FLASHBAC
MAY/JUNE 1998
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Betty Spaghetty, from Ohio Art, is a bendable rubber doll with changeable hands, feet, and shoes. Kids can make various hairdos with her rubbery hair. Kids can also collect Hannah and Zoe.
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THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS: TOY CANDY COMES INTO ITS OWN
Tiger Electronics releases a new, more compact version of its successful game.com gaming system. Following up on the surge of recent interest in handheld electronic games, the company launches game.com.pocketpro, which features speech, sound, and music; a touchscreen interface; a backlit screen; built-in software that includes a phone directory, a calculator, and a calendar; and web-linking capabilities. Tiger is releasing several new game cartridges, including Fighters Megamix, Sonic Jam, Mutoids, Resident Evil 2, Holyfield Boxing, Jeopardy!, X-Files, NBA Live ’99, and others.
114 THE TOY BOOK | MAY/JUNE 2018 | toybook.com
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Hasbro’s McDonaldland Happy Meal Girl features a doll and a toy McDonald’s Happy Meal that includes a cheeseburger, fries, a drink, and a toy surprise inside. The doll can take a bite of her cheeseburger and when she sips her drink, kids can hear slurping, bubbling, and burping sounds.
Tiger Electronics introduces Shamu and His Crew Giga Pets Plus, an electronic handheld device that allows kids to play with, train, feed, clean, and take care of the underwater stars of Sea World.
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In response to the Lost in Space movie and TV series, Praying Mantis launches diecast replicas of several of the vehicles featured in the TV episodes. Each 3-inch replica will be packaged with one of 50 film-clip cells from the TV series.
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TIGER RELEASES SLEEKER VERSION OF GAMING SYSTEM
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The toy industry is showing a rapidly increasing interest in novelty products that combine elements of toys and candy. Tapper Candies’ Candy Cam is a toy camcorder that comes with Mini Tarts, playing off the hidden camera show, Candid Camera. OddzOn’s Sound Bites are musical lollipops that play tunes inside kids’ mouths with the press of a button. CAP Candy’s Yuckers Worms and Snakes are 3-inch rubber slitherers attached to the end of a lollipop.
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