The iconic game Simon holds a very special place in the hearts of those who grew up in the '70s, '80s and '90s. Childhood wouldn't have been the same without the hours spent slapping colors — and hearing that hypnotic beeping — in the back seat of your parent's Volvo station wagon.
Now, Hasbro is introducing a new version of the memory game with a very modern twist: touchscreen swiping. (Buttons are so 30 years ago.)
Instead of just remembering which colors to tap next, users will have to know when to swipe too.
“The Simon brand was extremely popular in the '70s and '80s, so we’re excited to reintroduce the game to a new generation,” Jonathan Berkowitz, VVP of marketing for Hasbro Gaming. “The Simon Swipe game combines favorite elements of the classic game like colors, lights and sounds with today’s touch technology and “swipe” action to offer kids a bold new way to play.”
The first big change you’ll notice is the steering wheel-like design, which includes a place to hold your hands around the base. This makes it especially easy to play Simon Swipe’s new "Party" level, a multi-player feature where you can take turns passing the device back and forth. With flashing lights and the disco dance music it plays in between turns, the Party version is especially fun to play in the dark.
The game also comes with three other play options: Classic (no swiping), Extreme (both tapping and swiping) and Levels, which starts easy and builds in difficulty (up to 16 levels). Trust us, even getting past the seventh sequence in Levels is a major accomplishment. It's that hard.
In future Simon iterations, we'd love to see the game come with an app with programmable sequences, allowing you to pick color patterns that can be shared with others. Just think of all the headaches you could have caused a sibling or friend in the back of that car.