Titans like Sony’s Playstation, Nintendo’s N64 and the ill-fated but much beloved Sega Dreamcast were leaders, with insanely fun, competitive multiplayer games and their mascots. Crash Bandicoot, Mario, Sonic are three figureheads whose IPs are still kicking around today.
Check out photos from that time below and fall head first into golden era game nostalgia.
Video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto points to the handset of the new Nintendo 64 flagship game, Super Mario 64. Photo: JOHN T. BARR/AFP via Getty Images
Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko and his brother, Vitali Klitschko. Photo: Andreas Rentz/Bongarts/Getty Images
A model kills time before a show with her Gameboy. she kills time before the show with a Nintendo Game Boy. Photo: Bernard Weil/Toronto Star via Getty Images
New Kids on the Block vocalist Donnie Wahlberg plays with his Gameboy, circa 1989. Photo: Larry Busacca/WireImage
Two punks in Germany on a train. Photo: Markus Matzel/ullstein bild via Getty Images
A scene from "Frasier". Photo: Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
Video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto poses with his creation, Mario. Photo: © Ralf-Finn Hestoft/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images
A 13-year-old plays video games with his brother and friend in Ventura, California. Photo: Joe Pugliese/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images