8 childhood games that are better left unplayed — but you still want to anyway

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I decided to revisit games that we once worshipped, but which are now better approached with caution. Or with eyes closed.

We've all been there. Downloaded that old game we absolutely loved as kids, fired it up... and shut it down five minutes later with a twinge of disappointment.

Because the magic was gone. Because the pixels hurt our eyes, the story felt way too simplistic, and the controls were just plain clunky. But no matter what we tell ourselves, that urge to go back — to those cozy, simple gaming worlds — keeps creeping up on us again and again.

"GTA: Vice City" (2002)

Ah, that pink neon glow and V-Rock radio station... How many hours were spent in that dream city! As a kid, I'd head over to my uncle's place, fire up the chunky monitor on his dream computer with an Intel Pentium 4, and dive into a world of criminal showdowns featuring guys in Hawaiian shirts.
A man in a blue Hawaiian shirt stands against the backdrop of a street with palm trees
'GTA: Vice City' character Tommy Vercetti
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But today Vice City feels tiny, and the shootouts seem wooden. The controls are clunky, and over the years the story has started looking like a caricature to me. But nostalgia runs too deep — and sometimes I still hit "Start." Now you don't even need a computer for that, since they've ported the game to phones.

"The Sims 1" (2000)

This used to be a genuine life simulator. Now it's more like a low-poly museum. The animations are sluggish, the interface feels ancient, and the Sims barely understand what you want them to do (at least in my experience).
The Sims Game Trailer
I was never a fan of the series, but my sister would constantly use my face to create yet another resident for yet another house in yet another Sim neighborhood.

"Heroes of Might and Magic III" (1999)

It's a legendary turn-based strategy game, no question about it. But when you fire it up again, reality hits: the interface shows no mercy, the screen's cluttered with distracting details, and battles drag on forever.
Trailer for the HD re-release of the game "Heroes of Might and Magic III"
Still, the moment you hear that main menu music, childhood comes flooding back. Right down to those five-minute arguments over who gets the computer next.

I remember nearly getting into it with my brother when my turn stretched to a solid half hour just because I was studying every hero available for hire in the tavern.

"Need for Speed: Underground" (2003)

Those legendary late-night street races set to a soundtrack packed with Rob Zombie and Lil Jon tracks. But today the controls feel like driving on ice, the graphics look like they're coated in soap film, and the storyline about "respect" sounds like teenage wish fulfillment.
Trailer for the game "Need for Speed: Underground"
Still, no modern NFS has managed to capture the raw street atmosphere that Underground delivered.

"Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" (2003)

This was once groundbreaking: wall-running, time rewinding, Arabian Nights fantasy. Now? It's clunky camera controls, wonky physics at times, and puzzles that don't always make sense.
The trailer for the game "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time"
But this game's energy still hooks you. Especially if you grew up with it, like I did.

"Max Payne" (2001)

Plastic faces and noir voiceover narration — back then, this felt like the height of style. Today? More like visual cringe.
Trailer for the game "Max Payne"
But bullet time still delivers, and Max's dramatic story, despite its simplicity, still holds up. The key is not taking it too seriously.

"Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation" (1999)

Lara Croft, ancient temples, puzzles — on paper, it's all perfect. But fire up the game today and you'll be greeted by "tank" controls and seriously dated graphics (well, the game's over 25 years old now).
Trailer for "Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation"
Still, fans keep heading back into those Egyptian catacombs, hoping for magic. And am I the only one who, playing as Lara in later years, couldn't shake the image of Angelina Jolie?

"Red Alert 2" (2000)

Soviet airships, paradoxical technologies. There was charm in this madness. But today the balance feels absurd, the AI predictable, and the interface archaic.
Trailer for the game "Red Alert 2"
Still, just hearing "Nuclear missile ready" makes it worth enduring the pixels and the quirks. Because this is a classic.

Earlier on zoomboola.com, we reported that Sydney Sweeney might land a role in the Split Fiction game adaptation.