Question for us that grew up in the 90’s as far as video games.

[Hank Scorpio]

I remember games being VERY expensive back in the 90's, which is why my parents could never afford to buy me many games. Wasn't until Funkoland came around, and we were able to buy used games.

Blockbuster was the spot for me though. We'd rent a game for $5-10 bucks for a few days and then return it right back. I low key miss those days tbh. I remember back in HS, I used to head over to my GF's cribs Friday nights, and we'd walk over to Blockbuster to pick a movie to watch. Things were more personal back then. Home girl used to get on her tippy toes to reach for the DVD's on the top shelf, and I'd sneak a peek or slap that *** if no one was around.

Speaking of expensive stuff back in the 90's--Actually, sneakers being as expensive as they were was a major reason why I got into them in the first place. Not because of the price, but because I saw MJ playing in them and wanted a pair, but my dad couldn't afford to put the cash down for $120 sneakers back in 1995.

 

[luisfigo]

Glad my mom refused to get me all the latest video games. Had the nes, skipped a generation, and then the n64. If I really wanted the latest game I would save up my allowance or just wait til my friends were done with theirs to borrow. Spent most of my childhood and teenage years with friends playing ball. Only time video games was good for was rainy days, sick days at home or sleepovers. Never stayed up past midnight playing video games either.

And whenever I go to my sisters house I just look at my nephews video games and think he already has way more video games in his 9 years of life than I had my entire life

 

[Hank Scorpio]

Glad my mom refused to get me all the latest video games. Had the nes, skipped a generation, and then the n64. If I really wanted the latest game I would save up my allowance or just wait til my friends were done with theirs to borrow. Spent most of my childhood and teenage years with friends playing ball. Only time video games was good for was rainy days, sick days at home or sleepovers. Never stayed up past midnight playing video games either.

And whenever I go to my sisters house I just look at my nephews video games and think he already has way more video games in his 9 years of life than I had my entire life

Spent many sleepovers playing Resident Evil 2 this way. It was fun as Hell.

 

[AEA18]

Christmas and Birthday presents. Going to friends or family members house to play games we didn't have.

My brother is 2 years older than me and both our birthdays are in the Summer. We would make sure to get games we both wanted for our Birthdays.

We used to play older games as well. Didn't matter how long ago it came out. Only a few games were must buys when first released.

Rented a lot of games from local movie place too. RIP Family Video

Sales/KB Toys bargain bins and resell stores (Funcoland, EB Games, Babbage's, Slackers) >

Arcades still existed.

 

[TURBO UNO]

I used to love checking out the Sunday morning newspaper for their toys specials. Kay-Bee, Toys r Us and FedCo. That’s how I got my Genesis and PS1 games on discount.

 

[cragmatic]

We had all the systems, but very few games and I knew better than to even ask for games. My parents knew we didn’t play them.

i remember my dad rented the original PlayStation during a Christmas break for $250, my ten yr old self felt like it was $2k. I wouldn’t ‘rent’ anything for $250 in 2021, let alone 1995. That’s a carnote.

off topic, I remember window shopping in the 90s and not really understanding how all the kids wore Guess, RL, Hilfiger, Jordan’s, etc… I don’t recall clearance and sales back then, so their parents were paying full till? My mom kept me geared, but it was definitely the bodega/swap meet specials.

Rented a PS1 for 250?!? What! Pretty sure my mom rented one for me for 20, maybe 30 max lol.

 

[biggie62]

I’d get most of my games from the ones that were on sale for like $40 or so. I’d only get like 2-3 games for full retail over the course of a whole year.

 

[The Fresh Prince]

My mother purchased a Super Nintendo when they were on sale. I had Super Mario World, Mario Paint, and Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures. My cousins had the PlayStation (until it stopped working) and the Nintendo 64 with the Sega Genesis respectively. My next system was the PlayStation 2 followed by the GameCube.

 

[ccastro02]

My favorite games playing on the snes was super mario bros, super street fighter turbo, mario kart, nba jam, killer instinct, super double dragon, (and the baseball game with Ken Griffey on the cover. Never owned any, but I used to go ham when I would go to my cousins house. He had the whole set up.

 

[moonman818]

I remember in like 1998, Toys R Us was doing a special where you can turn in your used Sega Genesis and SNES, plus the games for $10 store credit each.

We sold back at least $1000 worth of games to cop the PS1 and Dreamcast the following year

 

[TURBO UNO]

I remember in like 1998, Toys R Us was doing a special where you can turn in your used Sega Genesis and SNES, plus the games for $10 store credit each.

We sold back at least $1000 worth of games to cop the PS1 and Dreamcast the following year

Imagine the gems that were turned in?!?

 

[$tacy]

****tttt at the time I had parents in their 20s so pops was playing too. Plus blockbuster and uncles who would trade games.

 

[asianplayer]

Had to borrow games from friends. The kids who had all the games in their collection, we figured their parents were ballin. lol.

 

[fluid hips]

Parents didn't let me get a console. We had a computer though so I grew up on PC games.

One time I borrowed my friend's playstation disc thinking it would work on the PC

 

[ccastro02]

Parents didn't let me get a console. We had a computer though so I grew up on PC games.

One time I borrowed my friend's playstation disc thinking it would work on the PC

Same. That Oregon trails and Carmen SanDiego on windows 95/98 was the wave growing up.

 

[walkingBred]

Same. That Oregon trails and Carmen SanDiego on windows 95/98 was the wave growing up.

Damn, I remember those games in grade school. We used to have cases of 8" floppy disc games in computer class.

 

[WASPS ANDD ASPS]

Alll i had for genesis was:
Sonic 2 (came with the console)
Street fighter 2
Mk 2

Errythang else i borrowed from my cousins.

 

[bigpat630]

Been looking on eBay for an Atomic Purple Game Boy Color. Think that was my most memorable Christmas growing up as a child. Playing Pokémon blue for hours.

 

[wayniac211]

97 we was on that ps 1 wave. tommy frazier huskers option

 

[49erholic]

I remember going to toys r us and grabbing the paper ticket for the game you wanted and taking it to the front so they can get the game from the back bubgsyvectorman sonic 2

 

[TURBO UNO]

Alll i had for genesis was:
Sonic 2 (came with the console)
Street fighter 2
Mk 2

Errythang else i borrowed from my cousins.

Solid list of games right there. I had to rent those or lucky if my cousin let me borrow.

 

[rbk93]

We used Blockbuster for 90% of the games we played.

I'm sure my parents never paid those prices.

This was the case with the Nintendo 64 on my family. Anything else, I feel we got years after the intital release from the pawn shop up until PS2/OG Xbox days.

 

[Grine]

I remember going to toys r us and grabbing the paper ticket for the game you wanted and taking it to the front so they can get the game from the back bubgsyvectorman sonic 2

Always wanted to do this as a kid. Finally got to do it when I got older - didn’t feel the same

 

[3900stabler]

back then all you needed was Street Fighter, a sports game & Super Mario. Also during that time, a lot of video game playing was done at arcades. Gave us a chance to get out of the house and interact with other kids. Kind of makes me miss the 2000s when renting games from places like Block Buster and Movie Gallery was a thing.

I remember going to a local putt putt golf course and arcade. You used to be able to get 100 tokens for $20. Me and brother would split it. We would be there for atleast 3 hours. I remember after we got in the car to go home all I could think about was the next time I would come back.

 

[3900stabler]

Housing, kids, and just living weren't as expensive as they are now, so parents saved money in other ways.

Also, it was nothing to just walk around the neighborhood to your friend's place to play their games and vice versa.

Had plenty of sleepovers that were based around playing video games. NBA Jam was at the top of the list.