Alongside the Barbie doll, Lego bricks and the Rubik’s Cube are among the best toys of all time, according to Hamleys.

The toy store made a ‘hero’ list with the help of industry buyers to mark its 265th birthday and included toys that had cultural impact, enduring popularity and historical significance.

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It said Lego – released in 1958 – is ‘timeless, creative, and a global phenomenon’, noting it has inspired films and theme parks.

More than 500 million Rubik’s Cubes have been sold since 1974, making it the world’s best-selling puzzle toy. And the store said over one billion Barbies had been sold since the doll’s release in 1959, making it a ‘pop culture icon’ across the decades.

Monopoly, the Tamagotchi virtual pet, the Nintendo Game Boy and the Furby also made the list.

Hamleys said ‘eternal classics’ such as the hula hoop, spinning tops and marbles are still bought today, despite them being among the first toys sold when William Hamley opened the store doors in 1760.

Senior Hamleys buyer Karen Dennett said: ‘I remember me and my brother both getting a Rubik’s Cube for Christmas. He solved it super quick, but I was nowhere near solving it, so I remember peeling the coloured stickers off to allow me to look like I had managed it.

‘You can never underestimate the power of togetherness created around some of the big sellers – those toys that bring people of all ages together. Monopoly would be nothing without the competitive family battles that emerge. We also mustn’t forget that simplicity is often key – the joy of cuddling a doll or storytelling with an action figure.’