Game

Pikachu and the rest of the Pokémon will have to wait at least another year to be inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame.

Nearly thirty years ago, Pokémon made its debut in Japan and spawned a best-selling video game series that continues today. Since then, the Pokémon craze has grown to include multiple anime series, movies, collectible card games, toys and more. Pokémon Go was also one of 12 finalists inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame this year. However, Pikachu and his pals were denied induction this year, so they will have to wait until at least 2025.

The National Toy Hall of Fame announced its 2024 inductees, and Pokémon failed to make the cut. But at least Pokémon has good pals. The Choose Your Own Adventure book series, Remote Control Cars, Hershey's Toy Trucks, Trampolines, Apples to Apples and Sequence also failed to make the cut.

Hasbro was the biggest winner, with two of its 1980s toy lines, Transformers and My Little Pony, inducted into this year's Toy Hall of Fame. The Transformers toys debuted in 1984, and the line has been popular for four decades. My Little Pony was originally introduced in 1981 as My Pretty Little Pony and has since become a popular toy line in its own right. My Little Pony was dormant for a few years until its revival in 2003, when it became a success. The card game Phase 10 is the last toy to be inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 2024.

While Pokemon didn't win this year, its continued popularity is astounding. On the Nintendo Switch alone, the Pokemon series has sold 99 million units. The mobile game Pokemon Collectible Card Game Pocket Edition topped 30 million downloads in just one week on the App Store and Google Play. A new version of Pokemon Monopoly will launch this holiday season, and even Pokemon Go remains popular nearly a decade after its release.