10 Internet Café Games We Played in the Early 2000s
Written by: Christa I. De La Cruz
Publication: Spot.ph
Date published: March 26, 2023
We may or may not have skipped classes just for these.
[Picture: Player playing the original Counter-Strike.]
(SPOT.ph) Before Valorant and Mobile Legends, there were Counter-Strike and Red Alert. And we weren't playing them on mobile—instead, kids and kids-at-heart back in the 2000s had to go to neighborhood Internet shops or Internet cafes outside their school to play with friends. Home Internet services—in all their dial-up noise glory—back in the day just didn't have the capacity for highly visual online games.
We walk down memory lane and take a look at the Internet cafe games that we used to play in the 2000s:
Counter-Strike 1.6 (2000)
[YouTube Video: Title: Counter Strike Evolution 1999-2022.]
Counter-Strike (a.k.a. Half-Life: Counter-Strike or Counter-Strike 1.6) challenged gamers with its tactical first-person shooting format. You pretend to hold a pistol and a knife through your screen and run after the bad guys (unless you're on the other side). Counter-Strike has since developed into a franchise with sequels Counter-Strike: Condition Zero and Counter-Strike: Source in 2004; and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive for Windows, OS, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 in 2012. Its latest edition, Counter-Strike 2, is coming out this 2023.
[YouTube Video: Title: Philippine Ragnarok Online First TVC.]
Ragnarok Online is a massively multiplayer online role playing game with characters based on Norse mythology. Players are on a mission to interact with the enviroment, challenge other players, and deal with monsters. Your character reaches the next level by finishing different jobs and tasks, which encourages people to play for long hours. Ragnarok Online went through game system changes in 2010, then was shut down in the Philippines in 2021.
DotA (2003)
[YouTube Video: Title: Evolution of DOTA video games (2003-2019).]
Defense of the Ancients or DotA for short is a multiplayer online battle arena, which means that you're part of a team that competes with other teams on a battlefield. DotA was first released in 2003 as a fan-developed multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) mod for Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. The game's latest release, Dota Underlords, was made available in 2020.
Battle Realms (2001)
[YouTube Video: Title: Battle Realms - Gameplay (PC/UHD).]
Battle Realms is a real-time strategy video game that requires players to fortify their base units. You have basic worker units called peasants, which can be used to construct military buildings. They can also gather resources like rice, water, and horses for your gameplay. Battle Realms had an expansion pack, Winter of the Wolf, in 2002.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002) and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004)
[YouTube Video: Title: GTA Vice City (PC) Free Roam Gameplay - 4K 60FPS.]
Though it's a single-player role-playing action-adventure game, people still flocked to Internet cafes to play Grand Theft Auto online. You're behind the wheel most of the time, but you can also explore the open-world environment on food if you wish to. You can also steal and operate other vehicles like buses, aircrafts, and trains.
Gunbound (2002)
[YouTube Video: Title: Gunbound : LIGHTNING vs KNIGHT.]
Though a bit more casual than other real-time strategy (RTS) and first-person shooter (FPS) games, Gunbound was still a crowd favorite back in the day, especially if you only have a short break in between classes. It's a multiplayer, turn-based artillery game, where you take turns at firing at the opposing team while on a vehicle called "Mobiles." But since you have limited turns, you have to figure out the terrain, wind currents, and even trajectory setting to make sure that your shot isn't put to waste. GunboundM was made available on Google Play and the App Store in 2017 and a later mobile version, New Gunbound, was released in 2019.
Flyff (2004)
[YouTube Video: Title: Flyff - Gameplay (Dated : 2004 - 04 - 28).]
Another massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) like Ragnarok Online, Fly for Fun (or Flyff for short) lets players control an avatar that...well, flies. Your character reaches a higher level when you gain enough experience, receive skill points, and complete a quest. You also get better equipment when you acquire objects through in-game purchases or just chancing upon them. In 2022, Flyff Universe was launched.
RAN Online (2004)
[YouTube Video: Title: Ran Online Gameplay First Look HD.]
An MMORPG, RAN Online's first official service was in 2004 in South Korea, but it wasn't until 2006 that it arrived on our shores. Players can choose a "school" from three options: Sacred Gate, Mystic Peak, and Phoenix. Your goal is to capture three towers with fellow characters from your school. RAN Online was shut down in June 2021.
Half-Life (1998)
[YouTube Video: Title: HALF-LIFE (PC) Part-1 gameplay, 1998, Sierra Studios/Valve Corporation.]
While it's an FPS game, Half-Life combined shooting combat with challenges, puzzles, and a bit of storytelling. Your character is scientist Gordon Freeman, who needs to survive an alien invasion. Half-Life 2 was released in 2004, and became more popular because of its new setting and challenging gameplay. Half-Life's latest iteration is a virtual reality game called Half-Life: Alyx, which was released in 2020 for Windows.
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 (2000)
[YouTube Video: Title: Command & Conquer Red Alert 2 - Gameplay (PC/UHD).]
Who can forget the "Construction complete" signal of a female voiceover once you've completed building structures in your home base? Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 is an RTS video game, which places you either on the Soviets or the Allies side. The mission is to build your own fort, defend your base, and attack the enemy. The game mostly hinges on money, which you earn if you have enough mining trucks and mills for gathering and processing ore.
[Picture: Player playing the original Counter-Strike.]
(SPOT.ph) Before Valorant and Mobile Legends, there were Counter-Strike and Red Alert. And we weren't playing them on mobile—instead, kids and kids-at-heart back in the 2000s had to go to neighborhood Internet shops or Internet cafes outside their school to play with friends. Home Internet services—in all their dial-up noise glory—back in the day just didn't have the capacity for highly visual online games.
We walk down memory lane and take a look at the Internet cafe games that we used to play in the 2000s:
Counter-Strike 1.6 (2000)
[YouTube Video: Title: Counter Strike Evolution 1999-2022.]
Counter-Strike (a.k.a. Half-Life: Counter-Strike or Counter-Strike 1.6) challenged gamers with its tactical first-person shooting format. You pretend to hold a pistol and a knife through your screen and run after the bad guys (unless you're on the other side). Counter-Strike has since developed into a franchise with sequels Counter-Strike: Condition Zero and Counter-Strike: Source in 2004; and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive for Windows, OS, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 in 2012. Its latest edition, Counter-Strike 2, is coming out this 2023.
[YouTube Video: Title: Philippine Ragnarok Online First TVC.]
Ragnarok Online is a massively multiplayer online role playing game with characters based on Norse mythology. Players are on a mission to interact with the enviroment, challenge other players, and deal with monsters. Your character reaches the next level by finishing different jobs and tasks, which encourages people to play for long hours. Ragnarok Online went through game system changes in 2010, then was shut down in the Philippines in 2021.
DotA (2003)
[YouTube Video: Title: Evolution of DOTA video games (2003-2019).]
Defense of the Ancients or DotA for short is a multiplayer online battle arena, which means that you're part of a team that competes with other teams on a battlefield. DotA was first released in 2003 as a fan-developed multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) mod for Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. The game's latest release, Dota Underlords, was made available in 2020.
Battle Realms (2001)
[YouTube Video: Title: Battle Realms - Gameplay (PC/UHD).]
Battle Realms is a real-time strategy video game that requires players to fortify their base units. You have basic worker units called peasants, which can be used to construct military buildings. They can also gather resources like rice, water, and horses for your gameplay. Battle Realms had an expansion pack, Winter of the Wolf, in 2002.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002) and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004)
[YouTube Video: Title: GTA Vice City (PC) Free Roam Gameplay - 4K 60FPS.]
Though it's a single-player role-playing action-adventure game, people still flocked to Internet cafes to play Grand Theft Auto online. You're behind the wheel most of the time, but you can also explore the open-world environment on food if you wish to. You can also steal and operate other vehicles like buses, aircrafts, and trains.
Gunbound (2002)
[YouTube Video: Title: Gunbound : LIGHTNING vs KNIGHT.]
Though a bit more casual than other real-time strategy (RTS) and first-person shooter (FPS) games, Gunbound was still a crowd favorite back in the day, especially if you only have a short break in between classes. It's a multiplayer, turn-based artillery game, where you take turns at firing at the opposing team while on a vehicle called "Mobiles." But since you have limited turns, you have to figure out the terrain, wind currents, and even trajectory setting to make sure that your shot isn't put to waste. GunboundM was made available on Google Play and the App Store in 2017 and a later mobile version, New Gunbound, was released in 2019.
Flyff (2004)
[YouTube Video: Title: Flyff - Gameplay (Dated : 2004 - 04 - 28).]
Another massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) like Ragnarok Online, Fly for Fun (or Flyff for short) lets players control an avatar that...well, flies. Your character reaches a higher level when you gain enough experience, receive skill points, and complete a quest. You also get better equipment when you acquire objects through in-game purchases or just chancing upon them. In 2022, Flyff Universe was launched.
RAN Online (2004)
[YouTube Video: Title: Ran Online Gameplay First Look HD.]
An MMORPG, RAN Online's first official service was in 2004 in South Korea, but it wasn't until 2006 that it arrived on our shores. Players can choose a "school" from three options: Sacred Gate, Mystic Peak, and Phoenix. Your goal is to capture three towers with fellow characters from your school. RAN Online was shut down in June 2021.
Half-Life (1998)
[YouTube Video: Title: HALF-LIFE (PC) Part-1 gameplay, 1998, Sierra Studios/Valve Corporation.]
While it's an FPS game, Half-Life combined shooting combat with challenges, puzzles, and a bit of storytelling. Your character is scientist Gordon Freeman, who needs to survive an alien invasion. Half-Life 2 was released in 2004, and became more popular because of its new setting and challenging gameplay. Half-Life's latest iteration is a virtual reality game called Half-Life: Alyx, which was released in 2020 for Windows.
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 (2000)
[YouTube Video: Title: Command & Conquer Red Alert 2 - Gameplay (PC/UHD).]
Who can forget the "Construction complete" signal of a female voiceover once you've completed building structures in your home base? Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 is an RTS video game, which places you either on the Soviets or the Allies side. The mission is to build your own fort, defend your base, and attack the enemy. The game mostly hinges on money, which you earn if you have enough mining trucks and mills for gathering and processing ore.