Mr Pop!

Calling all frustrated make-up artists, plastic surgeons and mugshot artists - this is the game for you!

Mr Pop! was a board game that tested kids' speed and hand-eye coordination, and along with Buckaroo and Don't Tip The Waiter, was responsible for a a lot of fun memories (and screeches of surprise) during the late 70s.

The game itself was made up of a plastic two-dimensional man's head - and a cheery looking choppy at that - which was full of lots of little holes. You had to begin by picking a card, and on the cards were pictures of different faces according to different difficulty ratings. You then had to start the timer on the board (which was very loud) by winding it up the timer old-school-style, not a battery in sight, then pushing the face back until it clicks. You then had to then match the different plastic pieces to create a matching face by inserting the moulded features into the holes of Mr Pop's plastic head. So, hair, eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, moustache…. until POP! One wrong move by a player and the whole Mr Pop! face would throw up all the features you'd so carefully placed on him. And the game would start all over again. Of course, you were up against the clock too, so if the time run out before you completed the face, the face flew everywhere again.

It's a bit freaky really, thinking about it - having all those bits and pieces flying at you off a man's face. And boy did it give you a fright when Mr Pop! popped, but it became a huge favourite with younger kids as it managed to mix all the best bits of the other classic games, Mr Potatohead and Perfection. And it's popularity meant that it remained in production up until only a few years ago. Now, if you're keen for some more battery-free fun, you'll have to schlep to a charity shop if you want to pick one up. Or opt for the modern-day equivalent called Mr Funny Face, which is basically exactly the same face as Mr Pop! - maybe it's his long-lost twin…