The Simon Memory Game for Children or Adults
Ranked #11,518 in Hobbies, Games & Toys, #160,304 overall
Simon -- One of My Favorite Games Growing Up (And Then Some)
When I was a kid and couldn't sleep, I'd sometimes take out my Simon game, turn the sound off, and play it by sight only. No need to turn on my bedroom light or wake my parents with all the musical notes. Simon was tougher to play without the sound, but I played it so much I was really good at it. Whether or not the game actually helped my memory long-term, I don't know, but I do have a pretty good one ... so maybe I owe some of those brain cells to Simon.
I was recently thinking about what to get my friend's 10 year-old daughter for Christmas, thinking about what my favorite toys and games were when I was her age, and Simon came to mind. So I thought I'd check to see if it was still around. Lo and behold, the classic Simon seems to be going strong decades later, and there are quite a few more versions now than when I was young, including several variations of the game and handhelds too.
I wonder what ever happened to my own Simon game
The above photo is in the public domain.
Have You Ever Played Simon?
A Quick Look at Simon in Action
Watch this short video to see how Classic Simon works.
The premise is simple, but the game isn't. The farther you go, repeating the sequences, the faster it goes, too.
Play Classic Simon online (Free)
*Click on the game console to begin*
Some Facts and Figures About the Simon Game
- Simon was first manufactured by Milton Bradley, which is now owned by Hasbro. It was introduced in 1978 at Studio 54 in New York City.
- Simon is named after the game of Simon Says, but the game itself is based on Atari's "Touch Me" arcade game from 1974. That game wasn't very popular, because the buttons were all black and the sounds were very unpleasant.
- The sounds of Simon are based on the notes of a bugle.
- The notes of the Simon game are: A for the red lens; A an octave higher for the green lens; D for the blue lens; and G for the yellow lens.
- Atari released a handheld version of Touch Me in 1978 after Simon was released. It was basically a small clone of Simon with some minor differences.
- Some versions of Simon have audio themes of animals -- a cat, a dog, a pig and a cow -- football sounds, space sounds and other variations.
- Simon has inspired a number of other clones, which you can read about in this Wikipedia article.
- The original Simon game had a black casing. Newer versions have a translucent casing like the one pictured above-right
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons / CC
Variations on the Simon Game
All of which test the player's (or players) memory AND eye-hand coordination.
When I was a kid, I had just your basic Simon, with a black case and red, green, yellow, and blue lenses like the one pictured above. As far as I remember, there was only one type of game. You could adjust the difficulty level, but that was it. Nowadays, there's not only Simon Classic but also Simon Bounce, Simon Surprise, Simon Rewind and more....
Simon Trickster
Amazon Price: $274.90 (as of 06/05/2012)
The snazzy-looking Simon Trickster includes the classic Simon game along with three new games that weren't part of the package when I was a Simon-playing kid:
SIMON Classic - You press the lenses to repeat the patterns
SIMON Bounce - The colors "bounce" from lens to lens, and you have to follow them to repeat the pattern.
SIMON Surprise - Every lens is the same color, so you have to remember the patterns by location only. (That sounds tough!)
SIMON Rewind - This is Simon Classic with a brain-straining twist! You have to remember the patterns BACKWARDS!
Usually ships in 24 hours
Simon 2 Game
Amazon Price: $99.99 (as of 06/05/2012)
With Simon 2, you can play the traditional Simon games against the machine or, instead, you can turn over the unit for to play against a human opponent. All seven games are variations on the original Simon -- an increasing sequence of flashing and beeping colored buttons, or lenses, which have to be repeated by alternating opponents.
The Simon 2 has non-scuff rubber feet and takes three AA batteries (not included). There are adjustable skill levels on most of the games -- a sequence of as few as eight or as many as 31, for example.
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
And Here's a Super Simon Blast from the Past
Super Simon, 1979 Vintage computer controlled Memory Game
Amazon Price: $499.99 (as of 06/05/2012)
Used Price: $19.89
This vintage, double-sided Super Simon has multiple levels of play and 5 different games.
I've actually never seen a Simon that wasn't round.
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
More Simon Memory Game Stuff
from Accessories to Apps
A Look At the Mini Simon Game
It doesn't have to be big to make you think!
is available on Amazon.Simon Up For Bid
You can probably save some money by bidding for Simon on eBay.
What Was (Or Is) Your Favorite Toy When You Were (Or Are!) A Child?
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hunksparrow
Nov 22, 2011 @ 9:14 pm | delete
- Tough question. I'll give you three--Star Wars and G.I. Joe action figures and Nintendo
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nevets_sdoow
Nov 22, 2011 @ 8:16 pm | delete
- As corny as it sounds, I believe my favorite toy was imagination (assisted by a whole heaping pile of VHS movies that my mother pirated). I played Simon a lot too though. But I was never very good at it. It would just start frustrate me after a while lol.
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