I Don't Wanna Grow Up, I'm a Toys "R" Kid!

Nothing exudes nostalgia quite like Toys "R" Us.  I'm an adult now, but every time I walk into my local store I am instantly hit with a wave of memories.  The individual toys themselves have changed, but there are still Star Wars actions figures, Lego sets and of course, Pokemon cards.  It's amazing to me that many of the brands of toys I loved as a kid are still going strong.

Mighty Morphin' (Gender Confused) Power Rangers

Power Rangers was an essential staple in the 90s kid's lineup of television shows he or she watched regularly.  Of course I look back on the show now and I chuckle at how I was constantly surprised by what happened on the show.

The Voices Inside Arnold's Football Head

Luke (Phillip Van Dyke) from "Halloweentown" and Arnold (also Van Dyke) from "Hey Arnold!"

It's hard to believe that the d-bag-turned-goblin from the Disney Channel original movie Halloweentown also voice the ultra sensitive, caring and compassionate Arnold from the Nickelodeon classic, "Hey Arnold!" but I assure you it's true.  Now that you know this fact you will not be able to listen to him in Halloweentown without hearing a little bit of Arnold coming through.

Ah-ha-ha Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha (Mandark's Real Name, and other Dexter's Lab Fun Facts)

For those of you who did not grow up watching Dexter's Laboratory please let me offer my sincerest of condolences.  Truly, this masterpiece of the 90s was one of the greatest cartoon series to grace the airwaves of television, taking its place in the hallowed halls of the Cartoon Network's Pantheon of Cartoon Cartoons.

The Voice of the Night

If you haven't seen Batman: The Animated Series then what the heck are you doing here?  Amazon has a good chunk of the series available to stream on their "Prime" service.  Go there now and experience what is arguably the greatest comic-book-based cartoon series to ever grace the airwaves.  Sure the show was made for children, but it still managed to retain the dark and brooding atmosphere of the modern comics. Central to the show's amazing atmosphere were the voice actors.

How Pikachu Became the Face of Pokemon

Editors Note:  I realize that many of you reading this will be Pokemon fans.  This post is mainly written for people who did not board the Pokemon Hype Train until well after the series' humble Gameboy beginnings, so for you Poke-Veterans out there, this post will contain a lot of information you already know.  Please understand.

Pikachu is the face of Pokemon.  People who don't know the name of any other monster, or even the basic plot of the games or TV show know who Pikachu is.  It's easy to see why; he's cute, he's powerful and he's happy.

The original games let players choose Bulbasaur, Squirtle or Charmander as their starter Pokemon, the cute, yellow...er I guess then it was more monochromatic green, mouse was nowhere to be seen. In fact, the game did not let players catch Pikachu until the reached Viridian Forest, about twenty to thirty minutes in to the game.

Pikachu became the face of Pokemon because of the anime based on the games.  The creators of the anime wanted the main character, Ash to have a Pokemon that would appeal to girls as well as boys.  Interestingly, Pikachu was not the first choice for Ash's starter.  Clefairy was the first choice.

Clefairy.

This thing:

The idea was that Clefairy would appeal to female viewers of the show.  The creators eventually ans smartly decided that such a choice would alienate male viewers and so they settle on the more broadly appealing Pikachu.  Thank heavens they did, because if Clefairy had been chosen there is no way I ever would have started watching the show, which means I wouldn't have gotten into the games, which means that I wouldn't have gotten into the cards, which means I would have had more focus as a student and an athlete, and would most likely have finished college sooner, landing a better job and being much richer than I am now.  You know what?  Screw you Pikachu!

Source: didyouknowgaming.com

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Do you like video games from the 90s?  Check out my YouTube Channel  where I post videos exploring the totally rad games of the past! 

For all things 90s related and beyond be sure check out my other blog at www.theninetieskid.com. 

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A Boat and a DInk: Secrets from Doug the Nicktoon

Ah Doug, the first cartoon to air on Nickelodeon.  Not only was it the first in a long line of awesome Nicktoon series it was arguably one of the best.  As a kid who loved to daydream, wear sweater vests and save the world in his underwear, I really identified with the titular character.

Hey Arnold! Origins

Hey Arnold was literally one of the greatest cartoon series that aired during the 90s.  With a cast of actual children providing the voices of the main characters (a first for a Nickelodeon series) and some surprisingly poignant stories filled to the brim with pathos, the show managed to convey a feeling of sincerity and genuineness not found in many other animated TV shows.

But did you know that Arnold himself debuted long before his show would in 1996?  Arnold made his first appearance in an animated claymation short called "Arnold Escapes from Church" which was made way back in 1986 and can be viewed below.

Shortly after his first appearance, Craig Bartlett (Arnold's creator) began making shorts for Sesame Street before finally developing an animated show which was picked up by Nickelodeon.   Pretty crazy to think that the incredibly fleshed-out world of Hey Arnold came from such humble beginnings!

Since I'm feeling particularly generous today, I leave you with one more fun fact for the day.

The man who provided the voice for this guy:

Also provides the voice for this guy:

Source: IMDB.com

If you liked this article be sure to like and/or share it on Facebook, Google +, and Twitter.  Please feel free to follow this blog so you will never miss a Fun Fact of the Day!

Do you like video games from the 90s?  Check out my YouTube Channel  where I post videos exploring the totally rad games of the past! 

For all things 90s related and beyond be sure check out my other blog at www.theninetieskid.com. 

If you like what you read/saw please take a moment to like me on Facebook  and follow me on Twitter!