Toy Fair 2020 is just a couple of days away and soon the internet will be abuzz with all the new toys arriving this year, but all the old toys as well. Continuing a trend seen at the show for the past couple of years, Hasbro today revealed it’s bringing back Tiger Electronics’ handheld video games in four new versions.
Any kid who grew up in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s and couldn’t convince their parents to shell out upwards of $100 for a Game Boy will remember Tiger Electronics’ expansive line of handhelds. They only played a single game, featured basic controls, and had sound effects comparable to what you’d hear from a musical novelty greeting card.
But they were cheap, incredibly durable, surprisingly addictive, and were available in so many licensed flavors that it was all but impossible to find a Tiger Electronics handheld that didn’t cater to your pop-culture preferences. Over the past few years toy companies have been digging into their archives and capitalizing on ‘80s and ‘90s nostalgia by reviving toys and brands that haven’t been on store shelves in decades, including Speak & Spell and Micro Machines. Now that the kids who played with these toys are grown up and gainfully employed, there’s another chance to sell them their favorite items all over again.
Hasbro’s new line of Tiger Electronic handhelds will launch with four titles in the Fall, including Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Disney’s Little Mermaid, Marvel X-Men Project X, and Transformers Generation 2. They are all available for pre-order from GameStop right now for about $15 each. Each game is based on the original versions available decades ago, but with updated designs which ensures these won’t be fooling collectors on eBay as original copies. We’re also hoping that the electronics on the inside have been improved, prolonging how much gaming we can do with a pair of AA batteries inserted.