That’s a brutal split. I need the option to be basically the entirety of the 90s. 90-94 is a primo chunk of my childhood. It’s got most of my original NES memories which makes it a strong contender. But if I’m being honest with myself, 95 - 99 was like Jr High/High School and probably the years that I most considered myself a “gamer” (I actually hate that designation and do not consider myself that now. It smells to me like old crusty semen socks). I was still playing NES as well as Genesis and Super Nintendo. I also got a PlayStation in 97 and I’ve obviously got big love for that. The build up and release of Final Fantasy VII is one of my most special gaming memories period.
The first few years of the 2000s could be tacked on to that 95-99 era but by 02 I was off to college and spent the next decade or so with minimal video game interaction. Especially new games. I brought my NES to college with me and we did get really high and play a lot of SMB3 and Klax though.