Memories we grew up with

The mellow 1990's. Most of us who grew up during the decade will get hit by nostalgic memories with the mere mention of this era.

Teenagers back then somehow made it alive without the internet, cell phones, social network and fried chicken restaurants at every corner of the streets.

We will admit that it was the dark ages. Only a handful were lucky enough to have internet connection and personal computers, and even those were slower than Gulshan traffic on a Monday.

But nostalgia is a pair of rose-tinted glasses that turns even the mundane memories beautiful. For most of us, the 90's were a blissful existence, there were no chores, no bills, no worries and life was good.

Here is a shout out to a few things lost in the passage of time. Lost but not forgotten.

Cartoon Network shows

We know that Cartoon Network, the home of cartoons as they used to call it back in the day, still have TV shows, and so does the Nickelodeon. But they no longer make quality shows like they used to before.

Many cartoons of the era had their successful run on network TV, and then faded into obscurity.

Some however had a worst fate. Clumsy attempts to reboot masterpieces such as the Tom and Jerry show, Powerpuff Girls and Scooby Doo have resulted in mediocrity.

As the original creators left their shows or passed away, their creations lost their souls. American animator William Hanna passed away in 2001 and Joseph Barbera died in 2006, leading to the end of a magnificent era.

We guess that the Swat Kats finally decided to retire.

On a positive note, it is a matter of profound joy that fans got to see the saga of Samurai Jack conclude properly in 2017, after original creator and Russian-American animation director Genndy Tartakovsky returned to finish the show.

Retro console gaming

In the 90s, kids who were persistent enough, or managed to somehow live up to the unrealistic expectations of their parents, got something amazing for their trouble – a shiny new home video game console such as the Nintendo Entertainment System, SEGA Genesis or PlayStation.

Gaming was not the multi-billion dollar industry it is now, but for the kids and teenagers back then, it was the window to an awe inspiring experience. As kids, we had no clue how exactly a gun plugged into the console could shoot down ducks flying in the TV.

Game consoles were also more common than PCs, as computers were so expensive, not many kids were even allowed to go near them.

A console, some snacks and the flicker of a CRT television, that's all we needed to have a fun on a Friday afternoon. As for those asking who would win in a death match between the Mario Brothers and Sonic the Hedgehog, it is a discussion for another time.

The Arcades

For those unfortunate souls, who could not convince their parents to buy them a video game console, arcade shops were their only hope. Because at that time, no sane parent would spend a fortune on a personal computer so that their kids can waste time on "vidya games."

Arcade shops were a peculiar sight, and by peculiar we mean shady as heck. Most arcades in Bangladesh during the 90's can be described as a dimly lit shop on a dingy alleyway, with heavy curtains covering the only entrance.

Bring plenty of change and those arcade machines would be yours until you go broke or go home.

Parents treated those "totally legit establishments" in the same manner as drug dens or illegal casinos.

Many 90's kids had the time of their lives in those arcade shops, playing the Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, Street Fighter II, The king of Fighters, Mortal Kombat and many others.

Because it was not online multiplayer, heated arguments leading to fights were not an uncommon sight.

Sometimes virtual mortal kombat would turn into a real mortal kombat, because some scrub would lose his temper after losing ten matches in a row. The shop owners however were quick to settle such disputes, because "fatalities" would be terrible for their business.

Walkmans

Sony Walkmans or any brand of portable cassette players were the fastest way to be the cool kid in school in the 90's.

Get a pair of headphones, then bang your head on the thump of music in between classes, and probably no one would question your sanity.

There was always new music to check out at local cassette shops, and it was a cool place to hang out with friends.

Seems like It was a lifetime ago we made a mixtape of our favourite music, wrote the list of songs by hand and gave it to a person of affection.

Rest in peace, the 1990s. We will see you on the other side.