Home computers in the 90’s are a bit different than they are today. They were big, bulky, and much slower than most PC we are used to using. The PC games were also much more simplistic than those that have been released since 2000. The graphics were simple and the concepts were less complex, but they gave kids in the 90’s hours of fun, and in many cases they were even educational. Here are a list of some of the most popular old PC games from the 90’s you might remember playing.
The Oregon Trail
Many kids in the 90’s remember this game in the classroom. It is dos based PC game that was actually made in the 70’s by the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium. It became increasingly popular in the 80’s and 90’s in public schools. As the name suggests it game students the chance to have fun while learning about life on the Oregon Trail in the 19th century. The goal was to make it in a covered wagon from Independence, Mo to the Willamette Valley, OR without dying.
Doom
A list of PC Games in the 90’s would not be complete without the mention of Doom. Doom is a horror and science-fiction themed game. It was released by id Software in 1993, with a few updates since the original release. This game was one of the first “shooter” games for PCs, and has been recognized by gamers everywhere for paving the way for future shooter games. The original Doom has three different episodes, each with nine levels. The game from the 90’s is still available for play, as well as several other PC and game console versions.
Duke Nukem 3D
You cannot mention Doom without also mentioning Duke Nukem 3D. Like Doom, it is a science-fiction shooter game, where Duke protects the world from an alien invasion. It was released by 3D Realms in conjunction with GT Interactive Software for PC gamers in 1996. This game takes after its predecessors, Duke Nukem and Duke Nukem II. It was later followed by additional updated versions, including the most recent 20th anniversary edition for game consoles. Although for classic gamers, there is still nothing like the original PC version.
SimCity
This game was a city building simulation game. This game was released in 1994 by Maxis for use on Apple PCs. The player builds schools, museums, prisons, roads, trains, and power plants. The game gained so much popularity that additional versions were released for other operating systems. It also was awarded the Best Strategy Computer Game a year after its release. And the Museum of Modern Art has even included it in its collection.
SkiFree
Last up on our list is SkiFree. This game was created by Chris Pirih of Microsoft in 1991. As the name suggests, it is a game where the player skis down a slope trying to avoid a number of different obstacles that cross his path. But if that isn’t enough, be prepared for the Abominable Snow Monster will come after you. Although this game was very simple, it still has a way of drawing a player in for hours of entertainment.
