Pac-Man Cereal and the Ghost Marshmallows We Still Miss
Some cereals fed you. A few gave you a whole little Saturday morning mood. Pac-Man cereal did that with one bright, goofy, brilliant move: it dropped Pac-Man and his ghost…
Posted inPop Culture Fads Toys and Games Trends
Rainbow Brite Dolls and the Colorful World Kids Couldn’t Resist
Some toys asked for attention. Rainbow Brite dolls practically glowed. If you were a kid in the 1980s, you probably clocked them in a split second. Bright yarn hair. Candy-colored…
Posted inPop Culture Toys and Games
Pound Puppies: The Soft Shelter Dogs Kids Loved
Some toys asked to be bought. Pound Puppies and the Pound Puppies Classic line asked to be saved. That was the whole trick, and in the mid-80s it worked like…
He-Man and Castle Grayskull: Why the Power Still Matters
"By the power of Grayskull!" You can hear it, can't you? Even before the sword goes up, the castle is already doing half the work. For 80s kids, Castle Grayskull…
Posted inPop Culture Fads Toys and Games
Garbage Pail Kids: The Gross Trading Cards Schools Couldn’t Stand
Few things felt more dangerous, or more fun, than opening a wax pack and finding a card so disgusting you had to show somebody immediately. Garbage Pail Kids were rude,…
Posted inPop Culture Fads Toys and Games Trends
Why the Rubik’s Cube Craze Took Over 80s Bedrooms
If you grew up in the early 80s, you probably remember a Rubik's Cube sitting somewhere in your room, half-solved and impossible to ignore. It wasn't tucked away like an…
Posted inPop Culture Fads Toys and Games Trends
Cabbage Patch Kids and the 1983 Toy Frenzy
One doll should not be able to turn a toy aisle into a contact sport. But in late 1983, Cabbage Patch Kids came awfully close. If you were around then,…
Posted inPop Culture Animated Fads Toys and Games
Popples Plush Toys and the Ball Trick That Made Them 80s Icons
Some toys were cute. Some toys had a gimmick. Popples plush toys had both, and that was the whole magic. Created by Those Characters From Cleveland, a division of American…
Posted inFood Discontinued Treats Pop Culture Video Games
Nintendo Cereal System: The Breakfast Box Every Kid Wanted
Some breakfast cereals promised vitamins. The Nintendo Cereal System promised Mario, Zelda, and a much better reason to get out of bed. If you were a kid in the late…
Posted inArcade Classics Toys and Games Video Games
Best 80s Arcade Games for First-Time Players
80s arcade games looked easy from across the room. Then you stepped up, grabbed the stick, and lost your quarter before the theme song in your head even kicked in.…