Remember the hazy days of 1998? B*Witched had two UK No.1s. ITV's Airline was pretty much the most popular thing on the goggle box. And Godzilla was the third-highest grossing movie of the year.
Basically, we were all idiots.
Except, that is, for a bunch of smart-thinking types over at Reflections Interactive - who treated us to genre-busting gaming classic Driver.
If you witnessed it, you probably ached for a return to form with each further addition to the dwindling series. And just like us, you were probably perennially disappointed.
And just like us, when you heard about Driver: San Francisco for the first time last year, you probably shared a mini-sick with fellow fans - especially when the whole 'Tanner can float between cars like a ghost because he's in a coma' thing dropped.
If you're really new and this is the first you've heard of the spooky mechanic, swallow those chunks and allow us to explain.
In Driver: San Francisco, everybody's favourite Green Cross Code-curbing cop John Tanner is blasted into a coma by long-time nemesis Charles Jericho. A ballsy move, and ultimately a game-breaking one, you might think: the amount of driving you can do from a hospital bed is limited at best.
Think again. This is John Tanner we're talking about - he can rattle four wheels through a box-heavy alley in his sleep. Literally.
In fact, that's exactly what he does. The majority of Driver: San Francisco takes place inside Tanner's head, in a reality where he can make like Google Earth at a moment's notice and 'Shift' between vehicles.
It's a simple device. As you're tooting around like some road dependent schmuck a press of the X button will lift you out of your body and high above the streets, where you can glide about with the left stick, target another vehicle and possess its driver.
If that premise sounds a bit dumb, that's because it is. But the team at Reflections knows exactly that - which is what allows it to work. Instead of trying force the idea into the bleak, super-serious Driver world we're used to, this is a brighter, funnier game that doesn't try to be anything more than fun.
It means that the opening hour or so bumbles through something close to narrative explanation that, to be honest, could be omitted entirely. Once everything's in place and you're back behind the wheel, you don't really care why you can pull a Casper at will.
On the road the Shift mechanic is smooth, well implemented and actually pretty useful.
If you're chasing a perp, for example, and your fellow road-users aren't doing their bit by risking their life and limb to slam into the high-speed getaway car, you can do the old up and down, whoosh into their head and take matters into your own hands.
Similarly, if you're falling behind your target you can use Shift to hop forward a few cars to get you back in the game.
Side-missions are based on Shift as well. A number of different tasks are triggered by possessing certain citizens. Old favourites to the genre are all accounted for; cops v robbers, stunt runs and races are all but a Shift away and more inventive scenarios such as possessing a kid on his driving lesson in order to make his instructor kack his pants are welcome.
Of course, the glaring problem with having the ability to Shift is that you can go through the game without actually doing all that much driving. It means that the single-player campaign (coming in at around seven or eight hours) can be rattled through pretty quickly because its very easy to give yourself the upper-hand.
The way the game combats the quick-fixers though is, thankfully, by making the driving itself really fun. While Shift allows for some mischievous moments that are certainly very satisfying, to cut down the time you spend actually behind the wheel any more than necessary would be a massive own goal.
There's over 200 miles of San Francisco road out there to barrel down for a start. Again, allow us to hark back to the brilliant original Driver and you'll remember the excitement surrounding massive, detailed open-world replicas of San Francisco, LA, New York and Miami.
San Francisco was by far the most fun to play back in the day with its nice long straights and ridiculously steep inclines perfect for some air time (Remember Nob Hill? Snigger), and so it makes a welcome return.
But this time San Francisco has been tweaked to offer only the most car chase friendly elements. The massive hills and swooping bends have been taken and squished together to form a version of the city that's geared towards fun.
It works as well, with chaotic pursuits constantly taking unexpected turns, narrow misses and the odd mid-air collision.
Of course the intricately detailed city can only be partially credited for the experience. It provides a playground but it's the inhabitants that make the game. While in previous Driver games a target would sometimes reach an area of the map and just start circling the block and police, although relentless tended to choose bunching over well thought out tactics, San Francisco's AI is smart.
You won't outrun the police with a brainless sprint down the nearest and straightest road, you'll need to skim on-coming traffic and take sudden turns to shake them. When you're the chaser, you'll know exactly how it feels as well. With the AI being particularly crafty on the escape, it's a case of anticipating when and how they'll turn and intercepting at the right time.
While Reflections might have gone with the crazy when it comes to premise, the actual handling is as solid, weighty and realistic as ever. Obviously we're not talking simulation racing here, drifts are easily executed, there are enough jump opportunities to warrant a town planning enquiry and cinematic sizzle is at the heart of everything. It's the two elements combined that make Driver: San Francisco great.
And it looks as good as it feels, thanks in part to that Hollywood blockbuster ambition. Taking a leaf out of Burnout's book every totalling crash is slowed right down so that you can see every splinter and shard litter the road. And splinter they do, with paint peeling, glass smashing and tyres ripping like a destructive take on an M&S advert.
It's almost a shame because the line-up of licensed 1970s cars - 100 in total including Tanner's Dodge Challenger - has been lovingly recreated in lush detail. They're a key part to creating that feel of being in a classic roadster film.
Clear inspiration from the likes of Bullit inform every stylistic element right down to the impressive soundtrack. It's made explicit though when you pick up one of the many Movie Sequence tokens scattered about the city.
They're another string to the side-mission bow, unlocking special challenges in the main menu allowing you to recreate iconic Hollywood car chases
That's the power of Driver when it's done well; it makes you feel like you're in Tinseltown's biggest, fastest car chase. But it shouldn't try to recreate the rest of the film - that's the important bit.
So the story will get in the way at first - Reflections is obviously a bit nervous about introducing its zany Shift concept without narrative explanation - but, once you're behind the wheel, you'll realise that San Francisco is definitely a long-overdue return to form for the Driver series.
Oh yes. It's time to party like it's 1998. Stick some B*Witched on, would you dear?
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