Nostalgia Gaming: 8 Games That Changed Your Childhood

Video games tell stories, challenge our minds, and provide us with avenues to just have fun. As kids we may not have realized the impact they had on us, but looking back, it’s obvious. These classic throwbacks will have you weeping for your lost childhood. Here are eight games that changed your childhood forever.

1. Mortal Kombat

Owning Mortal Kombat meant you were the cool kid on the block. Everyone would come over to your place for a Mortal Kombat tournament when it debuted in 1992. Each of you would pick a character and fight one-on-one until one lone champion remained. You memorized the button mash order for your favorite character’s finishing moves and laughed at the inappropriate graphic violence.

Mortal Kombat was one of the first games that proved the doubters wrong: video games weren’t about kids isolating themselves. Video games could be group activities too, and sometimes they were more fun that way. Other games like this came out around that time, but none had the panache of Mortal Kombat.

2. Sonic the Hedgehog

Debuting in 1991 on Sega Genesis, Sonic the Hedgehog epitomized the side-scrolling action genre. It had all the elements of games like Mario Brothers that made it both fun and successful. Jump through hoops to get rings and speed your way through traps, all with the simple goal of getting to the end of this level to take on the next.

Instead of saving a princess you’re battling against the evil Doctor Robotnik. Unlike the Mario games at the time, however, you could play cooperatively. A second player could pick up a controller and run alongside you as Tails in Sonic 2. Each level brought new challenges, especially the dreaded water levels.

Sonic the Hedgehog was undoubtedly one of Sega’s greatest success stories. Even with Sega’s game production days long gone, the legacy of this game lives on.