2009 comebacks: Hungry Hungry Hippos and G.I. Joe

One of the great things about being a parent is playing with your kids' toys. Or at least reliving your childhood by again playing the games you played as a child.

Hungry Hungry Hippos, which debuted in the 1970s, and G.I. Joe, which has been around since 1964, are making comebacks this year as the parents who played with them as kids are now enjoying them with their own children. Hasbro has a hit with both toys.

My daughter, four, was enthralled by the Hungry Hungry Hippos commercials around Christmas, chanting "Hungry Hungry Hippos" like some sort of monk on Fruity Pebbles. After asking for it every day of December, she was lucky enough to get one from Santa Claus. The game isn't much in the way of strategy, with the main skill being pounding on a lever again and again and again so your hippo eats the most marbles.

If the commercial isn't in your head yet, go find one somewhere online. The TV ads have the neon-colored cartoon hippos dancing in a conga line to the beat of the title. An older theme offered a mini song:

"It's a race, it's a chase, hurry up and feed their face!
Who will win? No one knows! Feed the hungry hip-ip-pos!
Hungry hungry hippos! (open up and there it goes!)"