While we may laugh at photos of our parents in their high school days, I can almost guarantee that a newer version of what they are wearing will become stylish again in another decade. Bell bottom jeans, Ray Bans, Wallabies and teased hair are only a few examples. This idea isn’t just applied to fashion though. It can be found throughout our music choices, television shows and now even games and toys we played with as children.
For some unknown reason, Hasbro has decided to bring back the beloved robotic creature from the 90s: Furby. You remember, that fuzzy, adorable creature that you vowed to love forever? That is, until you discovered it never quit making noise. That very reason is why my Furby got thrown into the attic just a few weeks after purchasing it.
I am a firm believer that some things just need to be left in the past, but apparently Hasbro does not have the same belief. The newest Furby has arrived in stores and is supposed to be an upgraded and better version. However, it still does not have an off switch. Aside from that issue, Hasbro claims Furby now has a mind of its own. Everything you do to Furby shapes its personality and eventually Furby will begin speaking English. This new toy can now dance, communicate with other Furbys, blink, change eye movements and there are even apps where you can feed Furby and translate “Furbish” to English. With a hefty price tag of $60, Furby is definitely an investment, but has the potential to befriend many children of all ages this year.
Another game from our childhood being brought back to life is the new Monopoly board game. I’m not sure Monopoly ever stopped being popular, but the game will soon be changed forever. Hasbro recently held an election online where a cat was voted to replace the iron game piece. Monopoly will never be the same without the iron, but this is one area where change might just be a good thing. A cat competing against a Scottie dog makes much more sense than an iron. Really, what was the iron going to do in the competition anyway? Steam the other game pieces into failure? When I was young, the iron was never picked as a favorite, so I am actually happy to see it go.
On another note, UNO has gone from being a simple card game to something much more. There is now UNO Attack, UNO Flash and the newest addition, UNO Roboto. UNO Roboto is a customizable game with random, unpredictable rules that keep players on their toes. I don’t know how UNO could get much better than a talking robot, but I’m interested to see if they will ever try to top that.
So, while toys like Furby, Monopoly and UNO may be getting better, just remember … those were our toys first.
