"Good times. I miss being a noob.": Old screenshots of Minecraft sparks nostalgia among fans

Minecraft is more than 15 years old now, which means several initial players have grown up with the game. u/Violet-Sparkle22 made a post on Reddit called “Why are my eyes tearing? :(”. He shared over 10 slides, which go through a variety of screenshots that encapsulate his memories of playing a much older version of the game.

Why are my eyes tearing? :( byu/Violet-Sparkle22 inMinecraft

Even though the game was much more barren during the initial years, many players prefer the former version of Minecraft. People feel strongly about the "less is more" philosophy and still play older versions of the classic game. Whatever version a player prefers, the game is still loved by many.

Redditors talk about the Aether mod (Image via Reddit/u/I_Like_Slug)

u/I_Like_Slug recalled feeling upset upon discovering that the Aether was a mod. They explained that when they had attempted to build the portal, the official Minecraft Wiki contained an entire section dedicated to Aether content.

Several players at the time believed that Aether was the real thing. They also mentioned building houses with multiple layers of walls and traps out of fear of Herobrine spawning in their world. The commenter concluded by expressing nostalgia for the time by saying, “Good times. I miss being a noob.”

Comment byu/Violet-Sparkle22 from discussion inMinecraft

Then, u/kaladinissexy admitted to knowing that the Aether was a mod but never learned how to install it due to being only 12 years old at the time. They remembered repeatedly trying and failing to get the portal to work. u/impeus joined in and described the post as the most adorable thing they had read all day.

Comment byu/Violet-Sparkle22 from discussion inMinecraft

u/kaminobaka remarked that they felt old, as the original Unreal, not Unreal Tournament, was released when they were 12, and then u/omer03 inquired whether they had forgotten to delete META-INF.

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History of Minecraft

In May 2009, Notch released the first version of Minecraft and it was extremely basic at the time. Players could only place and break blocks in an infinite world. This simple foundation was enough to attract early players who saw the potential in its open-ended design.

By 2010, Minecraft had introduced Survival Mode to its fullest. Players now had to gather resources and craft tools and face dangerous mobs at night. This update made the game more engaging and challenging, leading to an explosion of interest.

The game then received major updates like biomes, The Nether, and more. The community played a huge role in shaping the game, with Notch regularly interacting with players. Notch sold Mojang to Microsoft for $2.5 billion eventually. Many players were initially skeptical about the change, fearing that a corporate giant would ruin the indie charm of the game.

However, Microsoft continued to support and expand Minecraft, making it more accessible with cross-platform play, performance improvements, and massive updates. The developers have gradually introduced significant features and changes in updates, such as The Caves & Cliffs, The Wild Update, and the Trails & Tales Update, allowing the game to continuously grow.

Each update has introduced new mobs, blocks, and mechanics, keeping the game fresh and exciting. Spin-offs like Minecraft Dungeons and Legends have explored different gameplay styles while keeping the blocky aesthetic intact. The game has even been used in education, teaching kids about coding, architecture, and creativity through Education Edition.