APRIL ISSUE: POST #14
I loved browser games growing up. So much. I still do love them. They were so simple yet addicting, with basic gameplay, and there were so many to choose from. I remember being in Middle School, High School, and College and playing them whilst in class, whether that be when the teacher left the room or when we were having a fun ‘do whatever you want’ day, (which was rare, I’m not going to lie). I remember browsing websites for ages with my friends and trying to master some of the games together. I miss those times, and every now and then I still do go back to these websites if possible, to teleport myself back to my childhood, so naturally, I thought I would write a blog post about them as well. Because I’m all about nostalgia.
For starters, let’s look at these games in particular:
♦Club Penguin
Club Penguin was my love for a while. I even think I managed to convince my parents to let me invest real money into this to purchase a pet or something along those lines.
Club Penguin was an online MMO, involving a virtual world consisting of, you guessed it, penguins. The launch date was October 2005, so I’m guessing I was around 10 or 11 years old when I first started playing. Apparently, as of July 2013, the game had over 200 million registered user accounts- which is astonishing. It certainly did feel that popular back in the day. Everyone wanted to be a virtual penguin.
As you may know, Club Penguin itself was discontinued in March 2017 (wow, has it been that long already?) but apparently, it was replaced by its successor, Club Penguin Island, which I had no idea about. So, if you’re wondering, yes, I did instantly download it, and yes, I was disappointed when I found out you can’t play the free trial without filling in your billing info.
I played this even more than Club Penguin, I think because it made me feel mature somehow. This website is still open too, and every now and then I go back and check it out and see how it’s changed. I used to be completely content playing it alone, and wandering around all the different areas (I loved the swimming pool) and seeing all the characters. Now, it’s actually a little confusing to me, and I’m too shy to say anything to anyone. I think if I went into the game with some people then it would be fun for a while, but I’m not sure if the website is as popular as it used to be.
Habbo Hotel started back in 2000, which surprises me quite a lot. I probably played this during the mid-2000s, and I had no idea that it had already been out that long.
The whole idea of Habbo is that you’re in a hotel, and you can meet other people, design hotel rooms and more. I personally am quite fond of the pixel-art style, and I was never able to forget it.
Side note, surprisingly, I didn’t play anything like Runescape or IMVU or whatever else was popular back in the day. Habbo Hotel and Club Penguin were my go-to websites for sure.
Yes, I still have an account on here. Yes, I enjoyed creating my own avatar.
This website is still very similar to how it was years ago when I played a multitude of games on it, such as Monkey Kick Off, Ping Pong, Candy and Clyde, Bloxorz, Bubble Trouble and this weird diving game called Stunt Dive that I was addicted to (I say as it’s one of the tabs open in my browser right now. I can confirm that I still love it).
A lot of these games are still available on the website, so if you’re looking to pass some time, then why not check them out? Flash games still need some love, too.
Wow, I didn’t even realise this website was still running. This was what my Middle School friends and I would immediately type into the browser if we got to ICT class early. It also still has games such as Bloxorz on it, joint with Up Beat, and the classic World’s Hardest Game and the Idiot Test.
♦CBBC
If you’re British, then you probably know CBBC. The games on the CBBC website have definitely changed since I was a kid, and even though I didn’t watch CBBC an awful lot, I did have lots of fun playing the games. I specifically remember playing a zoo game, based on the series Roar (see picture below). Ah, those were simpler and better days.
I am super sad that 1) I don’t remember most of the games I played.
I am getting super excited as I write this since I’ve been carrying out some research, and some games are finally coming back to me, such as Colour Factory, which was as creative as I got back then. And then, Magic Mansion, Microlife and Operation Youth Club, which are amazingly playable elsewhere.
I’m freaking out as I type this (don’t worry, my intention isn’t to frighten you), but I completely forgot about this website until writing this post. This is the website I just found the aforementioned game Magic Mansion on (the music is a lot funkier than I remember). I admit though, it looks a lot more generic than it used to.
This website is similar to miniclip.com but I don’t think I went on it as much. It was like a backup if I needed a change for a while. My mindset was more like ‘the more websites to choose from the better!’ and ‘the more games the better!’ (this hasn’t changed).
Everybody needs a virtual pet.
This website is for kids aimed 6-12 but I don’t tend to follow these rules. I want a virtual pet dammit!
This website released in 2008 so I was entering my teens when I saw Moshi Monsters around every now and then. The website enables you to own a pet, navigate the city and play games. I remember that you could see the ages of the people above their pets as you walked around, but that’s hardly trustworthy.
♦Barbie, Polly Pocket etc.
Barbie is still one of my loves, along with Bratz, Polly Pocket etc. because I’m still my 11-year-old self at heart. But does anyone remember those weird browser games? Ones such as Let’s Babysit Baby Krissy. Barbie sure knew how to how to be unique.
Then there was MyScene to go along with it.
I remember really enjoying the Pollet Pocket website too, however, I can’t really remember what you could actually do on it. I’m pretty sure there was a rollercoaster you could click on on the map, or a beach, or a big building. Ah, who knows. I know there’s a screenshot somewhere on Google.
I actually quit Facebook a year ago, but I definitely have my fair share of memories of playing games on there.
Pet Society (This was my number one Facebook game to go to. I leveled up a lot and I loved my pet to pieces. I want this game back in my life).
Yoville (My memories are pretty hazy when it comes to this game, but when I see a screenshot of it, I know that I played it.)
Farmville (well, I had to include this on the list didn’t I? It’s that game. The one that you would get a million notifications from because your Aunt had an addiction to virtual farming).
I also have vague memories of playing Hotel City and Restaurant City. The designs really weren’t bad, and I mean, they were addicting for a reason.
So there we have it. Another nostalgic post complete. I really do enjoy reminiscing- it’s one of my main pastimes.
Thank you for reading and Happy Gaming!
-LDG
THE LDG MAG 