00:00If you don't clean them up, the Tamagotchi will get sick and die.
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo.
00:06And today, we're counting down our picks for the coolest and quirkiest pop culture items,
00:11tech, and trends that defined the millennial era, but have since faded from memory.
00:16As you can see, this is the Motorola Razr.
00:22Number 10. Invisible Ink Pens.
00:25They say the pen is mightier than the sword.
00:27Invisible ink pens were more than that.
00:30They were entry-level spy tools.
00:32The stuff of playground legends, these magical markers had tiny black light bulbs in the cap
00:37that revealed top-secret messages.
00:40It was the perfect tool for passing notes in class like covert agents,
00:44scribbling secrets about your crush, or pretending to be part of a secret organization.
00:49Half the fun was writing a message, the other was finding it.
00:52Add a pinch of imagination, and the messages, once revealed, would of course self-destruct.
00:58Long before password managers, invisible ink pens brought a whole lot of low-stakes espionage
01:04and encryption to the ordinary school kid.
01:07Number 9. Game Boy Advance.
01:09Before we were glued to our Androids and iPhones,
01:13the Game Boy Advance was our escape to a portable paradise.
01:16See things you've never seen before, in the complete Super Mario world.
01:22With 78 levels, it's Mario's biggest adventure ever.
01:26Now on Game Boy Advance.
01:27Whether it was a road trip, lunch break, or under the covers at night with a flashlight,
01:32this compact console entertained an entire generation.
01:36All you had to do was punch in the game cartridge and watch the pixel-packed magic unfold on your screen.
01:42Game Boy Advance. Console-quality gaming anywhere.
01:45Whether it was battling in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire,
01:49or busting things up on the super circuit with Mario Kart,
01:52the Game Boy Advance changed portable gaming forever.
01:55Bonus nostalgia points if you had the transparent purple one.
01:59Game Boy Advance. Hot games. No distractions.
02:03Number 8. Disposable Cameras.
02:06Long before the rise of selfies and filters,
02:08the permanence and unpredictable magic of disposable cameras ruled the world.
02:13The Kodak Fun Saver Weekend 35 camera.
02:21It takes pictures where most other cameras can't.
02:25There was no way to tell what the camera had captured or to correct your mistakes.
02:29Instead, disposable cameras advocated for the chaotic nervousness and fun of spontaneous photography.
02:35Once the 24 shots were taken, you could drop off the film at a photo booth
02:40and hope that your thumb wasn't covering the lens.
02:43Finally, a one-time-use camera that takes pictures as good as a 35mm point-and-shoot.
02:48From school field trips to summer camp,
02:51these cameras were essential for capturing chaotic, blurry,
02:54and weirdly beautiful snapshots of millennial youth.
02:57No retakes. No previews.
02:59Just pure, unfiltered memories.
03:02That accidental double exposure?
03:04It's art now.
03:05Smile.
03:06Number 7. Skate culture.
03:09In the early 2000s, skate culture wasn't just a trend.
03:12It was an attitude.
03:14I like the skateboard because Jamie loves skateboarding.
03:16He did like skateboarding.
03:17Rocking those etnies and baggy jeans,
03:20skate culture introduced a new generation to an alternative and punk reality.
03:25Jamming to Tony Hawk's pro skater soundtracks or Avril Lavigne's Skater Boy was the vibe.
03:30If you wanted to be cool, you had to be into skating.
03:33Hot stuff coming through.
03:40My friendship.
03:41You know you want it.
03:42It didn't matter if you had the tricks to back it up.
03:45All you needed was a board customized to your liking and flair.
03:48That made you part of the skate tribe.
03:50Let's not forget the skate park meetups and the dream of getting sponsored.
03:55Even if the best trick you had in your arsenal was jumping a curb.
03:58What do you say we ramp things up and just kind of kickflip it inside?
04:04What are you doing?
04:05What are you doing?
04:05I'm landing these tricks, dude.
04:08Number 6. Tamagotchis and virtual pets.
04:11Today, social media content creators are busy nurturing their Instagram and TikTok feeds.
04:16None of this compares to the needy pixelated blobs that we had to tend to in the 2000s.
04:21Whoa, it's a Tamagotchi.
04:24A Tama-what?
04:25Tamagotchi.
04:26It's a virtual pet.
04:27Tamagotchis, nanopets, gigapets.
04:30It didn't matter what they were called.
04:31These digital pocket pets demanded constant feeding, cleaning, and playtime.
04:36All delivered through a tiny pixel screen and a few squishy buttons.
04:41Raising Jerry is going to be a lot of work.
04:43We'll do it together.
04:44We'll be the best moms since mom.
04:46These keychain critters taught responsibility, time management, and the crushing reality of heartbreak when they inevitably died during math class.
04:55You fed them, cleaned up after them, and mourned their passing.
04:58Kids loved them, teachers hated them, and parents didn't understand them.
05:02Forget multitasking.
05:04Trying to keep your virtual pet alive was peak millennial stress.
05:08No parent should outlive the Tamagotchi.
05:11Number 5. Flip phones.
05:13In an era where touchscreens are the trend, the idea of punching buttons on your phone may seem antiquated.
05:19But in the 2000s, flip phones were more than just communication devices.
05:24Really? You have a flip phone?
05:26Yes. It works fine to make calls, and that's what phones are for.
05:29They were an experience.
05:31Being an owner of a flip phone meant you were a master of T9 texting.
05:35Add to that the quirky ringtones and the satisfying snap followed by dramatically flipping your phone shut.
05:41The most iconic thing about this phone is you could literally be on the phone with someone and be like,
05:46F*** you, bye.
05:47Like, bye, b***h. That's it.
05:49The most sassy phone ever created.
05:54Iconic.
05:54It just felt futuristic and cool.
05:57There was also real estate for personalization, like a charm dangling from the hinge,
06:02a faceplate swap, or even bedazzling the whole lot.
06:05All to make it yours.
06:06Nothing spoke mic drop like slamming your Motorola Razr V3 shut after an argument.
06:16Number 4. MSN Messenger.
06:19It could just as easily start from the screen name.
06:22That's another word for today's profile, and it better not be bland.
06:26Introducing MSN Messenger service.
06:29Free instant messaging.
06:30More than just a chat app, MSN Messenger was the lifeline of the millennial internet era.
06:35It is the long-forgotten emotional battlefield where many millennial wars were waged.
06:41It was where friendships blossomed, romances sparked, passive-aggressive status messages reigned,
06:46and the infamous appear-offline, then-online-again move became a classic.
06:51At its peak, there were nearly 330 million users online worldwide.
06:56MSN Messenger was the platform where the drama, friendship, and teen angst of the millennial era
07:02collided with a rapidly changing technological landscape in glorious chaos.
07:07Get it now at msn.ca.
07:09Number 3. Physical Game Instruction Manuals.
07:13Opening a new video game in the 2000s was a sacred ritual.
07:17Like an onion, you had to peel it layer by layer.
07:20There was the box, followed by the fresh smell of paper.
07:23Then the crisp booklet nestled alongside the cartridge or disc.
07:26If the game was the final chapter, the booklet was the precursor.
07:30These booklets made you feel like you were entering another world long before you even turned on your console.
07:36Packed with lore, world maps, hidden tips, and easter eggs, the booklets were part of the game's storytelling.
07:42It was not just about gaming, but also reading.
07:45Together, they promised an immersive experience.
07:48Today's digital downloads are fast, but they just don't hit the same mark.
07:53Number 2. Walkmans and Discmans.
07:55Imagine having to carry your music physically wherever you go.
07:59The Walkman was decidedly unique.
08:01Unlike transistor radios, which of course could only play the radio,
08:05the Walkman for the first time let users conveniently take and listen to their own music on the go.
08:10Sounds a bit tedious, unless you were in the 2000s when Walkmans and Discmans were the trend.
08:16These portable music players made cassette tapes and CDs feel like sacred treasures.
08:21You could rewind your tapes using a pencil, fast forward to your favorite part, or pray the anti-skip function worked.
08:28You could burn your CDs and have a CD wallet to protect them from scratches.
08:33It was part of the deal, and it was worth it.
08:36All to make that painstakingly curated mixtape or CD album for your crush.
08:40To top it off, you also got flimsy foam headphones that disintegrated after a few months.
08:46Clunky, analog, and glorious.
08:48The incredible-sounding Super Walkman.
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09:08Number 1. Saturday Morning Cartoons
09:11Saturday mornings in the 2000s were all about pajamas, cereal, and the TV.
09:16Whether it was reruns of classics like Scooby-Doo and Dexter, or new series like Pokemon and Recess, you did not want to miss it.
09:24Thanks for letting me hang with you guys.
09:26Hey, I know what it feels like to be new.
09:27Yeah, yeah, feelings, feelings, feelings.
09:29What do you guys feel like playing?
09:31There was no scrolling or binging.
09:33You also had the regular toy commercials and hype trailers in between.
09:38Once that familiar theme song of your favorite show hit, it was time to buckle down and enter a completely different world.
09:44Is there something I can help you with?
09:47Um, no?
09:50Good, then maybe you can help me by telling me what the heck you're thinking of that!
09:55Streaming is now a 24-7 affair.
09:58However, for millennial kids, the feeling of waking up early on a Saturday morning,
10:02after a week of waiting, to laugh, dream, and snack while watching cartoons, is a cherished memory.
10:09At least I got rid of the spider.
10:12Oh no.
10:13Which of these forgotten gems do you still low-key love?
10:17Let us know in the comments.
10:19Baby, get out of my laboratory!
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