The Cyber Archive.
From the most popular toy of the decade to the best-selling games console of the era,
here are 15 of the most popular toys in the 1990's.
Number 15.
Beanie Babies. Originally launched in 1993 by Ty Inc. these stuffed toys quickly became
very popular because of their collect-ability. By 1995 they were considered one of the hottest
toys on the market. Each toy has an inner pose-able lining and is stuffed with plastic
pellets, giving the Beanie Babies a flexible feel. The creator of the toys said 'The whole
idea was for it to look real because it moved'. In 1996 Miniature versions of the toy were
even sold alongside McDonald's Happy Meals to celebrate that product's 17th anniversary.
Number 14.
Buzz Lightyear. After the success of the movie Toy Story in 1995, every child then wanted
a Buzz Lightyear action figure for Christmas that year, selling out in only a few days.
Unfortunately because the producer of the toy didn't think Toy Story would be that popular,
they didn't make enough dolls to meet the demand. Having been a massively popular toy
ever since, Buzz Lightyear has even been sent into space with NASA to be on board the International
Space Station in 2008.
Number 13.
Tickle Me Elmo. First launched in 1996 by Tyco Preschool, Tickle Me Elmo quickly became
the latest must have toy. When squeezed Elmo would chuckle and vibrate, like the crazy
Muppet that he is. Due to the unexpected demand, the doll was in short supply. Some instances
of violence were reported over the limited stock and even though the toy retailed at
$28.99, many had been advertised for anything up to $1,500.
Number 12.
POGS. This was a popular game among school children in the 90's. Players would build
up a stack of POGS, then their opponent would then throw their slammer into the stack, causing
the POGS to scatter. Each player would then keep any POGS that landed face-up. The game
of POGS possibly originated from Hawaii in the 1920's or from a much earlier Japanese
game called Menko from the 17th century.
Number 11.
Super Soaker. Invented in 1982 the Super Soaker water gun first went on sale in 1989. However
it wasn't until a complete rebranding in '91 that their popularity soared, selling 2 million
water guns just after their advertising campaign. The Super Soaker brand was further popularized
by Michael Jackson, citing it as one of his favorite toys. These guns have been so popular
ever since, that the term super soaker is often used generically to describe any type
of water gun.
Number 10.
Power Rangers. After the first Mighty Morphin Power Rangers TV show debuted on August 28
1993, it catapulted into popular culture and the action figures were released shortly after.
These were snapped up by eager kids and are even still popular today. With an almost cult
following, there have been Power Ranger TV series running from 1993 to the present day,
two feature films, dvd box sets and a number of video games.
Number 9.
Polly Pocket. First designed in 1983, the first Polly Pocket toys appeared in stores
in 1989. It wasn't until Mattel redesigned the series in 1998 that they shot up the charts
to one of the bestselling toys of the decade. The new design of Polly Pocket used a mixture
of rubber 'Polly Stretch' garments and hard plastic clothes that clipped together with
magnets. Unfortunately it wasn't until November 2006 that 4.4 million Polly Pocket play sets
were recalled by Mattel after children swallowed the loose magnetic parts.
Number 8.
Pokemon. After the Game Boy was first released in 1989, the creator of Pokemon, Satoshi Tajiri,
first started designing a game concept based on the hobby of insect collecting, and he
was on to a winner! The first internationally released game of the series, called Pokemon
Red & Blue, was released in 1998 and it soared to the top of the charts, selling over 23
million copies in the first year. The franchise now spans multiple video games, trading card
games, animated television shows, movies, comic books and toys. Pokemon is the second-most
successful video game franchise in the world and has so far grossed revenues in excess
of $37 billion.
Number 7.
Nintendo 64. Often referred to simply as N64 and named after its 64-bit CPU, this was originally
released in 1996 and was the third gaming console by Nintendo. Being a fifth generation
console, it competed with the likes of PlayStation and Sega Saturn. This was one of the last
home gaming consoles to use cartridges as its primary storage format. Although not the
most popular console of its time, the Nintendo 64 managed to sell over 32 million units and
remains one of the most recognized video game systems in the world.
Number 6.
Furby. This electronic robotic toy was released in 1998 by Tiger Electronics. It resembles
a hamster or owl-like creature, often thought to be copied from Gizmo from the 1984 movie
Gremlins. These furry robots even had their own language called Furbish but was programmed
to start using English words and phrases over time, to resemble the process of actually
learning English. It was such a hot toy after its launch that over 40 million Furbies were
sold in the first three years. Furbish has since been translated into 24 languages and
is still a very popular toy today.
Number 5.
Sega Genesis. Also known as the Sega Mega Drive in most regions outside North America,
this was a 16-bit home gaming console and was the third console to be produced by Sega.
Being a fourth generation console, it competed with the Super Nintendo and the Neo Geo. In
Japan the Mega Drive didn't fare well against the competitors, however due to the extensive
library of games and exclusive Sonic the Hedghog series, it did manage to achieve considerable
success in North America and Europe, managing to sell over 40 million units.
Number 4.
Super Nintendo. Also known as SNES or Super Famicom in Japan and Super Comboy in South
Korea. This is the second home gaming console from Nintendo and being a fourth generation
console it competed with the likes of Sega Genesis and Neo Geo. Despite its relatively
late start and the fierce competition from the Sega Genesis in North America, the Super
Nintendo was a global success, becoming the best-selling console of the 16-bit era. They
managed to sell 49 million units and the SNES remained popular well into the 32-bit era.
Number 3.
Tamagotchi. These handheld digital pets, designed in Japan, became a huge global success in
the 90's. The pets would go through several stages of development from an egg right through
to adulthood. They would need constant attention, such as feeding them virtual food and playing
with them. Poor care of the Tamagotchi would result in the virtual pet dying. Several version
of Tamagotchi were released and over 76 million units have been sold.
Number 2.
PlayStation. Commonly known as the PS1, this was the first home gaming console in the Sony
PlayStation series. As part of the fifth generation of gaming, its main competitors were the Nintendo
64 and the Sega Saturn. Aimed at a slightly older audience than the competition and having
a much larger selection of games available, the PlayStation became the first computer
entertainment platform to ship 100 million units. Even the Microsoft chairman at the
time, Bill Gates, preferred Sony's console saying 'Our game designers like the Sony machine.'
Number 1.
Gameboy. This 8-bit handheld gaming device from Nintendo was originally released in 1989
when the very limited stock sold out in the United States within a few weeks. It wasn't
until the global release in 1990 and the development of games such as Pokemon Red & Blue, that
the Gameboy shot to the top of the charts. The Gameboy was such a success that in 1998
they released a new Game Boy Color that featured a colored screen. Combining the massive success
of both devices they managed to sell over 118 million units worldwide.
And that's it for this nineties countdown. As always thanks for watching.