I am a child of the 1980's (and, technically, the 1990's). And - not so surprisingly - I was way into toys as a kid. So, I always have an eye out for those toys and collectibles of my youth. Step in the folks from Basic Fun! Over the past several months, the company formerly known as The Bridge Direct has announced announced Care Bears and Tonka licensing deals. But it's about what they currently have available for your upcoming holiday shopping that's impressed me.
Pound Puppies. I was probably 7 or 8 years old when my sister got a Pound Puppy for Christmas. Feeling left out...I threw a fit. I think my parents felt bad (or sad) for me, so they bought me one of my own. I still have that Pound Puppy. My wife still has her Pound Puppy. The ones that Basic Fun! sent for me to check out are the exact same ones as we have. Creepy. Available in a number of different color combinations, these run $19.99 each and can be ordered at Amazon.com.
Speak & Spell. Admittedly, I had the Speak & Math as a youngster. My wife had the Speak & Spell, which we still have. This version is slightly different from the original, with a flat touch-sensitive keyboard. But it pretty much looks and sounds the same as the one produced by Texas Instruments. And if you have one in your house when a random alien is left behind by his family, he might just be able to use it to phone home. You can grab one at Amazon for $24.99.
Mini Arcade Game: Mortal Kombat. I know - a few months ago, they released Mortal Combat 11. And while there was a ton of buzz and the graphics are excellent, it didn't compare to the frenzy of when the original Mortal Kombat ports hit home consoles in 1993. I'm pretty sure I wore out a Sega Genesis controller doing special moves. And I know I printed out the entire move list from a Prodigy messageboard. Well, Basic Fun! has backed that original game ROM inside this sleek 6-button joystick controlled mini arcade. Also, they have mini arcades based on a number of other game. Look for this one to run $19.99.
K'NEX Dragon Revenge Coaster Building Set. This is the first item I didn't actually have. K'NEX launched in 1992, which would have put me squarely in my early teenage years. It would probably be another 10 to 15 years until I got back into building sets. And now with a pair of elementary school age kids in the house, I cherish every day I get through not stepping on a building toy. But this set is a near literal monster. It features a motor that powers a dragon and a chain-link roller coaster car. The suggested retail price is $49.99, but it looks like Amazon is running a deal with it running under $40.00.
(Disclaimer: Basic Fun! sent me several of these items, which I will be posting in a video later this week. Also, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)
