Almost three decades ago, Pokemon made its debut in Japan, giving birth to a best-selling video game franchise that remains popular to this day. The Pokemania phenomenon has expanded to include various anime series, films, trading-card games, toys, and more. Pokemon was among the 12 finalists considered for induction into this year's Toy Hall of Fame. However, Pikachu and friends will have to wait until at least 2025, as they were not selected this year.
The National Toy Hall of Fame has announced its new inductees for 2024, and Pokemon was not among them. But Pokemon is in good company, as other notable toys like Choose Your Own Adventure books, remote-controlled vehicles, Hess Toy Trucks, trampolines, Apples to Apples, and Sequence were also denied entry. Hasbro emerged as the big winner, with two of its 1980s franchises, Transformers and My Little Pony, being inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame this year. Transformers toys were first introduced in 1984 and have enjoyed a four-decade-long run. My Little Pony, originally launched as My Pretty Pony in 1981, became a hit toy line in its own right. The franchise went dormant for a few years before a successful revival in 2003. The card game Phase 10 was the final inductee for 2024.
Although Pokemon did not win this year, its enduring popularity is undeniable. On the Nintendo Switch alone, the Pokemon franchise has sold 99 million units. The mobile game Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket surpassed 30 million downloads on the App Store and Google Play within a week. A new version of Pokemon Monopoly is set to release this holiday season, and even Pokemon Go continues to thrive nearly a decade after its launch.
Source link: https://www.gamespot.com
