You Need To Replay These 5 Nostalgic Online Games!
If you grew up in the early 2000s as I did, then you remember playing some of the most iconic online games. I can fondly recall the countless hours of playing Club Penguin, begging my parents to buy me monthly membership cards so I could get access to everything in the game.
Unfortunately, some of these beloved games we knew so well had to shut down or couldn't survive the fall of Adobe Flash Player in December 2020. Kids all over the world were heartbroken as they said goodbye to their favorite childhood games.
The main reason Adobe made the decision to end Adobe Flash Player is due to the existence of better alternative programs (i.e. HTML5, WebGL, and WebAssembly) that websites were beginning to utilize.
Adobe announced the end of Adobe Flash Player in July 2017. This gave game developers and executives about three years to transition their programs away from Flash Player and begin using better technology. For some websites, three years was still not enough time to get situated into a new program. As a result, these websites eventually shut down.
Nonetheless, game developers and other experts heard the cries of those devastated by this loss. To everyone's surprise, they've resurrected a few of the online games that touched the hearts of so many kids and made them better than ever.
The Feeling of Nostalgia
Nostalgia is a beautiful and unique human emotion. It is related to the feeling of homesickness. When someone reminisces about positive memories from their past, they begin to feel nostalgic. With nostalgia comes a feeling of longing. People long to experience those pleasant memories again.
According to Dr. Krystine Batcho from the American Psychological Association, nostalgia is an emotion that "unifies." She explained that having a nostalgic feeling helps an individual understand their sense of self, their identity, and how it changes over time. It is a motivator to help someone compare who they were back then to who they are now. Reliving nostalgic memories reminds us of the people, places, or activities that aided in shaping our identities.
5 Popular Nostalgic Games to Replay
These are some of the recreated online games that I, as well as many 2000's kids, were delighted to see make a comeback to the internet:
1. Club Penguin Rewritten
Club Penguin, originally a Disney game, was first introduced to the internet in October 2005. This game was all about waddling around like a little virtual penguin, meeting new friends, playing fun minigames, and taking care of cute puffles.
It was shut down in March 2017, 12 years after its release, and replaced by Club Penguin Island. According to Variety magazine, this spin-off of the original game wasn't too successful and shut down only a year after its initial release.
Just before Club Penguin Island welcomed new penguins, Club Penguin Rewritten was born in February 2017.
It's a completely restored version of the original game. The best part is that players have complete access to everything; they no longer need to pay for memberships to get the full experience. The whole game is free to play!
I'm technically an adult now, being 21 years old. Regardless, I was so excited to hear that my favorite online game of all time was back in action! I've played Club Penguin since I was eight years old and I'm still logging in to have some fun. You'd be surprised how many adults are on the game now because we want that nostalgic feeling!
2. Toontown Rewritten
Toontown was another previously Disney-owned game released in June 2003. In this game, players run around as different animals and fight a bunch of robot bankers, known as Cogs. Players complete various tasks to use different types of gags, silly weapons to use against the Cogs.
This game shut down only 10 years after its creation in September 2013. According to the Toontown Wiki, Jesse Schell, one of the original lead designers for Toontown, said that the game was becoming unsustainable. Free mobile games were overshadowing subscription-based computer games, which led to the downfall of Toontown.
Similar to Club Penguin Rewritten, Toontown Rewritten was reincarnated just a year after Disney closed the original game. Everything is exactly like it was, and it's all free!
I played the original Toontown a lot when I was in the 4th grade. I didn't know this game was back until 2018! I finally began playing the game again just a few months ago and it's even more fun than I remember.
3. Webkinz
Webkinz is an online game surprisingly not owned by Disney! This game was released in April 2005 by the Ganz company. Webkinz is unique because kids needed to buy a stuffed animal before they started playing. These Webkinz plushies had a tag with a code attached to them. Kids could enter the code on the Webkinz website to begin their online fun with their new furry friends.
Unlike Club Penguin and Toontown, Webkinz wasn't necessarily shut down.
According to an article published on theVerge, in 2019, the Ganz company announced that player accounts that hadn't been logged into over the last seven years would be deleted forever. A lot of people lost their pets.
After Adobe Flash Player was removed, Webkinz moved its place from a website to a free desktop app. Players also can adopt a pet online without needing to purchase a stuffed animal from the store.
Memberships are still required to access a few parts of the game, but there is still so much to do for every player.
I remember when I was little, my mom used to take me and my sister to the local public library just so we could play Webkinz for an hour or two. Webkinz holds such a special place in my heart. Thankfully, my account is still safe. I like to log in sometimes, check on my pets, play some arcade games, and go mining for some gems! Was anyone else able to get the Legendary Crown of Wonder?
4. Moshi Monsters Rewritten
Moshi Monsters was a slightly more recent online game; it was released on the internet in April 2008. In this game, players could be different kinds of monsters, some cute and some a little creepy. They could play minigames, collect pets, and chat with friends!
Unfortunately, Moshi Monsters was not going to survive the fall of Adobe Flash Player. In 2019, this popular children's game announced its farewell to the internet.
Not to worry because a fan recreated this game once again with Moshi Monsters Rewritten!
I just recently discovered its revival website, so I have yet to play and give it a test run. Nonetheless, this discovery reminded me of my Moshi Monsters phase in middle school.
5. Poptropica
Poptropica is a fun adventure game made by Jeff Kinney, author of the well-known children's book series Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Released in 2007, players can take their characters to various islands and solve mysteries, explore lost kingdoms, become superheroes, and so much more! After completing a world, players received medallions and credits, which they can use to purchase costumes to dress up their characters.
This online game did survive after Adobe Flash Player's departure, though many classic fan-favorite islands were lost. Some of these islands included Early Poptropica, Skullduggery Island, and Reality TV Island.
Poptropica is still available to play online and the creators developed a spin-off game called Poptropica Worlds. It's virtually the same experience as the original game, but with new islands to explore.
I remember this game being so hype in my 4th-grade class. One day, we all chose a Greek god or goddess to be from the Mythology Island and printed out each character to tape onto our desks. That was such a wonderful way to bond with my friends over a game we loved.
Reliving Childhood Memories
All of these classic online games were adored by 2000's kids, who are now becoming adults. I'm grown up now and I still want to have fun like I did when I was younger.
Time goes by so quickly and adulthood can be overwhelming. Why not take a moment to go back to the good ole days? Spend an hour or so reliving the best memories by checking out these amazing (and some now free!) games. Doing so will flood back all the fond memories that helped mold you into the person you are today!