Simon

While today's tots are entertained by a variety of electronic games — many of which fit in the palms of their hands — most of their parents were first introduced to the concept with the simple, four-color memory game, Simon. After first hitting store shelves in 1978, Simon became the must-have toy of that holiday season. As the '80s progressed, the game became even more popular, showing up in feature films such as E.T. and National Lampoon's Vacation.

Though the original version can only be found on eBay these days, Milton Bradley offers smaller, pocket-sized versions of the game and virtually every electronic game manufacturer, like LeapFrog and V-Tech, has its own version as well. While modern games offer a variety of educational benefits and beautiful images, there will always be something magical about the simple, four-colored buttons and unsophisticated sounds that came out of Simon.

As a child of the eighties, my life revolved around things like Rainbow Brite, New Kids On the Block, crimped hair, She-Ra and a game called Simon. If you weren't a part of the Simon generation, it was this giant plastic round memory that consisted of four large colored buttons — red, blue, green and yellow. The game would start by lighting up one color, and you'd repeat it back, and then a longer, more difficult color sequence would ensue. When you messed up, the game would be over. There was also a multi-player option, but because I was usually "borrowing" the game from my sis, I opted for me vs. Simon.

To pay tribute to one of my favorite games from the past, I've downloaded the free I Say iPhone App. In a nutshell, I Say is Simon for the iPhone, except with cool new sound effects and prettier colors.

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When it comes to playing Simon, this 5-year-old prodigy kicks ass and takes names — and can probably recall the name of each and every opponent she's ever beaten. In chronological order. For fun. (But can she help me find my keys?)