Do you remember “Mr Pop” by Lakeside?

Dec 23, 2015

The internet is a magical place for fans of nostalgia. Not only can it allow you to relive great moments from your past, but it can expose you to things that you never got to experience first-hand. I was watching some old TV shows online last night when I saw a link to something called “Mr. Pop by Lakeside”. The thumbnail image attached to the link looked pretty retro, so I decided to check it out. Wow! I have never seen or played Mr. Pop, but what a concept. This is the type of game that had stressed me out while keeping me completely addicted at the same time.

It is no coincidence that the games seem similar. The Minnesota company Lakeside, which made perfection, also made Mr. Pop! I guess they were trying to lock down the stressful kid’s puzzle game market, or at least the “games that shot things into your face” market.

If so, mission accomplished. Nowadays, Perfection is made by Milton Bradley, but sadly no one is making Mr. Pop.

The game is a timed puzzle game. Sort of like the more popular Perfection, but instead of popping shapes on a grid, you are taking facial features and trying to put them on a face, sort of like a game version of Mr. Potato Head. But you better hurry, or else, Mr. Pop! will go pop.

This game would have been perfect for me when I was very young. I always found the other games just slightly too difficult to put off, but a face might have been easier to do. Plus, the form factor of this gem could have been re-purposed as a catapult or some other weird weapon to use with my action figures.