Chris Cummins

The 1980s gave us many things. (Reaganomics, "Where's the Beef?," Duran Duran, embarassing hairdos, to name a few.) Yet for those of us who spent endless quarters in arcades, the decade was first and foremost about video games.

'Star Wars' figures are as much of a childhood staple as Mr. Potato Head and View Master reels. So with a seemingly endless array of new 'Star Wars' products in our immediate future thanks to the upcoming movies, the time seems right to reflect upon the saga’s impact on toy aisles everywhere...

Unbeknownst to most gamers, there was a third entry in the original Donkey Kong arcade saga. The reason that you may not remember it is due to some dubious decision making by Nintendo. Instead of once again featuring Mario, the company decided that this third installment should star an exterminator named Stanley...

The Rock-Ola Manufacturing Company is one of the oldest and most well-respected makers of jukeboxes throughout the world. Realizing that their devices were in danger of being made obsolete by the distractions that arcades had to offer, Rock-Ola decided to dip their toes into the waters of the video game industry...

In the wake of the Morrissey-alienating success that was 'Burgertime,' Data East decided to create another adventure for its cook character, Peter Pepper. And so 'Peter Pepper's Ice Cream Factory' was born. More of a remake of 'Burgertime' than a sequel, it replaces wads of meat with frozen confections...

Manufactured by Stern Electronics, the addictive 8-bit classic follows a mother pig as she attempts to rescue her piglets (the titular "Pooyan") from wolves who doubtlessly want bacon for lunch by shooting arrows at them. Yes, it is as awesome as it sounds...

In 1982, Williams Electronics (the company that helped bring such classics as 'Space Invaders' to America) decided to create a game based on the endless thrills that come from cleaning a dirty sink. (Your guess is as good as ours.) Showcasing the cleaning-obsessed exploits of an easily amused soap bubble, it brought the monotony of housework to arcades everywhere...