Missing the 90s? There’s an App for That!
It is guest-post Friday, and today All Groan Up is honored to welcome Alexis Caffrey with some 90s love in today’s tech savvy world. Enjoy!
I won’t say I’m stuck in the 1990s. Because stuck implies you want to get out.
I … appreciate the 1990s. Lovingly. They were my formative years, after all. And any time I see a Bart Simpson T-shirt or Saved By the Bell rerun (still love you, Zack Morris!), I go back.
But I live in 2013. I know this.
Luckily, there are apps that can help take me back to a great time, an age of Full House, The Smashing Pumpkins, jelly shoes, and that Paul O’Neill poster that once hung in my room. (Go Yankees!)
Here are nine apps I have on my smartphone, from a girl who remembers how totally awesome it was to have a cordless telephone in my room (even if it weighed roughly the same as a bowling ball).
Original Photo by Status Frustration – Creative Commons
Nine Apps for Those Who Love the 90s
1. Tamagotchi L.i.f.e
I had the Tamagotchi Connection V1 hanging on my keychain when I passed my first driver’s test. Tamagotchi L.i.f.e replicates the handheld digital pixel-pets (mine was named Mikey) in that egg-shaped computer we had to care for. The app really does look and feel like the original!
2. Live Metallica
My parents never let me see Metallica live. I don’t know what the big deal was. But, with Live Metallica, I can download a show. I have three of my favorites saved to the app. I can stream the most recent show they’ve uploaded, for free. Mom still doesn’t get their music, but I do.
It’s $.99, and worth more. This app gives you the hip-hop and rock hits that made the 90s the best decade ever. If you don’t want to install yet another music app, you can also check out the 90s stations on apps like Spotify and Pandora—in fact, it’s been reported that radio has made a comeback thanks to cool apps like the ones mentioned (live on Casey Kasem!).
4.
This free-play app feels so authentic. There are updated mazes for a new look, too. And I don’t mind the multipliers this game has to give my score a much-needed boost.
5. Fresh Prince Trivia for Android
Remember chilling out, maxing, relaxing all cool? I do. But how much do you know about Uncle Phil? Could you recognize a Will Smith pickup line? Fresh Prince Trivia has 700 unique questions about the show. You’ll wear your hat sideways with a pair of overalls after playing it (with one strap unbuttoned!)
6. Forest Gump Soundboard for Android
“Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” Classic quote, right? It’s also my notification sound for text messages.
7. AIM
In the days of gchat and snapchat, AOL lives on. With the AIM app you can chat with one or more friends, and seamlessly move the conversation to your desktop. It also integrates Google Talk and Facebook chat into the app. Obviously you can get by without this $3 app and rely on good-old text messaging to communicate, but it’s worth installing just to have the little yellow AOL running man icon on your phone screen.
8. Nok Hockey
Who can forget playing Nok Hockey for hours in their basement? This time around, your finger replaces the red plastic hockey stick, but that troublesome diamond-shaped goalie will still be blocking your shots. It may be 99 cents, but it’s worth it to beat your best friend one more time: the app allows you to challenge another player. Game on.
9. Andie Graph
Remember when you had to beg mom and dad to spend $80 on that graphing calculator that you needed for trigonometry? Now it’s free (kids are so lucky these days). You have to download the ROM separately, but the Andie Graph serves the same function (and has the same look) as your old TI-82. Forget trig, we’d download it just for the nostalgia factor.
This just sort of reinforces my idea that things really were awesome back in the day. So awesome, there’s an app for that.
I’d love to hear from you in the comments below:
What 90s Apps did I miss?
Alexis Caffrey is a freelance writer with a focus on technology, new media, and design. In a former life she was a graphic designer based out of New York, NY. She actively (some would say obsessively) follows entertainment news and pop culture. You can reach Alex via her email.
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