You might be stunned to learn that mainstream watchmaker Seiko still manufactures affordable mechanical wristwatches.
The Stylophone Beatbox has just been released, 40 years after the original Stylophone took the world by storm.
It's hard to believe gadgets like radio watches were once virtually impossible experiments in miniaturization.
Just spotted on Matrixsynth: Vintage Synth trump cards, the perfect xmas gift for fanatic synthgeeks. £6.99 including postage.
"Can you use your skill and judgment to become the undisputed champion of vintage synth wisdom? Playing is easy. Simply divide the cards between the number of players before taking it in turns to read aloud a statistic from your card. The highest scoring instrument in that category wins that round. The person who gains all the cards wins."I have to admit that I've never participated in a role playing game. In the 80's, a group of my friends wanted me to join their... I dunno what to call it... coven? This was the time of D&D's popularity, and also heightened fear of the occult being invoked by 20 sided dice. That's not what kept me away, but I saw the appeal in RPG's. The vast adventures and the lengthy campaigns all made for an intriguing and flexible game. Now as an adult, I sadly don't have the time to devote to such a thing, not even the computer variants that have cropped up in all the years since.
Ultima was the biggie in the 80's on North American computers (the rest of the world mostly did battle via Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy). Ultima captured the sprawl of the RPG world, but also included "feelies" in the box. These were props and souvenirs that appeared somewhere in the game. These coins and cloth maps inspired other publishers to do the same. One only has to look at the madness of Infocom packages to get a feeling of how extensive & massive these game packages got. These "feelies" also formed part of the copy protection of the game - you needed these physical props to complete the adventure.
On the opposite end of the spectrum is my very clever friend Robin Harbron. A few years ago he created a Commodore 64 Ultima styled adventure game, and managed to fit it into an astonishingly tiny 2K (later bloating the game up to 4K adding, among other things, joystick support)! The game has been very popular, even making it as a hidden game onto the famous C64 plug & play joystick.
Now you can join in the fun without digging out your old Commodore. Robin and his P1XL partner Sam Washburn bring us appealing new retro-inspired graphics, and an all-new chiptune score that's both authentic and appealing. Minimæ's interface is simple--just swipe and tap to move your brave adventurer. The rules are simple but the gameplay is surprisingly deep, with a variety of pixellated nasties, puzzles to solve, and secrets to reveal. It's everything you'd expect from an old-school RPG in the shiny black modern trappings of the iPhone.
Robin is one of my favorite Canadians, and that's not just because he brings Coke sweetened with sugar (instead of corn syrup) to the Chicago Commodore 64 expo every year. His games are super clever, and you'd be lucky to meet a kinder soul. This first release from P1XL is only $2.99 from the App Store, so let's try to make it a hit, eh? Don't worry about the medieval "æ" character confusing your search. A search for "Minimae" or "Minima" will still turn up the game... and that's only your first search along the way to greater treasure, adventurer.
links:
Minimæ homepage
Start your adventure by visiting iTunes
related:
New hombrew RPG for Sega Genesis
Myst comes to iPhone
The iPhone even has LED Football
Post Star Wars, the world went robot crazy. It seemed as if any kind of toy robot had a better chance than ever of being successful. Lots of robots were modeled after stubby & feisty R2-D2, a cute friendly droid that any kid could imagine as his best friend. If the official Star Wars robot toys weren't enough, there were plenty of other robot ranks to explore on toy shop shelves.
As a boy, I once got a funny little robot for my birthday. It wasn't a character from any comic book or cartoon that I knew of, and yet there was a rather complete toy line at my local Toys R Us. All I knew is that the name on the package was "Qonto", and at under 2" he was small enough to be R2-D2's pesky little brother. When childhood's playtime was over, this little robot stood sentry on my shelf for years as I always had a sneaky liking for the little guy. I remembered his name, but not the unusual spelling. This year as my birthday approached, I racked my memory banks and finally got the robot mystery all figured out.
It appears that Qonto was a character on a Japanese TV show that never made it stateside called San Ku Kai (which I'd really like to see...). In the intro sequence you can see the live-action prop robot that this toy is based on (at around the 45 second mark). Bandai manufactured die-cast figures of the robot, and sold them here in the US as "Bandai Investment Die Cast Collection" for some imagined high-end robot collector market back then. I only ever got the little figure (which was available in a variety of colors) since he was 97 cents, but last week for my birthday I was able to buy the old saucer toy in its box, and am happy to report that it's even better than I remembered.
The "Space Saucer" has that classic UFO shape with Qonto as its pilot. The center section hinges out, with a cleverly weighted rotating interior. Qonto stays upright no matter what angle the ship is - and you all know that when you mess up a robot's equilibrium, they get madder than a wet hen. The spaceship also boasts spring-loaded landing pads with wheels, secret hatches, and a front mounted gun that was undoubtedly originally meant to shoot little missiles (shooting toys were neutered in the late 70's after a child choked to death on a plastic missile). Overall Qonto's spaceship has a much nicer construction & finish than a typical child's toy of the time.
The packaging is interesting as it portrays the toy to be both a collectible for adults, while at the same time it's safe and fun for children. The original price sticker is for $7.95, so it wasn't priced out of range of other toys of the time. There is no mention of the original TV series or backstory on the box either, we kids were on our own (do toys always have to have a storyline built in?). I wonder what the marketing tack was for Qonto? If the toy store is out of R2-D2 figures, perhaps mom will pick up an equally cute little Japanese robo? Perhaps the only way to compete with the Star Wars toy juggernaut was to position this as something a bit better? The cutesy flying saucer was suddenly out of step with the gritty realism that Star Wars showed us, so perhaps it was wise to market this to adults.
All that matters to me is that the saucer was a good enough toy for me to remember it for at least 30 years, and when I found another one and it came in the mail recently I really did feel like a kid again opening the box. To answer your next question, yes... I was making jet noises and ray gun sound effects the whole time. When it's your birthday you get to make the rules, and if you're good you can come over for cake and I'll let you play with my new spaceship.
links:
san ku kaï (french dub)
related:
DVD wishlist: Johnny Sokko And His Flying Robot
HE-RObot: The next generation of Heathkit HERO robots
The end of a landmark Greenwich Village toy shop
The Digicomp is a plastic mechanical computer from the 1960s. It offered three bits of tabletop computing, back in an age where corded telephones were considered high-tech. The machine arrived in kit form; your first task was to assemble the jumble of tubes, rods, and elastic bands into something that resembles a Jetson's parking garage. Once complete, it's a fantastic hands-on way to teach Boolean algebra and binary numbers.
I'm a bit too young to have enjoyed the Digicomp era, but enthusiast Larry Groebe explained the attraction of these clever toys to me, "Digicomp 1 in particular (the cheaper model) started a bunch of kids on a career in computers -- myself included. I got mine for Christmas in 1968 and took it to the 5th grade show and tell, where I tried to explain binary numbers to a deeply suspicious teacher and uncomprehending class." Larry went on to start the "Friends of Digicomp" on Yahoo Groups -- an excellent source of information about this nifty device.
And now for the best part... Group member Tim Walker has introduced an updated $49 version this cool little machine, in an era where classic Digicomps change hands on eBay for up to $100 a pop. Unlike the original, the new machine is manufactured from laser die-cut 80-point binders board. The box contains the necessary assortment of jig-formed steel rods; plus rubber bands, plastic tubes, and various odd-looking widgets. An attractive spiral-bound 48-page user guide contains illustrated assembly instructions plus over 30 hands-on experiments.
Check out the description of the 2-Way Communication Set in this December 1964 comic book ad: "You can talk back and forth (and from room to room) - as far as the long taut string will reach. Your phone works automatically by voice power vibrating diaphragms."
Vintage Ads Flickr Pool
Chess had been around for about five centuries by the time a legion of bright-eyed computer scientists decided to teach the game to machines. Fast forward a few decades and we've come full circle, with the arrival of a traditional chess board populated by characters from Nintendo's Super Mario franchise.
The $44.99 set of 32 hand-painted figures includes Mario & Luigi, Princess Peach, Bowser and many of your other favorites. The only thing I don't understand is why Luigi is forced to play the queen. You'd think Peach would have a thing or two to say about that.
Behold the incredibly rare and surprisingly beautiful space blaster of my dreams. The Pyrotomic Disintegrator was one of a series of imaginative designs produced by Pyro Plastics in the early 1950s. Even a half century after their release, these look like something worth slipping under your coat while loitering in the local spaceport bar.
The innovative little company's use of metallic plastic added an air of credibility that was sorely lacking in many toys of the day.
However, plastic technology in the fifties just wasn't up to the rigors of childhood space battles and the fragile weapons disintegrated *cough* under the strain of rambunctious kiddie combat. Few Pyro weapons survived to be handed down to a new generation of space fanatics.
Actually, I find it inconceivable that no one has seen fit to reissue updated versions of this brilliant toy. Any takers?
1952 Pyrotomic Disintegrator [Doc Atomic's Attic of Astounding Artifacts]
I've always been fond of board games, and tonight I was remembering some of the large games from the 60's. Lots of ambitious concepts in the era, and many giant sized 3D games. I remember an all plastic mountain game called King of the Hill. It was a 3D version of the classic "Snakes and Ladders" game, but played with real marbles and many random perils.
As we chatted, a younger friend remembered a board game from the early 90's that sounded a bit similar, and it turned out to be Fireball Island. The game is a 3D environment for the playing pieces to explore. A draw of the "fireball" card entitled you to roll a red marble though the 3D terrain, hopefully knocking down your opponents. I found a copy of the commercial, and from the looks of it this game could be tremendously fun even for adults.
Clearly inspired by Indiana Jones (just take a look at the main font), the game promises a gaming adventure free of any electronic gimmickry and annoying sound effects. Just an actual bona-fide non-virtual experience. I really want to try it out, but with so many pieces & easily wrecked gameboard, it's difficut to find a complete set in good shape. Ebay has complete sets ringing in at quite a bit of money... nut there are many finished auctions showing that there are still bargains to be had out there. In case you're wondering, yes that's a lot for a game that's not even 20 years old. I guess it must be the most fun game ever, but it looks like I'll never get to try. I'd better just stick with the ol' King of the Hill.
links:
A few more box shots & details of King of the Hill thanks to boardgamekeek.com
Want to grab one on Ebay and tell us about?
To celebrate their centenary, the Morgan Motor Company has unveiled a limited production run of 500 SuperSport Junior pedal cars. Designed for 6-13 year-olds, these stunning vehicles are manufactured in the Morgan factory alongside the usual array of grown-up toys.
Crafted from lightweight aluminum, the 2/3 scale recreation of Morgan's classic 3-wheeler offers a 3-speed crank drive, working lights and hand stitched adjustable seating. Production is planned to start in August 2009, with cars built to order. A £500 deposit is required... at a total price of £2,510 (excluding VAT and delivery). Oh, to be a prince.
A very young Rolf Harris recorded this exuberant Stylophone demo record in the late sixties. It's amusing to hear him marvel over a virtually unplayable little instrument that sounds suspiciously like a tuned duck fart. Of course, kids love fart sounds, which ensured massive popularity throughout most of the known universe.
The Stylophone fad didn't last long after parents discovered the bloody thing didn't even have a volume control. Upon being woken by electrofarts several weekends in a row, fathers throughout Britain started a grassroots campaign to smash and hide the buzzy little boxes when their little darlings were otherwise occupied with matches and the neighbour's Persian kitty.
Luckily for us, a couple of dads gave their Stylos to the drug-addled musicians living in the squat across the street. These future pop stars managed to tease a few tuneful bleeps out of their newfound toys, ensuring an irrational cult following that lasted over three decades.
Things reached such a fever pitch that Ben Jarvis - son of one of the original inventors - released an updated version in 2007. He learned from his father's mistakes and incorporated a volume control, headphone jack and two additional tones which I affectionately call 'helium duck' and 'deep duck.'
I'm counting on one of you to incorporate the Stylophone into 2010's biggest hit single, ensuring that decades of future music lovers continue to covet this cheerful electrobleep machine.
However, the old toys often required painstaking repair and eventually Tucher + Walther started creating their own limited edition designs. To attract attention at their first toy fair, they created a whimsical Zeppelin demonstration model that generated far more interest than the toys they initially sought to sell. In honor of their early roots, they still sell clockwork Zeppelins today.
The company dreams up as many as ten fanciful clockwork and steam powered toys each year. Each starts life as a sheet of tin plate, which is carefully cut and machined before being hand soldered and painted. These fanciful designs are definitely not intended for kids and carry price tags of up to $1,495 for an exotic Steam Dragon.
Voyage To The Moon [right] is an outrageously complicated $649.95 steam-powered rocket ship awaiting its first interstellar trip. It incorporates a Wilesco stationary steam engine that drives an assortment of flywheel-driven spinners.
Based on the classic 23rd century design, this $49.99 reproduction Star Trek Tricorder measures a compact 8" x 4" x 2". It requires four AA batteries (Dilithium cells are best, but no-name Alkaline batteries will work in a pinch).
The manufacturer cleverly markets the device as a role-play replica, which is a polite way of saying, "toy for grownups who like to run around in outfits that cause four-year-olds to mistake them for The Wiggles." Kids will be equally confused by the array of sound effects taken from the original series along with some cheesy blinky lights and a removable scanner accessory.
And am I the only one who wishes that real geek gear looked a bit more like this?
Available June 4, 2009 at a Starfleet supply depot near you. Oh, a matching phaser and communicator set is also available, should you lean that way.
Classic Retro Thing |
