Not every arcade game had to be a manic whirr of blinking lights, bells, whistles and flashing TILT! signs. Entertainment could be had for the minimum amount of effort and money, bearing the familiar face of a circus clown.

Familiar for some, terrifying for others, we won't quibble over semantics here--Peppy the Clown made countless kids happy back in the 50s arcade hall.

The game consisted of a colorful cabinet with a clown marionette standing upright in the center. That was good ol' Peppy, the clown with the smooth dancing moves. You popped in your coin and Peppy did a little dance for you, following the music along with simple gestures and head movements.

As if that wasn't thrilling enough, you could take control of Peppy by means of buttons located in the front of the cabinet and inject him with a little more rhythm. Peppy was all too happy to be your puppet and couldn't stand still when that calliope music started up.

Peppy the Clown had enough appeal to inspire several knock-offs like Bimbo the Clown that worked along the same principal. But as in many things, the original was still the best.