Pokemon Reveals Game Boy-Inspired ‘Pixelated’ Pikachu Plush

With Pokémon celebrating its 30th anniversary, lots of fun, retro toys and collectibles are coming out soon, and I’m really excited to add to my collection!

The 30th anniversary of Pokémon is bringing back some amazing merchandise, especially items that remind fans of the original games! Think back to sneaking a Game Boy under the covers to play Pokémon Red or Blue – that’s the nostalgic feeling this merch is capturing.

A new Pikachu plushie recreates the classic, 8-bit look of the original Pokémon from the first Game Boy games. It’s designed to feel like a cozy, huggable version of that beloved pixelated character.

The adorable and cuddly “Pikachu of Beginnings” plush is now available for about $25 USD on the Japanese Pokémon Center website. It’s currently unknown if it will be sold on the U.S. Pokémon Center website or in American stores, but you can always find it on eBay!

Besides the large plush toy, there’s also a smaller, flattened keychain version—often called a mascot in Japan.

For many longtime Pokémon fans, the appeal of the franchise is strongly tied to nostalgia. This retro-style Pikachu plush is just one example of the merchandise released for the 30th anniversary that celebrates the original Game Boy games.

A new anniversary collection called “Opening Scene” is now available on the U.S. Pokémon Center website. It celebrates the classic opening of the original Pokémon Red and Blue games (and Green in Japan), featuring the memorable battle between Gengar and Nidorino set to the iconic 8-bit theme song.

Fans got a sneak peek at the New York Toy Fair of new Pokémon Trading Card Game accessories, including a play mat and deck box both designed with classic, black-and-white graphics. The retro look is a fun reminder of how the original Pokémon video game characters have evolved since the games first came to the U.S. in 1998.

Pokémon was created by Satoshi Tajiri and first released in Japan as ‘Pocket Monsters’ in 1996. It began with Game Boy games, a manga, and trading cards, and quickly became incredibly popular thanks to its cute characters, especially Pikachu. It soon grew into a huge franchise, expanding to include toys, clothes, collectibles, spin-off games, food, anime, and much more.

Starting with just 151 Pokémon over 30 years ago, the franchise has grown alongside its fans. It’s enjoyed by those who discovered it in the late 90s and a new generation of players and collectors today. As of February 2026, there are now an incredible 1,025 Pokémon, and millions of fans around the world.

The Best ’90s Happy Meal Toys

TaleSpin (1990)

Throughout the 1990s, Disney and McDonald’s had a very close partnership. McDonald’s released many Happy Meals featuring characters from popular Disney movies and TV shows, both classic and new. In 1990, the Disney TV series TalesSpin—a show about Baloo from The Jungle Book working as a cargo pilot—was a big hit. The die-cast airplanes included in the Happy Meals were also extremely popular with kids at school, especially the one modeled after Baloo’s plane, the Sea Duck.

McDino Changeables (1991)

The popularity of Transformers and transforming toys was huge in the 1980s and 90s, and McDonald’s took advantage of this trend with several promotional toys. They sometimes used existing brands, but also created their own line called “Changeables”— toys shaped like McDonald’s food that could transform into creatures. The first Changeables turned into robots and were incredibly popular with children. This led to a sequel series, McDino Changeables, where the food items transformed into dinosaurs. For instance, a box of McDonald’s Hotcakes could turn into a pterodactyl.

Back to the Future: The Animated Series (1992)

For many kids in the ’90s, Happy Meals were the only way to get toys based on their favorite movies and TV shows. Today, you can find tons of Back to the Future merchandise, from remote-control DeLoreans to LEGO sets and even full-size hoverboard replicas (though they still don’t actually hover!). But back in 1992, the Happy Meal toys tied to the Back to the Future animated series were practically the only Back to the Future toys available. The show wasn’t a huge hit, but everyone wanted that little DeLorean car.

Batman Returns (1992)

Happy Meal toys often take creative liberties with the characters and vehicles they’re based on—remember the TaleSpin plane with Baloo’s head sticking out? But the Batman Returns Batmobile toy was remarkably accurate. What really stood out was its action feature: you could press a button to separate the front and middle sections from the rear fins, just like in the movie when the Batmobile splits apart to navigate a narrow alley. (Okay, Catwoman didn’t actually drive a purple car with a tail, as far as I can recall, but no toy is perfect!)

Halloween Pails (Various)

Few Happy Meal toys are as memorable as the Halloween buckets. First released in 1986, they were a yearly favorite for many years – though they were briefly unavailable in the mid-2010s before making a comeback a few years ago. Over the years, the buckets came in different designs, but the most popular set featured an orange pumpkin, a green witch, and a white ghost. Just looking at them brings back a lot of memories – a scent of cheap plastic and old Halloween candy, perhaps!

Halloween McNugget Buddies (1993)

McNugget Buddies were a popular collectible toy found in Happy Meals during the 1980s and 90s. These small, plastic McNugget figures came with different outfits and costumes. A 1993 set featured Halloween themes, including costumes like ghosts, pumpkins, vampires, and witches. They were so well-loved that McDonald’s has occasionally re-released them as a special collectible item for adults.

Batman: The Animated Series (1993)

The Happy Meal toys based on Batman: The Animated Series were even more popular than those from Batman Returns. The set included both small character cars – like Robin, the Joker, Two-Face, and Poison Ivy – and larger action figures. While the action figures weren’t as flexible as toys you’d buy in a store, they closely resembled the characters from the cartoon, and the Batman figure was especially well-made.

Animaniacs (1994)

McDonald’s is offering Happy Meals featuring the Animaniacs! These toys are based on the classic Warner Bros. cartoon and include fun, bendable vehicles with soft plastic connectors. A standout toy was the Pinky and the Brain set, which came with a tiny model of the world – perfect for their plans for global domination!

The Flintstones (1994)

The 1994 live-action Flintstones movie isn’t widely remembered now, but it was a massive hit when it came out. It wasn’t just successful in theaters—it led to a huge wave of Flintstones merchandise, including several promotions at McDonald’s. They offered collectible glasses, a Flintstonesthemed McRib sandwich, and these Happy Meal toys. What made the toys special was that each one included not only a Flintstones* car, but also a building, letting kids create a miniature Bedrock town to play in.

Happy Birthday Happy Meal (1994)

No other toy line has included such popular characters as E.T., Sonic the Hedgehog, Cabbage Patch Kids, Muppet Babies, and the Looney Tunes. In 1994, McDonald’s celebrated the 15th anniversary of the Happy Meal by releasing a set featuring all these toys and more. The set included 15 different options—like Barbie, Hot Wheels, Tonka, 101 Dalmatians, The Little Mermaid, Peanuts, Tiny Toon Adventures, and even Ronald McDonald—and all the pieces could be connected to create a large toy train.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995)

In the mid-1990s, Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers toys were incredibly popular and difficult to find. To meet the high demand, McDonald’s offered miniature Power Rangers figures and Zords with their meals when the first Power Rangers movie was released. While you couldn’t combine these toys to create a full Megazord, they were surprisingly detailed for fast food premiums.

Disneyland Adventures (1995)

Disney and McDonald’s collaborated on a series of toys based on Disneyland attractions. Each of the eight car-shaped toys featured a built-in ViewMaster-like viewer that showed a picture of the ride it was inspired by. While Disneyland offers a lot of merchandise, toys based on specific rides are rare, making this collection – including vehicles from the Jungle Cruise, Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin, and Splash Mountain – particularly special.

Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1995)

The McDonald’s Happy Meal tie-in for Batman: The Animated Series likely served as the model for the Spider-Man animated series Happy Meal released two years later. This set included four unique cars – some with rather unusual designs, like a massive, spider-themed Venomobile driven by what looks like Tom Hardy – and four small action figures. The Peter Parker figure is a standout; its arm was swung to make the head flip forward, revealing a Spider-Sense version. I still have that figure in my Spider-Man collection!

Babe (1996)

It’s surprising that Babe, a charming movie not made by Disney, even got a Happy Meal promotion. And it’s even more unexpected that they included cute stuffed farm animals – cows included – with the cheeseburgers. Let’s not think too hard about that, kids, just enjoy your meal!

Muppets Treasure Island (1996)

McDonald’s often included bath toys in their Happy Meals, and while the connection to the movie theme wasn’t always ideal, the toys tied to Muppet Treasure Island were a great fit. A little Kermit with a water-squirting cannon? Absolutely!

101 Dalmatians (1996)

Can you believe that McDonald’s once released a Happy Meal with 101 different toys? It’s true! Back in 1996, to coincide with the release of the live-action movie 101 Dalmatians starring Glenn Close, they included 101 unique little plastic Dalmatian figures. I wonder if anyone actually collected them all – honestly, I’m a little scared to find out!

Teenie Beanie Babies (1997)

During the peak of the Beanie Babies craze in the late 1990s, McDonald’s teamed up with Ty Inc. to include miniature versions called “Teenie Beanies” in their Happy Meals. They were incredibly popular – there were even reports of arguments and fights breaking out at McDonald’s restaurants as customers tried to get them. These little toys ended up being surprisingly valuable, selling for high prices online. While Beanie Babies haven’t been as popular since, McDonald’s has brought back Teenie Beanies several times, most recently in 2017.

Disney Video Favorites (1998)

If you enjoyed a Disney movie from the 1990s, chances are there were Happy Meal toys made for it – think The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, The Rescuers Down Under, and Mulan. McDonald’s also released sets based on Disney’s VHS tapes, offering a mix of characters. The 1998 edition was especially diverse, including everything from Lady and the Tramp and Mickey Mouse to a little Flubber figure. Each toy sat on a base shaped like a VHS tape and would roll when you pushed it. They could even be linked together to form a train, similar to other Happy Meal toys. (That Flubber toy is just memorable!)

Inspector Gadget (1999)

Inspector Gadget is a classic animated series from the 80s and 90s, but surprisingly, there isn’t much original merchandise available. While the Inspector Gadget Happy Meal toy was based on the not-so-great live-action movie with Matthew Broderick, it was still a welcome addition for fans. Instead of a complete toy, each Happy Meal contained a piece of Inspector Gadget – an arm, a leg, or his body – and collectors could assemble the complete Broderick-era Gadget by collecting them all. A complete set usually sells for around $40 to $50 on eBay – it’s not inexpensive, but a reasonable price for a character with a helicopter that pops out of his hat!

Furby (1999)

Furbys were a huge hit in the late 1990s and early 2000s, with tens of millions sold. These toys initially “spoke” a made-up language called Furbish, but were designed to learn English over time. McDonald’s couldn’t include the full-sized, complex Furby in their Happy Meals for under $10, so they offered a wide variety of smaller, colorful mini Furbys instead. They released an incredible 80 different versions! It’s hard to imagine why anyone would need so many, but McDonald’s definitely had them.

2026-02-28 06:29