Awesome 80s Archives : Page 15 of 17 : The Retro Network

How Monopoly Helped Free POWs in World War II

Park Place, Boardwalk, and a hidden map with a secret escape route? For Allied POWs during World War II, Monopoly games came equipped with real-life “get out of jail free” cards. During World War II,

6 Most Underrated Horror Films of the 1980s

The Retro Network

The 1980s was a decade that brought us some of the most iconic horror films in cinematic history. From Halloween to The Shining, these films have become classics over time and are now widely celebrated

Halloween Episodes of The Real Ghostbusters

OldSchool80s

A few years back, I was asked to put together a list of some Great Old Halloween Specials from the past and you should definitely check out that if you haven’t done so before. Many

Dark Night of the Scarecrow Review

Pitfall Gary

I’ve mentioned before how scarecrows creep me out. And I’m positive Dark Night of the Scarecrow is the reason why! Set in a farming town somewhere in the Midwest, a group of yocals deal out

Top 10 Tales from the Darkside episodes

Pitfall Gary

Man lives in the sunlit world of what he believes to be reality.But… there is, unseen by most, an underworld, a place that is just as real, but not as brightly lit…a dark side. Tales

Remembering Daffy Duck’s Quackbusters

Jeff Sheldon

We didn’t have a Blockbuster in my town until I was in high school, and until then, there were only two other ways to get a movie that you didn’t buy at the mall. You

Lawn Darts: The Most Dangerous Toy of All Time

Mickey Yarber

Starting in the 1970s, people began to cast a suspicious eye on the safety standards used in making toys. Parents and lawmakers began voicing their concerns and this led to new legal standards for what

New Coke: The Soda That Tried to Rewrite the ’80s

Mickey Yarber

Perhaps one of the darkest days in soft drink history occurred on April 23, 1985, when a true American icon was altered beyond all recognition. Yes, this is the day that Coca-cola announced to the

Yahtzee: From Yacht Parties to Living Rooms Everywhere

The Retro Network

A bejillion years from now, when archaeologists are digging up the suburban dens of our buried civilization, amid all the broken down ColecoVisions and My Buddy dolls, a Yahtzee box will be reverently dusted off and carted away.

Mouse Trap: Building the Game Was Half the Fun

The Retro Network

It may be time to revise the old maxim, “Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door.” The mousetrap in the board game of the same name may have

Risk Was the Board Game That Conquered the World One Roll at a Time

The Retro Network

Lay out the board, parcel out the territories, build up the armies, and commence global conquest. Even people who “don’t play strategy games” know Risk. Simple enough for a young mind to grasp, yet elaborate

Sorry!: The Board Game Where Payback Is the Point

The Retro Network

Woe to the unlucky Sorry! player, and the torrent of conflicting advice he hears from the little animated angel and devil that perch on either shoulder. Angel: “Show some sportsmanship! Prove you know the fine

Monopoly: The Game That Turned Kids Into Tiny Tycoons

The Retro Network

A board game that hinges on buying and selling imaginary real estate might not, at first glance, seem like such a shoo-in for the All-Star Toy team. Kids like to pretend, sure…they imagine they’re superheroes,

A Brief History of Battleship

The Retro Network

In this “classic naval combat game,” the open seas were cluttered with ships of war, five on each side. But unlike real war, these nautical enemies decided to play fair, standing perfectly still and taking

Penny Racers Were the Cheapest Fun You Could Have

The Retro Network

Matchbox and Hot Wheels were great for driving fast or for zipping along tracks and play sets, but for the spin-crazy, wheelie-happy, stunt driving kid, only a genuine Penny Racer would do.

ColecoVision: The Console That Tried Everything

The Retro Network

ColecoVision was the Cadillac of home video games back in 1982; a system so powerful, you’d make friends with the biggest jerk on the block just to be near it. Everyone had an Atari—that quaint little

What Was On Television for Halloween 1986

Mickey Yarber

I thought it would be fun to take a look at what was on television for Halloween in 1986. I had the TV Guide issue for that week handy, so I scanned in all the