1. Pokémon Cards – The Original Ones
Born and raised in the 1990s? Were you a teenager dealing with drama and angst during one of the greatest decades of all time? If so, take a trip down memory lane, and look at all the cool stuff that made being a kid awesome before the turn of the 21st century. From Beanie Babies to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the fun never stopped when you were a ‘90s kid!
Back then, it was easy to catch all of the Pokémon cards, because only 151 Pokémon cards existed. Your heart skipped a beat when you got a shiny card. Also, you became an epic negotiator in the schoolyard when someone had a beast you needed. It is likely that these negotiation skills help you in the business world today. Pokémon was one of the greatest crazes to come out of Japan. The cards were based on a Nintendo Game Boy game that was released back in 1996.
2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Figures
You probably kick yourself all the time, convinced that if you had only bought the entire set and kept them in pristine condition, you’d be a millionaire by now. Don’t dwell on all of that. Just revel in the memories of how awesome the TV show was and that you were among the elite who saw each episode when it was first aired. You really are a part of a special generation who got to see them before they were in reruns and syndication.
3. Johnny Bravo’s Dating Advice
It is hard to believe that we really miss Johnny Bravo’s dating advice, but ‘90s kids really do. He was ripped with his fabulous abs, and he seemed to have a charm about him that really attracted the ladies. However, because he lives in a fabulous cartoon world, his great chat-up lines don’t transfer well into the real dating scene. His big hair and fashion style are also missing in the grown up world that kids of the ‘90s live in.
4. Having Questions about Courage the Cowardly Dog?
What trauma did he have as a puppy, which made him so cowardly? Who calls a pooch Courage anyway? Also, exactly HOW OLD were his owners? Those are mysteries that ‘90s kids will never have answers for. Although we had questions about Courage, we watched him faithfully and rooted him on as he continued to face his fears. That cowardly dog taught us a lot.
5. Happy Meal Toys
You would beg your parents to take you to McDonald’s if the toys in a Happy Meal were promoting a film you had seen or wanted to go see. You kept eating Happy Meals as you grew up just to get the cool toys. It was hard to collect the entire set because there would be a lot of hit and miss. After all, sometimes you’d get a toy you needed and wanted because it was an integral part of building your collection– but during other mealtimes, the toy would just be something that you would really want to toss back.
6. Epic Kids Game Shows
Do you remember “Legends Of The Hidden Temple”? Every kid would be desperately envious of the contestants on this fantastic TV show. However, the prospect of being enclosed in a tomb forever if you lost the final round does still seem a little scary. We even miss Kirk Fogg, the host of this classic game show.
Huffington Post
7. Nintendo
Were you the cool kid who always had neighbors visiting you at your house? If so, I can almost guarantee that you had a Nintendo 64 game console. Our favorite games have to be Mario Kart 64 and Super Mario 64. Even though the graphics left a lot to be desired, they are still amongst the best games of all time. The Nintendo console was the coolest of the original video games, and everyone had to have one. It was the best Christmas present ever, am I right?
8. “Men In Black”
There are just some films that still remain cool beyond belief. When you saw Will Smith in that designer suit and swish glasses, it convinced you that you were going to become a professional alien hunter. We’re still young and it might still be a possibility one day; only time will tell. “Men In Black” has become a dynastic franchise. Will Smith could buy his own ride into space if he really wanted to, and most of his wealth is based on his work on this fabulous film series.
Comic Vine
9. “Scream” Mask
If you were old enough to wear this mask for Halloween after Scream came out, then you have really cool parents. The “Scream” mask didn’t need a mega-horror movie to be incredibly scary. This kind of thing is enough to still scare you when you’re in the house alone, even now after you are all grown up. If you look in the mirror with it on, you can definitely forget that you are wearing it, and scream!
10. Getting a Partner to Play Stretch Armstrong
You’d call on your sister, and ask her to grab one arm of the Stretch Armstrong doll. Then, you’d walk across the room and marvel as he continued to expand, way beyond anything that seemed possible. If you were really mean, you’d let go, sending the rubbery toy hurtling toward her face. Ouch is all we’ll say about that. Nobody needs to remember the consequences of playing with Stretch Armstrong.
NBC News
11. The Furbies!
Furbies were originally released as a ‘90s toy, but they’ve had a recent resurgence in popularity. The originals are always better, and the new version will never be the same as they were in the ‘90s. This is definitely an authentic iconic ‘90s toy. Furbies are the original electronic robotic pet. You could take this little guy everywhere with you, and it is a safe bet that you did! They did have a problem with randomly talking in furby language, which probably still haunts you.
journal.media-culture.org.au
12. Watch a DVD Tonight? Don’t Think So!
You would cry whenever your mom would accidentally tape over the recording of your favorite movie, which was only on once a year. You had to have the patience of a saint while it rewound, and the picture quality was crappy. Yes, my friends, this is the days of the good ol’ VCR. VCRs were fabulous inventions before there were high quality Blu-ray discs and DVDs that made things show up in high definition. In the ‘90s, we thought a definition was part of the spelling lesson at school.
upload.wikimedia.org
13. Forget About Broadband
When you first got the Internet at home, it was a sensation. Any chance to explore a world of knowledge would be interrupted by your dad shouting, “GET OFF THE COMPUTER! I NEED TO USE THE PHONE!” Downloading albums was unheard of, and if you tried it, it wouldn’t work out too well. You’d still be waiting right now for the download to complete. In comparison to today’s Internet speeds, there was nothing great and wonderful about dinosaur dial-up, but at the time, it was the only internet connection available. You wouldn’t have traded it for anything because it really was great and wonderful. Dial-up Internet brought the world to our homes.
14. Pen Drives? Oops!
Sometimes, if you had a really urgent homework assignment at school, you’d need to use one of these pen drives. Pen drives were fairly a reliable thing, and you always had the metal slide thing on the top to play with. However, apparently that wiped out the memory. Pen drives were much better and more portable than floppy disks or CDs.
15. You Know All the Party Songs
Have you been to a wedding recently? If so, you would have rocked it at the reception being a grown up ’90s kid. You are in the know, especially when those two all-important staple songs – the Macarena and Ice, Ice, Baby blast from the speakers. Even at this stage of your life, you remember the dance moves and the lyrics. You aren’t afraid to sing along while you’re dancing either!
muzu.tv
16. You Had Style
Lizzie McGuire rocked and ruled the style as the fashion icon – and so did almost every girl in the ‘90s. Every girl had a scrunchie in her hair. They were made in all sorts of colors and styles. It made it easy to pick a scrunchie to match your mood perfectly. Scrunchies may have been mix and match, but you were forever losing them to your friends. Borrowing and trading would sound good at the time, but in the end you’d always lose your favorite. It was always so annoying when one of your best friends borrowed one and never brought it back. #90sprobs
Huffington Post
17. The Fashion Sense…
Bright colors in neon patterns was all the rage, remember? Alright, we admit that we might not miss this component of the 90s THAT much. However, keeping that in mind, every single kid during this magnificent decade thought they looked magical, no matter what they were wearing. This was the epitome of style, and you know you rocked your outfit with confidence. We are sure that your parents have pictures to prove it!
18. Did You Wear These? SNAP!
Snap bracelets were on the arms of everyone you knew, or they were off, ready to be snapped back on because they were so much fun to play with. We really miss the snazzy messages because every single bracelet wearer could be unique. It was the easiest way to personalize your look, even if you were forced to adhere to the school-wide dress code.
19. Knowing How To Rock This Bad Boy
Although you did get some grass burns, and occasionally sprained an ankle, playing outdoors in water was an awesome summer treat. The Slip ‘N Slide was epic but, unfortunately, that dorky kid across the road always seemed to have one longer than you. It also made your yard so waterlogged that it was impossible to play sports afterwards. As you grew up, it was the perfect place to try out your new swimwear and show off your sliding abilities while hanging out with your friends.
20. You Remember All the Good Channels
It is easy to become sentimental about the TV channels you grew up watching. You loved it when MTV was the one place to go for all the newest music videos, not YouTube. Also, when Cartoon Network had all of the classics on it – like Dexter’s Laboratory, Scooby Doo and Tom and Jerry. You knew what your friends were watching because all the cool kids were watching the same thing!
90s Cartoons Via Tumblr
21. The Slang You Needed to Get By
If you didn’t know what cooties were, high school would have been a nightmare for you. “Yo” was a must-have greeting too. Even now, that particular greeting has been added to its rightful place in the dictionary. Thank goodness we have some proof that the ‘90s existed in black-and-white print. The ‘90s definitely had a lingo all of its own. You were there, and you still speak it like a native.
bobbyfreshknight92 via Deviant Art
22. Beanie Babies
Collecting Beanie Babies was the in thing to do in the ‘90s. If you were the typical ‘90s kid, you had at least one of these beanie babies in your backpack at all times. The original Beanie Babies were most popular during the mid-90s. If you were a third grader in 1995, odds are good that there was Beanie Baby envy among your friends. You must admit that you still collect Beanie Babies because some fads you just never outgrow.
AP
23. Silly Putty
It is true that Silly Putty was not a new invention during the 1990s, but it certainly was a childhood favorite of anyone who grew up during that decade. The putty could entertain you for hours, and it definitely did! Playing with Silly Putty was all the rage during the year 1997. Admit it, you still have the original putty and its egg. A true ‘90s kid won’t admit why you didn’t toss that in the toy box and leave it behind in the ‘90s.
24. The DiscMan
Before iPods and iTunes, there was DiscMan! If you are a ‘90s teen, you remember carrying around your favorite CDs in a carrying case and wearing this Disc Man clipped to your belt. It was one of the best portable inventions, but it didn’t fare well to wear it while exercising or jogging. If you jostled it the least little bit or bumped into something, your favorite CD was destroyed with scratches. Even if the iPOD and mP3 players are technologically more advanced, you won’t get rid of your first DiscMan because you still have all your original CDs. Duh!
25. AOL Screen Names
The coolest part of the ‘90s was dreaming up your new instant messaging screen name. It was a challenge because you wanted it to reflect your personality and keep your identity a secret. There is nothing better than remembering your first online identity. Sure you’ve left that name buried in the ‘90s, but you know you could resurrect it if you really wanted to. In comparison, grown up names are just so stuffy these days.
26. Rollerblading Was Cool!
If you perfected the art of rollerblading with the inline skates, you might be a teen of the ‘90s. The typical roller skates have nothing on these ice skates on wheels. If you were a beginner, you were decked out in a helmet, elbow pads, and kneepads. The safety gear came in handy because you remember landing on the concrete more than once while you were learning. If you’re a true child of the ‘90s, you can still balance on these narrow little wheels.
