The nineties were a time full of changes in which analog was opening up to digital and everything seemed to be possible. With the internet just around the corner, the video game revolution present, and the arrival of the futuristic year 2000, everything changed for those of us who grew up in those years, and that is something that also directly affected what we played as children.
Beyond the classic Action Man or the Barbies that continued to lead the market, in the nineties, dozens of toys emerged that integrated technology, science, and completely original formats to surprise the kids of the time. They were toys that challenged simplicity to bring completely new ways that challenged the imagination of children… and that marked us irremediably in the future.
From castles with hidden secrets to private diaries you could only see with a password, the imagination of toy companies in this era seemed to have no limits. Well, they did have a limit: batteries. Every innovative toy that integrated some technology required batteries, the biggest problem for children in the nineties. But, once equipped with them, the possibilities were endless.
Then we leave you with the most recognizable toys of the nineties that challenged the creativity of the master toy makers of the time and caused the quality of this industry to increase a lot. The nineties were a decade of stimulus, and much of the blame went to these products.
1. Furby
We couldn’t start the list with any toy other than the Furby. The toy to which we dedicate an entire article forever changed our perception of robots, and it is the first real virtual pet we could have. The Furby was a kind of stuffed animal whose design gave quite bad vibes but to which we took affection to be able to have small conversations with him in his own language: the furbish. Although now it seems to be nothing more than a robot come to less and that reminds more of 5 Nights at Freddy’s than bucolic imagery, at that time they promised a revolution that seemed to come from the future.
2. Tamagotchi
But if we talk about an icon of the nineties, this can be none other than the Tamagotchi. For many, the Tamagotchi was our first mascot. Created by engineer Aki Maita, it was a small device, similar to a console, that presented us with a virtual pet that we had to take care of completely. The heaviest drama of the time was when we died the Tamagotchi … Our first link with death that we could only fix by inserting a toothpick into a tiny hole in the back. It should also be noted that, although the official Tamagotchi were the most popular, during this decade pirated versions did not stop emerging that also proliferated among less affluent children.
3. Emilio Robot
There is a robot, literally, that took over the Christmas gifts of several years during the nineties: the Robot Emilio. Created by Giochi Preziosi, the name of this robot was actually an acronym: [E] lectronic [M] echanical [I] ndustrial [G] enerated for [L] ogical [I] nfiltration and [O] bservation. Actually, what he meant was that it was a robot that mimicked human behavior… although it was actually not as satisfying as expected. Be that as it may, the robot Emilio was a clear example of what we would do in the future with robots: use them as servants and / or slaves. Poor Emilios, for what you will have been through.
4. Aibo Dog
We continue with the robots with Sony’s personal bet to enter this competition: the dog Aibo. Again, its name is an acronym, Artificial Intelligence [Ro]bot, and it is one of the first allusions to AI in the toy world. Basically, it was a brand of robotic puppies that did different tasks, and they were manufactured every year through new versions until 2005. From the Aibo emerged many other pet robots of this style, and there came a time when it seemed that there were more robots of this style than real cats and dogs.
5. Elmo Tickles
This toy was much more basic than the previous ones, but also more common among the homes of those born in the nineties. Elmo Tickle presented the character of Sesame Street with a peculiarity: when he “tickled”, that is, touching his belly, the toy trembled thanks to a vibration system similar to that of the controls of the consoles. Elmo Tickle was only the previous to many other toys of the style, being Epi Volteretas one of my favorites. Sesame Street has never gone out of style, and in the nineties, they were in their prime.
6. Power Rangers with rotating heads
The most mundane toys were also full of originality during the nineties, and one of the most mythical was the Power Rangers whose heads could be turned to make it have a human face or Power Ranger helmet. A milestone of the toy store that was in millions of homes around the world. Although Power Rangers has become a brand more nostalgic than current, I have no doubt that if they relaunched these toys again they would take over the market.
7. Toy Transformers
If you didn’t just have a turn of your head, you could always do a lot more with toy Transformers. Going from a car to a robot had never been so simple, and certainly in the nineties they were a hit that could only be equated with the success that Michael Bay’s films had later. It is a pity that, despite the triumph of the movies, the fashion of Transformers toys has not been repeated. Of course, at the time they were crazy.
8. Polly Pockets
During the nineties we not only learned technology or science, but also organization and architecture. At least, on a very small scale. Much of the blame for this was the Polly Pockets, “pocket” dolls whose main attraction was their incredible homes in small spaces. Polly Pockets collectors come to have huge rooms made up of cities created by these toys… There has to be everything in the world.
9. Remote control cars
A toy that became very popular in the nineties was the remote control car (or RC). Although they had been wandering for years, it was in this decade when technology reached its peak to make all children have one that caught a great speed … and lead to accidents of all kinds. Without a doubt, it was a fun entry into the motor world that coincided, in addition, with the proliferation of Formula 1 in Europe. Special mention to the Scalextric, which despite being something a little different managed to have a great impact in the nineties. Who hasn’t ever asked the Magi for a Scalextric?
10. Meccano Cars
Continuing with the cars, it also became very fashionable to build these vehicles in pieces, making the Meccano brand (nothing to do with the group of Ana Torroja) great popularity. They had already been with these constructions for decades, but the automotive boom led to their figures growing much more.
11. Hot Wheels
Speed at the top! This slogan that continues to sound today became fashionable in the nineties thanks to Hot Wheels, the best-known toy car brand so far. Defying the laws of physics, Hot Wheels promised spectacular turns and all sorts of stunts. Then it was not so much, but the hype was already created. Today, Hot Wheels remains one of the most purchased brands of toy cars. It is not surprising, since its logo and slogan get cool no matter how many years pass.
12. Yo-yo with light
Technology and brilli brilli were the daily bread of this decade, and how it was not going to affect classic toys. By simply adding a light, the yo-yo turned from something boring and classic to an incredible fantasy. Of course, fashion lasted as long as it had to, but the yo-yo always comes back, and these toys have repeatedly returned to the homes of children around the world.
13. Rubik’s Cube
Although it was an invention in 1974, the Rubik’s Cube became extremely popular between the late eighties and early nineties. Without a doubt, his ability to challenge our wits caused us all to try him at some point… most without the luck of completing a single face. In addition, not only did the classic Rubik’s exist, but at this time all kinds of similar cubes began to emerge: with four faces, with three, shaped like snakes, and so on.
14. Turbo Spinning Tops
As if we did not have enough with the Rubik and Yo-Yo, someone thought it was a good idea to resurrect the tops by making them have colors, lights and look spectacular. It worked so much that some Japanese later gave the idea of creating the Beyblade, which also had a great impact in the 2000s. Not suitable for children who will get dizzy easily.
15. Game Boy
Of course, video games were another separate matter in the nineties. With the proliferation of portable consoles and the creation of the PlayStation, there was no kid of the time who did not play video games. But the case of the Game Boy was unique: it became the best-selling console in history, and although it was later surpassed, it marked forever the future of the nineties. Of course, nobody takes away the great times we spent glued to the screen of our Game Boy.
16. Game Gear
But the Game Boy wasn’t alone… even if it seemed so. Sega tried its luck with its own portable console, the Game Gear, and although it did not have even a tenth of the sales of the previous one, it sold more than 10 million units and left a marked memory in many gamers of the time. Later, many of the forgotten titles on this console were recovered on later consoles… and some are a real gem.
17. Pokédex
At the end of the nineties, Pokémon landed strongly in homes around the world and became the biggest phenomenon that ushered in the new millennium. And, of course, their toy merchandising could not be left behind. Specifically, at this time came a toy that dazzled fans of the saga: a pokédex like Ash Ketchum’s that allowed us to play and learn about Pokémon. Of course, it was the perfect way to learn the names of the 151 Pokémon of the moment… And not only that but then later versions emerged that added many more to the main roster.
18. Digivice
Although they actually started from different origins, Pokémon’s automatic response was Digimon. For many, Digimon anime was better than Pokémon and vice versa with video games. But, be that as it may, they also created their own “pokédex”, which was actually a device called Digivice that served as a minigame of the saga. Throughout the anime seasons, as with Pokémon, new Digivices emerged that integrated new details into the system. Oh, and don’t forget that to advance in the game you had to move the device… which caused longer walks than in Pokémon Go.
19. Tetris Brick Game
Tetris was a phenomenon in itself of the nineties, and in general, got its popularity thanks to the fact that it came included with the Game Boy. However, not everyone was lucky enough to have a Nintendo console, so they had to try methods… Alternative. Many of us had such a console in our homes, and they didn’t always have a legal mark behind them… But how much fun did we have?
20. Monster Flex
In the nineties, there was also a fashion that does not make much sense but that can respond to the success of the 1997 film Flubber: elastic and somewhat disgusting gelatinous toys. One of the most popular was the Monster Flex, monsters, and warriors who fought each other by stretching their limbs and swelling. Of course, it was something that nobody understands very well why it worked, but that made a hole in the time in a rather funny way.
21. Crazy Hand
Continuing with the “Flubber toys” whose basis seemed to be in science but seemed more like an excuse to sell, we continue with the Crazy Hand … which was basically a hand that you threw and stuck to places. It was funny as a punctual toy, but the truth is that it soon filled with roña and stopped sticking. It was not the favorite toy of mothers, really, but the children had a great time.
22. Fart Cube
To finish with the trilogy of Toys Flubber -although in reality there were many more and we could be here for quite a while-, another that became very popular in the nineties, and without a doubt was the peak of the slut, was the fart cube. Basically, it was slime stuffed into a kind of tiny garbage can that you squeezed and sounded pedorretas. Well, you wouldn’t expect our humor to be very refined at 10 years old, would you?
23. Hotline
Technology crushed us like cockroaches during the nineties, and toy companies began to use it to their advantage. Specifically, in board games, it began to be used in quite curious ways. In this basically, a phone was used (what an invention!) to have a direct line to your crush. Who knew that we would then be anxious to take calls… a blessed time before WhatsApp.
24. Simon
Another classic game of the 90s that was based on a basic system of lights is Simon (or Simon Says). Basically, the game was a device with four different buttons that were lit indistinctly, and your role was to repeat the sequence without making mistakes. Like many games of this style, what began as innocent training could lead to many fights between families and friends. But therein, in reality, lay the magic of the game.
25. Casper Castle
One of the protagonists of Christmas in the late nineties was Casper’s Castle, a toy that seemed taken from the future with as many possibilities as you wanted. This “dollhouse” was actually a free copy of the castle from the movie, but the funny thing was that it had ghostly traps everywhere and some little technological milestones like an ultraviolet light hidden in one of the towers. It was a foolproof method of entertaining children who would later become goths, emos, darks, or fans of Tim Burton’s cinema.
26. Paratroopers
Another simple but creative toy of the time was soldiers equipped with parachutes that you could launch and watch them land gracefully. Although toy soldiers were already famous much earlier, as we can see represented in Toy Story, adding this compliment was key to making them fashionable again. War has never been so much fun.
27. My little pony
The fantasy horses of My little pony were a phenomenon that had a great impact during the eighties, but it was during the nineties that they evolved into much more creative and original toys, with all kinds of accessories and colors for all tastes. To this day, they continue to have a great impact among the specialized public thanks to the series of the brand that has been launched since the 2000s, although it has become a somewhat murkier fandom than it was at the time…
28. K’Net
Construction toys were a great phenomenon in the nineties, and we are not only talking about LEGOs that had been conquering the general public for some time. One of the best-known was K’Net, a buildable that gave rise to all kinds of shapes through connectors. It was a quick way to get into the world of technology and connections before they gave you the badge in high school, and certainly, for many kids, it was their entry into a world that they never left afterward.
29. Braid machine
Between the 90s and the 2000s, different versions of a very practical toy for girls of the time proliferated: braid machines. It didn’t have much mystery; It was a kind of spinning mixer that made braids in your hair. The experience provoked more than one pull and two… But sometimes it left spectacular results. A way to get into the curious hairdresser at least, and another clear example of the creativity that the brand was taken through technology toy companies of the moment.
30. My dear diary
Something that we children of the nineties began to appreciate clearly was private newspapers. There were all kinds: from notebooks with padlocks to others with invisible ink whose handwriting you could only read through a special flashlight. But one of the most popular and revolutionary was My Dear Diary, a kind of small tablet on which you could write your thoughts freely and which could only be accessed through a password. Mobile phones before mobile version 1000, which was complemented by consoles, games like Direct Line, and many other portable experiments of the time.
There is no doubt that the nineties left us, beyond many memories and emotions, a brutal creativity as far as toys are concerned that has not been seen since then. Undoubtedly, the rise of technology as we know it today is due, in large part, to how much the toy makers of the moment squeezed their heads.
