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[MagnaderAlpha]

I did have lots of the same toys as others on here, but didn't see anyone post this yet.
Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors! I loved all the designs you could make!

I loved Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors. Fun story I vividly remember, my parents and I braved a Bakersfield dust storm while we went to K-Mart. Got a few the Monster Minds (think Gun Grinner, Saw Boss) and got the Drill Sergeant. Stopped off afterwards (it must've been somewhat near evening) at a pizza joint. As my parents ordered the pizza, I waited in the front area and played Millipede.

As far as toys, I remember loving to fool around with Capsela:

I had the Frogger one.

 

[shawnbuddy]

What are you on about? This is how paedophiles were seen in the 1970s in the UK, as 'dirty old men'. It wasn't treated seriously at the time. That's why so many of them got away with it for so long. Your example actually reinforces my point.

Don't try and twist what I said into something it isn't. I think you've got the wrong end of the stick here, man.

And saying what I wrote is 'horseshit' after saying 'no offence' is still bloody offensive.

My exposure to this horrible attitude came from Richard Dawkins, who tries to treat being molested as an almost nearly harmless rite of passage.

 

[Mascot]

The teachers hitting students thing I definitely didn't see, though.

Our primary school (ages 5-11) headmaster used to give us 'the dapper', which was whacks on the ass with a training shoe. He also used to rap the edge of a ruler on the back of kid's hands. He got done for biting a kid long after I'd left, so at least the line was drawn there.

At secondary school (ages 11-18) our games (sports) teachers would sometimes beat kids up. Literally fight with them. It didn't happen often, but I witnessed it myself with one kid who did kind of deserve it. He actually started it. Other teachers would grab kids by the collar, drag them around, pin them up against walls etc. This was all considered normal back then, you'd never dare complain to your parents about it.

During this time I also spent three years at a South African boarding school, and that place was fucking brutal. Teachers could go ape shit on kids with absolutely no repercussions. Canings (which were pretty much daily occurrences somewhere there) often drew blood and required a visit to the school nurse. Made us think twice before stepping out of line again though..!

Edit: I've just remembered that in that same school there was one teacher who used to cane kids (it was called 'jacking') for getting questions wrong, right there in the class. Just one whack on the ass with a thin cane but by Christ it hurt. I used to sit with a piece of cardboard down the back of my pants during that class, just in case. Fooled the bastard every time, too.

 

[Earthbound64]

Random question, but -
Did everyone here have a job delivering newspapers at some point in their teens?

I feel like it was the quintessential starting job for years.

 

[GDGF]

We also remember how Michael Jackson literally carried that network to relevance.

Thriller was some shit.

I remember seeing the Thriller video on laserdisc before I saw it on MTV.

I had one of the Michael Jackson jackets with a billion zippered pockets. Loved wearing that thing to school.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

The Vectrex was amazing. It even had it's own 3D/VR headset. This was way back in 1983.

Oh man, I forgot about that thing.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

I wouldn't say that. There were plenty of groups that helped lead it to prominence.

Yeah, Police, Duran Duran, Madonna, etc.

 

[Armoured Priest]

Random question, but -
Did everyone here have a job delivering newspapers at some point in their teens?

I feel like it was the quintessential starting job for years.

Actually, I did.

From about February in 1990 till about August of the same year. I paid for half of the Sega Genesis that I still have (parents covered the other half), which I picked up in April of that year.

I had the 2nd largest route in my town (about 60ish papers). Delivering the Sunday edition sucked...so heavy.

I did have baskets on my mountain bike which helped carry when the papers got a little heavy.

 

[bengraven]

Late 80's, me and my buddy were teenagers, working the line at a pizza place, working every Friday and Saturday night from 5pm to 1am. We'd blare appetite for destruction while we cleaned and closed the shop, walk back to one of our houses with a pizza, then watch Wally George and after that stare at the scrambled spice channel until 4 or 5 am.

You know I got to be honest I kind of miss those days. When job security wasn't that big of a deal. When you could just work a very low wage yet low-pressure job and hang out with your friends the same time. I've actually talked to certain family and friends about possibly starting a restaurant someday but that's just a dream.

 

[Earthbound64]

I had the 2nd largest route in my town (about 60ish papers). Delivering the Sunday edition sucked...so heavy.

I did have baskets on my mountain bike which helped carry when the papers got a little heavy.

Yuck. I had a 45-paper route, which had been combined from two 20-something paper routes so there was a big split in the middle of them, but I did it all on foot (why? I don't know). On the bright side, they didn't do a Sunday paper, just a Saturday morning "Weekend Edition," so after doing the Saturday morning paper, I got the rest of the weekend off.

 

[acheron_xl]

Random question, but -
Did everyone here have a job delivering newspapers at some point in their teens?

I had routes for years. My SNES, Genesis, and 5-disc CD turntable were all purchased with my own money.

 

[SlackAdjuster]

If you're on the later end of Gen X, you know this was the holy grail of toys.

It was and I never got that big bastard..

What I did do, though, was take all my GI Joes and make them into a big wrestling federation with a ring I o from somewhere and red markers used for blood that easily wiped off.

Destro usually was the champ. Hard to handle that big chrome dome headbutt.
The Crimson Twins - Tomax and Xamot - were the tag-team to beat.
Sgt. Slaughter was a force to be reckoned with. Zartan was a sneaky sumbitch.
Storm Shadow. Snake Eyes. Scrap Iron. Flint. All champions.
Baronness and Scarlet were managers like Miss Elizabeth.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

I didn't have a route, but I knew tons of kids who did, and I subbed for all of them. I delivered papers all over my little burg as a result.

 

[Earthbound64]

I didn't have a route, but I knew tons of kids who did, and I subbed for all of them. I delivered papers all over my little burg as a result.

Yeah, I used to go and help a friend with his route before I got my own.

 

[Fercho]

Man i always thought I was generation x. But I recently found that I'm actually a millennial (I was born in 83)

I don't feel identified with what we know as "millenials" at all.

Sorry for the rant.

 

[jstripes]

Random question, but -
Did everyone here have a job delivering newspapers at some point in their teens?

I feel like it was the quintessential starting job for years.

Teens? I delivered papers when I was 8 or 9.

 

[Mihos]

This is what my G.I. Joe looked like:

I had this one also. And the Steve Austen you looked through his eye-hole at stuff. I also had the BigFoot he fought

 

[vsMIC]

loved these also in my childhood

 

[bionic77]

I remember seeing the Thriller video on laserdisc before I saw it on MTV.

I had one of the Michael Jackson jackets with a billion zippered pockets. Loved wearing that thing to school.

Damn!

I didn't know LD was even around when that was made.

 

[GDGF]

Damn!

I didn't know LD was even around when that was made.

Yep! I wanted one but they were expensive as hell back then. Had a rich (compared to my family anyway) neighbor that had one and we watched it with his mom. They were cool folks. I think I was in the second grade at the time so it was a pretty freaky video to experience.

 

[Weevilone]

I didn't have a route, but I knew tons of kids who did, and I subbed for all of them. I delivered papers all over my little burg as a result.

Yeah I had a buddy that had a really big paper route he inherited from his older brother. I used to help him when it was a really tough day, and I'd cover him when he went on vacation or was sick. It was a lot of work.

I still remember how wet the grass was, and the damn spider webs early in the AM.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

Damn!

I didn't know LD was even around when that was made.

My family got a LD player around 1984 or 1985 I believe. Our copy of the Thriller music video was copied from a rental though (Betamax). We had like 2 or 3 Beta VCRs around that time. I watched that "Making of Thirller" mini-documentary a ton of times.

 

[Zeus Molecules]

As someone born in the early 80's let me just say Millenials are assholes, but are angels compared to people who are from Generation X

 

[TAJ]

[*]Rain coats with fabric that didn't keep you dry, just slightly delayed you getting wet.

Gore-Tex products were available in the late-'60s.

 

[MickeyPhree]

Im 81, myself and all my friends were always referred to as gen x. This year range stuff is BS

I'm 81 and most of the stuff everyone is talking about in this thread I remember. I'm gen x.

As someone born in the early 80's let me just say Millenials are assholes, but are angels compared to people who are from Generation X

I would say the majority of millennials I've run into and haf interactions with are some of the softest people around.

 

[shandy706]

Oh! Can you guys help me figure out what this game / video was??!!!

I'm pretty sure it was a VHS tape that you played in the VCR. The game was like a futuristic space/mech battle. It came with this handheld ship and guns that interacted with the video. You would hold it and dodge around while the game shot at you with these orange projectiles. You used the handheld ship trying to shoot at the enemy. If my memory serves me right, your ship could be "killed" by the "game". The handheld part of it made all kinds of noises and sound effects.

I remember it being like the coolest thing ever to me as a kid.

I have no clue what the name of it was despite pouring tons of hours into it.

 

[Tater]

Oh! Can you guys help me figure out what this game / video was??!!!

Was it Captain Power? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oINYNmrPZCg

I always wanted one, my mom wouldn't get it for me. Finally got to try it at my cousin's house, it was pretty neat.

 

[Leynos]

Oh! Can you guys help me figure out what this game / video was??!!!

I'm pretty sure it was a VHS tape that you played in the VCR. The game was like a futuristic space/mech battle. It came with this handheld ship and guns that interacted with the video. You would hold it and dodge around while the game shot at you with these orange projectiles. You used the handheld ship trying to shoot at the enemy. If my memory serves me right, your ship could be "killed" by the "game". The handheld part of it made all kinds of noises and sound effects.

I remember it being like the coolest thing ever to me as a kid.

I have no clue what the name of it was despite pouring tons of hours into it.

Captain Power, and the Soldiers of the Future? Like Tater above, I always wanted one, but never got one.

 

[shandy706]

Was it Captain Power? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oINYNmrPZCg

I always wanted one, my mom wouldn't get it for me. Finally got to try it at my cousin's house, it was pretty neat.

Captain Power, and the Soldiers of the Future? Like Tater above, I always wanted one, but never got one.

Yes!!

Pretty sure this is it! I don't even remember what year I got it, but I played it till the ship was wore out.

https://youtu.be/qR2emUs-Fj8

Oh, another video just reminded me I had the stand that lit up with the figure on it too. Didn't use it as much as the ship.

 

[shawnbuddy]

Oh! Can you guys help me figure out what this game / video was??!!!

I'm pretty sure it was a VHS tape that you played in the VCR. The game was like a futuristic space/mech battle. It came with this handheld ship and guns that interacted with the video. You would hold it and dodge around while the game shot at you with these orange projectiles. You used the handheld ship trying to shoot at the enemy. If my memory serves me right, your ship could be "killed" by the "game". The handheld part of it made all kinds of noises and sound effects.

I remember it being like the coolest thing ever to me as a kid.

I have no clue what the name of it was despite pouring tons of hours into it.

That was called Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Power_and_the_Soldiers_of_the_Future

Head writer was J. Michael Straczynski, long before Babylon 5.

My family got a LD player around 1984 or 1985 I believe. Our copy of the Thriller music video was copied from a rental though (Betamax). We had like 2 or 3 Beta VCRs around that time. I watched that "Making of Thirller" mini-documentary a ton of times.

My dad jumped on the Betamax train. Led to a bit of disappointment when VHS took off instead. For years I kept a tape of Saturday morning cartoons we'd made around 83, but didn't have anything to play it on.

 

[Armoured Priest]

Captain Power...the show was actually pretty solid, and really dark for a kids show.

 

[Mascot]

Gore-Tex products were available in the late-'60s.

Not round our way they weren't..!

 

[Peltz]

I was born in '86 but feel very nostalgic for a lot of the stuff posted in this thread. It helps that I had a sister born in '80 to introduce me to what the older kids are up to.

 

[heavy liquid]

I had this one also. And the Steve Austen you looked through his eye-hole at stuff. I also had the BigFoot he fought

I had that Six Million Dollar Man!

You also just reminded me that I had one of these as a kid:

You would have to point it at a light source to see the film. No sound of course. If you turned the handle backwards, it would rewind the film and play it backwards. Steve Austin would fly backwards up onto the cliff instead of jumping off it.

 

[Slayven]

I use to be obsessed with these

 

[Leynos]

The hell are they? Pencil cases?

 

[Henchmen21]

That was called Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Power_and_the_Soldiers_of_the_Future

Head writer was J. Michael Straczynski, long before Babylon 5.



My dad jumped on the Betamax train. Led to a bit of disappointment when VHS took off instead. For years I kept a tape of Saturday morning cartoons we'd made around 83, but didn't have anything to play it on.

Yup. There's even a small mention of a "Babylon 5" in one of the episodes clearly showing that it was formulating in his head early.

Captain Power...the show was actually pretty solid, and really dark for a kids show.

Gary Goddard (the guy who directed "Masters of the Universe") is trying to bring the show back but as a more adult show i.e. not specifically geared towards kids.

 

[Slayven]

The hell are they? Pencil cases?

Yeah but tricked out ones

 

[Henchmen21]

Yeah but tricked out ones

I had a Thundercats pencil case that came with a small circular pencil sharpener with the logo on the front.

 

[III-V]

I'm the same (except '79). Most of my friends were older, but I remember growing up and hearing about Gen-X like it was kids who were older than me. High schoolers in the 80's. Big hair. Smoking at the arcade. I don't really identify with it much, nor with millenials (who I associate more with cellphones). We had some of these games though. I was pretty into the NES. Mario 3. I'm not sure if that counts as playing with something.

I agree with that, GenX was different from us back then. It's only as we have gotten older that they pushed us back into Gen X due to millenials. I honestly think they is a small gap gen maybe 5-10 years there.

Also: Mario 3 defined a generation.

 

[Earthbound64]

Also: Mario 3 defined a generation.

Maybe, but Mario 2 had an Ice Capades themed on it.
(We all remember Ice Capades, right?)

 

[III-V]

Maybe, but Mario 2 had an Ice Capades themed on it.
(We all remember Ice Capades, right?)

I still play Mario 2 but it was always the black sheep.

Edit: had to look up Ice Capades lol don't remember that

 

[Discourse]

Early Gen X here. This was our first video game system in our house:

I played it with my sisters all the time.

That was the first video game I ever played as well, it was my cousin's.

 

[always crazy bacon]

Random question, but -
Did everyone here have a job delivering newspapers at some point in their teens?

I feel like it was the quintessential starting job for years.

In England I had a Paper pitch. Which is where you stand outside one of the big supermarkets or department stores and sell the papers to passers by. There were only 5 pitches in my town and I had the most convenient one as it was nearest to the local papers office and if I sold out my papers I could just walk down the street to get more stock.
These pitches were very desirable as there were only 5 available and instead of a paper round where you had to get up early these pitches opened with the new paper edition any time after 2:30PM so you did not need to get up early and ride a bike around a route. Just carry your bag of papers and the headline placard to the pitch and start selling. Drop the bag on the floor so you did not need to carry it.

Between 12 and 16 I had so many ways to make money on the streets (Without selling drugs). I think I had around 6 ways to make money on the spot from that small town. My parents were poor so if I wanted something I had to work for it myself. Very character building and good life experience, my parents had no idea and just knew of the 2 offical jobs I was working in my free time.

 

[Aske]

Late 60's child here so Gen X to my core. Random memories from growing up that could be alien to Millennials:

• Rain coats with fabric that didn't keep you dry, just slightly delayed you getting wet.
• Teachers hitting and choking kids at will; getting caned for trivial things.
• Disappearing all day with friends on random adventures.
• Carrying knives everywhere.
• Teachers smoking in class. Doctors smoking in their surgery.
• Paedophiles were just 'dirty old men' to be wary of, almost treated like figures of fun.
• Dogs running wild and fucking in the streets; white dog shit on the pavements.
• Uncomfortable badly-fitting generic-label clothes made from horrible synthetic fabrics.
• Not having a TV or means of playing music in my bedroom until I was 14.
• The amazement at seeing my first Walkman.
• Shoplifting Playpeople and Britain's military figurines.
• The thrill and anticipation of cycling down to the newsagents on a Saturday morning to pick up Monster Fun or 2000AD.
• Getting 20p a week pocket money.
• Mowing the grass with a push mower.
• Single-glazed windows with condensation on the inside, and ice forming around internal seals in the winter.
• The smell of chip fat permeating the whole house.
• Houses, furniture, curtains, everything smelling of cigarette smoke because everyone's parents just smoked indoors.
• Mass street battles with dustbin-lid shields and wooden swords.
• Stealing supermarket trolleys and chopping then down to make deathtrap street luges.
• Knocking on people's doors and running away.
• Walking to school in all weathers, and the smell of damp kids in winter classrooms.
• The amazement at playing Space Invaders for the first time.
• Using encyclopedias for school projects. Actual books.
• The rock-hard peas in Vesta freeze-dried curries.
• Three television channels with no recording facilities.
• Swapping copied Spectum games on audiocassette with school friends, and that one kid who had proper tape-to-tape dubbing on his dad's Amstrad tower stereo.
• Having to wait and hope that your favourite song came on the radio.

I could go on.

Quoting all of this, because growing up in the UK, you are exactly the type of person I associated with Gen X when I became aware of the term in the 90s. I was born in 81, and was keenly aware of the older kids who'd lived harder lives. There was a greater sense of social responsibility; which I see as generally progressive, sensible, and considerate; and Gen Xers tend to see as the thing that ruined the following generation. We were certainly shielded from a great deal of Gen X hardship, but in my experience, we're more socially conscious and empathetic because of it.

But I remember witnessing all this stuff, but only being involved with it right as it was petering out. I spent the day with friends in the woods maybe twice; it wasn't part of life. I got my hand smacked by teachers the first year, but we were really post corporal punishment, and it wasn't part of my school experience. I grew up with channel 4 - and was aware of tons of programming I had no interest in (or watched solely due to occasional T&A) that I can look back on and identify as pure Gen X.

 

[Henchmen21]

We also remember it as "Nickelodeon" and not "Nick"

 

[LosDaddie]

My retro toy hunt concluded this year when I scored my original He-Man and Battle Cat along with Skeletor and Panthor at my LCS. Totally worth the $75

 

[Henchmen21]

My retro toy hunt concluded this year when I scored my original He-Man and Battle Cat along with Skeletor and Panthor at my LCS. Totally worth the $75

I somehow had Panthor even though I never had an original Skeletor. I did have Battle Action Skeletor though (and Man-E-Faces, Prince Adam, Orko, Ram-Man, Mechaneck, The good guy Elephant who's name I forget. I often took him into the tub come bathtime since you could fill him with water. And one of the She-Ra villains)