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Channel: Toys and Games - Retroist

Knight Rider Burnin’ Key Cars were Fearsome and Unmerciful

The Burnin’ Key Car concept was pretty simple. You get a small toy car and a key. Put the key in the small car. Give it a squeeze. Watch it go. If you loved toy cars in the eighties, you probably...

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Dungeons & Dragons Computer Labyrinth Game

Once I started playing Dungeons & Dragons as a kid, I voraciously consumed anything related to the game. One of my “holy grail” items was a copy of Mattel’s Dungeons & Dragons Computer...

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Do you remember these 7 Shooting Games from 1981?

I was obsessed with shooting games when I was a kid. When we went to arcades or any places that had games with guns, I would spend my time pretend playing. Just holding the gun, shooting at the screen...

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Super Jock Toys made for great weapons of war

Super Jock Toys were a line of toys made by Schaper starting in the seventies. Super Jocks were sports based, hence the use of “Jock”. Each playset consisted of action figures playing sports including...

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Transformers were poised to make coleslaw out of the Cabbage Patch Kids for...

In Christmas of 1984 the toy world was shifting. Video games were hitting a rough spot and action figure toys were already years old. Even the heavy hitter of the year before, the Cabbage Patch Kid was...

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Beautiful Kite Packaging Art

If you are ever in a beach town, one place you should always stop is the local pharmacy. Better yet, if they have one, a Five and Ten store. They are filled with wondrous beach related items, which are...

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I Took a Lickin From a Chicken by LJN

When I was a kid, my Mother would talk all about this Tic Tac Toe playing chicken that they had in New York City’s Chinatown. It captured my imagination like nothing else. You could have told me that a...

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Quark selling Deep Space 9 action figures

During the nineties, my interest in action figures dwindled. Yes, we had a Star Wars resurgence, but it never captured my imagination. I still had all of my original toys, and to me the new figures...

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Remember Parker Brothers Loop-a-Lot?

I received an email an email last week from someone who remembered having a game where you spun coins on these “paddles.” My inbox is full of emails just like this one. They are enjoyable to receive,...

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MC Hammer Concert Doll

Last weekend I was at a flea market and spotted an MC Hammer Concert Doll in pretty poor shape. This is not the first MC Hammer Concert Doll that I have seen over the years, so I imagine he is not that...

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Dukes of Hazzard Boss Hogg Action Figure

Like many people who grew up in the eighties, I watched The Dukes of Hazzard. I liked the car chases, the simple plots, and the charisma of the actors. My grandmother knew that I was a fan and fed my...

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Stay Alive the Board Game

Stay Alive was originally published by Milton Bradley in 1971. The idea of the game is pretty simple. You must “stay alive.” The game consists of a 7×7 grid with random holes and sliders. You place...

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My final trip to Toys R Us

I was not sure if I was going to go to Toys R Us before it closed. Part of me wanted to not taint the good memories I had of the store. But another part of me was curious to see what was going on...

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The magical world of the Walkie-talkie

Communication now is ubiquitous. We are basically living in a science fiction world on the communication front. One technology though, for many years, allowed for freedom that would hint at the...

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How to play Gemstones by Mayfair Games

Gemstones is a fun and simple game, that is sadly out of print. So I thought I would share my latest find of a sealed game package along with the rules for anyone who wants to try it out at home. The...

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Spectra was Spacy, Lacy and Out of this World

In 1987, Mattel released a barbie sized doll called Spectra. Her and Shimeroons didn't last long, but they were still amazing. The post Spectra was Spacy, Lacy and Out of this World appeared first on...

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Armory Dice Markers

Armory Dice Markers are great looking artifacts from a different time in gaming. It is nice to see that someone preserved them up until now and that people value them enough to pay a ludicrous amount...

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Incredible Hulk Instant Muscles

Are you a pipsqueak? Maybe full of rage because you are tired of getting pushed around. But lack the willpower to work towards a stronger you? Well then, do I have a product for you, Incredible Hulk...

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McDonald's Happy Meal Playmobil Toys

The first McDonald’s Happy Meal made its way into kids’ hands in 1979. Over the years they would release a variety of memorable toys and boxes, including a set that contained Playmobil toys in 1982....

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The Green Machine

In the late Sixties, the toy company Marx introduced the Big Wheel to the world. It was a compact three-wheeled wonder that would ultimately become iconic. Every kid wanted one. Including me. Less...

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Dallas: The Television Role-Playing Game

My Grandmother was initially opposed to me playing Dungeons & Dragons. She was pulled into the hysteria and feat about the game. Eventually, though she would come to accept that this game was a...

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The Batman Green Machine

After writing about the Green Machine, I was reminded of a tweet by longtime Retroist contributor and podcaster, Rob O’Hara. When Rob was a kid, he had a Batman themed Green Machine. Needless to say,...

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Do you remember the Furskin Bears?

How do you followup one of the most successful toy lines of a decade? For Cabbage Patch Kid designer, Xavier Roberts, the answer was a lot fuzzier. It was the Furskin Bears. Each Furskin Bear has...

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Leon Neon by Mattel

In 1986 a toy hit the market that embodied the mid to late eighties “glow” aesthetic, Leon Neon. Manufactured by Mattel these toys were glow-in-the-dark tubes that you twist and bend into fun shapes...

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Nerf Turbo Screamer Football

In 1991, Nerf released the Turbo Screamer Football. This football not only went further than a standard Nerf Football, it also whistled while doing so. Over the years it has become a rarity and has...

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Nasta Hit Stix

In 1988, Nasta released Hit Stix. They promised to bring sound to air drumming. While they did make a sound, they were not the most dependable toy and the advertising might have been their greatest asset.

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Toys of the 1979 JCPenney Christmas Catalog

The 1979 JCPenney Christmas Catalog is a wonderland of toys. Action Figures and Video Games are just starting to move front and center, yet not everything is defined by franchises. So let's take a look...

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Coleco Couch Potato Pals

In 1987, Coleco released the Couch Potato Pal. While not as big a hit as the Cabbage Patch Kid, the Couch Potato has a dedicated fanbase and an interesting history.

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Video of Star Wars toys at Toys R Us on May 21, 1980

Everyone knew that The Empire Strikes Back was going to be a big hit, not just in the theaters, but in toy stores. Here are 25 amazing minutes of footage of WABC reporter Peter Bannon at a Toys R Us on...

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A History of the Speak & Spell

In 1978, Texas Instruments' Speak & Spell made its public debut. Soon it would become a household name. It entertained children around the world and was integral in a certain alien's attempt to...

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Kellogg’s Bowl Buddies Make Great Laptop Buddies

Plastic cereal premiums used to be common. Nowadays they are extremely rare and I get excited whenever I spot one. I was happy to add my first of the Kellogg's Bowl Buddies to my collection today.

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1985 Lego Catalog

I always treasured any catalogs that came with my toys. Good ones, like this 1985 offering from Lego, fired up the imagination with great photos and illustrations.

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McDonald’s Ronald and Pals Haunted Halloween Happy Meal Toys (1998)

In 1998, McDonald's released The Ronald and Pals Haunted Halloween Happy Meal Toys. These masked citizens of McDonaldland were great for holding candy and getting people into the spirit of the holiday.

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Top Secret Administrator’s Screen

In 1982, TSR released their Administrator Screens for Top Secret. While not a history changing release, its useful tables and charts were what many players found themselves staring at for hours while...

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Burger King Toy Chariot

My family had about a half dozen of the Burger King Toy Chariots. While the functionality they feature in the commercial is a lie, it was still a fun free toy to get.

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The Incredible Hulk Rage Cage

In 1978, Funstuf released the Incredible Hulk Rage Cage. A delightfully simple, but visceral toy set that allowed kids of all ages to live out their Hulk-rage fantasies.

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Water Guns from Entertech

In the mid-eighties, LJN starting selling realistic-looking water guns under the Entertech label. They were controversial among many groups, but for at least one summer they were the hottest toys on my...

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My Quest for Muttley

In the spring of 2021 I spotted a Muttley stuffed animal in a crane game at my local supermarket. Over the next 8 months, I would make repeated attempts to win him. I am happy to announce that my quest...

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Nickelodeon Super Toy Run

For over 15 years, The Nickelodeon Super Toy Run fired up the imagination of kids across America. Let's take a look back at this remarkable annual event from its birth in 1984 all the way up to the...

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The Magical World of Shrinky Dinks

In 1973, Shrinky Dinks began appearing on store shelves, and home craft play time would never be the same. Let's take a look back at the history of this amazing toy, from its birth in the 1970s,...

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Remember the PoGo Bal?

Some trends are brief, but still memorable. Hasbro's PoGo Bal was everywhere for about a year in the 1980s before slowly disappearing. Let's take a look at the rise and fall and rise again of this...

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McDonald’s Cactus Plant Flea Market Happy Meal for Adults

I got my first Adult Happy Meal today. While I think the box could use some work, the toy was strangely compelling, and I think I will be trying to collect 'em all.

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Magical Musical Thing by Mattel

In the late 70s, electronic toys were all the rage. Jumping on the trend, Mattel released a memorable and successful musical toy, the Magical Musical Thing.

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1983 Toys “R” Us Christmas Sale Circular

In November 1983, Toy "R" Us sent out this pre-Christmas sale circular. It is filled with all the great toys that would make 1983 such a memorable year. So let's take a look at what you might have...

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Dandy, The Games of Life, and Dark Tower

Have you ever seen a video game or movie and thought, “This looks like this other game I played.” Its often hard to trace the DNA of these creations, but in some instances you can trace it back to its...

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Pizza, Domino Shows, and Mouse Trap

How did Domino’s get its name, what are dominoes anyway, and is there a wrong way to play with them? So many questions to ask and tangents to get lost in while thinking about pizza.

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Fireflies, Glowmatography, and Candy Bar Surgery

This night could use a little brightnin’ Light up you little ol’ bug of lightnin’ When you gotta glow, you gotta glow Glow little glow worm, glow

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Casey Kasem and American Top 40

Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars. - Casey Kasem

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Dittos, DDT Trucks, and Scratch and Sniff Stickers

Sometimes when I close my eyes and focus really hard, I can still smell it. It is a scent that fills me with anxiety, and yet I still crave it. I am of course referring to the smell of the spirit...

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The Joy of Transformer’s Rubsigns

Let's reminisce about the good old days of Transformers toys and their iconic Rubsigns. When the simple yet magical act of rubbing a sticker to reveal a hidden logo captured our imagination and remains...

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