The hottest toy in the Argos catalogue! Tabletop arcade games are back

theguardian.com:

I n the early 1980s, before the arrival of affordable home computers and major consoles, handheld electronic games were the most desirable hi-tech toys out there. From Mattel’s Soccer and Auto Race, to the legendary Nintendo Game & Watch series, these pocket-sized gadgets were the kings of the Argos winter catalogue.

Among the many emergent designs, however, the tabletop games were my favourites. Astro Wars, Caveman, Tron … these beautiful devices were designed to resemble miniature arcade machines, complete with teeny joysticks, buttons and detailed artwork. Most featured built-in vacuum fluorescent displays (VFDs) which were capable of emitting light and colour, unlike the dour monochrome screens found on LCD-based electronic games such as Game & Watch. They ate up batteries but that didn’t matter: they were designed to be played at home so most could be plugged in.

“The idea of having little arcade-like cabinets in the home was exciting,” recalls game designer Rhod Broadbent. “Just flipping that ‘on’ switch to hear the digital startup sounds and watching the intro animation felt so futuristic. I acutely remember the way Tron would wipe the screen, flipping the horizontal then vertical lights on in sequence to create a sort of marching pattern down the play area. Each little machine had controls specifically fitted to the gameplay, and in turn gameplay adapted to fit the display possibilities. The design was so well considered and whole.”

Of course, there were games consoles around at the same time – the ColecoVision, the Atari 2600, etc – that allowed you to play arcade games at home too. But there’s one thing you have to remember about a lot of homes in the early 80s. “Often there may have been only one TV in the