At least in video games? Cause it seems somewhat strange how the first few Wario games and the Donkey Kong Country series both came out about that time and featured a heavy pirate theme, especially in the 94-95 games (Wario Land 1, Donkey Kong Country 2).
When I was a kid, I friggin' loved pirates. Pirates are cool. I think most kids back then would agree. I'm not surprised that they'd be cast as the villains in video games marketed primarily at children.
I dunno, alot of my favorite game featured pirates to some extent, including the more recent ones. Skies of Arcadia came out in 2000, and it was all about pirates, haha. LoZ Wind Waker had alot to do with pirates, Rune Factory Tides of Destiny had a goblin pirate group that you encountered often, and a part of the game featured finding lost pirate ships in the sea as a side quest. Aidyn Chronicles for N64 (also made in 2000) had some pirate stuff in the naval cities, The Thousand Year Door had Cortez. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance had some missions where you dealt with pirates specifically.
I think Pirates are just good for fantasy and video games, haha. Most people find them interesting and fun : p
