Other things that made the 80s great

Video recorders – the first time we got to watch new movies in our homes, rather than at the cinemas

Disposable cameras

Fax Machines

Laser tag 

                                       Video Games

Video games like Space Invaders and Pac Man started appearing everywhere. Video games arcades cropped up everywhere. In New Zealand almost every takeaway had one or two in there to play while you waited for your food. In the late 80s we were able to play these games in our own homes with gaming machines such as Nintendo and Sega Master System/Mega Drive. 

Sony Walkman – the 80s version of the IPOD.

Compact Discs

First Liposuction and artificial heart transplants

Mobile phones – the first commercially available ones

Camcorders

The first Internet service providers appeared

Microwave ovens became more affordable.

Personal Computers

Started to become available for anyone who could afford one.

Rubik's Cube

Everyone had to own one of these in the early 80s and I was no exception. Although by the time I had enough money to buy one the fad was starting to die. 

Cabbage Patch Kids

These ugly dolls became the rage in the early 80s. You actually had to adopt them rather than just purchase them.

Simon Says game

I worked out how to beat this game every time. Just write down the colours as they are played and there you have your own sheet music. 

Breakdancing

This was so popular in the early 80s that for a period of about one year we had kids at my school doing breakdancing in the school hallways. Then one day they just stopped doing it. 

Calculator Games

Casio in particular brought out these highly addictive calculator games like Number Invaders and 8 Attack, which everyone was trying to sneak into Maths class to play instead of doing actual maths. The trick was to cut the sound on them. 

Once more advanced handheld games came along, these started to become less popular.

Big Hair and mullets

Those horrible hair styles that everyone is embarrassed about now.