Throwback Thursday: '90s Tech Gadgets That Defined Your Childhood

Image via Complex Original

Circa: 1993 

Cassette players had a strong run in the early half of the decade. But unless you were rocking that purple tape till it popped, there wasn't a need to own one. Sony provided an audio upgrade with its advanced line of Discman models, combining AVLS (Automatic Volume Limiter System) technology, Mega Bass audio, and anti-shock protection to produce a better overall listening experience. Nas, Biggie, and Wu-Tang’s debuts never sounded better, especially when riding public transpot.

Circa: 1990

Before Sony and Microsoft entered the video game octagon, you were riding with Team Nintendo or Team Sega. And those who sought a more diverse gaming experience (and less Mario) found solace in this 16-bit console. The Genesis became the first true successful gaming system of the decade and was a mainstay on all our Christmas lists for most of our adolescence. Strong exclusives in the form of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, plus awesome arcade ports and the better EA sports games were enough to draw us away from homework.

Circa: 1990 

Fisher Price had us feeling like we were stuntin’ harder than your favorite pulling up to an awards show in a brand new Bugatti. Far from lavish, Power Wheels fueled every child’s hunger for fly luxury whips and attractive company riding shotgun on the passenger side. 

Circa: 1996 

Most of us weren't afforded cellular phones or organizers at the time. So Casio played trendsetter by releasing a low-cost portable data book that stored 64KB of memory for storing phone contacts and personal memos. It was only a matter of time before half the kids in homeroom pulled out their digital black book for show.

Circa: 1994 

While the PlayStation 2 is hailed as the system that made gaming mainstream, let's not forget it was the first-gen console that put the consumer public onto Sony's new gaming platform. Sega's immediate failure with the Saturn turned gamers to the 32-bit, CD-ROM machine, which offered better 3D graphics and a larger, more popular catalog of titles: including Final Fantasy VII, Gran Turismo, Metal Gear Solid, and Resident Evil 2. This only strengthened our desire to run home straight after school and play.

Circa: 1993 

The Talkboy was just one of those toys that made us believe we could live the vicarious childhood of Kevin McCallister from the Home Alone films. Talk about being naïve. Granted the audio recorder served as a useful prank device capable of recording, speeding, and slowing down vocals well enough to trick teachers into thinking they were talking to our parents on phone calls. If anything, the Talkboy showed us how to pull a fast one over on adults.

Circa: 1994 

Cap guns and empty water pistols souped us up to believe we were grown-up badasses. Then we gripped Nerf’s foam blaster and felt this rush of manhood like we were playing big-screen action stars ready to take out Skynet, when in reality it was just annoying rugrats from the block. The Ballzooka provided us a sense of maturity that most children found themselves channeling from popular blockbuster films, while also prepping us for future combat-inspired activities like laser tag and paint ball.

Circa: 1990 

Some referred to it as the poor man’s Game Boy. That’s because it was. At $10 a pop, Tiger offered a variety of licensed video game titles on its LCD-electronic devices—each curbed with fixed object locations and movements. Nonetheless, these pixilated handhelds got us through boring lectures in elementary and never-ending family road trips.

Circa: 1996

The Tamagotchi became a pop culture phenomenon that sold over 40 million across the globe—leaving students of both sexes clamoring for their own virtual pet to nurture. It became an obsession for most users and comic relief for others who sought to clean up their pet’s crap or merely starve them to death. Either way, it taught us the values of parenting in digital form.

Circa: 1991 

Those who rode the Nintendo bandwagon found great pleasure in the SNES’ impeccable graphics and sound quality. Mario’s transition from 8- to 16-bit gaming was considered major and an incredible lineup of third-party support from companies like Capcom and Square Enix helped push the console to become the best-selling game system of its generation cycle. 

Circa: 1990 

Summertime in the Big Apple was an infinite scorch fest during the '90s. Thankfully, inventor Lonnie Johnson introduced us to a new form of portable water weaponry, an H20 blaster that cooled us down during excessive heat waves and provided cheap thrills when soaking hunnies around the way.

Circa: 1993 

An honor student favorite, the toy construction system was a high-tech upgrade over LEGOs that pushed creativity and required ingenuity to assemble. Equipped with interlocking plastic rods, connectors, gears, wheels and other pieces, the brightest mind had the ability to turn out anything from architectural sculptures to movable machines.

Circa: 1996 

Getting any adolescent to expand their cognitive skill set is asking a lot these days. But back then, Bop-It inspired us to do so by challenging our aptitude and reflexes in a playful manner. 

Circa: 1990 

Nintendo’s 8-bit handheld set off the portable gaming movement and had every child wishing for one under their Christmas tree every year. The ability to play new titles like Super Mario Land and Final Fantasy Legend, along with popular NES ports kept us glued to the huge slab of gray hardware on the go. And if there was any game that could sum up our '90s childhood best, best believe it's Tetris.