McDonald's Halloween Pails

Yet another festive post from me.  Two in one day....watch out!  Keeping with the Halloween theme, this post discusses the immortal McDonad's Halloween Pails

I say immortal, because these things never die.  They have seen numerous reincarnations since their official inception in 1986. 

The 1986/1987 varieties are nearest and dearest to my heart because those are the versions that stand out most prominently from my childhood.  The Halloween Pails served as a vessel for the Happy Meal.  Instead of getting the cardboard box with the golden arch handles, your meal came in a plastic pumpkin.  The original Halloween pails were a set of three (as always), but they were all pumpkins, unlike their successors who were witches and ghosts as well as pumpkins.  Here is a picture of the 1986/87 pails, compliments of Sydlexia (continue reading if you want to know why I don't have any of these pails in my possession):  

(Image:  http://www.sydlexia.com/halloween_pails.htm)

Their names, in order as pictured above, were:  McGoblin, McBoo, and McPunk'n.  They came with a lid and a handle so that once you had finished your scrumptious Happy Meal, you could then go trick-or-treating and fill them with candy.  Because we already had larger pumpkin pails for trick-or-treating, my mom had other plans for the pails (to the horror of McGoblin, McBoo, and McPunk'n).  I'm not proud of this.  Keep in mind I was 2-3 years old during the pails' inaugural year.  What are most kids doing at that age?  Yup, potty training.  By October of 1987 I had already perfected the idea that I was supposed to pee in the toilet, but when you're three and at your brother's travel soccer game with no bathrooms, desperate times call for desperate measures.  Our family's whip was a brand-new, kick-ass 1986 Chevy Conversion Van, not unlike the 1990 model pictured below:

Should I (or later, my sister) feel the urge to pee when toilets were unavailable, we were free to use the fine facilities my mom provided in the privacy of the conversion van.  These "facilities" consisted of a McDonald's Halloween Pail and a box of wipes in the back seat of the van.  The curtains and blinds on the windows of the van provided a private, dark environment for relief.  When the task was complete, mom simply sealed the receptacle with the lid until she could dispose of our fluids at home.  And to our family, THAT was the primary function of the McDonald's Halloween Pail, hence the pails being so vivid in my mind and double hence why we don't still own them.

The only other McDonald's Halloween Pails that I remember well are the 1989 versions, in which McGoblin and McPunk'n were eliminated in favor of McWitch and McGhost (I bet McDonald's was really kicking themselves for already using the name McBoo, because that name would be so much more appropriate for the Ghost variety had it not already belonged to the pumpkin.  Instead, they had to settle for the lackluster "McGhost.").

(Image:  http://www.sydlexia.com/halloween_pails.htm)

McDonald's must have gotten the word of our family's antics with these pails because they wisened-up (I know that's not a word), and PUT HOLES IN THE LIDS. Thank god I was beyond the age of need for these by 1989, because they may not have been as effective with their contents sloshing around on the drive home.  

Oh wait, I take back my not remembering any other models....eventually, McGhost could GLOW IN THE DARK!  That badass version of McGhost released in 1990. 

McDonald's occasionally releases new models of their Halloween Pails every few Octobers.  They're back this year for the first time since 2001, but their design is severely lacking.  Someone needs to inform McDonald's that sometimes, simplicity is best (and why does there appear to be a potato prominently featured on the pails?).  

2010 McDonald's Halloween Pails (Image:  http://mamasmoneysavers.com)

UPDATE:  I think I get it now.  It appears as if the "potato" I was seeing earlier is in fact, a chicken McNugget.  Also, the craziness on the lid of the pail are stickers.  I assume you're supposed to remove the stickers from the lid and dress your naked McNugget with them.  huh....pretty clever.

DOUBLE UPDATE:  And is that grandiose handle a MASK?!?  Wow.  The more I look at this image, the more I understand.   

There are an abundance of the old school Halloween Pails available on eBay today, although most of them are listed as "used" and if anyone else was using them for the same purpose in which they were used by my family, I wouldn't want to buy them.  

Rating:  7 out of 10 for their multi-functionality.

Halloween McNugget Buddies

BOO! In the spirit of the season, today I'm featuring the Halloween McNugget Buddies, brought to you by McDonald's.

McNugget Buddies originally debuted in 1988 with the introduction of the 4-piece McNugget Happy Meal.  The original MBs were not Halloween themed, but rather, civilized contributors to society such as a policeman, a mail woman, and (of course!) a scuba diver.  

In 1993 MBs returned, but instead of responsible citizens, they were trick-or-treaters!  I'm guessing 1993 was about the time my family's visits to McDonalds began to die down, because we only managed to acquire 2 varieties of the six Halloween MBs available.  (On a side note, I'm pretty sure we snubbed McDonald's at this time because Burger King was in full force in both the toy and food department.  It was about this time that BK started manufacturing useful toys [i.e. magic tricks, frisbees, and the like] aaaand they introduced the Italian Chicken Sandwich, God's greatest gift to the fast food world).  Anyway, I digress.  Back to Halloween MBs.  The complete set of Halloween McBuddies in 1993 included McBoo McNugget, Mummie McNugget, Monster McNugget, Witchie McNugget, McNuggula, and Pumpkin McNugget.  Because we never collected all of them, I had to borrow an image from SydLexia to aid my readers:

(Image:  http://www.sydlexia.com/mcnugget_buddies.htm)

Anyway, as I said before, my sister and I only collected two:  Mummie McNugget and Witchie McNugget.  We actually collected two of each of these, but I seem to have misplaced the second Witchie McNugget's body, so she would have just been a pile of clothes had I included her in this image:

I have to give McDonald's props on these toys.  They were (and still are) awesome.  They celebrate the greatest holiday of the year.  You may be fooled into thinking these are your run of the mill trick-or-treaters, but SURPRISE!!!

They're Chicken McNuggets.

In my efforts to locate the missing Witchie body amongst the millions of Happy Meal toys in the playroom, I managed to locate some original MB bodies.  There were two clues to lead me to the conclusion that these bodies did not belong to my witch costume.  1.  The original bodies were made of a sturdy, rubber-like material and were not glossy like the plastic ones of the Halloween era.  2.  The Witchie clothes didn't fit.  The original MBs must have been slightly larger than their Halloween counterparts. 

So there we have Mummie McNugget and Witchie McNugget.  I wish we had collected them all (as encouraged by the commercial).  Based on looks, I'd say the best of the lot was Monster McNugget, but if we're basing this contest on name, McNuggula wins, hands down.  

I give these toys an 8 out of 10.  As far as Happy Meal toys go, they're among the cream of the crop, but if you think about it, all they do is stand there, so I can't give them a perfect 10.

If you'd like to read more about the dawn of McNugget Buddies and their evolution, I advise you to read this article:  http://www.sydlexia.com/mcnugget_buddies.htm.  The article uses the F-bomb a bit too loosely, rendering it ineffective when necessary, but it does a great job of chronicling the lives of the McNugget Buddies and the creative play and commentary at the end is pretty funny. 

Lack o' Blog

I keep trying to blog, only to be thwarted by missing pieces of my feature items.  I hope to find them tonight.  They've got to be in the playroom somewhere.  This can't be another Fleas on Fred incident.

Newsies

One word:  NEWSIES

Newsies was a highly underrated Walt Disney creation released in 1992.  It was my favorite movie back then, and is still probably in my top 10 favorite movies of all time.  The movie is a musical that takes place in 1899, highlighting the lives of the "newsies" or news boys of NYC.  The main character, Jack "Cowboy" Kelley was played by none other than Christian Bale.  I love most of Christian Bale's work, but this has got to be his best.  It's pre- "I'm Batman" days for Bale, which is a good thing, because ever since Batman Begins, Bale likes to throw his creepy, deep "Batman voice" into his characters. There is none of that in Newsies.  Bale does, however, attempt a pretty terrible New York accent with lines like New "Joisey" and never "hoid of him,"but Bale wasn't the only culprit to do that in this movie, so I'll let that slide.  

Bale was not the only big name in this movie. Other cast members included Bill Pullman (as the newspaper reporter Bryan Denton who champions the Newsies), Ann-Margret (as the hooker-esque Medda Larkson, the "Swedish Meadowlark"), and Robert Duvall (as the ruthless Joseph Pulitzer).  Another notable was Max Casella (you know, Doogie Howser's best friend), as Racetrack Higgins.

I just watched the Newsies VHS this weekend, and wow, is this movie still fantastic.  I felt the urge to sing along to every song (of course I still know every lyric to every song).  I think my favorite might be the little known "Once and For All" song they sing in the background as they're slyly using Joe Pulitzer's press to print the newsboys' "pape."  Also, I can't help smiling when the hoards of child laborers turn the corner during the "Seize the Day" reprise. Oh, and for those of us from NJ, you gotta love that they rhyme Denton with Trenton during "King of New York."

My sister and I spent countless hours one summer creating our own dance to "Carrying the Banner."  Whenever possible, we included the original dance moves and incorporated newspaper props.  I recall attempting the move where one person bends in half and the other person rolls over her back, but I'm 99% sure that was unsuccessful.  I swear we video taped our dance one time when we performed it at Gram's house.  I also recall a bulldog interference at some point, but god I wish I knew where that video was.

Here are some little known facts about the film*:

It was originally intended as a drama, not a musical.

Most of the characters are based on real people, although Jack Kelley is fictional. 

At the time, Newsies was the lowest grossing live action film in Disney history.  And here is where I insert my commentary:  I have no clue how this movie did so poorly.  Every person I have ever talked to that has seen it, loves it.  No one is watching this movie for historical accuracy.  So what if in real life, by 1899 Joseph Pulitzer was blind?  And so what if the real Newsies strike of 1899 wasn't all that successful?  The soundtrack is phenomenal and the storyline is entertaining to adults while still be kid-friendly.  Newsies did, however, become more popular after it was released on VHS and the Disney channel started playing it fairly regularly in the mid-1990s.  I believe it was about this time when I went 2 straight weeks during which I watched the VHS every day.

I purchased the DVD for $6.00 on Amazon.com yesterday.  I cannot wait for its arrival.  I'm gonna go ahead and say that is probably the best $6.00 I ever spent. 

For those of you who love this movie as much as I do, you'll be happy to know that Newsies is coming to Broadway this spring.  Alan Menken is doing the music (just as he did for the movie), and he's added a few new songs.  Too bad the original cast is now too old to participate, but I have no doubt the Broadway show will be a hit.

*http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104990/trivia

McDonald's Soft Serve

Holla!  It's been a while.  My apologies. 

Today's topic:  Fisher Price McDonald's Soft Serve

This toy was tremendous in so many ways.  Manufactured in 1988, it was part of a time when people weren't concerned about what their children consumed for fear of them ballooning to elephant proportions.  Granted, there was Richard Simmons and Jazzercise, but that was geared toward the adults.  Today's obesity epidemic among children makes me yearn for the days when you could give your child a toy that encouraged them to make milkshakes and orange sodas without worrying about the implications.  *sigh*

Also, how cool is it that this toy allowed your child to see how awesome it would be to work at Mickey D's?  Combine this toy with a viewing of Bye Bye Love, and McDonalds would never be hurting for employees.

Now on to a description of the machine:  The main dispenser had a variety of dispensing options.  Should one pull the far left lever, and BAM! Orange soda.  Ok, maybe not real orange soda.  It was more like a bright orange plastic tube would appear instantaneously, only to be sucked back into the machine when the lever was released. I believe the term for that is "Indian giver."

The same would happen with the milkshake lever, although the tube was a bit thicker, true to the thickness of the McDonald's milkshake.  Also, it was pink, indicating the shake was strawberry.  Should you like some ice with your beverage, a shoot from the top of the dispenser would nicely drop 2 fused plastic cubes into your cup.  I believe originally there was a second set of ice cubes, but naturally, we lost those long ago. **UPDATE:  I did some research, and this fountain in fact only came with one set of ice cubes.  Good for us for managing to keep them all these years.  In addition, I wondered what the holes in the top corners of the dispenser were for.  Apparently, they're to store white plastic spoons.  I know we still have them, but they're stored with our kitchen utensils at the moment.  You'll see them in a later post.** Also, if you did not want a clear glass, you could choose to use the very authentic looking McDonalds cup with lid.

These don't match the cups of today, but back in 1988, this is EXACTLY what the styrofoam coffee cups looked like.  Well done FP, nice design. 

Should you not be thirsty, another option with this device was the beloved ice cream cone.  A circular wheel at the top could be loaded with chocolate and vanilla ice cream.  We always alternated chocolate, vanilla, chocolate, vanilla. Once loaded, all you had to do was slide the red button on the right to the side and a perfectly swirled portion of ice cream would fall from above into your cone (your cone also had the McDonald's stamp).  Having worked at an establishment that sold soft serve, I can appreciate a cone that is pre-swirled, because a good looking swirl required practice. 

For a better idea of how this worked, here's an image of the top of the dispenser sans lid:

But the machine did not stop there.  Would you like a topping on your ice cream?  No problem! 

These flexible rubbery toppings could easily be plopped on your faux dessert.  The brown topping was obviously hot fudge, but what the heck was the red supposed to be?  I have never seen an ice cream topping that took that form and color.  Maybe it was supposed to be strawberry sauce?  Or cherry? No clue.  Did McDonalds serve that in real life in the 80s?  They sure don't now. 

Overall I rate this toy an 7 out of 10*. It worked well, had great variety, and was true to real life. 

*I've decided I'm going to start rating the items I review.  Eventually, I'll go back and edit pre-existing posts to include ratings.  For now, I'll start with this one. 

Fashion Plates

Today we steer away from board games and wrap-up August with one of my favorites:  Fashion Plates

These toys were awesome, and I obviously liked them, considering that my sister and I had at least three of them (we still have three today).  As a kid I pretty much enjoyed playing with anything which involved coloring and drawing, so these were right up my alley.  Kind of ironic though....I am definitely no Monet these days.  Anywho (shout out to CQ), below are our surviving Fashion Plates:

All of the above were phenomenal products of Hasbro.  The first two are copyrighted 1989, the last one with the bear has a copyright stamp from 1991. Fashion Plates operated as follows: You'd select from 2-3 versions of plates and place them in the drawing area.  You'd then place a piece of paper over the plates and close the frame around them.  You'd rub the side of the supplied crayon over the paper on the plates, revealing the design below.  I was too dumb to realize this as a child, but examining the plates today I realized that on the reverse side of the plates were designs that could serve as a pattern to infill the clothes outlines.  Pretty neato.  I've gotta try this out.

The original fashion plates were products of the 19th century, when images were created to display the latest ladies' fashions in mail order catalogs.  The 1980s Hasbro version doesn't stray too far from that idea.  With the first Fashion plate, you could choose from a variety of heads, torsos, and bottoms sporting a wide variety of clothing styles.  This toy was obviously a product of the 80s because no one today wears loafers with knee-highs and shorts or MC Hammer pants.  This are tell-tale signs of 80s fashions.  As are the results of my early days as a make-up artist:

What was so great about the Face Fashion Plates was that it came with eye shadow and blush.  I was a big fan of applying copious amounts of blue eyeshadow to the brow line.  At times I may have gone a bit overboard with the blush, but what did I know?  I was five.  I'm not sure of the exact date of the artwork to the left, but I'm thinking it was done in the early to mid 90s, because I doubt that even I was that good at staying in the lines as a five year old.  I was, however, aware enough of the world around me to create a diverse array of faces.  I don't remember using the smaller plates with the bear all that often.  There is evidence of my sister writing her name with the crayon on the plastic (not recommended as a mode of play).  She did the same thing (backwards) on my big Fashion Plates drawing area. 

I'll leave you with this image detailing the raised design on the plates.  I hope other people enjoyed playing with these as much as I did.  I'm pretty sure they're still around, a true testament to their greatness.

Pizza Party

Today we play Pizza Party

Debuting in 1987, Parker Brothers' Pizza Party looked like it could be a fun game.  And it was, when I was 3 in 1987.  Having revived this game 2 weeks ago with my sister, I quickly discovered there's a reason why Parker Bros. intended this game for ages 4 to 8.  You know how some games just say 4 and up?  Well they made this one 4 to 8 because it is dullsville for anyone with the mental capacity beyond that of a sloth. 

The object of this game was to be the first player to fill your pizza slice with all six of the same topping pieces.  To start, each player selected a "slice" with a uniquely colored handle.  The topping pieces were placed face down in the center of the table.  A player would take his first turn by selecting a topping piece and placing it face up in an opening on his slice.  That topping would then become the player's designated topping and his goal would then be to fill his slice with all six pieces of that topping.  If another player already claimed the selected topping as his own, the piece was returned, face down, to the middle of the table.  This was where it was useful to remember where your opponent placed unwanted pieces, because if it was yours, you could select it on your next turn.  To mix things up a little, Parker Bros. also threw in "switch pieces."  If a player selected a switch piece, they had to switch their in-progess slice with the slice that had the handle matching the color on the switch piece.  If the player was in possesion of that color when the switch was selected, he must switch his slice with any other slice.  This could be awesome or depressing, depending on the progress of your slice.  You could either end up receiving a slice filled with 5 pieces or giving away a nearly complete slice.  And as if the game wasn't simple enough, Parker Bros. does supply "Suggestions for Simpler Play" in the rules.  This mainly involves leaving out the switch pieces.  Personally, I think it's good for kids to learn at an early age that just when things are going your way, BAM-O! SWITCH!

For those interested, here's the commercial, courtesy of retrojunk:  http://www.retrojunk.com/details_commercial/18714/

I must admit, I love the graphics on this game.  I always wanted to be the pepperoni (mainly because that's my favorite pizza topping, but also because he was a cool, pensive-looking dude and his legs kind of reminded me of the California Raisins). 

Other topping options included mushrooms, onions, and peppers.  Mushrooms and peppers were female.  Onions and pepperoni were male.  Of course.

Fleas on Fred

Editor's note:  Today I am veering slightly off the normal path by featuring a game I no longer possess.  I felt that this game was too great a part of my childhood to let it slip through the cracks on a technicality.

Image:  http://www.amazon.com/Fleas-on-Fred/dp/B001OZM0QW

FaFaFaFleas on Fred!

Where to begin?  This game was the epitome of fantastic.  Released by Tyco in 1995, it consisted of a yellow dog named Fred with floppy ears and a flat back, a whole bunch of fleas on sticks, dull tweezers, and little upright baggies.  The fleas of varying colors were inserted into holes in Fred's back and Fred's switch was turned to "on."  When on, Fred would convulse violently as the players attempted to pluck their designated color fleas from his body and place them in their bags on opposite corners of the room.  The winner was the person who removed all of their color fleas from Fred and placed them in the designated bag first.  Oh, and just in case anyone is concerned that Fred might get a head injury from those convulsions, no worries.  He was anchored to a plastic fire hydrant.  Nice touch Tyco.  For a better visual, please view the FOF commercial courtesy of my favorite website, retrojunk.com:  Fleas on Fred Commercial

I must admit I was not the primary owner of FOF.  My sister received Fred as a birthday gift in November of '95.  It was supposed to be a surprise from Grandmom, but the day before her birthday, my sister and I were playing with the wheelchair lift in Grandmom's van when Caitlin jumped in the backseat, only to noticed the unwrapped FOF package in the trunk.  Despite the ruined surprise, my sister was still thrilled to receive FOF for her birthday that year.  We enjoyed many hours of fun with Fred until one year my mom decided to clean out the playroom (unbeknownst to us) and sadly FOF didn't make the cut.  In mom's defense, the playroom did need a good tidying, so some things definitely needed to go, but I wish she would have used better judgement when it came to FOF.  Needless to say, we came down to the sparkling clean and neatly organized playroom and immediately noticed Fred's absence.  It was too late to save him from his impending doom. 

Years later, my sister swore he was one of the casualties during the flood of '96 when many of our toys had to be thrown out due to water damage in the basement.  But honestly, who is she kidding?  Fred was ENTIRELY PLASTIC.  No flood was going to take him down.  I think subconsciously she was trying to protect my mom, considering that in all other matters excluding FOF, she's the greatest mom on the planet.

Word on the street is that the game has been re-released with a hairer dog.  Bad move Tyco.  The gleam from Fred's jaundiced skin was one of his most appealing features.  Besides, a hairy Fred would never have survived the flood of '96.

Sevylor Floats

Today's discussion:  Sevylor Floats

Many a summer during my childhood was spent at Harry Wright Lake.  And what would a trip to the Lake be without floatation devices?  In 1992 Gram and Pop went to Clover, a discount department store which no longer exists, to get some rafts for us.  They picked up two blue tubes (that could be used in cold or hot weather) and two rafts.  Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of the red and blue raft they got us.  It does still exist though.  Taking a picture of it would have involved me blowing up the raft and my lungs weren't up to the challenge today.  Here is an image of the box holding the blue tube:

They picked a rather chunky child to model the tube.  I don't think I took up that much room in the tube until I was 12.  This tube was particularly awesome to flip.  If you swam under the person in the tube then lifted up from below, they'd flip head first into the waters below.  I'm really glad Gram kept the prices and years on things so that years later we could know how much things cost. According to the box, G + P spent $9.99 on this in 1992.

My ultimate favorite flotation device though, was the kick board.

Not only did this kick board have tropical birds emblazened across the front, it had a window so one could view the fishies below.  Dope.   According to the box, G + P spent $19.99 on this in 1992.  This price would make the kick board TOTL (Top of the Line) in 1992. 

The front and back of the box show small children enjoying the fun of the kick board.  The side is a bit more risque, displaying a bikini clad broad. 

The high-thighed bikini is indicative of the era. 

Considering all of these floats still exist 18 years later and that they were used for at least 10 of those 18 years, I'd say that these were high quality devices for all ages and should be used again whenever the next opportunity arises. 

Fisher-Price Medical Kit

Today we travel back to the days when I was a medical doctor thanks to the Fisher-Price Medical Kit.

This kit had everything one could need for your basic medical remedies.  It included a stethocope, a blood pressure guage, a cast (complete with graffiti), thermometer, a shot, bandages, medicine, a reflex hammer, and of course, the official "leather" bag.  I have reason to believe there may have been one of those ear scope things in this kit, but we don't have one now, so maybe not.  This kit was alot of fun.  According to mom, it actually originally belonged to my brother, and I can't figure out the exact copyright date for this kit, so she may be right.  Regardless, I pretended the kit was my own and solved many an ailment in my youth.  I was particularly good at checking my sister's reflexes by slamming the hammer as hard as possible against her kneecap.  Hey look, I broke my arm:

Because my limbs are now too big for most of the items in the medical kit, H2HB will serve as my model for display purposess:

The stethoscope once had a rubbery foam inside but over the years, it deteriorated, leaving a mere shell of its former self:

This got me thinking, where did the foam go?  OH! there it is:

ew.  oh well, this medical kit was still awesome.  I've ruled that it is far superior to today's version (see image below) simply because of the bag.  Today's shotty carrying case craftsmanship pales in comparison to the case of yesteryear.  My only concern is that the doctor in the image on the old bag is wearing a bandage on her arm.  What could she possibly have done to herself? 

image source:  Fisher-Price (http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=10&e=product&pid=35175)

Sega Genesis + Aladdin

I'm exhausted from a very long shopping trip and a night without sleep earlier this week, but I owe it to my loyal fans to post something new, so here it goes.  Today we discuss Sega Genesis and the greatest game created for it, Disney's Aladdin.

Alot of people might think that the Genesis deserves an entire week's worth of blogging, but seeing as I found this system to be sub-par to other systems of its time, I think I could fit this into one day's worth of commentary.  Debuting in the U.S. circa 1989, this system was actually rather sleek looking compared to its competition.  Unfortunately for Sega the look of the console was pretty much the only thing Genesis had going for it.  Apparently, in almost every other part of the world Sega Genesis was known as Mega Drive.  Both names build up alot of hype, and apparently Genesis was Sega's best selling game console ever, so I guess in part, it lives up to that hype.

Of course everyone who owned a Sega Genesis also owned Sonic the Hedgehog.  I believe it may have been bundled with the system, but correct me if I'm wrong.  Sega Genesis actually belonged to my brother and I simply mooched off of his system as much as possible. I distinctly remember playing hours of Sonic the Hedgehog, but I don't think I ever got past the 4th level.  My skill level had nothing to do with this utter failure.  Rather, there were parts of the game when there would be what seemed like hundreds of those gold rings you had to collect all over the screen.  Well, this at times was too much for the 16-bit console to handle.  Whenever there was too much going on in one frame, the game would lag as if in slow motion.  I'd either get mad and quit or I'd be surprised when it returned to regular speed and instantly run myself off a cliff or into a bad guy.  And don't get me started with Sonic the Hedgehog 2 when Miles "Tails" Prower showed up.  That freakazoid fox with two tails did nothing to help matters and was often the cause of many deaths in my ventures into the Sonic the Hedgehog world.  I'm complaining, but now I really wish I knew what we did with that game, because I have a strong urge to give it a go .  That is, of course, until the screen freezes up again.

And now onto the game that made this system worth owning:  Aladdin.  Sega was the first to release this game after the movie came out in '92 (game release 1993).  First let us analyze the box for this game.  Please note that the snake is breathing lightening bolts.  I can't for the life of me figure out why, because I cannot recall any point in the game when this happens, but its been a few years, so I could be wrong.  On the back of the box, Aladdin's sword is described as a "shining scimitar," which I think is a very fine choice of words.  Now, on to the game.  The background music was phenomenal.  It was taken directly from the movie, so there's no going wrong there.  The basic idea of the game was that a player would control Aladdin through the streets of Agrabah to the palace and ultimately defeat Jafar (ala movie script).  Though Aladdin was equipped with his scimitar, I found that at times the best form of defense was the trusty apple.  One could collect apples in each board and throw them at enemies.  Things got pretty amusing when you would strike a palace guard and his pants would fall down, revealing his heart-patterned boxers.  For me the hardest board was the escape from the Cave of Wonders.  Thanks to that damn monkey who followed you around, the cave caves in (no pun intended) and you're left to use a flying rug (some may refer to it as a magic carpet) to dodge waves of lava.  Honestly, it's not very clear where the lava comes from because there is no indication of a nearby volcano, but Virgin Games and Sega were just being true to the movie, so we'll let that one slide.  Many a time I'd fly through that board dodging rocks and molten lava, only to forget that I shouldn't try for that Abu face taunting me from the lower portion of the screen.  Inevitably, I'd slam into a rock and have to start all over again, or, if I was lucky to get far enough, I'd start from the halfway point.  The Abu face awarded you a bonus level where you could control Abu for prizes.  There were also Genie faces.  I know you could rack up extra apples and lives with the Genie faces, but I don't recall exactly how.  I just remember whenever you collect a face, the Genie would say "YEAH!"  To this day, I still remember the cheat to this game (ABBAABBA).  If you pressed those buttons, something cool would happen (maybe you skipped a board), but I can't quite remember.  I just now googled this cheat to see if I could find out what it did and discovered that you could use a cheat TO SKIP THE RUG RIDE!! ugh, oh well.  I don't really like to use cheats anyway.  That's all for now.  I'm tired.  I'll leave you with an image of Sega Genesis and Aladdin joined together, as they should be. 

Monster Mash

Today we discuss Monster Mash

This Parker Bros. game is a real gem.  Copyrighted in 1987, this game had everything going for it.  The concept went as follows:  2-4 players (ages 5 and up) each select a red "THWACKER" with a suction cup fused "hand."  27 cards picturing unique monsters are spread out on the table.  One player presses the button atop the Monster-Maker Machine, then the three panels spin and stop to reveal a monster.  The players search for the card matching the revealed monster and use their THWACKERS to claim the card. 

So that was the boring description I wrote.  Here's Parker Bros.' version from the included directions sheet:  "Imagine that you're a hunter in the deep, dark jungle.  But it's not just any jungle.  This one is filled with big, blobby monsters that run wilde.  Shhh! They're hiding everywhere.  But not for long.  Press the button on the Monster-Maker Machine and...aha...one appears in a flash!  That's the one you've got to mash with your THWACKER hand.  Can you do it before the other hunters do?  If you think you can, then it's time you started off on this slap-happy adventure called MONSTER MASH.  Happy hunting!"

My sister and I recently played this game over a bottle of wine and let me tell you, it is still hours of entertainment.  The suction cups work fairly well on their own (even after 23 years), but I distinctly recall giving them a lick before playing back in the 80s.  I guess we figured that gave you that extra edge.  Amazingly, not only have we retained the instructions after all these years, but we also have all 27 cards.  And no, I didn't learn that we had all the cards by counting them.  My sister and I played until every monster appeared on the Monster-Maker and never once did the spread of monster cards leave us empty handed.  Things could get a little violent in this game.  As soon as one player "mashed" a card, regardless of whether it was correct or not, every other player felt the need to slap the same card in the hopes of releasing the suction. 

The instructions say that a player wins once he has collected 5 cards.  Our hours of entertainment come from a varied version of the rules.  We decided that there would be no winner until one person had collected ALL the cards.  Also, if a monster came up and someone had already captured it, you could steal it by mashing the card in from of him. 

For your viewing enjoyment, here is a few video of the game in action:

Heart to Heart Bear

After having a week of Barbie posts, we'll switch to a new topic today:  Heart to Heart Bear

Heart to Heart Bear was and is by far my favorite teddy bear of all time.  My Nana gave him to me for my 4th birthday in June of 1988.  He was manufactured by Chosun International, Inc.  Unlike Barbie, there's nothing to joke about with this guy.  He possesses no questionable qualities.  He came ready for bed in his jammies.  His night cap was sewn to his head, so there were no worries of losing it.  I do, however, remember when the pink puff ball at the end of his hat fell off.  I'm sure it's around our house somewhere. 

And now I'll discuss the feature that made him the greatest bear of all time:  his heart.  The seam at his left side closed with Velcro.  Inside was a plastic red heart powered by a 9 volt battery.  Whenever you hugged Heart to Heart bear, you could hear and feel his heart beat. 

On one side of the plastic heart was a dial that you could turn up or down to adjust the volume and intensity of his heart thumps.  I always had mine set to high.  I don't recall ever replacing his battery, and yet somehow, 22 years after I first received him, he still works.  That fact is a real testimony to the quality of Panasonic manufacturing in the late 80s.  I'll allow the below image and the graphic design of the battery serve as proof that his battery is not a product of the 21st century.

 

Besides losing the puff ball on his hat, the only other damage Heart to Heart Bear sustained over the years was to his nose.  His shiny black plastic nose was originally covered with black material, but over the years, it has worn away, leaving material only at the outer rims of his nose.  Overall, the durability of this bear is pretty impressive considering I slept with him for many more years than I probably should have. 

Below are a few more detail shots of H2HB.  I'm never giving him away.  He is a god among mortals in the teddy bear world. 

Teen Talk Barbie

Our final Barbie Doll highlight of the week:  Teen Talk Barbie

I have to admit, I almost didn't blog about Teen Talk Barbie because I couldn't find her clothes.  I found her in the nude in a storage bag.  After sifting through several suitcases of Barbie clothes, I was able to slowly locate the majority of her clothing.  At first, I thought she only wore the shorts and top, at which point I was a bit concerned.  That shirt doesn't even cover up her battery pack. 

Turns out she's not as hooker-esque as I thought she was.  I did a bit of research and discovered she had black leggings, a skirt, a purse, and a patchwork jacket with see-thru red sleeves.  Sadly, the jacket appears to be lost.  Thank God her hat is sewn to her head, otherwise I'm sure it never would have survived.  I'm amazed I managed to keep her red pumps, but seeing as they are the best part of her outfit, how could I not keep track of them?

I received Teen Talk Barbie for Christmas.  Her obvious appeal was that she talked.  Originally, there was some controversy with Teen Talk Barbie.  Some versions of the doll said "Math class is tough," prompting some women who had nothing better about which to complain to demand Mattel change the doll.  Supposedly, Mattel obliged.  Although I got my doll fairly early in the game, I wasn't lucky enough to have the one that said the controversial phrase.  Supposedly, Mattel recorded hundreds of phrases and programmed each doll with a random combination of 4 of any of the recordings.  Below is a video of my doll in action.  I haven't found any other videos online with another Teen Talk Barbie saying even one of these phrases, let alone all four, so I guess Mattel's claims for a unique doll are valid. 

The talking is awesome, but what the heck is she doing asking a 7 year old what kind of wedding she is going to have?  There was no telling what your doll was going to say until you got her out of the box, so I guess I was just lucky Barbie had already begun planning my wedding, because apparently I wasn't on the ball. 

I requested this version of the doll becaues of her look.  I was sick of having Barbies (or really most other dolls for that matter) with blonde hair.  Forget about finding one with red hair.  Don't get me wrong, they existed, but they were hard to come by.  I was pumped when I saw this doll had strawberry blonde hair.  She also has green eyes, pratically the spitting image of me. haha, j/k.  I was never that fashion forward.  Plus, her outfit colors were the best out of the Teen Talk Barbie options. 

this image is copyright barbieboygr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/41085062@N08/4060403577/)