The Cartoon Network Shockwave Game Era

In some ways, I take great pride in aging myself as a gamer. This is one of those times. A true “you had to be there” moment. But, if you were there, you know how special the Cartoon Network Shockwave games were.

So, these games were played right in your browser with the Shockwave plugin. They almost always ran great. I can remember a few times when the game wouldn’t load, but it wasn’t often. There were all kinds of games people were making, but a few stood out the most.

CARTOON NETWORK OVERLOAD

Powerpuff Girls: Pillow Fight. That’s right. A Powerpuff Girls game. I can’t tell you how much time was wasted with my friends going back and forth in this. Simple but fun! Like all the games here, you had pillows that did different things. Some exploded, some acted as boomerangs, and you had a limited time to rack up points. Quick in-and-out game. And, yes, the cartoon was fire. 

Dragon Ball Z: Tournament. This one is more of a strategy game as you have to get through seven enemies in 1-on-1 fights. The key here is it’s not a fighting game at all. You click a quadrant of the screen and what action you want to take. You can melee attack, defend, shoot a beam attack, or charge up. Then, once you make your decision, the CPU does, and the actions play out. Basically, it’s a game of cat and mouse. It’s a slower game, but still fun. And as you all know, a Cartoon Network/Toonami staple.

Samurai Jack: Way of the Warrior. This was a game I remember pouring hours into because of the way the challenges were set up. They weren’t unfair, you just had to figure out how to work within the constraints of what Shockwave games were. You go through five stages as a young Samurai Jack to train up enough to be worthy of his family’s sword. A lot of fun, and some mild frustration. Also, a show I wished Cartoon Network gave more love.

LOOKING BACK 

I loved playing these games. I didn’t even get into the Dexter’s Lab, Ed, Edd, and Eddy, and other Dragon Ball Z games. Beyond that, the Toonami games were pure heat, too. The Cartoon Network era gave us several classic, quick games.

Although, I wish we still had these games. But with Flash and Shockwave being phased out, we’ll likely never experience anything like that again. That’s sad, especially now. Most of those games we all played in school when we could sneak it. In the words of Michael Irvin, “WE’RE LOSING RECIPES!”