Previously on My Gaming History…

1. ColecoVision
2. Atari 2600
3. Nintendo Entertainment System
4. Game Boy
5. Super Nintendo
6. Nintendo 64
7. PlayStation
8. PlayStation 2

Ah, the good ol’ days of PC gaming. As a child of the 90s, I have fond memories of booting up my Windows 95 desktop after school and getting lost in classic games like Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, and the early SimCity games.

Wolfenstein 3D truly ushered in the era of the first-person shooter. Who could forget the satisfying cha-chk of chambering a new round into your pistol as you blasted away at pixelated Nazi soldiers? And Doom took things to the next level with its creepy demonic enemies, open 3D environments, and adrenaline-pumping action. I’ll never forget the palpable fear I felt navigating those hellish corridors, waiting for a Cacodemon to float around the corner. Good times!

Of course, PC gaming wasn’t all about shootin’ up bad guys. I have similarly fond memories of more strategic games like SimCity 2000, with its jazzy soundtrack and seemingly endless urban planning possibilities. And who could forget about Sid Meier’s Civilization III, which singlehandedly sabotaged my high school GPA thanks to its dangerously addictive “one more turn” gameplay? Oops.

And we can’t forget about the adventure games! Titles like Return to Zork and the early chapter games of The Longest Journey series offered up humor, intrigue, and the thrill of puzzle-solving through clever dialog trees and inventory interactions. I still get goosebumps thinking about some of Return to Zork‘s more bizarre moments (“Want some rye? ‘Course ya do!”).

This trip down PC gaming memory lane is making me feel nostalgic. I’d love to hear your own favorite gaming memories from back in the day. Share your stories in the comments below! In the meantime, I think I’m going to dig out some of these old classics and indulge in a bit of 90s/early 2000s gaming nostalgia. Who’s up for a multi-player Doom deathmatch?