There were three major kids crazes over the course of the '90s: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (actually started around 1988), followed by Power Rangers around the middle of the decade, and finally Pokemon beginning in the fall of 1998 and continuing into the very early 2000s. To this day, all three are still franchises that are producing new material (Ninja Turtles had a second wave in the mid-late 2000s, and is about to start another round; Power Rangers has rebounded recently after briefly going off the air, and Pokemon continues to draw new fans even if not as "big" during its "fad heyday". Now, the big decision is here: Which of these three kids crazes were the biggest during their heyday in the '90s?

I'm going to say Power Rangers must be the most successful, at least, as it's still on and they made like 6 different spin-off's of the franchise that my 9 year old daughter watches overandoverandoverandoverandover.

You missed other:  Michael Jackson :P

Wasn't he a Ninja Turtle?  :D

My own heart (and wallet, judging from the quarters I pumped into it) says TMNT, but I'm old enough to tip my hat to Pokemon, who made way more off the franchise in terms of both trading card and video gaming than TMNT ever did, or could have.

Pokemon brought the right license, right graphics, right gameplay, on the right hardware, at the right time.  *click*, gotta catch 'em all.

You missed other:  Michael Jackson :P


Michael Jackson was a fad in the mid 80's not the 90's the 90's was the start of his declination.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Well, this happens to be a topic I know quite a bit about, as I went through all three of these firsthand. First off, I would establish the parameters for the "peak" of each fad as: TMNT (1988-1993), Power Rangers (1994-1997), and Pokemon (1998-2002).

Of the three, Power Rangers had the shortest run on top of the heap, but it burned brightly during those three years with two movies, countless video games, and record toy sales. The Turtles had a longer run, dominating most of the late 80's/early 90's and producing three major motion pictures, as well as the same level of video game and toy line saturation as Power Rangers. Still, I went with Pokemon because, even after 15 years, it's not that much less relevant today than it was during the height of it's popularity. Also I'd guess that Pokemon is probably bigger internationally, and it's video game series is one of the biggest sellers of all time in terms of total units moved.

I have to be honest, the only fad I liked out of the three was Pokemon, and even then I only liked it for about a year.

I hated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I remember my cousin had those toys and I frowned when I saw them sitting there on the shelf. ;\ He was way too old to be liking that kind of show in my opinion. My sister was okay with TMNT, but I couldn't get into it for some reason.

However, my sister and I both disliked Power Rangers too. I remember kids pretending to be Power Rangers on the playground but we were never amused. I was more into Sailor Moon at the time. Everyday my friends and I would pretend to be Sailor Scouts. XD

Pokemon was the biggest. Not only the show was popular but the games, the movies, the comic books, the cards. Pokemon was everywhere in the late 90s/early 00s. You commonly saw fast food restaurants trying to capitalize on it. Remember Burger King and the pokeballs with the golden Pokemon card?
http://www.celestialdamnation.com/awesomedeadfishies/albums/userpics/10001/normal_BKPokeballs.jpg
Not only this but there were also well known competing shows. TMNT and The Power Rangers never had direct competition from other shows whereas Pokemon had rivals. The rivals were Digimon and to a lesser extent Monster Rancher. Fan fics were also huge.

Definitely Pokemon. The others didn't even hold a candle to it then, and neither has held up with time like Pokemon has (though, admittedly, its peak of popularity was from roughly 1999 to 2001).

At least you didn't mention Digimon. Whatever happened to that?

Ninja Turtles, yo!

Ninja Turtles, yo!


They even had their own video game too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntLw932TG5E

It's interesting to me that Pokemon is considered a staple for 90s children, as it's something I actually associate with the whole turn of the millennium period. I remember Pokemon was at the VERY peak of it's popularity in late '99/early '00, transcending the millennial divide.

I don't think it was popular in the U.S. until early '99, was it? I feel like that's when I started hearing about it. My brother bought pokemon red in probably March, and I remember starting to collect the cards sometime around the Fall. I believe that's also when Burger King had the toys. Then of course the cards, tv show, games, merchandise, etc. continued to be popular throughout 2000. I think, while still popular, it really started to lose steam after they introduced the new generation of Pokemon beyond the original 151 and a bunch of us didn't want to bother learning all the new ones :P

But yeah, Pokemon was basically my 3rd grade year. 2nd grade it was all about Professional Wrestling and Crazy Bones. 4th grade was my Lego renaissance when they came out with the new Knights Kingdom and the Life on Mars themes...

ooh the memories...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_bxExkZEyA

Power Rangers video game(SNES)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeyTf_anJqk

Pokemon (Gameboy Color)

I only say Pokémon because there was so much money, effort, and time involved in it. And I would never trade it back!

All big names in the 90's but I feel that when I was a kid Pokémon ruled the playgrounds, TMNT would be second choice though.

I was a baby during the TMNT craze so I don't really remember it (though my family did have the movie on VHS). I remember the Power Rangers craze during the mid 90's (thanks to a younger sibling who was so into it, it got pretty huge in my household), but I DEFINITELY remember the Pokemon phenomenon of the late 90's and that was the one I was into the most. I was so into Pokemon during that time and so were all my peers. I remember watching the show on Kids' WB!, playing Pokemon Stadium on N64 with friends I had in my old neighborhood, pretending to play Pokemon in school with friends, my mom buying me first edition Pokemon collectors card on QVC (which I haven't seen in years and still have around somewhere...), watching Pokemon: The First Movie on VHS, etc. So I'll have to give it up to Pokemon. For people around my age, it was huge from 1998-2001.

pokemon  got my attention.  I was 8 in 1990

And I believe all 3 of them had films.

Yep. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 1990, Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: The Movie in 1995 and Pokemon: The First Movie in 1998 (1999 in the US).

Pokemon was HUGE at my school. I was one of the rare kids who never really got into it though. Power Rangers was pretty big too, but I think kids grew out of that quicker (plus the million different incarnations became hard to keep up with). TMNT was my personal favorite of the three, even though I was only 2 when the first movie came out. I watched the original animated series on VHS and TV.

I'm sorry for bumping this, but I wanted to put in my answer. To me, the biggest one was Pokemon because it was everywhere. I remember the toys, cards, video games, movies, and the anime. At burger king, they had the pokeballs as the toys in which I got and I kept throwing it as Ash would when he unleashes his other pokemon. I even had a few of the pokemon toys, but i dont have them anymore. I watched the first movie where they had Pikachu's vacation and it was enjoyable. It was also very sad how Ash was turned into stone by Mewtwo as all he wanted was the pokemon to stop fighting and they didnt listen. I was happy he came back to life as that was a scary moment for me and lots of other kids. I even the watched the next 2 movies and I can say the second one was good, but the third one I dont remember if it was good or not. I also had a pokemon game for gameboy color called Pokemon Pinball and I just kept dying; however, i did unlock a few pokemon and it was one of the best moments to me. I remember seeing the training cards on TV and I think I had a pack, but i'm not sure. As for the anime, I watched it everyday on Cartoon Network and Kids WB it was a classic especially the first 2 seasons. Not only that, I remember hearing the opening theme song of the first season and it so fun and catchy. Last, I also listened to the Poke-rap where it had Team Rocket's blast off song, a song about all of the original pokemon, another one about ash and pikachu's friendship and other songs.

I loved TMNT. It was everywhere in the late 80's/early 90's.

I loved TMNT. It was everywhere in the late 80's/early 90's.


I remember Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqzYh0tAgo4

It's a toss up between Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers. I loved both! Kids would bring their Turtles toys to the playground in the earlier 90's and when Power Rangers got big, they'd play that instead. I never noticed Pokemon being popular at school. I hear alot about it these days with teenagers who play the cards and collect the toys.

Pokemon because it had hundreds of videogames, movies, cartoon seasons, toys, etc. It's still very popular among kids.

I remember Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqzYh0tAgo4


I loved me some TMNT back in the day, but just seeing someone else play that game brings back some childhood nightmares.

Well, considering that the theme song of the tv series made it to the Top 2000 this year, I'd say... Pokémon has to be the biggest!  ;D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQTfX3idMhs

Pokémon crossed gender barriers more than the other two and has consistently continued to be one of the most successful handheld franchises, even after Pokémania.  The Turtles were gigantic in the late 80s and early 90s, but they've had long off-periods, with some interest revived, first, in the mid-late 2000s with the 2003 cartoon and eventually the CGI film, and second, in the mid 2010s thanks to the Nickelodeon cartoon and live action Michael Bay movie.  Power Rangers run a distant third, not having been truly successful since the mid-90s, despite some revivals.

TMNT, Pokemon, then Power Rangers. Hey I was a Pokemon kid but I've got to give it to 1987 TMNT. But man this was tough!

The Turtles were gigantic in the late 80s and early 90s, but they've had long off-periods, with some interest revived, first, in the mid-late 2000s with the 2003 cartoon and eventually the CGI film, and second, in the mid 2010s thanks to the Nickelodeon cartoon and live action Michael Bay movie.  Power Rangers run a distant third, not having been truly successful since the mid-90s, despite some revivals.


Yeah, for TMNT I have some nostalgia for the 2003 version, which I watched on Cartoon Network a lot as a kid. I'd used to watch Power Rangers Dino Thunder on Jetix back in 2004-2005.

TMNT, Pokemon, then Power Rangers. Hey I was a Pokemon kid but I've got to give it to 1987 TMNT. But man this was tough!


I was somewhat of a TMNT fan during the late 80's.

I am not sure how you could say which one of these was biggest being that they didn't overlap and each basically ruled their era.  From my personal memory, they were all three about equally as big.

I am not sure how you could say which one of these was biggest being that they didn't overlap and each basically ruled their era.  From my personal memory, they were all three about equally as big.


TMNT was still on the air until around the end of Power Rangers' Zeo, and then The Next Mutation during the later part of Turbo. You still had reruns of the original movies until around 1995, as well as the toyline continuing through TNM. It wasn't nearly as popular after '93 though compared to 1989-92.

You can say the same with Power Rangers with Pokemon arriving on the scene towards the end of In Space, peaking during Lost Galaxy and Lightspeed Rescue, and petering out around Time Force. Power Rangers was still "there" with a smaller but loyal follower of fans, but it was no longer a big player in sales like it was from late 1993-early 1997.

I voted for Pokemon since at its very height (the second half of 1999), you couldn't avoid a presence of its merchandise even more so than TMNT's absolute peak from spring 1990-spring 1991. Power Rangers meanwhile had more trends to compete during its very peak from around spring 1994 up until summer 1995: Pogs, late 16-bit era video games like Sonic 3/Donkey Kong Country/Super Metroid, Spider-Man, Animaniacs, The Lion King, All That, revamped classics like Spider-Man, X-Men, and more.

TMNT was well past its peak by the time Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was in its prime.  You can say the same thing about Power Rangers (which is actually still on today) during the Pokemon era.  By 1999-00 when Pokemon was in its prime, Power Rangers was a mere shadow of what it once was.

Either TMNT, or Pokémon. Power Rangers was more popular with kids under 9. Pokémon had teenage followers. I was too young for TMNT, so I have no comment on it.

Either TMNT, or Pokémon. Power Rangers was more popular with kids under 9. Pokémon had teenage followers. I was too young for TMNT, so I have no comment on it.


TMNT lasted from 1987-1996. Is it the show you can't remember or the fads/toys?

TMNT lasted from 1987-1996. Is it the show you can't remember or the fads/toys?


I remember now. I didn't watch TMNT much, so I don't know much about it, or remember the show that much.

Yeah, once kids turned 8, or 9, they didn't watch much Power Rangers anymore.

Yeah, once kids turned 8, or 9, they didn't watch much Power Rangers anymore.



Yup you're right. Lost Galaxy until Dino Thunder I was a MEGA Power Rangers fan after Dino Thunder my interest begun to decline. I watched SPD(2005) a little bit, but NO LONGER kept up with it on a regular basis! I started watching reruns of Mighty Morhpin-Zeo on Jetix.

School year wise this how it probably hold up:

TMNT Era
1988-1989
1989-1990
1990-1991 - Absolute Peak
1991-1992
1992-1993

Power Rangers Era
1993-1994
1994-1995
1995-1996 - Absolute Peak
1996-1997
1997-1998

Pokemon Era
1998-1999
1999-2000 - Absolute Peak
2000-2001
2001-2002
2002-2003

Now TMNT had to compete with other classic late 80's/early 90's shows like Captain N and The Real Ghostbusters

Power Rangers had to compete with mid 90's shows like Gargoyles and Swat Kats

Pokemon had to compete with late 90's/early 00's shows like Digimon and YuGiOh

Yeah, once kids turned 8, or 9, they didn't watch much Power Rangers anymore.


I would say more like 11 or 12, during the peak of the fad. Zeo was more mature with more complex story arcs than the original MMPR, obviously targeting the original fans who were then preteens. Later on the audience skewed younger.  With that said, I didn't know anybody past age 12 however who still watched Power Rangers.  Pokemon on the other hand, as has been said, did have teenage fans.  I myself wasn't into it but I had several classmates in 8th grade that were.

One thing TMNT has going for it is it had three live-action feature films.  Power Rangers had two, one successful and the second was a huge flop.  Pokemon only had one if I am remembering right.

I would say more like 11 or 12, during the peak of the fad. Zeo was more mature with more complex story arcs than the original MMPR, obviously targeting the original fans who were then preteens. Later on the audience skewed younger.  With that said, I didn't know anybody past age 12 however who still watched Power Rangers.  Pokemon on the other hand, as has been said, did have teenage fans.  I myself wasn't into it but I had several classmates in 8th grade that were.

One thing TMNT has going for it is it had three live-action feature films.  Power Rangers had two, one successful and the second was a huge flop.  Pokemon only had one if I am remembering right.


I was only 7, or 8, at the peak of the Power Rangers fad. So I only knew kids my age then (age 8, and under). So my perspective may be skewed.

Yeah, once kids turned 8, or 9, they didn't watch much Power Rangers anymore.



What were they watching?

I would say more like 11 or 12, during the peak of the fad. Zeo was more mature with more complex story arcs than the original MMPR, obviously targeting the original fans who were then preteens. Later on the audience skewed younger.  With that said, I didn't know anybody past age 12 however who still watched Power Rangers.  Pokemon on the other hand, as has been said, did have teenage fans.  I myself wasn't into it but I had several classmates in 8th grade that were.

One thing TMNT has going for it is it had three live-action feature films.  Power Rangers had two, one successful and the second was a huge flop.  Pokemon only had one if I am remembering right.


Pokemon has by far the most films with 17 so far, more than even the number of Star Trek, Star Wars, Batman, and Friday the 13th movies! The First Movie (Mewtwo Strikes Back) and 2000 were by far the most popular though occurring during the fad's peak, but there have been over a dozen Pokemon films. You also had The Spell of the Unknown and Pokemon 4ever in the later stages of its heyday (IMO the last film to really make media noise), followed by Pokemon Heroes to round out G1. G2 (The Advanced Generation) has Jirachi Wishmaker, Destiny Dexoys, Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, and Pokemon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea. The third generation (Diamond and Pearl) has The Rise of Darkrai, Giratina and the Sky Warrior, Arceus and the Jewel of Life, and Zoroark: Master of Illusions. More recent films include Kyurem vs. the Sword of Justice, Genesect and the Legend Awakened, the Victini dual releases, and the latest film, Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction. TMNT however is about to release its sixth movie next summer, and Power Rangers is going to have its first movie since Turbo as well.

You also had The Spell of the Unknown and Pokemon 4ever in the later stages of its heyday (IMO the last film to really make media noise), followed by Pokemon Heroes to round out G1. G2 (The Advanced Generation) has Jirachi Wishmaker, Destiny Dexoys, Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, and Pokemon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea. The third generation (Diamond and Pearl) has The Rise of Darkrai, Giratina and the Sky Warrior, Arceus and the Jewel of Life, and Zoroark: Master of Illusions.


See this is what confuses me about the peak of Pokemon. It's from 1998-2001 if you say that Yu-Gi-Oh took over in popularity in late 2001, but I wouldn't be surprised if from late 2001-2003 there were a bunch of Pokemon and Yu-G-Oh debates by elementary and middle school kids. However, Generation 1 Pokemon was Indigo League through Master Quest when it was Ash, Misty, and Brock together which lasted from 1998 until 2003. So I don't know if you go by the games/cards as the peak of Pokemon, or Generation 1 of the TV show. It's debatable.

See this is what confuses me about the peak of Pokemon. It's from 1998-2001 if you say that Yu-Gi-Oh took over in popularity in late 2001, but I wouldn't be surprised if from late 2001-2003 there were a bunch of Pokemon and Yu-G-Oh debates by elementary and middle school kids. However, Generation 1 Pokemon was Indigo League through Master Quest when it was Ash, Misty, and Brock together which lasted from 1998 until 2003. So I don't know if you go by the games/cards as the peak of Pokemon, or Generation 1 of the TV show. It's debatable.


Going by my personal memories when I was in pre school and preK the debates were between Pokemon and Digimon. When I was in Kindergarten, First, & Second grade the debates were between Pokemon and YuGiOh

Going by my personal memories when I was in pre school and preK the debates were between Pokemon and Digimon. When I was in Kindergarten, First, & Second grade the debates were between Pokemon and YuGiOh


Digimon was on FOX Kids and Pokemon was on Kids WB (duh), and by that point Fox Kids was no longer in its prime while Kids WB was the most popular Saturday morning cartoon station. Pokemon beats Digimon by a landslide and it's not even close.  Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokemon were on Kids WB together, which gave the two series a lot more competition. My point is that I notice how some people believe that as soon as Yu-Gi-Oh got big in late 2001, it was just Yu-Gi-Oh that was the popular card game or show and Pokemon was no longer in its prime anymore. No, that's not true. I'm pretty sure that there were TONS of Pokemon vs. Yu-Gi-Oh debates throughout the cultural early 2000's and people had different tastes on which game or show was the best. Maybe it wasn't Pokemania anymore, or the Pokemon BOOM I'd should say from the late 90's, but Pokemon was still in its golden age since it was still 1st generation. As long as Ash, Misty, and Brock were together regardless of whether Yu-Gi-Oh was around yet or not, it was still the peak of Pokemon in my book. Once Master Quest ended and the Advanced generation began in late 2003, that's when the peak of Pokemon truly came to an end IMO.

See this is what confuses me about the peak of Pokemon. It's from 1998-2001 if you say that Yu-Gi-Oh took over in popularity in late 2001, but I wouldn't be surprised if from late 2001-2003 there were a bunch of Pokemon and Yu-G-Oh debates by elementary and middle school kids. However, Generation 1 Pokemon was Indigo League through Master Quest when it was Ash, Misty, and Brock together which lasted from 1998 until 2003. So I don't know if you go by the games/cards as the peak of Pokemon, or Generation 1 of the TV show. It's debatable.

Yu gi Oh was more popular than Digimon in late 2001, but Yu gi Oh wasn't more popular than Pokemon until 2002. At least where I lived. ;)

Going by my personal memories when I was in pre school and preK the debates were between Pokemon and Digimon. When I was in Kindergarten, First, & Second grade the debates were between Pokemon and YuGiOh

For me, Preschool-Kindergarten it was Pokemon vs Digimon, 1st grade-2nd grade it was Pokemon vs Yu gi oh! :D  Man those were crazy!

Digimon was on FOX Kids and Pokemon was on Kids WB (duh), and by that point Fox Kids was no longer in its prime while Kids WB was the most popular Saturday morning cartoon station. Pokemon beats Digimon by a landslide and it's not even close.  Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokemon were on Kids WB together, which gave the two series a lot more competition. My point is that I notice how some people believe that as soon as Yu-Gi-Oh got big in late 2001, it was just Yu-Gi-Oh that was the popular card game or show and Pokemon was no longer in its prime anymore. No, that's not true. I'm pretty sure that there were TONS of Pokemon vs. Yu-Gi-Oh debates throughout the cultural early 2000's and people had different tastes on which game or show was the best. Maybe it wasn't Pokemania anymore, or the Pokemon BOOM I'd should say from the late 90's, but Pokemon was still in its golden age since it was still 1st generation. As long as Ash, Misty, and Brock were together regardless of whether Yu-Gi-Oh was around yet or not, it was still the peak of Pokemon in my book. Once Master Quest ended and the Advanced generation began in late 2003, that's when the peak of Pokemon truly came to an end IMO.


I agree 100%

I think that Power Rangers probably had the shortest peak of the three shows. I was always inclined to say that MMPR peaked during the Summer of 1995, when the movie came out, but I'm actually beginning to believe that the show's "absolute peak" may have come in 1994. The truth is that by 1995 there were already signs that the massive popularity of Power Rangers had already crested. For example, the iconic '95 feature film actually under performed somewhat at the box office compared to expectations, only managing to debut in 4th place. I also distinctly remember MMPR toys being a bit easier to find during the '95 holiday season when compared to 1994 when parents were literally fighting over them. It was also in early 1994 that MMPR briefly passed The Oprah Winfrey Show as the highest rated daytime series in the country.

Comparatively, TMNT's absolute peak could be argued to be as long as three years (1989-92), with it only becoming clear that the series was losing steam in 1993 after the third film flopped, while Pokemon had a good two year run (1999-2001) where it was undisputed at it's absolute peak.

I think that Power Rangers probably had the shortest peak of the three shows. I was always inclined to say that MMPR peaked during the Summer of 1995, when the movie came out, but I'm actually beginning to believe that the show's "absolute peak" may have come in 1994. The truth is that by 1995 there were already signs that the massive popularity of Power Rangers had already crested. For example, the iconic '95 feature film actually under performed somewhat at the box office compared to expectations, only managing to debut in 4th place. I also distinctly remember MMPR toys being a bit easier to find during the '95 holiday season when compared to 1994 when parents were literally fighting over them. It was also in early 1994 that MMPR briefly passed The Oprah Winfrey Show as the highest rated daytime series in the country.

Comparatively, TMNT's absolute peak could be argued to be as long as three years (1989-92), with it only becoming clear that the series was losing steam in 1993 after the third film flopped, while Pokemon had a good two year run (1999-2001) where it was undisputed at it's absolute peak.


I agree that Power Rangers peaked in 1994/1995. Definitely.

What were they watching?


Pokémon!  :D

Hmm.
I would say at their respective heights, Power Rangers and Pokemon were probably just as big. But Pokemon gets the edge because it never went out of style.

Pokemon has by far the most films with 17 so far, more than even the number of Star Trek, Star Wars, Batman, and Friday the 13th movies! The First Movie (Mewtwo Strikes Back) and 2000 were by far the most popular though occurring during the fad's peak, but there have been over a dozen Pokemon films. You also had The Spell of the Unknown and Pokemon 4ever in the later stages of its heyday (IMO the last film to really make media noise), followed by Pokemon Heroes to round out G1. G2 (The Advanced Generation) has Jirachi Wishmaker, Destiny Dexoys, Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, and Pokemon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea. The third generation (Diamond and Pearl) has The Rise of Darkrai, Giratina and the Sky Warrior, Arceus and the Jewel of Life, and Zoroark: Master of Illusions. More recent films include Kyurem vs. the Sword of Justice, Genesect and the Legend Awakened, the Victini dual releases, and the latest film, Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction. TMNT however is about to release its sixth movie next summer, and Power Rangers is going to have its first movie since Turbo as well.


How many actually were shown in theaters?  I don't count straight-to-DVD movies.

Hmm.
I would say at their respective heights, Power Rangers and Pokemon were probably just as big. But Pokemon gets the edge because it never went out of style.


Yeah Pokemon has kept a cult following long after the hysteria died down.

Somehow Power Rangers is still on, but I have no idea who is watching it.  Do today's kids still like Power Rangers?

Oh man the Digimon vs Pokémon debates in 1999-2001 (Grades 2 to 4 for me) bring back so many memories.

In the late 90s (1997-99) I remember my life being consumed by Power Rangers Turbo and later the one in space (can't remember the name). I would wake up at 7:30AM every Saturday to watch the new episodes.  I even bought the N64 video game and a lot of the toys. Of course I was in my diapers  for the peak in 94/95 and have no recollection of that, but I can guarantee it was still popular in the late 90s. Pokémon came along in 1998 or thereabouts and it was huge in that EVERYONE was in on it. Digimon was also popular in 1999. In Canada they were on the same TV channel (YTV) and Digimon came on at 5:00 and Pokémon at 5:30. If you were outside at 5 o'clock, the playground would be abandoned LOL

Dragonball Z was also huge, almost as big as Pokémon, but it was night time show so I don't think it really competed with these daytime shows.

TMNT always felt like a TV show for preteens and teens to me. I thought it was an 80s show for the longest time, it just looks so dated. Definitely not popular in the late 90s.

To be fair, those three franchises were popular in their eras during the 90s.

Early 90s = TMNT
Mid 90s = Power Rangers
Late 90s = Pokemon

To be fair, those three franchises were popular in their eras during the 90s.

Early 90s = TMNT
Mid 90s = Power Rangers
Late 90s = Pokemon


What came before TMNT and after Pokemon?

What came before TMNT and after Pokemon?


Late ‘80s = The Real Ghostbusters
Early ‘90s = Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Mid-Late ‘90s = Power Rangers
Y2K Era (Very Early 2000s)= Pokèmon
Second Half of the Early 2000s = Spongebob Squarepants/Yu-Gi-Oh trading cards

When was He-Man?

When was He-Man?


Mid ‘80s.

Mid ‘80s.
O0

Pokemon, because it's longevity beats TMNT and Power Rangers.

Pokemon, because it's longevity beats TMNT and Power Rangers.


Pokèmon Cards were released in the last month of 1998. The craze happened in the 21st century.

The Power Ranges are always gonna be big to me. I have found old family pictures and a lot of Pictures from Christmas 1994 show me getting a lot of Power Rangers merchandise. From clothes, Black power ranger doll, Poster & Action figurers.

When was He-Man?


around 1984-1985.

Power Rangers and Pokemon were the biggest

Late ‘80s = The Real Ghostbusters
Early ‘90s = Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Mid-Late ‘90s = Power Rangers
Y2K Era (Very Early 2000s)= Pokèmon
Second Half of the Early 2000s = Spongebob Squarepants
Mid 2000s = Yu-Gi-Oh


Yu-Gi-Oh! was definitely more early 2000s, especially the 2002-2003 school year, in particular. It still existed in the mid-2000s, but it was definitely not in its mania stage anymore.

Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh was definitely big fall throughout elementary school  during the time I was living in Queens. Pokemon was certainly at its height in 99-01 school year but the fandom stayed  strong throughout  time. There were plenty of older kids who quit pokemon after Gold and Sliver (late 80s and early 90s borns) but us mid 90s borns kept the fandom strong when it was at its lowest point in the 2003-04 school year. I remember not a lot of people were excited about hoenn but you still had kids who played Ruby and sapphire on their Game Boy advance. Yu-Gi-Oh died frim my experience around late 2005. I still remember the final episode when Yu gi battled kiba one last time.  Now  at 21 we're considered legends in the pokemon community, but back in the day we'll get bashed for being only toddlers when the indigo leauge was aring.

Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh was definitely big fall throughout elementary school  during the time I was living in Queens. Pokemon was certainly at its height in 99-01 school year but the fandom stayed  strong throughout  time. There were plenty of older kids who quit pokemon after Gold and Sliver (late 80s and early 90s borns) but us mid 90s borns kept the fandom strong when it was at its lowest point in the 2003-04 school year. I remember not a lot of people were excited about hoenn but you still had kids who played Ruby and sapphire on their Game Boy advance. Yu-Gi-Oh died frim my experience around late 2005. I still remember the final episode when Yu gi battled kiba one last time.  Now  at 21 we're considered legends in the pokemon community, but back in the day we'll get bashed for being only toddlers when the indigo leauge was aring.


I quit after Silver lol

Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh was definitely big fall throughout elementary school  during the time I was living in Queens. Pokemon was certainly at its height in 99-01 school year but the fandom stayed  strong throughout  time. There were plenty of older kids who quit pokemon after Gold and Sliver (late 80s and early 90s borns) but us mid 90s borns kept the fandom strong when it was at its lowest point in the 2003-04 school year. I remember not a lot of people were excited about hoenn but you still had kids who played Ruby and sapphire on their Game Boy advance. Yu-Gi-Oh died frim my experience around late 2005. I still remember the final episode when Yu gi battled kiba one last time.  Now  at 21 we're considered legends in the pokemon community, but back in the day we'll get bashed for being only toddlers when the indigo leauge was aring.


Yugioh did have a fandom ( hell there was even a movie in 2004)

The mania did not quite Match Pokemon mania or Power Rangers Mania

Yeah, for TMNT I have some nostalgia for the 2003 version, which I watched on Cartoon Network a lot as a kid. I'd used to watch Power Rangers Dino Thunder on Jetix back in 2004-2005.


he means MMPR

The show fell off After Lost Galaxy

I think that Power Rangers probably had the shortest peak of the three shows. I was always inclined to say that MMPR peaked during the Summer of 1995, when the movie came out, but I'm actually beginning to believe that the show's "absolute peak" may have come in 1994. The truth is that by 1995 there were already signs that the massive popularity of Power Rangers had already crested. For example, the iconic '95 feature film actually under performed somewhat at the box office compared to expectations, only managing to debut in 4th place. I also distinctly remember MMPR toys being a bit easier to find during the '95 holiday season when compared to 1994 when parents were literally fighting over them. It was also in early 1994 that MMPR briefly passed The Oprah Winfrey Show as the highest rated daytime series in the country.

Comparatively, TMNT's absolute peak could be argued to be as long as three years (1989-92), with it only becoming clear that the series was losing steam in 1993 after the third film flopped, while Pokemon had a good two year run (1999-2001) where it was undisputed at it's absolute peak.


as soon as season 3 started my interest was out the window, I popped in here and there and stayed for The ZEO Quest
and saw the first few ep of ZEO which were hyped out the damn window

Pokémon crossed gender barriers more than the other two and has consistently continued to be one of the most successful handheld franchises, even after Pokémania.  The Turtles were gigantic in the late 80s and early 90s, but they've had long off-periods, with some interest revived, first, in the mid-late 2000s with the 2003 cartoon and eventually the CGI film, and second, in the mid 2010s thanks to the Nickelodeon cartoon and live action Michael Bay movie.  Power Rangers run a distant third, not having been truly successful since the mid-90s, despite some revivals.


Power Rangers In Space, Lost Galaxy and Dino Thunder were huge ratings getters

Late ‘80s = The Real Ghostbusters
Early ‘90s = Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Mid-Late ‘90s = Power Rangers
Y2K Era (Very Early 2000s)= Pokèmon
Second Half of the Early 2000s = Spongebob Squarepants/Yu-Gi-Oh trading cards


I agree with the bolded.

I know Pokemon is the one most people choose but it came so late in the 90s. To be honest, the Pokemon fad in the 90s is barely 90s. It was very proto-2000s. And while it wasn't a 90s fad, Magic: The Gathering was more of a 90s card game than Pokemon.

If you argued that TMNT was the biggest fad, I wouldn't really argue with you. Maybe you're right. But I don't remember it being all that big after the early 90s although it's cultural significance has been of "classic" ever since the fad died down.

For me, Power Rangers was the biggest 90s fad. It was not only peak 90s but while most of us 90s kids mainly remembers the original crew, Power Rangers stayed relevant to kids throughout the 90s although the "matured out of this rate" was pretty high. Still, there was no shortage of kids.

I agree with the bolded.

I know Pokemon is the one most people choose but it came so late in the 90s. To be honest, the Pokemon fad in the 90s is barely 90s. It was very proto-2000s. And while it wasn't a 90s fad, Magic: The Gathering was more of a 90s card game than Pokemon.

If you argued that TMNT was the biggest fad, I wouldn't really argue with you. Maybe you're right. But I don't remember it being all that big after the early 90s although it's cultural significance has been of "classic" ever since the fad died down.

For me, Power Rangers was the biggest 90s fad. It was not only peak 90s but while most of us 90s kids mainly remembers the original crew, Power Rangers stayed relevant to kids throughout the 90s although the "matured out of this rate" was pretty high. Still, there was no shortage of kids.


The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles WERE the ‘90s to a lot of people living back then. The first movie still holds up to this day, unlike Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: The Movie and Power Rangers Turbo. Not to mention, Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers jumped the shark before the movie was even in theaters.

Here are some facts.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sales in 1990: $450 million
Power Ranger sales in 1994: $330 million

Shows and Movies We Can Thank Turtlemania For

- Barnyard Commandos (1990)
- Swamp Thing (1990)
- Samurai Pizza Cats (1991)
- Toxic Crusaders (1991)
- SpaceCats (1991)
- The Bucky ‘O Hare TV show (1991)
- Darkwing Duck (1991)
- 3 Ninjas (1992)
- The Adventures of T-Rex (1992)
- Battletoads (1992)
- Wild West C.O.W. Boys of the Moo Mesa (1992)
- Surf Ninjas (1993)
- Stone Protectors (1993)
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (1993)
- Biker Mice from Mars (1993)
- SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron (1993)
- The BOTS Master (1993)
- Avenger Penguins (1993)
- Street Sharks (1994)
- Gargoyles (1994)
- Creepy Crawlers (1994)
- Earthworm Jim (1995)
- Tank Girl (1995)
- The Mighty Ducks (1996)
- Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys (1996)
- Extreme Dinosaurs (1997)
- Road Rovers (1997)
- Mummies Alive! (1997)
- Warriors of Virtue (1997)
- Beverly Hills Ninja (1997)
- Spawn (1997)
- Men In Black (1997)
- Mega Babies (1999)
- Butt Ugly Martians (2001)
- Super Duper Sumos (2002)
- Teen Titans (2003)
- Kung Fu Dino Posse (2009)
- CyBoars web series (2011)

Shows Made for MMPR Fans So Far

- Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad (1994)
- Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters From Beverly Hills (1994)
- VR Troopers (1994)
- Masked Rider (1995)
- Big Bad Beetleborgs (1996)
- Van-Pires (1997)
- Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog (1998)
- Ultraman Tiga (2002)
- Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! (2004)
- Mighty Moshin Emo Rangers (2007)
- Megabot web series (2009)
- The Aquabats! Super Show! (2012)

The problem is many people today mistake the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for being ‘80s pop culture icons because they used surf lingo from the ‘60s and ‘70s (now thought of as “80s slang”) in all three movies and the cartoon.  ;D