BoonsArtCharbroil
G.I. Joe's flamethrower man was called Charbroil. Subtle.
How Many of These 1988 Toys Did You Have?
1988 was a great year to be a kid with no taste. The Ninja Turtles arrived, Dino-Riders strapped soldiers to dinosaurs, and Mattel gave a hamburger a military rank. We picked 25. Did you have them?
The 25 Best Toys From 1988
Good luck. These are our picks for the best toys from 1988: the Turtles, the ghosts and a lot of very rude food. Go through them one at a time and see how many you owned.
Zariganian
With a name like that you'd expect him to be famous. He's a Battle Beast, so no.
Ray Stantz with Jail Jaw Ghost (Fright Features)
Fright Features made him look properly terrified. Not ideal for a Ghostbuster.
Lock Lips
Madballs got bodies, and then the heads popped off. Nobody asked, and we're glad they did.
Slobster
A soggy lobster Boglin. That's all you need to know.
Wolfbeast with Miles Mayhem
One vehicle that split into two. Miles Mayhem did nothing by halves, except this.
Barracuda with Bruno Sheppard
A vehicle that came apart, driven by the least scary name in VENOM.
Col. Stingray Johnson
Colonel Stingray Johnson. The best name on telly that year.
Zarwolf
A robot wolf you built yourself. Who needed a dog?
Shadow Bandit
Starcom's third year, and the Shadow Force still had the best names.
Grumblerumbleosus (A Tummyache)
A tummyache you could own. We have nothing to add.
Burgerdier General
A hamburger with a military rank. Burgerdier General. We'll wait.
Rocksteady
A mutant rhino with a manhole cover for a shield. Best idea of 1988.
Leonardo
Two swords, and the only Turtle who did as he was told.
Triceratops with Hammerhead and Sidewinder
A triceratops with tiny soldiers strapped to it. Your bedroom floor was now a war.
Tyrannosaurus Rex with Krulos, Bitor, and Cobrus
A T. rex with three villains on its back. Your other toys never stood a chance.
Highway Haunter
A car that turned into a ghost. Good luck with the insurance.
Brain Blaster Ghost
Push him along and four tiny brain ghosts pop up, then explode. Lovely.
Louie the Plumber
A crook called Louie the Plumber. That's the whole character.
Bass Player
A raisin playing bass, from a Post Raisin Bran promotion. Marketing was different then.
Quickswitch
Six different modes. Six. You used two.
Darkwing with Throttle
Plug in the tiny engine and he could transform. Lose it and he couldn't. You lost it.
Fly Sailor
A fly who's also a sailor. Zero further questions.
Blizzard
G.I. Joe's arctic man. Hard to spot in snow, easy to spot on your carpet.
Imp
A small Cobra vehicle almost nobody remembers. You might be the exception.
Toys from 1988
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Toys from 1988 FAQs
- What toys came out in 1988?
- This list runs from the first Playmates Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Dino-Riders, Food Fighters, GERMS and the California Raisins. These 25 are our picks, not every toy from the year.
- When did Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toys come out?
- Playmates made the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figures in 1988. Leonardo and Rocksteady on this list are from that first year.
- How do the stickers work?
- Go through the list and say which toys you had. 3 earns Bronze, 7 earns Silver, 13 earns Gold, 20 earns Platinum.
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