{"id":5639,"date":"2021-02-03T11:57:10","date_gmt":"2021-02-03T03:57:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/?p=5639"},"modified":"2021-02-03T11:57:10","modified_gmt":"2021-02-03T03:57:10","slug":"vietnamese-childhood-online-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/vietnamese-childhood-online-games\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Childhood Online Games Vietnamese Millennials Grew Up Playing After School Instead Of Doing Homework"},"content":{"rendered":"

Childhood online games of Vietnamese millennials<\/h2>\n
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The 2000s was the golden era where the Internet just started becoming popular in Vietnam, and with it came the rise of online games, which then became an integral part of our childhood. For the first time, we Vietnamese millennials could begin playing in lively virtual worlds with thousands of others who shared the same passion.<\/span><\/p>\n

I remember saving up every penny of my breakfast money just so I could spend an hour or two at an Internet caf\u00e9 playing Gunbound or TS Online with my childhood friends. If you\u2019re anything like me, you probably have your own share of fond memories with these <\/span>8 childhood online games<\/b> as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, for a trip down memory lane, let\u2019s take a look at these online games and see how they are now.<\/span><\/p>\n

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1. MU Online<\/em> \u2013 one of the first MMORPGs to hit Vietnam<\/h3>\n
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\"Vietnamese
\n<\/span><\/i>Games of the old days often had colorful effects that covered the entire screen<\/span>
\n<\/span>Image credit:<\/span> @mugrindoficial<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Initially released in 2003, <\/span>MU Online<\/b><\/em> was the game that introduced many 90s kids to the concept of online games.<\/span><\/p>\n

As the game arrived at a time when online games were still a novelty for most Vietnamese people, it\u2019s not hard to understand why <\/span>MU Online<\/span><\/em> was such a hit at the time. With its Western fantasy setting, the game allowed us to play as knights, wizards, and elves to fight off dragons and monsters with our flashy abilities \u2013 and we got to do it with dozens of other players in dungeon instances or against them in intense Player-vs-Player battles.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n<\/span><\/i>Video credit:<\/span> C\u1ed9ng \u0110\u1ed3ng Mu Vi\u1ec7t Nam<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The gameplay mostly revolved around using mouse clicks to move our character to defeat monsters and collect loot. Zoomers today would probably find <\/span>MU <\/span><\/em>outdated and unappealing, but for those who grew up playing the game, it contains memories of all the fun they had with friends in those dusty yet endearing Internet cafes.<\/span><\/p>\n

In early 2020, Korean game development company Webzen \u2013 creator of <\/span>MU Online<\/span><\/i> \u2013 officially resurrected the classic title in the SEA region under the name<\/span> PlayPark MU<\/span><\/em>, much to the joy of veteran Vietnamese gamers who were eager to relive the good ol\u2019 days.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, only a couple of weeks after <\/span>PlayPark MU<\/span><\/em>\u2019s release, Webzen made the questionable decision to ban all Vietnamese IPs from logging into the game\u2019s server, with the only explanation being that \u201cthe official serviceable regions for <\/span>PlayPark MU<\/span><\/em> only covers Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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2. V\u00f5 L\u00e2m Truy\u1ec1n K\u1ef3 <\/em>\u2013 wuxia-<\/em>themed MMORPG that became massively popular<\/h3>\n
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\"Vietnamese
\n<\/i>Image adapted from<\/span> Wikipedia<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

While <\/span>MU Online <\/span><\/em>was the game that got Vietnamese gamer into massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), it was <\/span>V\u00f5 L\u00e2m Truy\u1ec1n K\u1ef3<\/b><\/em> that arguably went on to become the biggest MMORPG of the 2000s decade.<\/span><\/p>\n

This was the game that allowed us to play as martial art practitioners of the likes of Shaolin Monastery or Wudang Mountain, and become a part of the fascinating <\/span>wuxia <\/span><\/i>world that previously we could only see on TV. Forming bonds of brotherhood and honor with strangers online and feeling like the heroes of Jinyong\u2019s novels was now within our grasp \u2013 and those bonds extended far beyond the virtual world of the game.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n<\/span>A player-vs-player battle<\/span>
\n<\/span>Video credit: <\/span>V\u00f5 L\u00e2m Truy\u1ec1n K\u1ef3 VNG<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Just do a quick search on the Internet today, and you can still find touching stories of veteran <\/span>V\u00f5 L\u00e2m Truy\u1ec1n K\u1ef3 <\/span><\/em>gamers reminiscing about how they found their lifelong partners via the game, or made real friends out of online guild mates who still support one another through thick and thin.<\/span><\/p>\n

To call <\/span>V\u00f5 L\u00e2m Truy\u1ec1n K\u1ef3 <\/span><\/em>a smashing success in Vietnam would still be an understatement. At the game\u2019s prime period between 2005 and 2008, you could see it being played by practically everyone at internet cafes. It was not uncommon for real-life public gatherings of <\/span>V\u00f5 L\u00e2m Truy\u1ec1n K\u1ef3<\/em> <\/span>players to attract thousands of participants, or rare in-game items to be sold for hundreds of millions of VND.<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, all that was a long time ago. Today, we rarely hear or see much about <\/span>V\u00f5 L\u00e2m Truy\u1ec1n K\u1ef3<\/span><\/em> anymore, but the game is still being played by many veteran gamers who\u2019ve been with it since day one.<\/span><\/p>\n

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3. Gunbound<\/em> \u2013 a colorful turn-based shooter<\/h3>\n
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\"vietnamese
\n<\/i>Image credit:<\/span> Gunbound<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Being MMORPGs, <\/span>MU Online <\/span><\/em>and <\/span>V\u00f5 L\u00e2m Truy\u1ec1n K\u1ef3 <\/span><\/em>are grindy by nature \u2013 you\u2019d have to dedicate hundreds of hours to them to develop your character. <\/span>Gunbound<\/b><\/em>, on the other hand, was a more casual player-friendly game with its turn-based shooting gameplay and cute 2D <\/span>chibi<\/em> <\/span>graphics. We could hop in and play a few games whenever we had a bit of free time and not pay much thought to it after.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n<\/span><\/i>Video credit:<\/span> Gunbound<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

That said, since there were many vehicles we could choose from to blast others with, each with its own strengths and weaknesses, as well as environmental elements we had to take into account while lining up our shots, <\/span>Gunbound<\/span><\/em>\u2019s gameplay was actually surprisingly challenging. This, in turn, meant each match was a lot of fun.<\/span><\/p>\n

Following<\/span> Gunbound<\/span><\/em>\u2019s withdrawal from the Vietnamese market in 2007, many other games in the same genre have stepped up to try and fill the void it left behind. To this day, however, none has managed to achieve the same success that <\/span>Gunbound <\/span><\/em>did, or the same special place it has in our hearts.<\/span><\/p>\n

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4. Boom Online<\/em> \u2013 cute competitive game that\u2019s accessible to everyone<\/h3>\n
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\"vietnamese
\nImage credit:<\/span> Boom Online<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

90s kids would probably remember the classic singleplayer game <\/span>Bomberman<\/span><\/em>, where you move around and place bombs to destroy obstacles and enemies in order to reach the exit to the next level. I remember spending countless hours of my childhood trying to beat the game – the problem was, after a while, it got pretty repetitive as the AI-programed movements of the enemies were predictable.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s where <\/span>Boom Online<\/b><\/em> came in. Still with the same easy-to-pick-up gameplay but with brighter, cuter graphics, <\/span>Boom Online<\/span><\/em> understandably drew in players of all ages and backgrounds.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span> Boom Online<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Of course, the best part was, since it was an online game, we got to compete against other players in intense matches featuring several power-ups and items you could use to give yourself an advantage. To keep it kid-friendly, the game replaced explosives with water balloons that trapped you in a bubble if you got hit.<\/span><\/p>\n

For a couple of years following its 2007 release,<\/span> Boom Online <\/span><\/em>was a casual game that anyone could enjoy. After the hype died down, however, it gradually fell into obscurity and was no longer available in Vietnam in 2017.<\/span><\/p>\n

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5. Audition Online<\/em> \u2013 dance to the beat of popular songs<\/h3>\n
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\"vietnamese
\nImage credit:<\/span>insofhan<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Audition Online<\/b><\/em> probably spelled the doom of many a keyboard with its simple yet intense gameplay where you pressed arrow keys according to what was displayed on the screen to have your character dance to the beat of music. The more accurate your keypresses were, the more points you\u2019d rack up, which at the end of the match would be compared against other players to see who got the highest score.<\/span><\/p>\n

Where boys were occupied with <\/span>V\u00f5 L\u00e2m Truy\u1ec1n K\u1ef3 <\/span><\/em>or the like, <\/span>Audition Online <\/span><\/em>was the game that drew girls to internet cafes to dance to the latest trendy songs or dress up their characters with fancy clothes and hairstyles.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span> @cincai_club<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Even today, 14 years after its debut in Vietnam, <\/span>Audition Online <\/span><\/em>still has a loyal player base. Even though publisher VTC Game announced that it was pulling the plug on the popular dance game back in early October 2020, the strong reaction from the community has prompted the publisher to continue supporting the game.<\/span><\/p>\n

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6. Crossfire<\/em> \u2013 online first-person shooter<\/h3>\n
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\nImage credit:<\/span> T\u1ee9 Ca<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Introduced in 2008 when <\/span>wuxia<\/span><\/em>–<\/span><\/i>themed MMORPGs were dominating the market, <\/span>Crossfire<\/b> <\/em>was a breath of fresh air that instantly captured the attention of fans of the first-person shooter (FPS) genre.<\/span><\/p>\n

Prior to <\/span>Crossfire<\/span><\/em>, our multiplayer FPS experience was mostly limited to Counter-Strike<\/em> matches that could only be played by people who shared the same local area network (LAN). It\u2019s no wonder that an FPS game that allowed us to play with and against players from all over Vietnam instantly became popular.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span> S\u00e1u Ng\u00f3n<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Granted, <\/span>Crossfire<\/em> <\/span>might have lost its dominant place in the Vietnamese FPS market now with many competitors such as <\/span>Call of Duty<\/span><\/em> or <\/span>PlayerUnknown\u2019s Battlegrounds<\/span><\/em>, <\/span><\/i>but it is still the go-to game for many veterans. Despite rumors that the game would be discontinued earlier this year, it is still going strong.<\/span><\/p>\n

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7. TS Online<\/em> \u2013 explore China\u2019s Three Kingdoms Period<\/h3>\n
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 <\/p>\n

\"Vietnamese
\nExplore a fantasized version of ancient China in TS Online<\/span>
\n<\/span>Image credit:<\/span>Nhi Nguy\u1ec5nn<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The premise of <\/span>TS Online<\/b><\/em> immediately intrigued us: our character, a regular modern-day kid, is transported back through time to China\u2019s <\/span>Three Kingdoms<\/em> <\/span>period, where they are destined to bring peace to the land.<\/span><\/p>\n

Needless to say, we all jumped at the chance to explore ancient China and meet the likes of Guan Yu or Zhuge Liang \u2013 popular figures that we knew from stories and TV series, who were now portrayed as cute <\/span>chibi<\/em> <\/span>characters. Better still, we could actually recruit them to fight alongside us in strategic turn-based battles.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nImage credit:<\/span>L\u01b0\u01a1ng Tri\u1ec1u V\u1ef9<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Released in 2005, <\/span>TS Online<\/span><\/em> was one of the first games to grace the Vietnamese online gaming scene. It attracted thousands of players until 2009, when publisher Asiasoft decided to pull the plug on the game.<\/span><\/p>\n

A decade later, fans of the original <\/span>TS Online<\/span><\/em> finally got the chance to jump back onto the battlefield again when the game was resurrected as a mobile game in September 2019. Published by the same company, which has now been renamed into Dzogame, <\/span>TS Online Mobile <\/span><\/em>delivers pretty much the same experience as the original version, and now we can carry it in our pockets and play it whenever, wherever we want.<\/span><\/p>\n

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8. GetAmped<\/em> \u2013 a quirky fighting game<\/h3>\n
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\"vietnamese
\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span> GetAmped<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

More commonly known by Vietnamese players under its Vietnamese name <\/span>Ti\u1ec3u B\u00e1 V\u01b0\u01a1ng<\/span><\/em>, <\/span><\/i>GetAmped<\/em> <\/b>was a quirky 3D fighting game that allowed us to pick from several character classes with different attributes and abilities before jumping into fist bouts against other players across a multitude of maps.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n<\/span><\/i>Video credit:<\/span> C\u01b0\u1eddng Ph\u1ea1m<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

While <\/span>GetAmped<\/em> <\/span>did not achieve the same mainstream success as some of the other titles on this list, it was still the childhood game of thousands of players thanks to its intense skill-based combat. As with many other online games of the 2000s, however, its player base gradually dwindled over the years, and it was eventually shut down in 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Online games that Vietnamese millennials grew up playing<\/h3>\n
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As technology develops, we are now spoiled for choice with hundreds of games featuring stunning graphics and deep gameplay. Yet every now and then, we still find ourselves going back to these rough-edged yet endearing childhood online games.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After all, they contain fond memories of all the fun we had with friends in our younger days \u2013 something no modern game can recreate.<\/span><\/p>\n

For more nostalgia-inducing stories, check out:<\/span><\/p>\n