If there’s one thing this year’s Toy Fair made obviously clear, it’s that kids these days have it good when it comes to toys. Advances in tech, plus a neverending stream of slick superhero films, and resurgent ‘80s and ‘90s nostalgia means all the toys you grew up with are now cooler than ever.
Gizmodo and Gizmodo took a stroll through Toy Fair 2020 this weekend. While there wasn’t as much of a unifying trend this year, there were still plenty of toys, plushies, action figures, games, and collectibles covering every inch of the showroom floor. Here’s all the cool stuff that had us wishing we were kids all over again. Or at least adults with bigger wallets.
1. Adorable, Baby Yoda Is
With The Mandalorian, Disney prized secrecy regarding The Child over all else—even if it meant that the 2019 holiday season came and went with nary an official Baby Yoda merchandise. (Look, only cops and Disney reps call him The Child.) Toy Fair was rife with Baby Yodas of all shapes and sizes. There’s too many to list in this tiny roundup, but you can catch a peek of them all here. Of all the Baby Yoda tie-ins, however, Hasbro’s animatronic definitely took the cake.
2. D-O and the Razer Crest Lego Sets
Look, ok, there’s a lot of Star Wars toys at Toy Fair every year. Even more in a year where you have new launches tying into not one, not two, but three titles. We saw a ton of stuff related to Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, the final season of Clone Wars, and The Mandalorian, but Lego’s D-O and Razer Crest sets were two of our favourite non-Baby Yoda finds.
The Razer Crest set will cost $US130 ($196) and is available for preorder in Lego’s online store. It’ll ship on September 1. Meanwhile, the D-O Droid set will retail for $US70 ($106) and is available from April 19.
3. Hasbro’s Gooey, Oozy Venom Beefcake
We saw a lot of cool action figures, but this 12.5-inch Maximum Venom Ooze figure from Hasbro is King. Not only is he beefy, but you can also load some purple symbiote slime into the back of his head and it’ll just ooze out his front. The ooze is cold, slimy, and somewhat wet to the touch. You can also manipulate his tongue to waggle back and forth, swinging that purple gunk around like an obscene grape-flavored loogie. It’s lewd, crude, and more stupid fun that it should be. This guy will retail for $US30 ($45) and will be available later this fall.
4. How to Train Your Toy Dragon to Actually Fly
Spin Master’s take on a Flying Toothless is pretty neat. The toy has a bunch of touch sensors built-in, and the whole idea is you’re supposed to build a bond with the little guy. Once you help him build up his confidence—you can tell how he’s feeling via his multi-coloured eyes—he’ll take flight from his nest. The one we saw demoed was newer out of the box, so apparently he takes a bit to get going. You can steer where he goes by letting him hover over your hand. There’s also a cute ‘lil fish snack accessory that you feed him after a flying session so he recovers. The prototype version we saw had white wings, but it’ll have black ones by the time it hits shelves this fall. Flying Toothless will retail for $US50 ($75).
5. Remember These Retro Handhelds From Tiger Electronics?
Nostalgia is hard to beat, but Hasbro had plenty of games that were updates of popular titles from the past. (Including a reboot of Mall of Madness.) Of all the throwbacks, Hasbro’s relaunch of Tiger Electronics’ handheld LCD games hit us the hardest. Sure, the titles right now are more limited, but they’re every bit as addicting and annoying as you remember.
6. G.I. Joe’s Back With 6-Inch Classified Series Figures
Hasbro’s Classified Series are action figures with the adult collector in mind. They’re highly detailed and come with a ton of accessories and articulation. At Toy Fair, Snake Eyes definitely was the main draw—just look at his extensive packaging, which also includes some pretty gnarly prints. And while you can’t see it in the photo here, Snake Eyes comes with a chest full of weapons. We also peeped Roadblock and Scarlett, who are looking rad in their own right. Plus, Hasbro told us it’s were aware that the series might draw collectors who want to keep everybody in mint condition. That’s why when you look at the side of the boxes, they’ve got custom art so you can have a new way of displaying them. You can preorder Snake Eyes for $US40 ($60), while Roadblock and Scarlett will go for $US20 ($30).
7. An RC Cybertruck That Can Go Up to 25MPH
Mattel is the king of tiny cars with its Hot Wheels line. But this year, it took some inspiration from Tesla’s Cybertruck. There are two versions: a tiny 1:64 scale model, and the larger 1:10 scale model pictured above. The tinier version can run on standard Hot Wheels tracks, but it also comes with its own motor, rechargeable battery, and a wireless remote. The larger one comes with some cheeky broken windows stickers and a rear bed that can be opened and closed. Oh, and it goes vroom with a maximum speed of 25mph! The 1:64 model will retail for $US20 ($30), while the larger one will set you back a bit more at $US400 ($604).
8. You Can Now Draw Perfect Circles on an Etch a Sketch!
I mean COME ON. Etch a Sketch was the all-time gauntlet of patience, and drawing circles, curves, or rounded edges required the utmost skill and coordination. Now you can just spin the special rim on the Etch a Sketch Revolution and voilá. Circles are easy now. And only $US10 ($15) at that. You still have to practice a bit, but it’s not nearly as difficult as drawing circles on a regular Etch a Sketch.