Toy Around With This Quiz on '90s Toys

Street Sharks were not only toys, but a beloved animated series that made the action figures even more popular. Each figurine featured the design of a muscular shark with an even larger personality. Not only did the line of Street Sharks toys include stand-alone action figures, but it also featured shark puppets that you could wear over your hand.

Pogs were flat, cardboard tops, the goal of the game being to flip over your opponents pieces. In order to do so, players utilized a “slammer,” which was a thicker and more durable pog piece made of metal or rubber. Pogs became immensely popular for branding, and featured designs from Power Rangers, Blockbuster, and other staple brands of the 1990s.

Don’t Wake Daddy was a board game in which players (portraying the children) had to be cautious as to not wake their father while “walking” to the fridge for a midnight snack. The board featured a sleeping father figure in a bed at its center, who could be awoken by the slightest jolt or sound.

Moon Shoes were among the more dangerous — yet still beloved — toys of the 1990s. Inspired by the metallic satellite jumping shoes of the 1950s, Moon Shoes were meant to “defy gravity” by allowing kids to bounce around on two mini-trampolines. Though ankle injuries were as common as a good time, the product is still remembered fondly by children from the era.

Super Soakers hit the market in 1990, though at the time they were known as Power Drenchers. These water-launching pistols were the brainchild of Lonnie Johnson, a nuclear engineer. Rather than rely on a motor, Johnson utilized air pressure and air pumping, delivering a more powerful stream of water than any other water pistol on the market.

Sock’em Boppers (now known as Socker Boppers) were essentially inflatable boxing gloves that combined pugilism with the concept of a traditional pillow fight. The toys were soft and inflatable to avoid any serious injury, allowing children the ability to safely play fight. Even today, it’s hard for ’90s kids to get that catchy ad jingle out of their heads.

Furby was an electronic talking owl-ish toy that blinked, moved, and spoke gibberish — sometimes in the middle of the night. The toy appeared in 1997, and later came under scrutiny from agencies like the U.S. National Security Agency, which believed the toys could be used to record and replay classified information. The NSA banned the toy from its offices at Fort Meade.

The Sony PlayStation was released in 1994 and jettisoned Sony to the top of the video-game world. The system pioneered the use of compact discs in lieu of the traditional game cartridges, and went on to become the first-ever console to ship 100 million units. PlayStation featured hit titles such as “Crash Bandicoot” and “Tekken.”

The original Nintendo Gameboy debuted in 1989, with all the games in black and white. That changed when the GameBoy Color premiered almost 10 years later in 1998. This device displayed over 50 different colors, an eye-popping rainbow of ‘90s tech innovation.

The “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” television show premiered in 1993, and a massive franchise with over 28 seasons followed. The original Power Ranger colors included red, black, blue, yellow, pink, and green — but not orange.

Nickelodeon Gak was the co-creation of the children’s cable network and toy manufacturer Mattel. Slime was a popular element of Nickelodeon programming, leading to the development of this gooey toy that could be enjoyed at home. The initial run was so popular that 160,000 Gak toys sold at Walmart in the first three weeks after its release.

Britney Spears, Smash Mouth, and Backstreet Boys were among the popular Hit Clips users could collect. The audio player read songs via exchangeable cartridge. Its early promoters included brands like McDonalds, Radio Disney, and Lunchables, as well as popular spokespeople Hilary Duff and Raven.

Hasbro’s Bop It! was an engaging game that tested memory and motor skills. Players followed spoken instructions — bop it, twist it, or pull it — and tried to keep up as the music and directions sped up. Over time, commands grew more elaborate with spinning wheels and toggling switches.

Though originally released in the 1980s, Skip-It saw a resurgence in popularity throughout the 1990s. Each Skip-It featured an orb-shaped counter at one end, which was connected by a plastic rope and bracelet to the ankle. The goal of playing with a Skip-It was to spin it around your leg and jump over the device as many times as possible.

While Nerf is synonymous with blasters, the brand’s first toy was actually a four-inch foam ball, which debuted in 1970. It was marketed as a safe indoor ball that wouldn’t break lamps or shatter windows. The Nerf Bow and Arrow was the company’s first foray into toy weapons, launching in 1991.

Tickle Me Elmo was so popular when it came out, people lined up by the hundreds in hopes of getting their hands on one, and stores had to enact special security measures to prevent fights and thefts. Tyco sold 1 million of this giggling “Sesame Street” toy in 1996, and an additional 4 million in 1997.

Just a few months after Princess Diana’s death in August 1997, the Ty toy company created Princess, a royal purple teddy bear Beanie Baby designed in Princess Di’s honor. The bear had a white rose over its heart, and proceeds from the sales went to the Princess of Wales Memorial Fund.

Pikachu is a cheery yellow Pokemon that became synonymous with the beloved franchise. Designed to resemble a mouse, Pikachu wasn’t originally intended to become the Pokemon lead, but the character gained steam after the release of the anime TV series in 1997. It even became a balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

Tamagotchis were no more than tiny pixel pets, but it took a lot of work to keep these little friends alive. Users had to feed, play, and care for their pets — and even clean up their virtual droppings.

Barbie’s family was jam-packed with fun; she had seven siblings in total, pint-sized Kelly being the youngest. Skipper, Stacie, Chelsea, Krissy, Tutti, and Todd were Barbie’s other beloved family members.