Shall we play a game?

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This week's topic: Our favorite toys and games of the 80s. Brace yourself. That means Care Bears, Monchichi's, Smurfs, My Lil Pony and more. It's a little sickly sweet for some people, but that's the risk you take when you go back 20 years and check out what entertained the kiddies.

Our favorite toys?

• The Rubik's Cube: So cool (and impossible to solve for most) that it's still popular today.
• Star Wars action figures: Don't tell us you didn't own any. We all did. The only question is: Did you own the cool figures (Boba Fett and Greedo) or the really lame ones (Princess Leia or a Jawa)?
• Simon: Forget this electronic game? Then check out this 80s-era commercial for it on youtube.com...

Comments

[Dennis]

oh... the Atari 2006... how many rainy afternoons we spent with that... and how many joysticks were killed thanks to decathlon. pitfall was really nice as well, was best at ski-jumping in winter games though, no-one of my friends ever beat me in that...

[80sfan]

Steve, Steve, Steve,
Just listed to the podcast and can't believe that I caught a mistake. The Rubik's cube did in fact have a cartoon based on it. It was called Rubik the Amazing Cube.
http://www.x-entertainment.com/articles/0798/

[Bgirl]

I actually still have my handheld Blip (loved that!!) and my husband has a Merlin and an electronic football and basketball game.

[Bgirl]

Okay, all I can say after watching that commercial is THANK GOD FOR THE MUTE BUTTONS WE HAVE NOW!
I did have Simon, and I remember it broke and my stepdad tried to fix it. That was the end of it.
LOVED my Atari, our TV had Space Invaders burn in from me playing it so much!!
Pitfall was awesome, too.

[Spears]

"Adventure" had a lot of easter eggs hidden in there. Were you able to find them Bassnote?

[Aaron]

I had some Transformers, GI Joe, and Captain Power toys. The most recognizable one was Powermaster Optimus Prime. This version wasn't feature in the original cartoon, but it was in the comic book.

[Hamptune]

Piiiiiiitfall!!!!!!

I actually knew I was getting Pitfall, saw it under the tree, opened it and played it before Christmas, then rewrapped it for Christmas morning, does that mean I'm going to hell or something?

[Bassnote]

My game on Atari 2600 was Adventure. You were a little dot, and you had to go to three different castles and find the keys, and a sword (whick looked like an arrow). graphics were terrible, but it was fun.

[Spears]

I just want you all to know that I can beat anyone on the planet on any game on Atari 2600. Seriously.

[Carla]

Love Rubik's cube & Simon.... but nothing, NOTHING beats the Atari 2600! Going from my "Intellivision" game, which was lame to an Atari... I became a cool kid overnight! As far as Atari games... Loved Space Invaders, Pac Man and Pitfall! OH, and of course Steve, you know MY favorite Atari game... Journey's Escape!! :)

[Jennifer]

EXCELLENT podcast! Your best one yet! (thank you!)

[Greg Williams]

Atari. Twenty. Six. Hundred.

[Damian P.]

I never had Simon, but I did have "Merlin," a Simon competitor that looked like a big red cordless phone. Anyone else remember that one?

My most prized toys of the '80s? My big Millenium Falcon, my General Lee and my ColecoVision.