Mobile games have been an integral part of our childhood for most of us. They have been there to entertain us whenever we needed them too, and have made our childhood more memorable and exciting. Even though mobile games are still very prevalent amongst kids nowadays, maybe more than it ever was in history.
The era of games when the people born in the early and late 90’s were kids, holds a special significance. We will delve into why I’ve made this statement later on in this article but if you too are a 90s kid and want to refresh your memories with nostalgia, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we are going to talk about the top 20 childhood nostalgia mobile games for the 90’s kids.
Mobile Games in the 90s: Reliving a Childhood Nostalgia
At present, we have a plethora of quality mobile games to choose from. But it wasn’t like this always. Just a few years ago, we had very limited options regarding quality mobile games. During these times, some evergreen gems were released which still hold a special place in the hearts of those who used to play these games day and night.
Now coming to why mobile games which were played by 90’s kids hold a special significance, this is because it was during this time when we practically saw a very big revolution in the tech industry as a whole.
Earlier people used to use keypad phones which rarely had any games in them, but it was during this time when people born in the 90’s were kids or teenagers when we saw the advent of smartphones. With smartphones came the release of some classic games which laid the foundation for other mobile games to follow in the coming future.
Complete list of Childhood Nostalgia Mobile Games for 90’s Kids
Before we start to look at the top childhood nostalgia mobile games for 90’s kids, I would like to make it clear that this list has been made keeping in mind the best interest of everyone. A taste can be subjective, you might not agree with some of the inclusions, which would be completely understandable.
- 1. Asphalt
- 2. Angry Birds
- 3. Bounce Classic
- 4. Brick Game
- 5. Candy Crush Saga
- 6. Clash of Clans
- 7. Fruit Ninja
- 8. Gunship Battle
- 9. Hill Climb Racing
- 10. Minecraft Pocket Edition
- 11. Mini Militia
- 12. Pacman
- 13. Plants vs Zombies
- 14. Red Ball Series
- 15. Dr. Driving
- 16. Jetpack Joyride
- 17. Temple Run
- 18. Talking Tom Cat
- 19. Tetris
- 20. Vector: Parkour Run
This list has been made not just keeping the gameplay and features in mind, but also the emotional value, fan base, and appreciation of the games from the players of that time. The list is also not ranked as everyone prefers some game over the other for various reasons. So without wasting any more time, let’s get started.
1. Asphalt
Asphalt is one of the first-ever mobile games which had been played in the childhood of people born in the 90s. It is a racing game which is published by Gameloft and its first version was released back in 2004. It was released on Nintendo DS, N-Gage, and on mobile phones too and it achieved great success. Over the years the game has had many improvements and several versions have been added to the franchise ever since the latest being Asphalt 9: Legends which was released in 2018.
But still, the first ever version had great nostalgic value for the players back then and it set the mark for all the future racing mobile games. As of today, you can download the latest version of the game which is Asphalt 9: Legends from both the Android and iOS stores.
2. Angry Birds
Angry Birds is an action and strategy-based game which is created by Rovio Entertainment. The first ever game was released on 11 December 2009 for iOS devices and then made available on Android too. It was a unique release that involved shooting colorful birds with various capabilities toward green-colored pigs who tried to steal their eggs.
It gained massive popularity and soon reached over 3 billion downloads across all platforms. After the massive success of Angry Birds, Angry Birds 2 was released on 30 July 2015. You can download Angry Birds 2 from both the Google Play and App Store as the first version is not available anymore.
3. Bounce Classic
It is also among one of the first games ever played by a 90s kid. It is a 2D game where you need to control a red ball with the four arrow keys which were found on Nokia phones. As you moved forward into the game, more obstacles would come in front of you in the side-scrolling world of the game. The original Bounce game was published by Nokia and was released back in 2001. You can download this game from both the Google Play and App Store currently.
4. Brick Game
This is a game which is famous among kids even before smartphones came into the equation. So you might wonder why is it on the list of mobile games. This is because even though those devices in which we used to play the Brick Game are not available in many places anymore, there are now mobile games that will provide you with the same experience and nostalgia which will remind you of the time when you were a kid. One such game is the Brick Game published by PerseusGames and was released on 18 June 2016. It is available on both the App Store and Google Play.
5. Candy Crush Saga
This is one of those evergreen games which never gets old. It was first released on 12 April 2012 and was originally designed for Facebook. Eventually, it was also released on other platforms such as iOS and Android. It was first played by 90s kids and adults alike.
It is a game where you need to climb through thousands of levels by swapping candy of the same color. Candy Crush Saga has been around for more than a decade now and still, the players who were once kids back then now play the game as adults. You can download the game from both the Google Play and App Store.
6. Clash of Clans
Clash of Clans was released on 2nd August 2012 by Supercell and since then it has only grown more popular. It is a strategy-based multiplayer game where you can play along with your friends, design your village, go out into battle, and do much more.
Due to it being such a diverse game, it was instantly a hit amongst the kids of that time and has been one of the best mobile games they have played in their childhood ever since. Clash of Clans is available on both the Android and iOS stores.
7. Fruit Ninja
Fruit Ninja was first released for iPod Touch and iPhone back on 12 August 2010 by Halfbrick Studios. It was later made available on other platforms as well and gained huge popularity then as it was a unique, simple, and relaxing game where you need to swipe fast to cut the various fruits that pop across on your screens.
It was one of the first games which was first played by kids on smartphones at that time, which is why whenever someone mentions mobile games from their childhood, Fruit Ninja is always a part of that list. The game is still very much popular today and a favorite among mobile gamers and can be downloaded from both Google Play and App Store.
8. Gunship Battle
Gunship Battle is a game where you can play as pilots of heavy-duty military aircraft and take out your enemies. There is a wide range of aircraft to choose from and it gained worldwide popularity among players all over the world back at that time.
It was ahead of its time in terms of graphics and animations which was one of the reasons for its mass popularity. It was released back in 2011 by a South Korean company named Joycity Corp. The newer version of the game is currently available for installation on both Android and iOS devices.
9. Hill Climb Racing
Hill Climb Racing for popular among players back then because of its simple yet fun gameplay while very strictly following the rules of physics. This made the game challenging while also having easy controls. It was released in 2012 on both Android and iOS stores and is developed by Fingersoft.
The success of Hill Climb Racing made the path for the creators to release its sequel in 2016 by the name of Hill Climb Racing 2. The original version of the game can be installed on both Android and iOS devices.
10. Minecraft Pocket Edition
Minecraft has been one of the favorite games for people of multiple generations. At first, it was not available on mobile phones but in 2011 on various platforms. In this game, you can build your world, have your pets, play with your friends, and customize everything according to your choices in great detail.
It was created by Mojang Studios and has more than 16 million downloads as of now. This shows that even though it was released back when people born in the 90s were still kids, it has still been able to maintain its popularity. You can download it from both the Google Play and App Store.
11. Mini Militia
Mini Militia has been a go-to game for people who want to have a fun shooting experience with their friends which is not too intense like the battle royale games these days. It was initially released in 2011 by Appsomniacs LLC for both Android and iOS platforms.
You could either play it in a single-player or along with your friends in multiplayer, either way, it was a huge hit, and thanks to its success, the creators of the game also released a sequel after a couple of years. You can still download the original version from Google Play but only the sequel from the App Store.
12. Pacman
Pacman had already been a huge hit on consoles and other platforms along with its presence in arcades. So when the advent of mobile phones started in the mid-2000s, BANDAI NAMCO, the creator of the game decided to start to begin their work on the mobile version of Pacman.
The game was released in 2013 and kids and teenagers alike liked to play the game on their new cell phones as much as they liked to play it earlier on the arcade and the retro game got the same love that it got from its fans. The game is available for download on both Android and iOS devices.
13. Plants vs Zombies
Plants vs Zombies is a unique third-person shooter game where you need to use plants with various capabilities to stop the incoming zombies from reaching and eating them. It was originally released on 5 May 2009 and but was available on mobile devices from 31 May 2011.
Since it had a unique and fun gameplay, the news of its existence spread due to the good word of mouth and this became a hit. Due to its huge success, the creators even released several of its sequels and spinoffs later on in the future. The original game is still available for download on both Android and iOS devices.
14. Red Ball Series
For this one, we are not going to talk about just one game in particular but the whole series of Red Ball. This is because, since the release of its first-ever version in 2008, the game saw quick releases of its sequels with major improvements and additions in terms of content. That is why till the time the creators released Red Ball 4 in 2014, it had amassed a big enough player base already.
At first, the game was just about taking a ball from the start to the end of the game, but with the fourth installment in 2014, we got a whole storyline about the lover of the Red Ball being kidnapped by the Grey Ball and we had to help him in the journey of saving the loge of his life. You can download only the latest version from both Google Play and App Store as the older ones are not available anymore.
15. Dr. Driving
Dr. Driving is a driving simulation game by SUD Inc. It was released in 2013 and even though it has no racing missions as such, it still got famous among players because of its simple and easy controls and smooth gameplay.
The game is about driving at the right speed, not getting into accidents, and driving properly in general. It has over 500 million downloads and because of its huge success, the creators have also released a sequel of the game. Dr. Driving is available on both Android and iOS Stores.
16. Jetpack Joyride
Jetpack Joyride is an endless runner game that was released on 1 September 2011 by Halfbrick Studios. It was first released for iOS devices only then later on the creators released its Android version too. It got famous among players because of its simple yet feature-rich gameplay.
As of now, it has had over 750 million downloads in the Google Play Store alone which is a testament to its massive success. You can download the game on both Android and iOS devices.
17. Temple Run
Temple Run is an iconic game that gained worldwide popularity from the moment of its release on 4 August 2011. It is created by Imangi Studios and the premise of the game is that one needs to save the explorer from monsters who are chasing him by running through various obstacles while collecting coins in this endless 3D runner game.
Because of its huge success, the creators later on also released sequels and spinoffs of the game with the same mechanics while changing the theme and improving the graphics according to the standards of that time. You can download the original version from both Google Play and App Store.
18. Talking Tom Cat
Talking Tom Cat is an interaction-based mobile game that was first released on 6 August 2010. It instantly got popular among kids as the cat in the game would repeat everything one would say and you could even pet him and make him do other things.
That is why whenever kids from that era think about mobile games from their childhood, this one comes to their mind at the top. Its huge success made the creators release many other spinoffs and sequels of it. But if you still want to try out the original game, it won’t be possible anymore as it has been replaced by its relaunched version on the Android and iOS stores.
19. Tetris
Though the concept of Tetris has been around since as late as the 80s, the game was finally developed by EA Mobile for both Android and iOS stores in 2008. It is a puzzle video game where you need to stack up differently shaped pieces in such a way that they form complete lines by filling up the vacated places correctly.
The game had been around for quite some time but came to mobile phones in 2008. Due to its already-amassed popularity, it was able to get over 10 million downloads in just 2 years. Now the game has been acquired by PLAYSTUDIOS INC and is available for download on both the Google Play and App Store.
20. Vector: Parkour Run
Vector: Parkour Run has been developed by Nekki and was released on 28 August 2012. The game follows a silhouette protagonist who is running away from agents of the government by using his parkour skills in this free-running game.
The success of Vector resulted in the launch of its sequel Vector 2 in 2016. The original game is still available for download on both Android and iOS stores. If you are a fan of Parkour games, check out our list of best Parkour-like mobile games here!
What are your thoughts on our list of the Top 20 Childhood Nostalgia mobile games for 90s Kids? Let us know in the comments below!
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