A 1997 antitrust lawsuit filed by a majority of state governments inspired toymakers Mattel, Hasbro and Little Tykes to get into the spirit of Christmas as they agreed to donate millions of dollars worth of toys to needy children across the country, the Associated Press reports.

Now Mattel will go further into the spirit of Christmas, as complaints about the age and incompleteness of the toys it donated as part of the settlement prompt the company to ship $4 million in new toys.

To settle their part of the case -- which alleged collusion between the manufacturers and Toys R Us to keep out discount retailers -- the three companies agreed to donate toys for three holiday seasons.

This season, however, Mattel's toys didn't put smiles on the faces of state officials, AP reports. Among the toys were hundreds of Hot Wheels collector cases -- without cars -- and dolls from the movie "Beauty and the Beast," which came out before some of the children were born.

Describing the toys as "junk," Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch said Mattel deserved "a little charcoal in their public-relations stocking," AP reports.

Mattel spokesman Glenn Bozarth, who could not be reached by the AP for immediate comment, said earlier in the week that the first toys had been set aside last year for the toy donation program, but that the company had been asked to wait before shipping them.

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