Launched in 1979, there was little doubt where Exidy got the inspiration for StarFire. From the logo to the ship design to the very concept,…
Browsing: Toys & Games
An early success for Palitoy was the 1975 UK licence for a range of Star Trek figures, which had been released by Mego in the…
Although it had been off the air since 1969, Star Trek remained a big deal among fans of science-fiction television throughout the 1970’s. In fact,…
With its dogfighting space battles, lightsaber duels and narrow escapes, George Lucas’ 1977 film Star Wars seemed like a natural for the video arcades. It…
Director George Lucas passed up an extra $500,000 in director fees when he made Star Wars (1977) in exchange for retaining control of merchandising and licensing…
Kenner’s Steve Scout action figure line was introduced in 1974 as a wholesome alternative to lines like Big Jim and GI Joe. Alongside Steve, Kenner introduced…
Kiddies construction toy “Stickle Bricks” was invented by Denys Fisher in 1969. The colourful plastic shapes – squares, rectangles, triangles and circles – could be…
Relatively harmless stink bombs consist of a mixture of ammonium sulfide, vinegar and bicarbonate, which smells strongly of rotten eggs. When exposed to air, the…
Simpler than chess, quicker than a game of Risk, Milton Bradley’s Stratego was the strategy board game that young generals-in-training were weaned on. Even after…
Based on the best-selling line of American Greetings cards and stationery from the late 1970s, the Kenner Toy Company licensed Strawberry Shortcake and issued a…
In the brief history of the video arcade, a handful of games have started major trends, but very few have inspired a true revolution. Capcom’s…
““Grab hold and pull! You can stretch 13” Stretch Armstrong up to four feet. Squish him, scrunch him, stretch him out. He always returns to…
Atari had its finger directly on the pulse of pop culture in the mid-1970s. In 1975, the pioneering video game company released Shark JAWS, obviously…
David Bowie may have used this instrument for one note on Space Oddity and Chicory Tip sounded like they had the mains-powered deluxe model on Son Of My Father, but this…
What 70s child (well boy anyway) hasn’t heard of Subbuteo? “Table football” goes the cry, “Just flick to kick”, is another catchphrase. How many of…
As Konami’s Scramble soared to the top of arcade earnings, the company quickly developed a sequel: Super Cobra, released just a few months later. Instead…
Debuting in the mid-70s, the Super Jock athletes did things no non-super person could possibly do. For instance, most people don’t have elongated necks that…
In his first two video game appearances, Mario had to play second banana to two starring gorillas, Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr. The moustachioed…
Created by prolific patent-holder and NASA scientist Lonnie Johnson in his basement during spare evening hours in 1982, this revolution in water gun culture was…
Wham-O’s Super Ball was the brainchild of chemist Norman Stingley. By combining certain super-secret compounds under extreme pressure and temperature, Stingley developed a material he…