Nostalgia Alert! These Classic Toys and Games Need to Come Back Immediately
Ever wonder what filled the toy stores before you were born? Here are all of the games and playthings you should be nostalgic for, even if you didn't live through them.
Tamagotchi
Before there were virtual pet apps, there was Tamagotchi. They were little egg-shaped electronic devices where you could take care of a pixelated creature by feeding it, playing with it, and cleaning up after it when it went to the bathroom.
It doesn't sound like that much fun, but it was completely engrossing. Responsibility can be weirdly entertaining.
Creepy Crawlers
Creepy Crawlers was the ultimate prank toy. You could use it to make jiggly, gross plastic bugs and other creatures from little molds.
Best of all, there was also the Incredible Edibles series, which let you make gummy bugs. If you could convince your friends that you were eating real creepy crawlies, it was the ultimate gross-out.
Nickelodeon Gak
DIY slime is huge on Insta right now, but back in the day, there was Gak. It was colorful, shiny slime that you could stretch, mold and make rude noises with. It's hard to put the appeal into words, but we still wish we had some Gak laying around.
Skip-It
Skip-It is a little tough to describe, but you would essentially put the hoop on one end around one ankle, rotate the other end in a circle, and skip over it with the other foot. For every rotation, the counter would go up, so you could see how long you could keep going without messing up.
And what's catchier than this jingle?
Talkgirl
Today we take voice memos for granted, but back in the day, if you wanted to record yourself it had to be on a cassette tape.
Talkgirl was the easiest (and most fashionable) way to do that, and could play your voice back at half speed. We think tapes are going to make a comeback!
Crazy Bones
Crazy Bones were super collectible plastic figures, each with their own faces and personalities.
Some people just amassed as many as they could, but there were also games you could play with them. One involved flicking them in the air and gathering points based on how they'd land. They just don't make games like they used to.
Tech Decks
Tech Decks were simply tiny skateboards for your fingers. They were all about pulling off great tricks, and you could even buy ramps and skate park setups to ride them on.
We're just counting down the days until someone makes a Tech Deck hoverboard.
Socker Boppers
Soccer Boppers were giant balloon-like boxing gloves that would let you bop your friends and siblings in the head without ever getting into trouble. Their slogan said that they were "more fun that a pillow fight," and they were so right.
Koosh Ball
Koosh Balls were just big rubbery string balls. There wasn't much to them, but their simplicity was what made them so special!
Pogo Ball
Pogo Ball was the quintessential balance toy. In the center was a bouncy ball, surrounded by a flat ring, which you'd use like the pegs on a pogo stick to hop around.
If you could stay on this thing for more than 30 seconds, you were basically Pogo Ball royalty.
Gone Fishin'
Gone Fishin' is more proof that the simpler a game, the better. You wind it up, using a tiny magnetic fishing poll to try to catch all of the magnetized fish before the time runs out. Fun doesn't have to be complicated.
Pogs
Where do we even begin with Pogs? They were thin cardboard discs with images, ranging from characters and logos to various designs, on the sides. The game of Pogs also involved a heavier "slammer" or "shredder" piece.
Pog players would group their Pogs into a single stack, face-down, and take turns throwing their Slammer at the top of that stack. If any Pogs fell off and landed face-up, that player would get those Pogs.
At the end of the game, whoever had the most Pogs would be crowned the winner. And if they were playing for keeps, everyone would get to take home what they'd collected during the game. Pogs was risky business that even landed some kids in detention at school because it was at times viewed as a form of gambling.
Speaking of games, click HERE to see the most recently revealed new Pokémon!