Barcode Battler was a funny attempt to change the electonic gaming market. This nifty little device was armed with a barcode scanner and you could literally scan barcodes from any product and use it to generare points and attack modes etc against your opponent.

The original Barcode Battler was released in Japan by Epoch and was white (see the original Japanese commercial below) although a later world wide release had a black case. The Barcode Battler was mainly a hit in Japan but retains a cult audience around the world.

Labels: electronic games

If the 70s belonged to the Raleigh Chopper, the 80s was surely the decade of the Raleigh Grifter (although production started by Nottingham based Raleigh in the late 70s). This chunky bike was noticeable by being very solidly built, and yes, really quite heavy too. The fat tires and wide handle bars made it not to everyones taste but it will always have a place in many a boy's heart and was perfect for giving "backies" to your mates.

Models in the Grifter range include the Grifter MK1, MK2, XL and GL. Find out more about the Grifter at the Raleigh Grifter Forum

Labels: bikes

The Atari Jaguar was a console which was almost doomed to fail, launched not long before the monster success which was the Sony Playstation. Standout games for the Jag were few and far between but one game which gave owners definite crowing rights was Tempest 2000.

Designed and programmed by the legendary Jeff Minter, and released in 1994, Tempest 2k was an updated version of the 1981 arcade classic, Tempest. If you are unfamiliar with the game, you control a claw shaped space ship which can work its round a web to avoid or destroy enemies coming towards you.

Tempest 2000 was ccalimed my gamers and gaming magazines as one of the best Atari Jaguar games, and its techno sound track was particular notable. If you had or have an Atari Jaguar, Tempest 2000 is a required purchase.

See Tempest 2000 in action

Labels: atari jaguar

Kids these days have the iTeddy, which has an embedded media player. But back in the 80s, there was a primitive version of a similar idea. Teddy Ruxpin was a teddy bear that had a cassette player inside him. It meant you could listen to stories and songs and Teddy Ruxpin's mouth would move too, giving the impression that he was talking.

Although quite how they managed to see any of them after this creepy advert remains a mystery to me.

Did you have Teddy Ruxpin? What did you think of him? Use the comments box to share your memories.

The SNES was launched alongside Super Mario World, one of the best games SNES games ever made. It wasn't until several years later that a sequel to Super Mario World was released, going under the name of Yoshi's Island. And like its precursor, this too must rank as one of the best SNES games ever made.

In terms of storyline, Yoshi's Island is actually a prequel to the original Super Mario Bros, with the player taking control of a small Yoshi dinosaur - whilst Mario is just seen as a baby.

Yoshi's moves include jumping, licking and stomping as well as the ability to collect eggs and then launch them as a projectile. The aim of the game is to get through the missions carrying Baby Mario on your back and then pass him onto the next Yoshi for the next level. Should Baby Mario fall off your back, you have to go back and get him.

The game used the SuperFX2 chip to create lots of very cool graphical effects which make this one of the best looking Super Nintendo titles available. This is definitely a classic and one to include on your shopping list if you are revisiting the SNES.

Labels: snes

Super Mario Kart was probably my favourite gaming experience ever, especially in the Battle Mode. In this landmark title, you were able to race around crazy circuits using one of a number of Nintendo favourite characters, and take each other out along the way with a variety of weapons such as the Red Shell, Green Shell and Banana Skin.

A total classic.

Labels: nintendo, snes, super mario kart

Tomytronic 3d games were a popular toy in the 1980s. You held the binocular-style toy to your eyes and looked into the 3d games. Versions of the Tomytronic include Shark Attack, Sky Attack and Thundering Turbo.

..picture to follow..

Labels: tomy, tomytronic