The 90s Toy Technology Revolution

Though computer games and toys which used computer chips had been around before the 90s, such as simple talking computers like Simon Says, or consoles such as the Sinclair Spectrum, the 90s was a decade which saw computing technology become more sophisticated, and saw computer gaming become less of a niche interest and far more of a popular hobby.

The Mighty Playstation

Of the most popular toys of the 90s, several are games consoles such as the PlayStation 1, Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Game Boy and Game Boy Colour, and Dreamcast, to name just a few. These, and the PC gaming industry, brought into the public eye such well known characters as Link from the Legend of Zelda, the Super Mario Brothers, Sonic the Hedgehog and Lara Croft who would fuel children’s imaginations for years to come.

Of Course, the Nintendo

Some of these consoles even saw ‘firsts’ for the gaming industry, such as  the Nintendo 64 which was the first to have a joystick on the controller, and even allowed four controllers to be plugged in at once for a sociable gaming experience. The 90s also saw much more mobile gaming with the launch of the Game Boy in 1990, and the release of the handheld virtual pet the Tamagotchi.

Tickle Me Elmo

There were even computer elements integrated into soft toys such as Tickle Me Elmo, one of the most popular toys in 1996. Elmo was a fuzzy red bear-like toy who laughed and shook when tickled. Though Elmo was undoubtedly a must-have item, much more sophisticated use of technology was seen in the Furby, a talking interactive furry owl-like creature. A newly purchased Furby started out speaking entirely Furbish, the unique language that all Furbies used, but was programmed to start using English words and phrases in place of Furbish over time. This process was intended to resemble the process of learning English. It was so popular it’s “learnt” speech was translated into 24 different languages.

Electronic Pets

While the digital age of the 90s has its roots in the ever-evolving video game systems from Nintendo, Sega, Sony and others, the Tamagotchi virtual pets and Furby lead the interactive toy revolution into the high-tech future. Chinese toy companies came up with these crazy inventions, which took the UK toy market by storm.  However, the popularity of those toys was relatively shortlived, unline the games consoles, which are still hugely popular today.

Thanks to James from www.theclockemporium.com for this post. James loves to blog about gadgets and gizmos of yesteryear.