Both of my teenage kids are avid gamers, and many times, I’ve attempted to explain to them what it was like being a gamer when I was their age. I had to explain that before Xbox Live or PlayStation Network, we had no choice but to interact in person at a place called the arcade. I told them stories about how these arcades were magically immersive places where the games helped you develop both friendships and rivalries that mostly only existed within the confines of that place.

Many of these stories were hard for them to understand, especially when trying to explain that the best games were always found there and how we sometimes waited for months before we could get a home version that was often of less quality than those found at the arcade. I told them all those stories and more – and how as amazing as this was, suddenly, it was all gone before we realized it.

The task of providing my kids with a good perspective on what it was like being a gamer in the ’90s was never an easy one. The stories were not enough for them to visualize what it was like back then, and I accepted that they might never get it. Luckily, that changed recently when I discovered the perfect avenue to show them exactly what I wanted to all along: Hi Score Girl.

Hi Score Girl is an anime series based on the Japanese manga series by Rensuke Oshikiri and is now streaming on Netflix. The story begins in 1991, at the heart of the arcade rebirth following the release of Capcom’s Street Fighter II. The main character, Haruo Yaguchi, is a disinterested student with an obsession for video games.

During the first episode, Haruo is displaying his Street Fighter II skills as he manages to build a winning streak at the arcade. As the crowd around him begins to divert their attention to a new opponent across from him (it is common in Japanese sit-down cabinets (AKA candy cabs) to play on opposite sides rather than next to each other), Haruo notices that the opponent is his classmate, Akira Ono.

Akira is a well-liked and popular girl who comes from a regimented rich family and who also happens to have an attraction for arcade games. Akira quickly beats Haruo using Zangief (a character most consider weak in this version of the game) and then manages to build a big winning streak herself. Haruo then challenges Akira again and beats her by using some of Guile’s “cheap” strategies (also known as “Guile turtling”).

Aside from their love for Street Fighter II and arcade games, Haruo and Akira can’t be more different. Akira is the girl everyone wants to know, never speaks a word, and secretly loves video games, and Haruo is the outcast who focuses all of his attention on gaming rather than studying. From the point when they face each other at the arcade, Haruo and Akira develop a relationship that guides the rest of the series.

Hi Score Girl is part anime, part documentary. The series does an excellent job documenting both an era when video games were everywhere and the culture that surrounded them. Though it beautifully tells a story of two kids whose fates are intertwined by their love for videos games, it also presents a chronological account of video game hardware and software history of the ’90s. The series remains loyal to the order in which games and consoles were released (except in some later episodes where some lines are a bit out of sync with history, but these minor errors could easily be attributed to mistranslations from the original Japanese version).

Every major gaming company from the ’90s is featured in the series. From Capcom to Sega to SNK to Nintendo, everyone is represented. Nintendo’s consoles (even the short-lived Virtual Boy) either make an appearance or are mentioned at some point – but unlike for everyone else, no gaming footage is shown. I know the lack of game footage is most likely due to licensing issues, but this is acceptable since Nintendo didn’t have a big arcade presence in the ’90s, and at least their consoles are featured.

The series never feels like anything is being omitted. Even less-mainstream consoles such as the Neo Geo and the TurboGrafx-16 make their way into the storyline and are given due appreciation.

As the story progresses through the ’90s, it highlights many releases from that time, including the different versions of Street Fighter II (Champion Edition, Turbo: Hyper Fighting, etc.) and eventually reaches the point of release of the Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn. The depiction of the video games is unbelievably accurate, even to the point where the CRT scanlines can be seen when gameplay is shown.

The love for the games and the culture of that time is evident. There are times when certain trivia elements are carefully explained or the commands for Street Fighter II moves are shown on screen. To add even more to the already amazing overload of ’90s gaming nostalgia, at the end of every episode, after the credits are done, there’s a nice bonus of short bios for a few arcade games of the time.

Hi Score Girl is a true labor of love based on a time that is often hard to explain to those who didn’t get to experience it. From the thrill of finding a new arcade in a remote location to the crowds and the excitement before a highly anticipated match or the release of a new game, Hi Score Girl manages to capture the true essence of a specific culture in a specific time.

I dare say that as the documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters helped revive interest in the ’80s golden era of video games over a decade ago, Hi Score Girl might be what we needed to revive interest in the arcade of the ’90s.