If you couldn't have a real pet, a robot pet was the next best thing. Hell, for some, a robot pet was better.
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Bandai
Tamagotchi
Often imitated (looking at you, Nano Pets), Tamagotchis were tops. Kitties! Puppies! Babies! Aliens? Whatever these beings technically were, they taught '90s kids and teens to care for another "living" thing.
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Tiger Electronics
Furby
Furbies were the biggest holiday toy in 1998. They were everywhere, yet, to many parents' dismay, they were nowhere to be found.
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Nintendo
Game Boy color
The first Game Boy hit the scene in 1989, and was a huge global hit thanks to Tetris. Ten years later came the Game Boy color. The "Atomic" see-through consoles were most coveted.
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Twentieth Century Fox
Talkboy
Talkboy started as a nonworking prop for the film "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York." Hasbro was happily forced to create it due to overwhelming demand. There was even a Talkgirl, because how could a little girl enjoy something called "-boy"? Ahem.
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Tyco
Tickle Me Elmo
Few parents were prepared for the Tickle Me Elmo takeover of 1996. Some got really, really lucky and managed to buy one. Their giggle-loving kids got lucky too.
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Tiger Electronics
Tiger Electronics handheld games
Your favorite '90s movie, character or console video game for sure had a Tiger Electronics handheld game, so you could relive the fun after the credits rolled. Or at least until the batteries died.
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Milton Bradley
Dream Phone
This electronic board game was meant to simulate what it would be like to call or be called by a real live cute boy.
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K'Nex Industries
K'Nex
Nineties kids who loved to build things graduated from Tinkertoys when K'Nex came onto the scene in 1992.
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Tiger Electronics
Yak Bak
Later in the '90s, a Talkboy competitor called Yak Bak was introduced. It was a cheaper, pocket-size option for voice recording and playback on the go.
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GamesMaster Magazine/Getty Images
Super Nintendo
The SNES console was introduced at the beginning of the decade. Original Nintendo game cartridges weren't compatible, so '90s gamers got all new games. Bonus for them, bummer for their parents' wallets.
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Fisher-Price
Power Wheels
The coolest kids in the neighborhood had to show up their parents with Barbie Jeeps. Or Barbie Jeeps converted to Jurassic Park jeeps.
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Girl Tech/Mattel
Girl Tech journal
Pesky little siblings, be damned! This nifty diary could only be opened using a special password that the owner created. The trick turned out to be getting the password function to actually work.
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Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon Time Blaster AM/FM Radio Alarm Clock
This was more of a trick than a toy. "Look, son! I got you a cool Nickelodeon clock! Now you have no excuse for being late to school." Bummer.
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Mattel
Barbie Smart Phone
This was an upgrade from Barbie's previous landline phone, and it was just like Mom's flip phone. Except it couldn't call anyone except Barbie.
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Tiger Electronics
"Clueless" hands-free phone
Like, what was the obsession with phone toys in the '90s? This "Clueless" version is weird; Cher never uses anything like it in the film.
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Mattel
Barbie Fashion Designer
Speaking of Cher from "Clueless," remember that sweet closet system she had on her computer? Well Barbie had the same thing on CD-ROM back in the '90s. The program allowed users to select coordinating outfits from her wardrobe.
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Tiger Electronics
Hit Clips
Around the same time we started carrying CD Walkmans around, there came Hit Clips (or Kid Clips for the really little ones). You couldn't hear full songs, but you could hear 1 minute of your favorite pop songs. Isn't that just as good? Well, if you're three, yes.
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Tiger Electronics
Skip-It
This toy wore out entire neighborhoods of children in the '90s. The best part of all? There was a counter on the ball.
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Hasbro
Bop It
If skipping over a plastic stick was too strenuous, there was always Bop It, the memory testing game that almost always caused you to accidentally whack yourself with the hard plastic toy.
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Discuss: '90s tech toys you still secretly want
Be respectful, keep it civil and stay on topic. We delete comments that violate our policy, which we encourage you to read. Discussion threads can be closed at any time at our discretion.
Discuss: '90s tech toys you still secretly want
Be respectful, keep it civil and stay on topic. We delete comments that violate our policy, which we encourage you to read. Discussion threads can be closed at any time at our discretion.