because of my experience playing them through emulation or playing em through Wii VC. Genuinely, I love em and I'm glad Indie games do preserve the elements of those older titles that make em fun. Those eras once considered bygone are now like easier to access than ever with stuff like a Steam Deck.
18:55 - Wow, I choked up a little... Damn it. This video is fantastic, dude. It does such a good job of breaking everything down, and even turning a lens on the psychology behind our passion that still burns to this day. I feel incredibly blessed to have got to experience the 80s as a child, and the 90s as a teen, but I do feel extremely lost and disconnected in this world today, and I think my way of coping with that was to fill up my room with tons of nostalgic artifacts that made me happy or reminded of "better times," but maybe what I really needed was a connection with someone who could relate to me and the things I loved -- a hard thing to find in adulthood, I'm finding.
Thank you for the awesome and very open comment. Not everyone has the humility or ability to self reflect in that way and be honest with themselves. It’s something I’ve wanted to articulate and present in the right way for a while and this video ended up the perfect opportunity. So I love hearing the feedback that it resonated with a lot of people. So many feel lost and disconnected right now.
This video brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for the trip down memory lane. I still have my NES and SNES but no longer have friends coming over to play
Really glad you enjoyed it. And yeah, I hear you. It's not quite the same, even if it's the same game. Can't replicate those days, but it sure helps to still enjoy them with others of like mind.
Brought a tear to my eye, bro. Born in 87 and half my childhood was divided between one half in texas and the second half living in california. a culture shock if you will.
I feel so fortunate to have been a teenager in the 80s and in my 20s in the 90s. those were good times. never had to worry about getting shot in school but enjoyed shooting things up in the arcade. countless hours in the arcade then go home and spend countless hours of more gaming
My fondest memory with arcade was Metal Slug 1, it reminds me of my friend from back then, sadly wrongly killed by thug. We were both the masters of MS; we could beat the game without losing a single life. And when we play together, everyone gathered around to watch how crazy hard the game can get with two players, and ofc, we beat it every time.
Hey Shinu! Dude, I'm so sorry. I know it was long ago, but I can imagine that happening at a young age and how it effects the rest of your life. With you being so good at the Metal Slug games, you likely understand the mechanics and what makes it so good on a deeper level. Maybe one of your future projects would be in that style, arcade run n' gun. You certainly have the art skills for it. But you already have enough projects to work on haha
How I the world could you do that? Amazing dude. I ❤ed Metal Slug in the arcade. I think I own every Metal Slug collection for every console. Not Neo Geo of course. Props!
No worries at all, live goes on. I still remember him every time MS1 is mentioned and when I occasionally see his phone number in my contacts. And yeah, I may go for a small action platformer after my little shmup is done. Small projects like those are the best when time isn't that available.@@ShmupJunkie
Well, all thanks to the small fortune of coins I've put into arcade cabinets all around the neighborhood lol After MS1 I moved to MS2, I was able to get to the last stage with all my lives, but then I stopped going to the arcade and turned into a console person.@@buckeyechad1
Thanks! And you're welcome. I worked my butt off on it so I do hope everyone gets an equal amount of enjoyment from it. I'll try not to take nearly as long with the next one haha
So many memories for a 41 years old man. I lived the Atari Era, the NES vs Master System era, the SNES vs Sega Genesis era, the Arcade era, the Computer Games era... I lived the era of the great rock and heavy metal bands of the 80's, the king (Michael Jackson) and queen (Madonna) of pop, the teen bands of the 90's, the era of the greatest films in the cinema, the era when tv was really great entertainment. the MTV era It may be nostalgia, but I still firmly believe that children born in the 80s had the most lively childhood of all generations.
That "what an incredible time it was to game, and you'll remember why, you wouldn't give that up for the world" statement got me a little teary-eyed. Man, how I miss that golden era of gaming.
I was speaking the truth too, at least for me. I used to get down on feeling older and reminding myself that had I been born another time, I would have missed out on so much that I'm thankful I was around for. It helps me feel like I'm the exact age I was meant to be. Really glad you enjoyed the video!
@@Rick_Smooth Not at all. I was born in 77. Came to the US as Russian Jewish refugees when I was 3yrs old. So I became just old enough during the mid 80s onward to remember and appreciate it.
This era held a significant place in my life. Born in '76, my earliest passion involved scrounging up quarters to indulge in games like Double Dragon, Rampage, and Karnov. Fond memories were built through playing Mega Man and Contra with my neighbor, and the enchantment of my first RPG, Dragon Warrior. Countless hours were spent immersed in the world of Metroid on the NES. As a teenager, one of my closest friends had a family-owned arcade, where I created some of my fondest teen memories with games like Street Fighter 2, Virtual On, X-Men: Children of the Atom, and Tekken. Reflecting on those years, it's a bit melancholic when I now visit arcades with my son. I reminisce about the days when arcades were spaces for competition and interaction, marked by the etiquette of lining up quarters for the next game on the cabinet. Sadly, those times have passed, but I am genuinely grateful to have experienced them. The unique charm of competing and connecting with others in those arcade settings, the simple act of placing quarters in line - these are memories I hold dear. Though the era is gone, I feel fortunate to have lived through it. The games and the myriad memories associated with them are treasures that won't be replicated.
Very well said ❤. I’ll add that lining up at a local 7-11 waiting my turn with a quarter on the glass is something I’ll always miss. I’d always visit with a couple friends. When we were lucky enough for it to not be busy, we had some great times playing against each other. Like a regular activity on most weekends for a while.
This is so well articulated, edited, and presented. I will be citing this in an editorial that I should begin work on sometime this month dealing with "Differences in Deliverances." This video deserves so many more views for so many reasons.
I'm 25, so barely a 90's kid (if you can even consider me one) but I connect so much with this, video games are a passion, and one made to be shared with others
Thanks! So glad you enjoyed it and welcome to the channel. I’ve got a lot of great nostalgic content and history videos so hope you find more to enjoy. 😊
Pretty awesome retrospective and I think you really nailed what nostalgia is/can be. Which is mourning for lost connection. It took a while for me to realize that as I grew my collection of arcade machines and consoles, that what I was really missing was all the friends and people I played with through the years. From playing Donkey Kong on 2600 with my brother, to Street Fighter 2 with my buddy Chris to Halo lan parties to even World of Warcraft. It’s all been about connections as much as it’s been about the games. Thanks for that !!
I'm so so glad you got that from the video as it was such a driving force behind my making it. A lot of self reflection and thinking about what truly made that time special for me beyond having cool games to play. You summarized it very well and I hope a lot more people get that from watching. Not just to realize what they may or not have already known, but to apply it to their lives now. Or maybe realize that if they feel lost, it's because they're focusing on the games and not applying what made their early years memorable. There's nothing stopping us now from living that way. Yet we often don't due to busy life, responsibilities or just losing that ability to connect with others (especially during the pandemic). I really enjoyed making this and hope people enjoy that it's different and not the typical history/chronological exercise.
The old games were incredible and still are because the programmers had so little memory to play with, so they had to weave magic to make them. Unlike today, where memory isn't a problem, the content is cut, and the games are boring.
The more we have to be creative due to all sorts of limitations, the more magic we're often able to create. Very much agree. New tech is fantastic, but always a double edged sword. Sometimes it helps to have limitations because it forces you to become extra creative in terms of hooks and gameplay. Or even the visuals and music.
Zak Vortex's gorgeous music and your fantastic writing made this quite the emotional experience. I think you hit the nail on the head: the games are fantastic, but it's really each other that we miss.
Thanks, really appreciate that feedback. I know it's different for everyone, but as human beings it's just our natural biology and how we evolved. All the best stories are built around our relationships to each other and community as opposed to the backdrop where they took place or the specifics of what we did. I tried to do something different with this video and focus on that, hoping it would resonate with others like it does with me. And yes! Zak Vortex's music was awesome and helped inspire me while I was working on it. I hope even more people check out his work through this video.
Being born in 1977 I can identify with every single second of this masterpiece of a video. Such great work man. Talk about nailing it. Best time to be a kid, I was lucky to live through that golden era.
What made Gaming in the 80s and 90s so memorable? Why we still can't stop playing the classics and get so nostalgic over old game carts, magazines and arcades. Sure, the games were incredible with the birth of nearly every popular franchise we continue to play. But the games were only part of the story! What are some of your fondest memories of the time and what makes them so special for you?
getting street fighter two at home seemed physically impossible at the time
Systems were unique. Games were unique. Nowadays, everything is so easily exchangeable. To me, this is the essence of your video. And I totally agree.
I will nevver forget the arcades. Back in the day, with bo internet, you had street cred. Arcades where a good way to get that.
I temember winning a street fighter champion edition tournament near my high school. We would go there for hours and skip school in the afternoon to go play. I also remember how i was dominating with Voldo in soulcaliber 2. What was great is that i started working when i was 15. So by 17yo (1998) i had my drivers license a car and money.
So i would bring my friends and brothers to the arcades.
Such great days.
I would borrow my Dad Chevy van with 2 row of seats. Fill it up and hit the arcade. Was so great.
I also remember DDR REVOLUTION.
I remember playing on the hardest difficulty, with speed x2. Live at the arcade. I would complete the songs on perdect AA. EVERYONE would watch. I remember my biggest time was when the whole arcadw AND PEOPLE OUTSIDE (Bay windows) were looking.
Having all this energy/emotions LIVE made for great moments.
Kids today dont even know what they are missing.
Everything was so magical and the best thing about those era has been the need of imagination: with your own mind, you started to shape all the things that those pixels let us perceive just as basic forms! But yeah, at the same time, pixel art was amazing: in fact, nowadays we still have pixel art! Also the first polygonal games were incredible for us, they were like a first sign of a big era that was coming just for bringing us an additional dimension of fun. Today I watch my closet full of games, figures and comics and I look at them as something more than codes, plastic and paper...as you said they were and still are more, they're always been our symbols of connection with the world, the meaning of our lives. And, every time I look at them I remember that they were the reason for the man I am now, defects included.
...'cause nobody is perfect, yeah.
I miss local co-op back in the day. My friends had different consoles to me so we'd go round each others houses to play each others games. Great times.
Gaming had such an affect on my life I was trying to break into the industry for many years. Still am. Now making my own as an indie.
Didn't think I was going feel sad watching this video but here we are 🤣...
I was born at the right time! I was an 80s kid and a 90s teen! I was able to play the 8-bit, 16-bit eras! Probably two of the best decades for gaming in general in my opinion! The pure nostalgia, fun and frustration playing some of these games are cemented in my mind. Thanks for the trip down memory lane 😊
Every time I feel old, I do remind myself of that more than anything. I really wouldn't give up growing up during that time for just about anything. It was an awesome time!
Kids of today Will never understand how great we had it
Yeah this is a really great video full of the feels. I was born in Dec 1980 in the UK. Have fond memories of that time, even though the first console I actually owned was a sega Saturn. My dad gave me his c64 as a kid then I got an Amiga 500. Up until age 15 don't think I owned a game that wasn't pirated haha. then 1200 then I built my first pc when I got my first job when was 17. Then started the console years
@@grgmj1980 I believed that we were born in some of the best time to be alive since the history of humanity. Nothing less. After 2nd WW up until 2010 or around. I dont know exactly when, i would say 2012ish.
Those days are gone now.
84 here whats up guys
Man, this hit me right in the soul... Born in '79.... This entire vid basically recapped my life... 👍
Same here dude! Every game that was shown, I played and I had all the toys, magazines etc. Man I had it good.
Me too
Ditto. Born in ‘79 and we got the best of the best video game experiences.
Born in 80. Magical time I am sad that probably won't be recreated for a long time unless something else transformative comes along.
Me too. I still keep in the original box SNES NTSC with Super Mario World plus bonus game Super Mario The Last Levels I received it just for a receipt I paid for the console in toysRus. Yes we where sharing games with others and love it so much to meat each others and play together. Nowadays, recent days everybody are selfish and share their game experience (to others and on social media) with huge pride of what game with how strong and expensive computer, console they played with the most top graphics. Todays games are never gonna be the same as before, giving us joy spending times together and sharing same experience. Oh God miss those times.
not gonna lie, this hit my heart spot on. You made an 36 year old man tear up, and its been awhile. thank you
You’re very welcome and so appreciative of your honesty and feedback. I tried to be as authentic and vulnerable as possible putting the video together and I’d hoped it would resonate with others. I’m truly grateful to see how many people have felt touched by it.
37 and right there with you! This hit me super hard in the feels.
I felt the same way. At 37 years old, all I could think of was the memories. Everything mentioned in this video brought back memories of how things used to be. How cool it would be to be able to go back and live it all again.
@@ShmupJunkieYou did an amazing job and should be proud
It will touch so many people
Wow, 42 and with the rest of you. This has been one of the most profound and reflective videos I have watched for awhile. Thanks!
born in 71, so I got to witness the complete beginning of Video games all the way back to home pong systems before cartridges and this was magic recaptured, awesome work my man!
Born in 73 ..yeah our generation got to see it all.going from atari to colecovision to nes was insane
@@charlesmurphy1840 my brother
Born in 76 and so happy to have experienced all this.
70 for me , had all the home computers and consoles at some point . Atari ( consoles and computers ), Spectrum, Sega ,Nintendo , PS and Xbox . Never better than the 80s and going on days to the coast and seeing what games were in the arcades
You and me both. We also had pong. I went through so many systems starting with Odyssey 2 and Intelevision which were hand me downs from my brother. I loved every minute
It's not simply nostalgia. Everything really was just better back then.
That includes women 😂
racism, sexism, war, yep everything was totally better then bro smh.
@@HungrySquid-z9j kiddo is clueless
What I wouldn't give to go back in time and hit the arcade again. Those were the absolute best days of my life.
Amen, brotha! Sucks adulting lol
People used to smoke cigarettes in the arcades in da 80s
Always older kids to me, but the smell of an independent arcade would still be nostalgic. They would even smoke in Aladdin’s Castle. lol crazy!
Yeah, I miss those days
Yeah and the arcades of today are just smart phone games on larger screens it sucks ass
Born in 81, your video brought a lot of flashbacks from the ups and down of my life.
Also can say it was good and times sure have changed and not for the better also another fact of life in those days places like Chuck E Cheese had actual tokens to use instead of what they now use along with arcades.
Same. 01/23/1981. 🙂 🤝
@@charlieg6913 Really sad though I was born a year after 12/1/1982 and a lot of stores and malls really went since the 80's and 90's. Big examples are Borders, Blockbuster and Toys R Us among others and the mall life went dead as you can see in other videos really sad with the way things are now and still liked those games in the 80s and 90s though now I know computer tech has advanced and well there are ways to turn a computer now to an old console vs when it was back then though for that info you have to look elsewhere and in other groups along with living back in that time period unlike when it was the actual 80s and 90s.
@@kellychuang8373 I completely agree. I miss those days very much. I wish I could go back. I'm always trying to recapture the feeling I had back then, but it's long gone. 💔
@@charlieg6913 Thanks for the move though I know I'm also not a professional RUclipsr either since that needs a lot of work but there are other channels about the old games like 1 known as PatmanQC you may look into and I can't guarantee about getting old consoles playing games that it can work let alone actual old gaming consoles either like I already said have to look in other parts or people and do experiments though people now aren't OK and have a lot of attacks now and it isn't gaming and life back then either that is now under threat today looked into other stuff as well like book bans for another. Among who knows.
Born in 83. I grew up as a little kid in the 80s and big kid/teen in the 90s. I got to experience a lot of this greatness. An amazing time to be a kid
Can I still agree with you if I was born in 81?
@@Kit_BearOnly if 84 counts, too.. 😅
Dude, you were barely a teen in 96, I doubt you were playing 80s games unless you had an older brother that had the old systems
@@GTSN38 hey knucklehead. Glad u grew up in my household. I had an older brother who is 9 years older so at 5 and 6 we were playing nes non stop. Also played the shit out of his Atari 2600. Just because he had it doesn’t mean I didn’t play it or have nostalgia for it. I then got a snes for Xmas in 91 and a genesis in 92 a sega cd the following year and a ps1 in 95 and a n64 in 96. Not to mention the countless Saturdays with my buddies in the early 90s spending sat afternoons at our mall food court arcade. So let me say, yes. I had them, played them and they are part of my memory. But thanks for coming
@@JeffYPbPr I had a Sega Master System but it wasn't relevant. Homeboy is d**k measuring over nostalgia. 😂 It's funnier (absurd) the more you think about it... acquiring older consoles is cheaper (easier) than current gen. I'm giggling like a school girl... 🤭
I was raised in the 80’s and 90’s. This video hit the nail on the head…gaming was and is an escape. I grew up from that little kid playing the OG Final Fantasy on Christmas morning. I’ve since been a GameStop manager, a banker, a restaurant manager and even a police detective…and gaming is still my escape. I’m still that kid playing video games on Christmas morning
And we wouldn’t have it any other way would we? 😊 It was the same for me, though I do very much miss the competitiveness and camaraderie it entailed within my group of friends. We often lose that growing up as everyone moves on.
@@ShmupJunkie Yeah times were really different then and TV's were made differently also there wasn't troubles like inflation, time and parts to deal with unlike now with places really closing and people really getting offended even with the hardware of that time it wouldn't work nowadays also hearing about attacks on Public Libraries too anyway for anyone looking into it check that out and another thing to worry about Cancel Culture and Karens among many others.
This video literally put me in tears. I really do miss my younger days growing up in the 90's
Yes it also brought that feeling too and also a lot of those old places are either gone or changed so much Chuck E Cheese used to have used actual tokens is 1 example. Among other things that really went.
Being born in 79 gave me the chance to enjoy the best years of childhood there ever were for the age of technology :)
What a time to be a kid!
We're the same age.
I really think 1973 was the perfect time to be born. My brother was born then and literally was able to grow up with an enjoy Nintendo (NES) for example. I was born May 1980, besides Mario and Zelda on NES, I didn't really get into gaming until the Genesis and Snes.
I was born then too. Our minds were polluted by the internet. VHS movies and old games were so special.
I'm a 79 model, too. Those were the greatest days for sure.
Born in '74 so I'll be 50 years old weeks from now.
Hanimex Pong, CBS Colecovision, Atari 2600, Commodore 64, Amiga 500, Amiga 1200 and then PC (in that order) were my systems.
Still have my Amiga 1200 and around 300 of my Computing and Gaming magazines of that time.
Great video ❤
Same year. Still playing, but they aren't as good as they used to be. They sure look better, at least when they run right, but that's it.
I was born in ‘81 and I must say: this is your best video yet and that’s saying something. Comforting, yet heartbreaking and thought-provoking at the same time. What you said about connections is true. Well done.
I think we were truly privileged to witness gaming go from pong to this. I personally saw it go from a tape loaded timex sinclair, then an apple II, then dos, windows, snes, n64, ps2, and from that point I had a career and bought basically all of them. What a ride.
Yeah, same here. Started with the Atari 2600, then c64 over at a friends house, then SNES, PSX, Dreamscast…great times. Now I too have all of them. We were truly privileged.
This is perhaps the greatest video ever put on the internet. I was damn near tearing up at the end. The 80s and 90s...perhaps two of the best decades in the last 100 years. Thank you for the memories.
Born in 79. Raised during the 80s and 90s graduated in 98 which just so happened to be pretty much the end of the best gaming decades ever. From going to circle k and playing gauntlet until the quarters ran out and checking the phones outside for quarters just to go right back and play again. Then go home play baseball outside for a little while or if it was raining get right back to playing the nintendo. Those were the days that will never come around again. Adults and children were playing games alongside each other trying beat the game just realizing the $20 you had can now only buy you an icee and pack of gum or candy. Having to ask the cashier if they have change for a 5 just to drop all the quarters into one cabinet with hopes of beating your friends score or possibly making it onto the high score list on the game. Dang those were some awesome times.
You absolutely nailed it! It’s easy to see the amount of love and hard work you poured into this, and it spoke directly to this 80’s kid start to finish. Beautiful job SJ.
Thanks! I really did try to do something different here and not get bogged down in the technical details or chronological consoles. Focus on what it was like and the relationships. What brought it all together for me, the good and the bad. Really glad you enjoyed it. I'm hoping it's something people can come back to a few times over the years when they need it.
Man, it sucks being old now but being a tween in the early 90's with arcades everywhere was amazing.
Arcades would of went out way earlier if not for sf2. I wasn't at a mall every day or month back then but when I'd go thered be a new fighting game to play. Street fighter 2 started all of that.
Same me and my brother we use to play in that time untill today we still play retro gaming.
arcades were "bars for kids " LOL
I miss being 5 up until my mid 20's. When i was able to completely suspend my disbelief with games & movies, while having that epic level of excitability, major passion and viewing the world as if it were one big magical place. The friends you forged when you were younger, hanging out with their friends or the kids in elementry school, high school and even college. You were constantly getting that flow/dynamic of socializing with multiple people, enjoying your hobbies together or whatever it was that you enjoyed without constantly having to worry about the responsibilities of being an adult.
And I guess it all depends on where you're at in life, but i'd blast back in a heart beat to lets say 1990, instead of being 40 in 2024. :P The friends that i do have aren't in gaming, and most of my family members are out of the picture and we just don't get along that well anymore. Tough pill to swallow compared to how amazing things used to be.
But ya, the internet, social media, and the never ending broccoli haired teenagers/20 year old cell phone zombies and viking birds nest-beard tatoo'd dooders, corporate lifeless soul sucking commercials, garbage pop music and so much more are a total sh** Storm. :P I'm so much happier when I'm at home, living in my late 80's/early 90's bubble. lol Saved by the Bell is calling, with a splash of Batsugun(Switch) and Dino 'Summertime girls'(RUclips) XD Living in the now, while bringing a lot of that past(80's/90s) to the present and blending it all together is how i roll.
The golden age.
The Golden Age is now.
@hyperboreen4854 with online only single player games being a thing, no, not at all we're not even in a bronze age or anything. But my turnaround comment could also be it's much easier to obtain a game one would want nowadays, not a physical copy but to play the game itself, physical games becoming somewhat of luxury also taints that gold era you think it is now
@@hyperboreen4854is it fuck. The thing that irritates me about modern gamers is how dismissive most of them are about retro games, like they're nothing compared to now. Not only is that categorically untrue - and I'm sick of having to pay for hundreds of hours of content on a game AFTER I've already bought it, and I don't need a game to last hundreds of hours, as it should be good enough without needing to be that huge - but it's incredibly disrespectful and ungrateful. Without the creations of the past, none of the games today would exist. Unfortunately, obsession with visuals, audio and online features seems to have taken over from gameplay. That and endless sequels. I'm fairly sure developers are running out of fresh ideas for games.
@@Nightopian1982 I play video games since the 80s, I love old games, but that doesn't change the fact that there have never been so many good games produced as today. Maybe expand your horizons, don't limit yourself to 2 genres and actually play some modern games other than the big obvious soulless AAA of the year (and some AAA are very good don't get me wrong). Try to be curious instead of complaining.
@@hyperboreen4854 You don't need to patronise me. It may stagger you to hear this, but I have actually played many of the modern era games (where's this 'two genres' remark come from anyway?), and I personally just don't enjoy them as much overall (and I never said I don't like any). I'm buying a Switch this year too.
Arguments about such things are subjective anyway. Saying 'there have never been so many good games produced as today' is not a 'fact', sorry, and I imagine a great deal many people would disagree with that statement. It's all opinion anyway when it comes to favourite games/consoles/eras. Personally I just love the fact that so many people continue to love the games of the past, and if anything it's continuing to grow.
1980 here. Boy, you've just destroyed my heart into pieces with this gorgeous video.
I was there. Born in 1985, growing up as a kid in the 90’s was truly the greatest. Soooooo many memories!! Soooooo many good times!! Soooo many good games!! I wouldn’t trade my childhood for anyone born within the last 30 YEARS!! I truly miss those days. 😢
Ahhhh yes. 80s baby 90s teenager….the greatest joy ❤
Yes sadly they're gone in our times now along with everything else then.
Great video. I’m 46 and this video hit close to home. So many great memories of that era. Truly a one of a kind generation.
43 here, and I subscribe every word you said.
Will be 44 this year, and love gaming as much as I did when I started at 4 with my Odyssey II! #RETROGAMING4EVER :)
We're just a few years apart... I'm going on 47 (I think, sometimes I forget lol). Around 4 I had my Atari 2600 kicking my butt. Was a little too young to fully appreciate but I still played the heck out of it.
Born in '82. Watching this was like seeing a highlight reel for a large chunk of my life. I'm glad to see someone point out that while the gaming scene by itself was warm and nostalgic, it was also the surrounding media and people in our lives that helped enhance both the magic of that era and each other. What a beautiful video. Thanks.
You're very welcome and so glad you enjoyed that and the message. I really wanted to do something different than the typical out there and highlight what the "feel" and experience of the time more than a chronological exercise. And at least for me (and apparently many others), it always comes down to how we got to share and experience it with others. I hope people take that to heart and continue that trend in their lives now best they can, so they'll have similar memories to look back on another 2-3 decades from now.
@@ShmupJunkie Well said (both the video again and your comment above). Yeah, pointing out the human connections is what really resonated with me the most.The part of the video talking about bringing games over to friends houses brought me back to my junior high days.
I would literally have a laundry basket full of game rated stuff I would bring to sleepovers. Good times!
Born in '74 lived my best life in the 80's-90's thanks for bring us back to the good old days. 😎👍💯
Same here! Since 2000 everything became a blurry mash … nothing authentic and special …
@@GanymedeXD
Yup! Pop culture is officially dead. the 2000's in many ways felt like a total utter massive step backwards compared to the 90's, especially the early 90's. All was right, in my mind, at around 88-93, but once 1996 arrived things gradually started to get worse, with the exception of video games. ;)
Hands down, this is the best little nostalgia documentary about the culture of our generations that grew up on 80s and 90s video games... You made me think a lot about why it meant so much to us all. This is an extremely tasteful, thought provoking, and well done piece, my friend. Thank you for producing this.
I was born in 1971 so I got to see the evolution of video games from the beginning.
Dang, you sure did. I was in 77, so it was early 80s by the time I was old enough to appreciate much. Atari 2600 years maybe, but I didn't really fall in love with it until the 8bit era. I still played the heck out of my 2600 though even if it kicked my ass as a 4yr old haha. But man do I remember the arcades fondly even as a toddler.
I can never get enough of these kind of documentaries. The nostalgia is real. Thanks!
Same here
Also can say thanks as well used to live in that time too and encountered some of that as well.
The golden age of gaming.. glad I was at the right age to experience all this. Gaming back then was different, more exciting in my opinion.
No battle passes. Games tried to be fun for X hours and finished rather than something you played for the rest of your life. Inherently far superior.
Imagine being a kid now with the games we have available today... The progression of games since my childhood was perfect.. growing up with poor graphics but insanely challenging games and slowly becoming more and more beautiful and immersive as I became more advanced as a person was magic. Young children shouldn't be given the latest offering if they want to have a real journey.. too much hard sell within the games now.. it's a bad direction for the experience. But times they are a changing as always
I wish I could go back to 90s because everything was so much better. Honestly everything started going to shit when mobile phones started taking off
I would just like to point out that the life most of us in the Western world experienced during the '80s and '90s was all due to the hard work of those that came before us. Our grandparents, great-grandparents and our ancestors. We wouldn't have had the luxuries and free time we did if it wasn't for them. For that, none of us can thank them enough.
Very well put. In my case, we were immigrant refugees that arrived with nothing. And the opportunity the US gave them to start a life and raise a family can't be understated. I owe my childhood to the hard work my family put in to provide for me. Then it was my turn to do the same. Now I'm blessed to finally be in a place where I can do something like this as a hobby and bring some extra positivity into people's lives.
@@ShmupJunkie That's a beauiful story, brother! Thank you for sharing that. Your videos really are a blessing, and your love of these games and what they mean to your life really comes through in your videos. Of course, many of us feel the same way! 👍
True. It's like we were the "easy times make soft men" in the "Hard times make strong men, strong men make easy times, easy times make soft men, soft men make hard times" story.
We are currently in the "soft men make hard times" portion.
Good point you're right 👏
@@DevanteWeary For sure. It's almost like time is cyclical, compared to linear. Always repeating until the end -- assuming there even is an end! You know, due to the cyclical nature of time. My head hurts, I must slumber now. 😆
This documentary is just PERFECT.....
Dude!!!
So much to unpack and so much to say that I can’t possibly post in a mere YT comment.
Every segment spoke to me, so much so that’ll have me watching this for years to come.
Absolutely fantastic production, editing, music (big up Zak Vortex for making all the feels real) and most of all, the writing was sublime.
Congratulations buddy, you’ve only gone and created yet another classic.
Thanks so much for reliving the best eras of gaming and sharing it with the world!!
Thank you so much my friend. Really glad you got out of it what I put into it. I wanted to make something different and that I could watch myself some decades from now and enjoy. It took 3 months of work but I'm proud of the end result. Zak Vortex's music definitely kept me going and inspired me while working on this.
I couldnt have expresseed it better. I've rewinded so many times...its literally my childhood to 20's. I'll be rewatching this for years.
Extremely well done video! Hearing the music of all the different games and seeing games I haven't thought about in years, like Bionic Commando made this video hit home for me.
The chick in the thumbnail is from the cover of a Playboy I stole from my dad in the 90's. She's nude hunkered down on rollerblades. Brought back that good old 90's nostalgia, thanks.
Julie Clarke!
Did your dad find out where you kept it?
I stole my copy from an uncle, my dad did find mine and stole it from me.😂 ahh, memories.
april 1991...i know...because reasons
I have that issue tucked away in my vintage porn collection. I think I was around 14 when my cousin and I were always on the hunt for ammunition and found this in a neighbors garage.
One of the best videos I’ve seen on remembering the 80’s and 90’s in gaming and entertainment! Thank you so much for taking the time to make this video…I treasured being a child and growing up during this era…I told my friend while sharing this video with him: “You hit the nostalgia button with a megaton force…”. That’s an understatement dude…thank you beyond words once again!
Low key, bringing tears to muly eyes with that tone you take. Videogames were my everything from 2 years old til my name became Dad. Our kids these days will never know the magic we felt being there for the whole thing.
You're right on that and also used to deal with a lot of those myself and even getting those titles isn't the same of actually living in that era considering what now is lost which is a lot.
The 90's was definitely the peak of this type of gaming. Once 3D and eventually CD quality audio became the norm, the wow factor just... diminished.
At first, the CD games and 3D had a massive wow factor. At least for me and CD games on the PC Engine. I think it's because they were still the same style of games only amped up with newer tech. But once we got used to it, I agree I started to miss the older chip tunes and style of gaming in general. I guess that's why we still play arcade style games so often and I focus my channel on them.
Oh I agree with you there, about the charm. I've recently been playing Bari-Arm and Popful Mail on the Sega CD they both gave me that internal "this is cool" feeling.
This is one of the best RUclips uploads I’ve seen in a long time. From anyone. I’m 40, I refuse to let go of the 80’s and 90’s 😂. It was just such a special time to be a part of. I’ll be watching this video well into the future. Thank you!
79 kid here. In the end it was fun when playing with family and friends.
What I miss the most from the 80's and 90's was the sense of family and community.
As a 41 year old man...... This hits me right in the feels. If I could go back in time, 1995 would be the year.
It was the last real year of the 16bit consoles so both Sega and Nintendo had some great games around that time and the excitement of the 32/64bit consoles was just around the corner. The arcades were at their height with the most popular games from Konami, Capcom, SNK, Taito, Midway etc being available. PC gaming was taking off with CD based games like Doom, Duke3d, Tie Fighter, Lucas Arts games etc. The internet was still an infant so no such thing as Tik Tok and I was 13/14 years old with mates who I would go riding and exploring with and would stay over at mates houses for the night and we would go crazy on Pepsi and Doritos playing street fighter, mortal Kombat, contra 3, turtles in time etc all night long. And not to mention we had that one rich friend who had a neo geo and a 3DO with the light guns and Mad Dog Mcree.... It was a good year for me and my friends.
And I was big into grunge, punk and metal so listening to Metallica, Pantera, offspring, greenday, pearl jam, Alice in chains etc and making mix tapes for my walkman was just icing on the cake.
1995 Also
Why 95? Gen/MegaDive, SNES, Saturn, PS1, or arcade?
i've said the same thing my mom passed in '99 i was 17 so 95-96 is the save point if i could go back
@@buckeyechad1 all of the above. It was the last real year of the 16bit consoles so both Sega and Nintendo had some great games around that time and the excitement of the 32/64bit consoles was just around the corner. The arcades were at their height with the most popular games from Konami, Capcom, SNK, Taito, Midway etc being available. PC gaming was taking off with CD based games like Doom, Duke3d, Tie Fighter, Lucas Arts games etc. The internet was still an infant so no such thing as Tik Tok and I was 13/14 years old with mates who I would go riding and exploring with and would stay over at mates houses for the night and we would go crazy on Pepsi and Doritos playing street fighter, mortal Kombat, contra 3, turtles in time etc all night long. And not to mention we had that one rich friend who had a neo geo and a 3DO with the light guns and Mad Dog Mcree.... It was a good year for me and my friends.
@@Neptunenavarette9267sorry to hear that bro. Hold on to those memories. Peace.
You did an exceptional job of reminding us what it was like back then.
You've brought to life some long dormant memories.
As a "gaming junkie" I've never stopped gaming but it was nice to touch base on something that I took for granted.
Not gonna lie, some bittersweet memories were included.
But overall, like you said, I wouldn't change a thing.
If I am lucky enough to live to my 90s I'll still be gaming then and it's such a big and important part of my life I'll probably die with a controller in my hands.
That might sound a bit too much, but my own grandfather is very much the same, he's in his 90s now , and *still* playing his N64 and PS2 and in fact a few weeks ago we had to hunt down a replacement PS2 for him.
Maybe it's in our families blood but we are gamers through and through lol.
But anyways, I imagine anyone watching this video probably gets that for some us it isn't just a hobby but part of our identity and even our way of life.
I never post comments online (in fact this is my first on RUclips lol) but I felt compelled to after watching this. You absolutely nailed it and brought back a tidal wave of nostalgia. I feel truly blessed to have experienced that golden era of video gaming. It felt like we were living in a magical world full of heart, meaning and purpose. The best years of my life. Thank you for reminding us of how special a time it really was by bringing it all together in this brilliant video montage. 👏👏👏
Thank you so much for the honest and thoughtful comment. I’m glad the video had enough of an impression to get you to comment. So I had to respond before it got buried. Hopefully it’s something you can come back to in the future if you’re ever feeling that nostalgic itch or for something uplifting. I certainly had a good time putting it together and have been overwhelmed by the response.
I can also say it brought back memories of me too and also some of those games I did play with some of that and also dealt with Castelvania Rondo of Blood not on a Turbografx-16 but it got ported over on a handheld of Playstaion named PSP under Castlevania Dracula X chronicles along with some others it was the early 2000's and I was different then really were cool times which sadly can't deal now and much outgoing along with other parts sold it since life was tough though later got to some emulation experiments with that as well. Sadly life went rough and things went down fast.
Thanks Shmup Junkie and these days it really went to disaster and inflation not what we experienced in the 80's and 90's. Along with a whole host of places that are now gone besides Borders and Blockbuster.
soundtracks of the games before makes me tears..80s to 90s best yrs of gaming.
Born in 1979, in Brazil.
Had an Atari 2600, then a Sega Master System, (and my friends had NES clones).
It was just like that: playing a lot with friends, buying game magazines, renting cartridges on saturday morning, going to crowded a Arcade (called Fliperama here) to play Street Fighter II (we didn't use quartes on arcade, we used tokens, that looked like old telephone tokens, I still have 2 arcade tokens!)
Later, had a Sega Mega Drive, a Super Nintendo and a 486 DX4 where I've discovered LucasFilm Adventure games, Wolf 3D, Etc...
And later, emulators.
Now, Switch with my kids.
Good times, they'll never come back. So enjoy the moment!
And I can assure something: today's kids love some classic stuff! You just need to show them!
You did such an amazing job making me feel like I was back in the 80's/90's for a few minutes.
Felt like nostalgic sensory overload.
An awesome essay on why we nostalgia so hard for this era as gamers. I was definitely the bullied nerd and games and computers were me escape. It's a love I still have to this day, but thankfully, I no longer need them to escape the world's cruelty, at least not often.
You've done it, Junkie. You've done it. I am crying.
Hopefully tears of joy! 😅 Really glad you loved it. I poured my heart and soul into this one.
You’re not the only one
I have to admit that this was one of the most thoughtful, nostalgic videos that I've seen put together on RUclips. No corny jokes or extra antics, just a great stroll down memory lane with narration that was greatly executed. Well done!
I don't comment on many videos but 3 minutes in....This, this is just beautifully done to capture that childhood nostalgia. You have brought a tear to this 41 year olds eye. Well done! Nothing beats that comradery between single and competitive games. A standing ovation to you, my friend!
Thank you! I put a lot into this video and I love hearing how much it’s touched so many people. 😊
I turned 44 in December and everything about this resonates with me deeply. Just the best times. Awesome work junkie 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
MANN!! This was a great trip down memory lane!! This brought back literally EVERY memory I had of back when I was a kid. Thanks for making this!!
Was a beautiful time. Hours playing co-op games with friends late into the night. The games of today can not compete.
This video needs to be framed and put on a mantlepiece! The great selection of clips and stock photos, the fonts, Zak Vortex' music - a lot of love went into this video, so kudos to you and all involved, good sir!
Thanks! Yes I put a lot of love into this. It’s a personal video for me. One of my favorite things about it is most of the photos are not stock at all. They’re my personal photos I’m lucky enough to still have plus several people on my discord that contributed their childhood photos too. It added a lot of authenticity to the storytelling. I doubt most will recognize me in most of them.
@@ShmupJunkie Dammit, that makes it even so much better and much more personal. Hats off to you, what a great effort!
I was the poor kid who couldn't afford anything but had rich friends who would get all the newest goodies. I finally got a SNES because it was my grandma's and she passed away. I remember renting Chrono Trigger from the video store and buying link to the past and super Metroid. Those moments changed my life forever. I don't think new generations have the same experience. I stopped playing for twenty years but got hospitalized for a month and started playing a switch. Now I'm a gamer again and it's helping me out like it used to.
OMG I agree with every single word you said. I never expected as a 42 years old man that this video would a made a tear in my eye. Thank you so much for bringing those memories back..
You're very welcome. As a 46yr old man, it brought some to mine too seeing how it all came out. You're not alone!
The 90s were definitely exciting for gaming. I remember a common phrase was "graphics can't get any better than this." 🤣🤣
hahaha, you know what's funny? For many, people still feel like graphics never got any better. They prefer the pixel art and I love it too, but I can appreciate all the tech advances as well. Now we can have amazing pixel art and/or modern tech with the tools available. The indie games are just getting better and better.
@@ShmupJunkie I agree, the majority of new games I find myself playing are indie games, usually w pixel art. I love how far devs have pushed pixel art, it's gotten pretty insane.
under soviet opression our 80s wasn't that colorful but 90s made up for it :) thanks for the video!!!
Thanks for the contribution! 👍🏻 I’m a fellow Russian… my family having emigrated to the US as refugees in the 80s to escape the rampant antisemitism at the time. I was barely 2 when we left. Had we stayed my 80s and 90s would have been very different!
What a BEAUTIFUL Documentation !!!
I remember my best friend got all the Nintendo consoles and games and I got all the Sega games and we would play all the games sharing at each others homes... Good Times..
Video game music was SO MUCH BETTER in the 80s and 90s. It's bizarre. Limitations create inspiration apparently
This is not true dude. Maybe play a little more?
Partly true. Maybe listen more?
I think the limitations sets a bar so only very talented ppl can make games. in the modern era with the likes of unreal any pleb can make a game with little investment. this just a thought and there are still bangers out there.
No. No it was not. Some of it was good. A lot of it completely sucked. There's a lot more good music being made now.
I ought to know. Around a third of what I listen to is video game music.
What do I listen to? Hyper Light Drifter. Bastion. To the Moon. Journey. FURI. Haven. Mass Effect. Tetris Effect. VA/HALL-A. IJI. Horizon Forbidden West. Nier Automata.
There's good old stuff out there. But not like now.
But if you want to hear really good old video game music, it's the PC ENGINE you want. Or a rock soundtrack on Genesis like Road Rash, Eliminate Down, or Thunder Force III.
Loved every second of this. I am a huge gamer and finally got a Neo Geo last year. I was determined to get one eventually
Thanks man! And thank you so so much for letting me use some of your music in the video. It really made a world of difference and helped inspire me along the way. I hope others enjoy it as much as I do and it sends some more people your way. It's been great to see your work hit the top of the charts!
Thank you so much for this splendid and moving video which reminds all of us, born in the 70s, of how we fought to have our passion recognized as a form of art and culture. How we grew up and learned as much from video games as from books, films, cartoons, music and comics. How we have witnessed a profound social and cultural change. How videogames have helped us understand the value of our passions, making us more sensitive, curious and independent. Thank you very much, I hope from the bottom of my heart that the message of this video will also help the youngest to seek new heights of creativity and awareness in all fields of culture, including videogames.
You’re very welcome and thank you for the thoughtful and deep comment. And the generous super thanks 🙏 Seeing so many others in the comments resonate with the overall message means a lot. We don’t live in a vacuum and as social animals we interpret and experience everything through our relationships. As much as I love all the games and culture of the time, it wouldn’t have had nearly the impact if I was isolated or communicating through electronic devices most of the time. Getting my son into tabletop D&D when he was younger and seeing how he fell in love with it (and still plays), playing in a campaign together, will always be a favorite memory of mine.
Just absolutely beautiful comment and sentiment! Thank you for that, sir
The 70s/80s/90s were so nostalgic for video games because it was a time of many firsts. Most of the game types were pioneered and slowly improved upon over time. We saw some of the most advancements in gaming in such a short period of time. From blocks and lines with bleeps and bloops to distinguishable characters with amazing background music.
Born in '83, I truly did get to experience this magical era. I was fortunate enough to get the Nintendo, Super NES, N64 and Gamecube. My cousins and I grew up going to the local Blockbuster and picking up a couple of games for the weekend, and also spending hours on co-op games.
So many memories of heading down to our local video store(Mega Videos) in the late 80's/early 90's and seeing the big selection of NES games for rent, with those fluorescent pink, blue & Green empty plastic cases standing behind the actual boxes, topped with those Smiley/Sad faced clamps which symbolized if the game was in or out for rent. Just seeing Mega Man 2's box art right before my eyes for the first time truly something else at the age of 6. The fun neon coloured fashion, big hair, awesome video store interior/decor, i could go on and on. Lets just say, the world used to be a LOT more fun back then.
And the thing that sucks about getting old, is that memories can fade, and may not have the same impact, or be as nostalgic or vivid as they once were even compared to thinking about those exact memories 10+ years ago, like i did in my mid to late 20's. I guess that's what happens when memories become even more distant, plus your brain winds up making space for new ones. :P
Amazing video as ever! Here in Brazil my brother and I after Atari 2600 we almost grew up with computers games like 8bit MSX1/2 and 16bit Amiga 500/1200.
You were lucky in your very own way to grow up with systems most of us (including me) in the US didn't know about and couldn't play. I've been slowly catching up. I was too young during the Atari years so it never grabbed me the same. It was the 8bit and PC games that started my love affair.
Awesome episode dude I'm 53 back then we would all get together and pick different games for Christmas so we could play different genres it was truly the golden age
Best era
This video definitely lives up to the theme and thumbnail; nostalgia of gaming in the 90's. Also terrific editing!
Born in '81. THESE WERE THE DAYS. Screw a pixel trophy, you were surrounded by friends and cheers.
Nothing that happens, or is made, today can hold a candle to what was back then.
Ah its Christmas day in my country and I was playing Radiant Silvergun, when this video came. Sorry Radiant...
Sweet! If I can compete with RSG for at least one morning I'm doing something right.
oh yes you can @@ShmupJunkie
Man this one brought a tear to my eye.
I won't lie, it brought some to mine while editing and seeing how certain segments came out. Super stoked with it and how much it's resonating with people so far. It was worth all the effort.
Probably my favorite video of yours. For some reason, I get so sentimental about those times in my life and the memories I had as a kid. Thanks for the trip down Memory Lane.
You're very welcome and love to hear it. So thank you. It's similar to an older video I did Amazing Shoot Em Ups of the 80s and 90s. The first 5 minutes of that video is what I used as a template for this one. I love making them so glad you enjoyed it.
Its the same for me. I think it is because it was the greatest time of my life. Its all been down hill since...🤣
Born in 79 , and i want to go back right now to the best years of my life
Born in '73 this was definitely a trip down memory lane. Love the synthwave music!
That was beautiful I won't lie. It's funny. I never even grew up around those golden age years. Like I was a 2000's kid. But I still feel that nostalgia because of my experience playing them through emulation or playing em through Wii VC. Genuinely, I love em and I'm glad Indie games do preserve the elements of those older titles that make em fun. Those eras once considered bygone are now like easier to access than ever with stuff like a Steam Deck.
18:55 - Wow, I choked up a little... Damn it. This video is fantastic, dude. It does such a good job of breaking everything down, and even turning a lens on the psychology behind our passion that still burns to this day. I feel incredibly blessed to have got to experience the 80s as a child, and the 90s as a teen, but I do feel extremely lost and disconnected in this world today, and I think my way of coping with that was to fill up my room with tons of nostalgic artifacts that made me happy or reminded of "better times," but maybe what I really needed was a connection with someone who could relate to me and the things I loved -- a hard thing to find in adulthood, I'm finding.
Thank you for the awesome and very open comment. Not everyone has the humility or ability to self reflect in that way and be honest with themselves. It’s something I’ve wanted to articulate and present in the right way for a while and this video ended up the perfect opportunity. So I love hearing the feedback that it resonated with a lot of people. So many feel lost and disconnected right now.
This video brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for the trip down memory lane. I still have my NES and SNES but no longer have friends coming over to play
Really glad you enjoyed it. And yeah, I hear you. It's not quite the same, even if it's the same game. Can't replicate those days, but it sure helps to still enjoy them with others of like mind.
Brought a tear to my eye, bro. Born in 87 and half my childhood was divided between one half in texas and the second half living in california. a culture shock if you will.
I feel so fortunate to have been a teenager in the 80s and in my 20s in the 90s. those were good times. never had to worry about getting shot in school but enjoyed shooting things up in the arcade. countless hours in the arcade then go home and spend countless hours of more gaming
Another super cool video
My fondest memory with arcade was Metal Slug 1, it reminds me of my friend from back then, sadly wrongly killed by thug. We were both the masters of MS; we could beat the game without losing a single life. And when we play together, everyone gathered around to watch how crazy hard the game can get with two players, and ofc, we beat it every time.
Hey Shinu! Dude, I'm so sorry. I know it was long ago, but I can imagine that happening at a young age and how it effects the rest of your life. With you being so good at the Metal Slug games, you likely understand the mechanics and what makes it so good on a deeper level. Maybe one of your future projects would be in that style, arcade run n' gun. You certainly have the art skills for it. But you already have enough projects to work on haha
How I the world could you do that? Amazing dude. I ❤ed Metal Slug in the arcade. I think I own every Metal Slug collection for every console. Not Neo Geo of course. Props!
No worries at all, live goes on. I still remember him every time MS1 is mentioned and when I occasionally see his phone number in my contacts.
And yeah, I may go for a small action platformer after my little shmup is done. Small projects like those are the best when time isn't that available.@@ShmupJunkie
Well, all thanks to the small fortune of coins I've put into arcade cabinets all around the neighborhood lol After MS1 I moved to MS2, I was able to get to the last stage with all my lives, but then I stopped going to the arcade and turned into a console person.@@buckeyechad1
Brilliant video (as always)! Really brings back some great memories. Thanks Junkie!
Thanks! And you're welcome. I worked my butt off on it so I do hope everyone gets an equal amount of enjoyment from it. I'll try not to take nearly as long with the next one haha
So many memories for a 41 years old man.
I lived the Atari Era, the NES vs Master System era, the SNES vs Sega Genesis era, the Arcade era, the Computer Games era... I lived the era of the great rock and heavy metal bands of the 80's, the king (Michael Jackson) and queen (Madonna) of pop, the teen bands of the 90's,
the era of the greatest films in the cinema, the era when tv was really great entertainment. the MTV era
It may be nostalgia, but I still firmly believe that children born in the 80s had the most lively childhood of all generations.
That "what an incredible time it was to game, and you'll remember why, you wouldn't give that up for the world" statement got me a little teary-eyed. Man, how I miss that golden era of gaming.
I was speaking the truth too, at least for me. I used to get down on feeling older and reminding myself that had I been born another time, I would have missed out on so much that I'm thankful I was around for. It helps me feel like I'm the exact age I was meant to be. Really glad you enjoyed the video!
@@ShmupJunkie if you don't mind me asking, what year were you born in? We truly got to experience a special time.
@@Rick_Smooth Not at all. I was born in 77. Came to the US as Russian Jewish refugees when I was 3yrs old. So I became just old enough during the mid 80s onward to remember and appreciate it.
@@ShmupJunkie cool... we're close in age, I'm from '83.
What an awesome video, brilliant from start to finish - loved the editing, the commentary & music. Fantastic 🎉
Thanks man. And thanks for letting me use your photo. I think the one worked out perfectly right where I used it. You both look so happy in it!
@@ShmupJunkie honoured to be a tiny part of it. You really captured the magic of the era, something I’ll keep coming back to for sure 🤩
Wooow was waiting for it, your the best i love late 80s and early 90s games
What an awesomely written, narrated and edited high energy nostalgia dipped video!
This era held a significant place in my life. Born in '76, my earliest passion involved scrounging up quarters to indulge in games like Double Dragon, Rampage, and Karnov. Fond memories were built through playing Mega Man and Contra with my neighbor, and the enchantment of my first RPG, Dragon Warrior. Countless hours were spent immersed in the world of Metroid on the NES.
As a teenager, one of my closest friends had a family-owned arcade, where I created some of my fondest teen memories with games like Street Fighter 2, Virtual On, X-Men: Children of the Atom, and Tekken. Reflecting on those years, it's a bit melancholic when I now visit arcades with my son. I reminisce about the days when arcades were spaces for competition and interaction, marked by the etiquette of lining up quarters for the next game on the cabinet.
Sadly, those times have passed, but I am genuinely grateful to have experienced them. The unique charm of competing and connecting with others in those arcade settings, the simple act of placing quarters in line - these are memories I hold dear. Though the era is gone, I feel fortunate to have lived through it. The games and the myriad memories associated with them are treasures that won't be replicated.
Very well said ❤. I’ll add that lining up at a local 7-11 waiting my turn with a quarter on the glass is something I’ll always miss. I’d always visit with a couple friends. When we were lucky enough for it to not be busy, we had some great times playing against each other. Like a regular activity on most weekends for a while.
This is so well articulated, edited, and presented. I will be citing this in an editorial that I should begin work on sometime this month dealing with "Differences in Deliverances." This video deserves so many more views for so many reasons.
I'm 25, so barely a 90's kid (if you can even consider me one) but I connect so much with this, video games are a passion, and one made to be shared with others
You aren’t a 90s kid. 90s kids were born in the 80s, meaning they were kids in the 90s. You are zoomer, you grew up in the 2000s.
Wow! This is fantastic content! I am absolutely thrilled to watch more episodes. I've already subscribed and can't wait for more! ❤️❤️❤️
Thanks! So glad you enjoyed it and welcome to the channel. I’ve got a lot of great nostalgic content and history videos so hope you find more to enjoy. 😊
@@ShmupJunkieI'm excited to start binge-watching everything! ❤️❤️❤️
Damn dude this is such a great video it might honestly be your best work yet
Reading these comments makes my heart happy. Thank you all!
Seeing back the memories of past years gaming, gave me some teary eyes.
God, I'm old. Ah, the nostalgia of the good old days.
Pretty awesome retrospective and I think you really nailed what nostalgia is/can be. Which is mourning for lost connection. It took a while for me to realize that as I grew my collection of arcade machines and consoles, that what I was really missing was all the friends and people I played with through the years. From playing Donkey Kong on 2600 with my brother, to Street Fighter 2 with my buddy Chris to Halo lan parties to even World of Warcraft. It’s all been about connections as much as it’s been about the games. Thanks for that !!
I'm so so glad you got that from the video as it was such a driving force behind my making it. A lot of self reflection and thinking about what truly made that time special for me beyond having cool games to play. You summarized it very well and I hope a lot more people get that from watching. Not just to realize what they may or not have already known, but to apply it to their lives now. Or maybe realize that if they feel lost, it's because they're focusing on the games and not applying what made their early years memorable. There's nothing stopping us now from living that way. Yet we often don't due to busy life, responsibilities or just losing that ability to connect with others (especially during the pandemic). I really enjoyed making this and hope people enjoy that it's different and not the typical history/chronological exercise.
The old games were incredible and still are because the programmers had so little memory to play with, so they had to weave magic to make them. Unlike today, where memory isn't a problem, the content is cut, and the games are boring.
The more we have to be creative due to all sorts of limitations, the more magic we're often able to create. Very much agree. New tech is fantastic, but always a double edged sword. Sometimes it helps to have limitations because it forces you to become extra creative in terms of hooks and gameplay. Or even the visuals and music.
Zak Vortex's gorgeous music and your fantastic writing made this quite the emotional experience. I think you hit the nail on the head: the games are fantastic, but it's really each other that we miss.
Thank you for those kind words mate
Thanks, really appreciate that feedback. I know it's different for everyone, but as human beings it's just our natural biology and how we evolved. All the best stories are built around our relationships to each other and community as opposed to the backdrop where they took place or the specifics of what we did. I tried to do something different with this video and focus on that, hoping it would resonate with others like it does with me. And yes! Zak Vortex's music was awesome and helped inspire me while I was working on it. I hope even more people check out his work through this video.
Being born in 1977 I can identify with every single second of this masterpiece of a video. Such great work man. Talk about nailing it. Best time to be a kid, I was lucky to live through that golden era.
You and me both! Kids of 77. The year of Star Wars… though we couldn’t enjoy it fully until a few years later. Great times!