Loading Screens and Memory Cards: Growing Up Gaming in the 90s and 00s

by Flandrew

Loading Screens and Memory Cards is a nostalgic journey through the golden age of gaming — from Christmas mornings spent unwrapping new consoles to late-night sleepovers lit by the glow of CRTs.

If you remember blowing on cartridges, swapping cheat codes in the schoolyard, or fighting over who got the “good” controller, this book is for you.

Join Flandrew, known for his YouTube channel celebrating classic games, to look back at the consoles, games, and memories that defined a generation — the PlayStation 2 era, the GameCube’s weird charm, the chaos of birthday party split-screen, and the pure joy of discovering new worlds before microtransactions and day-one patches.

Funny, heartfelt, and packed with stories any 90s or 00s gamer will relate to, this is a love letter to the days when “please wait…” meant you had a moment to dream.

Genres: Nonfiction

217 pages, Paperback

First published December 3, 2025

Reviews

[Ash (Ash's adventures in books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a fan of video games or you grew up in the 90's and 00's just like I did, then I think you'll enjoy this book.

This book takes a look back at the different eras of video games, from the Sega, Sony & Nintendo battle for the 90's, all the way through to all the oddities that came from the Nintendo Wii.

This was a very nostalgic trip down memory lane from the early memories of the PS1 (which was the first gaming console I owned), to the Pokemon craze and trying to decide which version of the game you wanted to buy, to having to decide which save data you needed to erase from your memory card to make more room for other save files and even down to the popularity battle between the Xbox360 and the Playstation 3, this book has something for everyone.

I highly recommend listening to the audiobook as it's narrated by the Author who has a YouTube channel of the same name. I also highly recommend checking out his Youtube channel , as he covers a lot of movie tie in games to Pokemon games and more.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a fantastic trip down memory lane for me!! personally I loved the chapters about the PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, and the Wii. It brought back so many hidden memories and nostalgic feelings, and I really recommend it to anyone who enjoys reminiscing on their childhood and all the great games that they played. I can still remember the morning that I got my PlayStation and it has to be one of my happiest childhood memories 😍 thank you to the author for taking me back to such a happy time, if you're considering reading this, definitely give it a try and you won't be sorry

[Hew La France · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect trip through growing up in that era of gaming. 10/10: no notes.

My son loves the Switch/Switch2, but as a console to be HIS, I got him a GBA SP. He has a small collection of games for it that he enjoys. When I dug out the Wii and made him play Wii sports the first time, the look on his little 6-year-old face… he didn’t know bowling NOT in an alley was possible. Sometimes, the oldies are the best.

[Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful read

While my nostalgia isn't exactly the same, this book awoke inner feelings that I haven't felt in a long time. And reminded me of old memories I haven't thought of in years. A fantastic read from a great author. Hopefully there is more to come. Now I am off to relive some old memories and old games

[David Grove · Rating 4 out of 5]

really fun walk down memory lane. great book. check out his YouTube channel.