Whiplash from Lakeside (1966)
Released in 1966, Whiplash was a double-action Skee-Ball game for two players from Lakeside.
Popeye Bubble Set from Transogram (1936)
Released by Transogram in 1936, the Popeye Bubble Set capitalized on the popularity of the Popeye character while offering children the thrill of blowing soap bubbles through a sailor’s pipe.
Skill-It – The Frying Pan Maze from Milton Bradley (1966)
Released in 1966, Skill-It – The Frying Pan Maze was both a play on words and a skill-testing game from Milton Bradley.
Coney Island Penny Machine from Remco (1959)
Released in 1959 by Remco, the Coney Island Penny Machine was a desktop version of the claw machines routinely found in arcades, traveling carnivals, and state fairs.
Fifty Years of Rubik’s Cube and Earlier Brain Teasers
Nicolas Ricketts of The Strong spotlights the Rubik’s Cube and three brain-teasing predecessors.
Pretzel, the Pickup Pooch from Transogram (1963)
In 1963, Transogram released Pretzel, a mechanical pet capable of playing a rudimentary form of fetch.
Jack Straws from Parker Brothers (1974)
Released in 1974, Jack Straws was Parker Brothers’ version of the iconic dexterity game, which dates back to the 1800s.
Chocolot Candy Maker from Mattel (1979)
Released by Mattel in 1979, the Chocolot Candy Maker let kids play chocolatier with a miniaturized electric confection maker.
The Lord of the Rings Recall Game from Milton Bradley (1978)
Released in 1978 from Milton Bradley, the Lord of the Rings Recall Game used characters and objects from J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy novels to strengthen recognition skills and memory recall.
Universal Building Set 733 from LEGO (1979)
Graham Hancock, toy collector and editor of Blocks magazine, examines LEGO’s Universal Building Set 733 from 1979.
Mad Marbles from Lakeside (1970)
Released in 1970 by Lakeside, Mad Marbles is an action game that requires “fast reflexes, good judgment, and a keen sense of humor.”
Pan Am Dual Control Jet Cockpit from Remco (1969)
Budding pilots earned their toy wings with the Pan Am Dual Control Jet Cockpit from Remco.