Who can forget the 90’s? A wonderful time of terrible fashion, worse music and desperately trying to be the first amongst your friends to learn the lyrics to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

For so many of us, it was a defining period of our lives, ten gloriously tacky years that made us what we are today. And you don’t have to look too far to find ever-present reminders of that strange period of time. In fact, you might not even have to leave the house.

And with POKÉMON being such a big part of the 90s, to celebrate the upcoming release of POKÉMON Detective Pikachu digitally on 2nd September and on DVD, Blu-ray™,3D Blu-ray™, 4K Ultra HD and 4K Steelbook on 16th September, we’re putting on our detective caps and discovering what nostalgic toys from the 90’s we can all still find in our attics!

 

5) Nerf Guns

Nerf Guns were, and still are, a terrible gift idea for children. But no home in the 90’s was complete without the offensive potential of sponge and plastic in the hands of hyperactive children.

Children gathered endless arsenals, waiting for the day they would be challenged by a worthy foe. Or a smaller child with a worse gun. Or if your dad was trying to watch the TV. Any excuse really.

Entire wars were fought over ownership of territory in the garden, petty vendettas or simply just to be annoying. A single orange foam pellet was enough to ignite a terrible domestic conflict, only ending with the tired intervention of our poor parents who, in the process of disarming the belligerent parties, raised their voices to the heavens and cried ‘Why?’. 

But, children across the world all knew the answer. It’s Nerf or Nuthin’.

4) Furbies

Fluffy, animatronic and, most importantly, weird. These are the three key principles that guaranteed success in crafting a hit children’s toy in the 90’s. 

With the promise of having your own strange little creature to take home, everyone went Furbie crazy. An invasion of the little monsters became inevitable as the 1998 holiday season launched one of the biggest crazes in toys.

Slowly but surely, a Furbie would begin to learn to speak basic English as they spent more time with you. Not really, but it was convincing enough to get them banned in several intelligence agencies in the US due to the fear of certain code-words being repeated at a bad time. 

No, seriously. That happened.

3) Beanie Babies

Admit it, you still have at least ten of these still hiding somewhere that you will never throw out.

Beanie-mania was a mind-blowing phenomenon, with kids and adults going completely crazy for these adorable soft toys. With so many varieties of animals to choose from, everyone could find their favorite, stockpiling a nation of Beanie Babies to be the best of the beaniest. 

And of course, we can’t forget the eBay wars. Certain Beanie Babies sold for unbelievable amounts of money, leading to a bizarre speculator market of collectors who banked on the value of these children’s toys to pay off in the future. People would travel the world in search for the rarest around, and very few of them were the recommended age for the toy.

Who knows, you might have a fortune collecting dust in your attic.

2) Tamagotchi

All the responsibilities of a pet without ever having to own one. The Tamagotchi is a wonderful creation, a perfect toy to teach children the value of ownership and caring. And mostly, it was way cheaper and less stressful than getting a dog.

The Tamagotchi is a basic virtual pet simulation, that follows strict cycles of playing, feeding and cleaning a digital companion. The goal is to keep it healthy and happy, but that was usually easier said than done as your pet would often fall sick if overfed, underfed or left without cleaning the screen of droppings. Yes, they even did that.

While you may still find one lying around your home today, given the pets limited lifespan don’t expect to find your lovable digital pal waiting for you. You’d be better off buying a new one to save the heartache.

1)POKÉMON Cards

The OG of the playground, the sport of champions and a collectors dream. POKÉMON was a pioneering form of children’s entertainment, leveraging children’s love of collecting cute and often rare cards, with the thrill of defeating your friends with the right build.

There were many imitators, but everyone knew there was no substitute. The craze for the cards grew to such an extreme that many of those with the biggest collections had never once actually played the game. There were even some who didn’t realise there was a game! 

The thrill of the draw with buying a randomised pack, the dream of finding the rarest cards around and the achievement of filling out a POKÉMON card binder to show how hardcore you were were all amazing experiences that are hard to replicate. 

Combined with smash-hit TV shows running during the 90’s and beyond, POKÉMON was everywhere. And even today, the power of show stands tall with the likes of POKÉMON GO and POKÉMON Detective Pikachu still holding top spots in fan communities worldwide.

So if you’ve felt a nostalgic tingle, why not try and find what classic toys you might have hidden in your house. Or, better yet, check out POKÉMON Detective Pikachu when it arrives on DVD, Blu-ray™, 3D Blu- ray™, 4K Ultra HD and 4K Steelbook on 16th September. You can also get it first on digital download on 2nd September.

Do you have any 90s toys stashed away that you loved and cherished? Share yours below