The drama in this story is predictably attached to Candy Land's new royal family. Molasses Swamp has become the new residence of a monster known only as Gloppy. The Crooked Old Peanut Brittle House, empty for years, is now the home of the kindly Gramma Nutt. The Gumdrop Mountains have a greeter named Jolly, and it is very unclear exactly what Jolly is or does. There is now a keeper of the Peppermint Forest, a clown-like lumberjack named Mr. The Gingerbread Plum Tree is now an orchard overseen by Plumpy, a green Lorax-esque figure. The Legend of the Lost Candy Castle provides some brief backstory on these new characters and where they fit into the world. The new Candy Land figures would go on to be loved by many, but it is important to remember this context. Hasbro found success using this formula with properties like G.I. The deregulation of advertising towards children by Ronald Reagan created an era where children's media became synonymous with the cross-promotional toy commercial.
This controversial update is part of an overall trend with youth marketing in the 1980's. They introduced The Legend of the Lost Candy Castle, a text insert which establishes for the first time both named characters and a plot in the game. Hasbro hired the Landmark Entertainment Group to redesign the classic game with a new narrative.
This is the first edition of Candy Land published by Hasbro after they bought out the Milton Bradley Company and gained the rights to the franchise.