Contra to Dangerous Dave: 13 video games we loved playing as kids

Video games that no kid from this generation would relate to, because they missed the most awesome era of gaming

Shamita Harsh
Sep 27, 2017

For kids who grew up in the 90s, video games were the best thing that could happen to them. No, we are not talking about the Play Station and all that new jazz that everyone has going on right now. We are talking about the endless line around small video game parlours that were so crowded that you planned your studies around their schedule so that you could reach there and hog a machine beforehand. We are talking about the small video cassettes that you inserted in a mini-console and played until your thumbs were sore. We are talking about an era where the children who used to spend hours gaming together and not on isolated PS3s in air-conditioned rooms but in the heat of an arcade that gave you a coupon of Rs. 10 to play for an hour. The era of video games brought the children together, from groupism that evolved into gang-wars, video games united and divided young kids from the same block.

Here is a list of 13 video games that ruled our childhood and only kids from the 90’s would relate to them:

Mario: A pudgy looking Italian plumber was the first ever person to win the hearts of many young children. From the time it hit the market, Mario was a favourite for every kid starting out in the video gaming league.
Credit: Помидор 1/Wikimedia Commons
Adventure Island: A tiny half-naked boy running around an island was probably the greatest adventure for kids as they explored the living creatures around the island.
Adventure Island Screenshot: Arcade Spot
Contra: If you don’t know Contra, then you should probably just stop reading this. Contra was a combat game with a head-on mission to destroy whoever came your way.
Contra Classic Screenshot: GetJar
Street Fighters: A pure arcade game, this was a gem when it came to fighting games. You got a chance to control the martial artist Ryu in a worldwide martial arts tournament, spanning five countries and a total of ten opponents.
Street Fighters Screenshot: TechMynd
Duck Hunt: Shooting down ducks may have seemed like a bad choice but you could totally do it to feed that goofy dog of yours. Every shot out of the gun brought a new adrenaline rush.
Duck Hunt Screenshot: Women Write About Comics
Excite Bike: The most fun racing game ever, it included crossing obstacles and racing through a track on a set time watch.
Screenshot Thumbnail: Classic Nes – Excite Bike
Dangerous Dave: Dave was probably the one to crush on, the game was all about collecting gold cups as you dodged fire-spitting dragons.
Dave Screenshot: DOS Games Archive
Bomberman: This game was a new level of madness as you planted bombs to kill off your enemies.
Bomberman Screenshot: GameFabrique
Ice Climber: Want to climb ice-covered mountains to recover stolen vegetables? You could do that with Popo and Nana in this one hell of a ride up 32 different snow-covered levels.
Ice Climber Screenshot: YouTube @arronmunroe
Road Fighter: The most addictive game from my memory, this game needed you to drive safely and outdo other racers.
Road Fighter Screenshot: mobile9
Road Rash: Would you want to be a badass bike junkie who could race through the town and even give a side kick to a police officer? Then this would be your dream game.
Road Rash Screenshot: Bestoldgames.net
Midtown Madness: It started in the arcade and drove home to become the most notable PC driving game of the 90s.
Midtown Madness Screenshot: OceanOfGames
Aladdin: Probably the game that kick-started the Nintendo console gaming was actually based on a children’s tale of Aladdin and had one sole purpose: saving the princess. No surprises there!
Aladdin Screenshot: Retrogames