“The summer of 2021 was pretty rough for everyone, so having a moment where people could fondly relive their nostalgia was a welcome respite,” Nijjar wrote via email. Craig Hickman, the creator of the original Kid Pix program, even noticed the port (and let his grandson try it out). The port was originally a gift for Nijjar’s daughter, though it became much bigger than he expected after he posted the port on Twitter. However, in 2021, Kid Pix was made just as accessible as it once was by Vikrum Nijjar, who ported the first Kid Pix to release a free web version. Since Kid Pix’s initial release as public domain software in 1989, newer iterations have become monetized, while older versions have become relatively incompatible with modern operating systems.
The road to repopularize Kid Pix, on the other hand, hasn’t been as straightforward. Sure, you should be doing homework, but Carmen Sandiego is on the loose! Computer Lab Week is our ode to the classic “school” games, like Oregon Trail and Number Munchers, that kept us from being productive.
