On Pokémon Promotional Toys

Recently I saw a picture of a few of my Poké-friends gathering to eat at a globally known chain of fast food restaurants. As I know, this chain once had Pokémon promotional toys on offer, but that was a long time ago, and this specific case is best discussed in its own post to come at a later time. The point is that I enjoy these kinds of toys from fast food chains as much as any toy that features Pokémon; when done right, they really are enjoyable toys.

There are a few things that I favor when it comes to these toys. One is that I like and prefer when the toy comes pre-assembled. It would then be a simple matter to take out the toys and play with them immediately either at the restaurant or once outside. It's not that I dislike toys that need to be assembled; for such toys, I wouldn't take them out immediately to play, rather I would assemble them at home, then play with them. In a similar vein, I like and prefer toys that are composed of as few separate parts (that are not for assembling) as possible, because in that way there are fewer things to keep track and that could be potentially lost. Both of these preferences really tie into the factor of convenience.

As for the toys themselves, I agree with the notion that the toy shouldn't be just a figure. It should be able to do something interesting either mechanically or electronically. In this regard, I prefer the former than the latter, since mechanical toys last pretty much a long time. As with any other electronic toy, such a toy would need a power source, and once that power source goes dead, which could happen in a short time, so goes its concept, which would make me less pleased. Of course, the two could be combined so that once its electronic aspect is no longer active, the mechanical aspect would still provide some value. In any case, this would make the toy more than just a static figure.

I was hoping that when my Poké-friends posted that picture, there would be a new set of Pokémon promotional toys, which turned out not to be the case. Further, some time ago I was informed by a friend that a new set of Pokémon promotional toys was in the works, but nothing ever came out of it, even after being vigilant for a couple of months. Whatever the case, I'm always on the lookout for new sets of promotional toys and I anticipate its design; they remain a collectible interest as Pokémon remains my interest.