This week, we are not looking forward. We are going backwards. Right back into the emotional, chaotic, pixelated heart of the 90s and early Y2K, when life was simpler, our technology was crueler, and apparently some of our childhood toys are now worth more than a small car.

Hello Kitty pyjamas make an appearance. Questionable 90s headwear is forced upon us. There is a “slow, sexy reveal” that absolutely does not land as intended. And yes, we crack open a throwback drink at ten in the morning purely in the name of nostalgia and poor decision-making.

We hit the streets of London and Glasgow to ask one simple question: what from the 90s still has a grip on you? The answers are instant, emotional, and deeply relatable. From Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Saved by the Bell, to underage drinking stories that definitely should not be written down, it turns out nostalgia is a universal language. It also turns out James accidentally gives “BBC newsreader energy” when asking strangers about Pokémon, which confuses everyone involved.

Then comes the trauma.

Hannah attempts to raise a Tamagotchi in 2026. She feeds it. Waters it. Cleans up after it. Gives it medicine. Checks on it during the night like a Victorian governess. Despite all of this, it dies within ten hours. The grief is immediate and real. The conclusion is bleak: Tamagotchis may actually be harder to keep alive than children. If you ever handed yours to your mum before school and came home to heartbreak, this episode will unlock something deep in your nervous system.

From there, we spiral into peak retro gaming. Bomberman gets a full explanation, including skates, bombs, trapping your friends, and the kind of competitive energy that defined playground politics. Crash Bandicoot makes a comeback, along with the realisation that old games were designed to break your spirit, not protect your feelings. Hannah reveals she had a full Casper-the-Friendly-Ghost themed bedroom, complete with glow-in-the-dark stars, which honestly feels like something we should all be bringing back as adults.

And then we reach Pokémon.

Hannah admits she actively hated it as a child because it felt too boyish. James, meanwhile, is firmly stuck in the belief that there are only 150 Pokémon and anything beyond that is propaganda. What starts as playful debate turns serious when James opens his childhood Pokémon folder and reveals what is actually inside it. A first-edition shiny card. Playground traded. Kept for decades. Now worth tens of thousands of pounds. Possibly more.

What makes this moment land is not the money. It is the memory. The playground politics. The first ever “business deal”. The realisation that nostalgia is not just about looking back, it is about holding onto versions of ourselves we are not quite ready to let go of.

We also finally take Posh and Specs on the road to Glasgow, where the vibes note immaculate, the people are generous, and the nostalgia runs deep. Next stop might be Liverpool, because one of you emailed in and honestly, we love being told where to go.

In this episode:

• Y2K and 90s nostalgia and why it is everywhere again

• Tamagotchi grief and why they still emotionally destroy people

• Bomberman, Crash Bandicoot, and retro gaming chaos

• TV shows that raised us and questionable childhood crushes

• Pokémon cards, playground trades, and accidental £30k nostalgia

• Glasgow street interviews and where we should visit next

If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review, send it to the friend who definitely cried over a Tamagotchi, and tell us: what 90s thing still has a grip on you?

And if you know how to play Bomberman properly in 2026, please tell us immediately.

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