Awesome 80s Archives : Page 8 of 17 : The Retro Network

Rollergames: The Wildest, Loudest, Most 1989 Thing Ever Put on Television

Rollergames was peak 1989 chaos, a roller derby spectacle supercharged with rock music, wild characters, and over the top action that turned the figure eight track into one of the loudest and most unforgettable shows on television.

Revisiting My Two Dads

Mickey Yarber

My Two Dads blended heart, humor, and late‑’80s charm, turning an unlikely parenting setup into a feel‑good family story. With its loft setting, lovable cast, and gentle life lessons, it became a sitcom that quietly stuck with viewers.

Nintendo Game & Watch: The Handheld That Started It All

Mickey Yarber

Long before the Game Boy arrived, Nintendo’s Game and Watch brought video games to our pockets with simple controls, charming LCD screens, and a kind of magic only early handhelds could deliver. It was portable fun that felt revolutionary.

The Rise of Orville Redenbacher’s Popcorn

Mickey Yarber

For most of the 20th century, popcorn was a simple pleasure…a stovetop ritual, a movie‑theater treat, a sound and smell that filled kitchens long before streaming nights existed. But no name became more synonymous with

The Lost Treasures of Atari’s Swordquest

Mickey Yarber

Atari’s Swordquest series promised real‑world treasure and a quest unlike anything the arcade world had seen. Blending comics, puzzles, and high‑stakes competition, it became one of gaming’s most fascinating lost legends.

Revisiting the Warm Woodland World of The Paw Paws

Mickey Yarber

Every now and then, you stumble across a cartoon from your childhood that feels like it lived in the quiet corners of Saturday morning. Not a blockbuster. Not a toy‑aisle titan. Just a sweet little

Micro Magic: The Frozen Food Phenomenon That Turned Microwaves Into Magic Shows

Mickey Yarber

In the early days of home microwaves, when the idea of cooking dinner with invisible waves still felt like science fiction, one brand stepped forward to make the future taste delicious. Micro Magic arrived in

1986 Retrospective

Pitfall Gary

As we kick off 2026, the “forty-year itch” is hitting the retro community. While every year of the ’80s carries its own brand of nostalgia, 1986 stands out as a true turning point, a year

Merlin: Strategy, Memory, and the Rise of Electronic Play

Mickey Yarber

When video games like Pong began lighting up bars, basements, and rec rooms in the 1970s, the toy industry felt the tremors. Electronics were no longer the domain of hobbyists and engineers; they were becoming

1986: The Year the ’80s Hit Peak Pop Culture

The Retro Network

Below is a guided tour of what made 1986 so “maximal”: the movies that defined mass cool, the albums that turned artists into full personas, the television shifts that reshaped habits, and the visual style

The Power Glove: Nintendo’s Most Fascinating Misfire

Mickey Yarber

In the late 1980s, Nintendo was riding a wave of cultural dominance. The NES had revived the home video game market, Mario was a household name, and kids everywhere were dreaming about the future of

The Dukes: When Hazzard County Hit Saturday Morning

Mickey Yarber

If you grew up in the early eighties, you probably remember the strange and wonderful moment when The Dukes of Hazzard jumped from Friday night live‑action into full‑blown Saturday morning animation. It was called The

B.J. and the Bear: The Show That Made Trucking Cool

Mickey Yarber

B.J. and the Bear delivered pure ’70s escapism, mixing open‑road adventure, easygoing charm, and a trucker‑buddy duo viewers couldn’t resist. Light, fun, and unmistakably of its era, it remains a feel‑good TV ride worth revisiting.

Thundarr the Barbarian and the Wild Future Kids Never Forgot

Mickey Yarber

There are certain Saturday morning cartoons that feel like they were dreamed up by a kid who mixed every cool idea they ever had into one big bowl. Thundarr the Barbarian was exactly that kind

The Story Behind Run-DMC’s Christmas in Hollis

Mickey Yarber

Run-DMC nearly passed on recording “Christmas in Hollis,” but a funky beat and heartfelt verses turned it into a holiday classic.

WWF Survivor Series: The Birth of a Thanksgiving Tradition

Mickey Yarber

WWF’s first Survivor Series in 1987 was a bold and strategic move that reshaped the wrestling landscape. Conceived as a counter-programming tactic, it not only disrupted Jim Crockett Promotions’ Starrcade but also laid the foundation

Iconic Halloween Candy Born in the 80s

Pitfall Gary

If you grew up in the 1980s, candy was both a treat and an adventure. Walking into the corner store or the gas station you were met with a rainbow of wrappers, but that rainbow