7 Nostalgic Toys Making a Comeback in 2024

The toy industry is taking a trip down memory lane and bringing back some fan favorites from the 80s, 90s, and 2000s. From mighty morphin’ crime fighters to customizable light boards, these classic toys are getting modern upgrades for a new generation.

The 7 nostalgic toy lines making a splashy comeback in 2024 tap into millennial and Gen X childhood nostalgia while introducing the brands to a new generation.

1. Street Sharks

The extreme half-man, half-shark crime fighting squad is making waves again with an exclusive line of collectible figures.

Background

Street Sharks was an animated series featuring four brothers who transformed into humanoid sharks after being mutated by a mad scientist named Dr. Paradigm. Originally a Mattel toy line, the cartoon series ran from 1994 to 1997. With flashy names like Ripster, Jab, and Streex, the Street Sharks took on Paradise City's villains with a gnarly 90s attitude. Their comeback ties in with the show's 30th anniversary.

The Return

Comicbook.com has revealed Mattel's plans to release new Street Sharks action figures in 2024. The figures will be sold as made-to-order collectibles on MattelCreations.com to appeal to adult fans of the original series. Expect updated sculpts capturing the extreme half-man, half-shark physiques with the classic characters represented. Mattel is tapping into millennial nostalgia by bringing the Street Sharks back just in time for collectors to commemorate 30 years since their inception.

2. Lite-Brite

The iconic light up pegboard toy returns with new high definition peg sets featuring Pokémon and Barbie themes.

Background

Lite-Brite was first released in 1967 and consisted of a backlit plastic pegboard and colorful translucent pegs. By punching the pegs through the black paper onto the backlit board, kids could create glowing artwork and patterns. Original sets had round pegs, while later releases in the 90s and 2000s had square pegs. Lite-Brite has brought light art to several generations of crafty kids.

The Return

Lite-Brite is making a comeback in 2024 with new high definition versions featuring iconic themes to appeal to millennials. The new Lite-Brite HD sets have pixelated pegboards for sharper designs. With double the LED lights and a thousand mini pegs in each set, designs will be more vibrant than ever. Kids can explore their inner Pokémon trainer or Barbie fashionista. Six design templates come included, or artists can glow up their own abstract light art masterpieces.

3. Zhu Zhu Pets

The motorized plush hamsters popular in 2009 roll out an aquarium expansion set for underwater adventures.

Background

Zhu Zhu Pets were a breakout toy phenomenon in 2009. Part plush animal and part robot, they scurried around the floor making cooing hamster noises. Their unique play pattern enraptured kids and led to serious demand outpacing supply issues that holiday season. The motorized hamster toys remained popular until going off-market around 2015.

The Return

Zhu Zhu Pets are coming out of hibernation in 2024 with the Zhu Zhu Aquarium expansion set! Featuring colorful fish plus accessories, kids can create an immersive mess-free underwater environment for their robotic Zhu Zhu fish. Diving into playsets expands the Zhu Zhu world for a new audience while offering original fans a nostalgia trip. Where the motorized hamsters will scurry next is anyone's guess!

4. G.I. Joe Cobra Mothership

The iconic Cobra Mothership joins The Vintage Collection reproducing the purple python playset at modern 3.75" scale.

Background

The Cobra Terror Drome served as a central hub for Cobra operations in G.I. Joe lore. Many fans were first exposed to the ominous purple fortress in the opening sequence of the G.I. Joe animated series. Despite its prominence across various storylines, this defining structure never got a proper playset release in vintage G.I. Joe scale.

The Return

Super7 is addressing a decades-old fan request by finally bringing the Cobra Mothership to life as part of its retro Vintage Collection series. Modern design techniques allow for more details at the traditional 3.75” size. Interactive features depict launch silos, a detention center, and combat posts. With the imposing mothership hitting shelves in 2024, fans can ignite nostalgic storylines or discover this iconic locale for the first time.

5. Star Wars General Hera Syndulla

The rebel leader from Star Wars: Rebels joins Hasbro's retro-style Vintage Collection action figure series.

Background

Hera Syndulla debuted as an ace resistance pilot in the Disney XD animated series Star Wars: Rebels. As captain of the Ghost starship, she led a fighter squadron against the Galactic Empire. Her leadership role expanded as she rose to General in the early rebellion. She also bridged Star Wars eras by becoming mother to Jacen Syndulla, whose father is Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus.

The Return

Kenner is celebrating Hera's expanded role in Star Wars canon with a Vintage Collection action figure release. Out in 2024, the figure captures the general's animated look with realistic detailing and textural accents on her signature green flight suit. The figure comes with classic Kenner-style packaging plus a blaster accessory sized for the established scale. As Star Wars nostalgia fuels various comeback releases, Hera Syndulla lets collectors add another high-ranking rebel leader to their ranks.

6. Blockbuster Video Stay Puft Marshmallow Man

Funko revives the iconic ghostbusting baddie as a VHS-inspired retro collectible figure.

Background

The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man emerged as an unlikely adversary in Ghostbusters (1984). Summoned by Gozer's chosen "destructor" form, the smiling mallow giant went on a rampage stepping on buildings and people alike. Despite the danger, his goofy body mixed with building-stomping havoc carved out iconic pop culture status. Ghostbusters ruled the VHS rental era, making the big marshmallow monster ubiquitous.

The Return

Funko is tapping into millennial nostalgia by packaging this Blob-esque baddie as a VHS tape inspired collectible figure. The Blockbuster Rewind edition replicates the iconic box art motif with an action figure of Mr. Stay Puft inside. Each figure sports classic packaging and a character card. Fans have a 1 in 6 chance at the special "Toasty" glow-in-the-dark chase variant depicting the marshmallow giant amidst flaming carnage. As a monster-sized dose of 80s nostalgia, Stay Puft still dominates pop culture decades later.

7. Masters of the Universe Origins

Revamped sculpts and accessories reinvent the classic Masters of the Universe cartoon looks in collector style packaging.

Background

He-Man and company had a distinctly different look in the popular 1980s Filmation cartoon compared to the original action figures. With rounded shoulders and straighter legs, the figures boasted a sleeker style compared to the excessively buff toy releases. The cartoon character designs served as the entry point into He-Man lore for many young fans.

The Return

Mattel honors the seminal cartoon series by adopting those legendary looks for its collector geared Masters of the Universe Origins series. Key heroes including He-Man, Skeletor, Teela, and Man-at-Arms appear clad in the classic animated garb right on blister card packaging.

Vibrant colorways plus battle accessories capture the 80s style while upping articulation to 16 movable joints. Mattel breathes nostalgic life into the designs that hooked fans onto Masters of the Universe mania back in the day.

Preserving History Through Retro Play

Popular toys capture a snapshot of culture reflecting design priorities plus play pattern zeitgeists tied to their launch eras. As influential artifacts, their revival carries historical significance illuminating generational nostalgia while preserving milestones in play evolution.

Lite Brite upheld ideals of creativity blended with emerging light technology in the late 1960s. Launched in 1982, He-Man built upon hero tropes and action figure innovations from the prior decade. Its Filmation cartoon styles the Origins line now commemorates likewise demonstrating shifting aesthetics.

Each brand revival allows audiences to peer into eras through an interactive lens. VHS-styling on Super7’s Stay Puft immerses collectors in video rental store nostalgia untouched by flat documentary footage. Beyond surfacing memories, these retrospective releases document play’s ever-changing relationship with technology and design priorities over time.

Ultimately this contributes to greater cultural understanding of how generations interacted with concepts like imagination, adventure, and creativity through tactile toys. As Mini Brands and blind box toys trend today, future adults may one day reflect on the nostalgia these play patterns stirred.

By bridging the past through reissued memorabilia imbued with historical design significance, companies preserve retrospection resources for generations yet unborn.

Secondhand Nostalgia Across Generations

An emerging aspect among recent toy nostalgia cycles involves introducing iconic brands to demographics who missed them, absorbing secondhand nostalgia.

When first released, Zhu Zhu Pets lit up the eyes of kids in 2009 who never cuddled a motorized robo-hamster before. That next level interactivity made the toy phenomenon intensely alluring. As Zhu Zhu Pet Aquariums drop in 2024, a new wave of kids discovers the concept for the first time just as their parents gleefully reflect.

Lite Brite's LED intensified glow power attracts former users now sharing creations alongside curious children. And uncle's gifted Stay Puft figures may inspire kids to stream a supposedly terrifying “old movie” with antiquated marshmallow graphics. They gain exposure to influences that shaped older generations.

This generational nostalgia sharing allows both groups to bond over brands through different lenses: rediscovery and fresh introduction. As parents revisit favorite childhood icons like Glo Worm or Pound Puppies through modern offspring, both ages tap into joy reliving or unlocking play potential.

Just as beloved movies, books, and other media classics continually find new audiences, generational nostalgic toy releases create shared cultural touchstones binding kids, parents, and grandparents through reopened play history.

Limited Run Re-Release Strategies

The comeback toy hype cycle often employs limited run offerings tapping into urgency and FOMO. Brands elicit rabid pre-order crowds by issuing small production batches of throwback lineups with no guarantee of future replenishments.

Hasbro frequently took this approach on exclusive offerings tied to its late-2010s retro Star Wars Vintage figure revival. Limited packaging variants created urgent demand on high demand characters. Mattel likewise experiments with limited collectible runs across its ever-rotating roster of nostalgic figure lines.

Scarcity primes collectors to purchase quickly spurring immediate second market inflation. It also sustains momentum drumming up renewed interest for expanded character selection drops. The combination of nostalgia plus limited availability generates hype selling out stock instantly. This engenders continued conversation and anticipation until the next tightly metered release.

For brands like Funko reacting classic 80’s entertainment icons into collectible figures, exclusivity plays an essential role. Producing limited supply allows focusing design resources on passion projects unlikely to sustain ongoing mass market releases.

By concentrating wave offerings, nostalgic toy startups also minimize financial risks while leveraging collector hype to their advantage. Whether intentional or unavoidable due to niche appeal, capped rerelease volume plays upon demand.

Promoting Movie and Streaming Content

Production timing for movie tie-in toys often cannot match actual film release dates years down the line. Nostalgic toy drops fill that gap sustaining character visibility.

Kenner’s Vintage Collection Hera Syndulla release promotes continued traction for Star Wars Rebels streaming on Disney+.

For legacy movie franchises, iconic character rereleases build sustained visibility between new sequels, especially with years long production gaps. Mattel’s upcoming Ghostbusters Stay Puft Super7 figure arrived shortly after Ghostbusters: Afterlife theater debut but sustains interest before follow-up projects finalize. The sly variant chase builds engagement.

Strategically deployed nostalgic toys that leverage film release momentum after theaters convert toy interest into enduring character love. By bridging the gap between tentpole projects, nostalgic merchandise releases sustain visibility and mindshare keeping audiences emotionally invested in stories and characters while awaiting next adventures.

Whether watching buzzy streaming shows or bankrolling cinematic sequels, nostalgic toy drops promote pop culture longevity.

Conclusion

As media industries mine intellectual properties for content, toy makers work lockstep releasing merchandise that rides waves of pop culture nostalgia. While fueled by 30 and 40-something adults seeking to reconnect with beloved childhood icons, introductions of those brands also stand to enchant a new generation.

Revamped with enhanced details, articulate sculpts, and context nods aimed at adult collectors, the latest nostalgic toy revival cycle has something for all ages. Kids can discover what the fuss over Zhu Zhu Pets was about or craft light art masterpieces on high-def Lite Brite boards.

Adult-targeted efforts like Funko’s VHS recreation of Stay Puft wring heavy nostalgia from properties attached to youthful experiences. Ultimately the goal goes beyond stoking old fandoms but also sparking new ones.

By bridging eras, nostalgic toy releases invite cross-generational play whether for retro recreation or experiencing an iconic play pattern for the first time. As masters of reinvention, the re-emergence of vintage toy brands proves playthings have no expiration date. And as long as magic sparks unboxing a fresh take on Lite-Brite or Street Sharks for the first time, nostalgia will endure for generations to come.

• #nostalgia
• #nostalgic toys
• #pokemon toys
• #street sharks
• #toystore
• #vintage toys