In last weeks Discussion of the Week, we asked you to talk about what you think is the greatest toy ever. We got a bunch of great responses. Here’s a highlight of some of the toys that our members claimed to be the greatest toy ever.
trebleshot
“Transformers G1 Fortress Maximus. Not only is it the largest Transformer ever produced, it also had endless playability with its many accessories and sheer size. Fort Max scaled beautifully with the Minibots and Scramble City toys and bristled with weaponry in all modes. Any collection that has one of these in it is truly impressive.“
ludovicotek
“G.I. Joe was my hands down favorite toy line when I was a kid. The Flagg was a dream come true, but with it being so big and cumbersome you couldn’t take it to a friend’s house. And without any figures it becomes almost pointless. I guess that argument can be applied to any playset or vehicle for the most part. Favorite Joe/Cobra figure would have to be the original Zartan with the color changing skin.“
DrewBlank
“Optimus Prime had a simple transformation and was visually interesting in every mode.
The trailer could be a base for GI Joes, Matchbox cars and 1/72 toy soldiers or be used to haul a GI Transformer in car mode. It was a battle station, a repair bay or an armored cargo crate.
The truck mode played well with transformers, toy cars or little green army men. It could carry cargo to my O-Scale train, or ram Godzilla in the shin until his fist launched off and he died (which is how Godzilla died back then).
The robot was a solid action figure in bright, primary colors. Optimus Prime was John Wayne, Captain America and a Kurosawa samurai with a giant gun and racing stripes. His fists were made for pounding, his smokestacks were machine guns.“
Thanks to all those that participated. Look for the next discussion very shortly.
Discussion Of The Week - Best Single Toy Ever
Transformers G1 Fortress Maximus. Not only is it the largest Transformer ever produced, it also had endless playability with its many accessories and sheer size. Fort Max scaled beautifully with the Minibots and Scramble City toys and bristled with weaponry in all modes. Any collection that has one of these in it is truly impressive.
After that, I'd say G.I.Joe ARAH USS Flagg, much for the same reasons as Fort Max. Loaded with weapons and accessories and scaled to the Joes and smaller vehicles, it was the perfect backdrop for those endless battles with Cobra. Not to mentiont that it was six feet long!
For me, the only reason Fort Max beats the Flagg is that Fort Max can transform x3.
Arguably I would say MP-04, Masterpiece Optimus Prime with trailer, is the greatest. It captures the quintessential essence of G1 Prime. It is at a great scale, detailed perfectly, and has great display and playability. That, along with it's great nostalgia factor, makes it the greatest toy ever made.
Wow. Talk about a hard question. So many come to mind.
G.I. Joe was my hands down favorite toy line when I was a kid. The Flagg was a dream come true, but with it being so big and cumbersome you couldn't take it to a friend's house. And without any figures it becomes almost pointless. I guess that argument can be applied to any playset or vehicle for the most part. Favorite Joe/Cobra figure would have to be the original Zartan with the color changing skin.
I also really loved my GI Soundwave. I would clip him onto my pants when he was in Cassette Player mode and carry him with me everywhere. Without a doubt my favorite Transformer toy.
I also had Lion-O's Sword of Omens. The kid-size version with the light-up feature. I loved playing with that thing.
I also absolutely loved the Batmobile from the Superfriends line. The blue and black version with the yellow headlights. It had some pretty cool features, but without a Batman, not so much.
Boglins!!!!! I had one and for a few months he was permanently attached to my hand. Talk about a weird 80's toy. But so great. Those were definitely the days.
I have to add another:
GI JOE APC AMPHIBIOUS PERSONNEL CARRIER
A pretty simple vehicle. Just a troop transport, really. But I was so cool. And I loved loading up the seats in the back with as many Joes as it could hold. This was my favorite Joe vehicle for some reason. And I often played with it without any figures at all, so I guess I'm a hypocrite.
Ghostbusters Firehouse.
After that, I'd say G.I.Joe ARAH USS Flagg, much for the same reasons as Fort Max. Loaded with weapons and accessories and scaled to the Joes and smaller vehicles, it was the perfect backdrop for those endless battles with Cobra. Not to mentiont that it was six feet long!
For me, the only reason Fort Max beats the Flagg is that Fort Max can transform x3.
I don't think I could pick just a single figure as the best ever yet, (Hasbro get cracking on an X-23 or Drift figure and I might change my mind on that) but Unicron, Primus, and Fortress Maximus do rank up there.
I'd have to say for now though, the mighty lego brick is my top choice. Compatible to all toy lines, and with enough bricks, you could even build stark tower in scale. The only limit to them is your imagination.
That or Animated Shockwave or blitzwing. They are like having several figure in one with high articulation.
Energon SnowCat also ranks up there for being the first land joe vehicle done as a transformer.
The original Snake Eyes from '82. I always wanted it and never got it. I got a repaint like 5 years after I stopped collecting(as a kid, anyway). It's total badassery and though the beloved 84(right?) Snake Eyes is the more accepted look, there is nothing in American toys that is cooler to me than the commando of old.
If we were talking collections, I would have to say the Constructicons. I remember the kids at my school playing cars out in the dirt and I would come out and ask to play... Then surprise them with transformation! And Devastator just rocks so...
Optimus Prime is a close on on the nostalgia and sentimental values...
And if I could claim the Seravee Gundam and Seraphim were one Gundam(they kind of are) I would say they are the greatest toy of all time.. Just too epic for words.
The best toys are the ones you get from quarter machines.
Hmmmm
I think that the Kenner Batman Forever BatCave is one of the largest, coolest things i have ever scene. Huge and you can put your batmobiles, batwing. wow it is cool.
I used to think my Mego Wayne Foundation BatCave was cool, even though it was basically a doll house for guys. Still do but wow that Batcave is cool.
Takatoku Macross 1/55 VF-1 Valkyrie
This toy was a revolution in transforming toys. You compare it to other toys of it's day, and most do not compare. Even compared to transforming jet robot toys of today at mass retail, it has yet to be outclassed in many respects. Aside from the head showing from underneath the fuselage, you cannot even tell that the airplane transforms. You can even overlook the head and might think it's a huge FLIR/laser sensor/camera(which it actually functions as in the anime). The gloss finish, and nice heft add to the worthwhile presentation of this toy.
This toy transformed smoothly into all 3 modes, and was very sturdy and durable. Fairly realistic for it's time, and rereleased just a few times after the original line, as recent as last year.
The mold for the VF-1S Super valkyrie and VE-1 ELINT Seeker versions were borrowed from Bandai and used to make one of the most popular G1 Transformers ever, JETFIRE!. Jetfire used the Super Valkyrie mold with the forward fuselage section of the ELINT Seeker. What you have today is still one of the most revered and sought after Transformers from G1.
Even Classics Jetfire paid homage to the original G1 toy. The 1/55 VF-1 influenced a great many toys, arguably even Animated Starscream which features a very similar transformation and even goes into gerwalk mode(unofficially) in the show! Even Skystalker, from an upcoming wave of the Revenge of The Fallen line does too!
The 1/55 VF-1J went uncontested for years as the best VF-1 toy ever made, it wasn't until 2002 that the closest thing to a modern day equivalent was released, the Yamato 1/48 VF-1. That's a whole 20 years. 2009, 27 years later, and we have yet to find a VF-1 toy that matches the durability of the 1/55 VF-1. The closest thing now is Yamato's V2 1/60 VF-1.
Sure we have found modern VF-1 toys that outdo the accuracy of the 1/55 VF-1, but we have yet to see anything just as durable that can be transformed with as smoothly. That to me, is an achievement that you rarely see in the toy industry.
I think I've had every toy on this list so far (except for the VF-1 Valkyrie) and my vote for best toy ever has to be the original G1 Optimus Prime.
Optimus Prime had a simple transformation and was visually interesting in every mode.
The trailer could be a base for GI Joes, Matchbox cars and 1/72 toy soldiers or be used to haul a GI Transformer in car mode. It was a battle station, a repair bay or an armored cargo crate.
The truck mode played well with transformers, toy cars or little green army men. It could carry cargo to my O-Scale train, or ram Godzilla in the shin until his fist launched off and he died (which is how Godzilla died back then).
The robot was a solid action figure in bright, primary colors. Optimus Prime was John Wayne, Captain America and a Kurosawa samurai with a giant gun and racing stripes. His fists were made for pounding, his smokestacks were machine guns.
If that wasn't enough, he was a robot. If his leg broke off, he would turn into a car and keep driving. When he finally fell apart, even his head had playability - the autobots and decepticons would fight over it to bring new robots to life (usually dollar store knockoffs that turned into slot machines and bats) because that's how he worked in the comic books.
1/55 VF-1S Roy Focker / G1 Jetfire since they're the samething is IMO the best Toy ever. It was a class apart when originally released and still excellent today.
It's hard to top most of what has already been mentioned, but one of the biggest and best toys I had as a kid was the Technodrome playset from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
It was awesome. It was big, it was bad, and it could squash some turtles. Rolling across the hardwood floor, it rumbled just like it did on the show. Did one of the Turtles escape? Send the giant eyeball rolling after him, then open the panels and lock him up in the prison cell inside. While Bebop's recovering in the medical bay, Rocksteady mans the laser cannon. Shredder is plotting revenge and sets his sights on Leonardo in the computer station. A Foot Soldier makes Krang angry, so he gets sent through the trap door, while the Neutrinos fly by the sticker/portal into Dimension X.
All that, and the fold-out pegs that hold up the panels are mechanical feet. Totally radical playset, dude!
It was awesome. It was big, it was bad, and it could squash some turtles. Rolling across the hardwood floor, it rumbled just like it did on the show. Did one of the Turtles escape? Send the giant eyeball rolling after him, then open the panels and lock him up in the prison cell inside. While Bebop's recovering in the medical bay, Rocksteady mans the laser cannon. Shredder is plotting revenge and sets his sights on Leonardo in the computer station. A Foot Soldier makes Krang angry, so he gets sent through the trap door, while the Neutrinos fly by the sticker/portal into Dimension X.
All that, and the fold-out pegs that hold up the panels are mechanical feet. Totally radical playset, dude!
I'm glad that you made me remember it. It easily was my favorite toy as a kid. Used it for everything from turtles to super heroes, to even Morlock tunnels. This playset when combined offered so much versatility with the topside and sewer connectivity. The power lines even gave spidey someplace to web swing!
I'd say the internet is the best toy ever.
It is really hard to pick a Greatest Single Toy Ever, put here are a couple great ones
Major Matt Mason
Growing up in Florida in the 60’s watching the Space Race nothing was cooler than Major Matt Mason and the assorted figures and accessories. The Space Station was one of the largest playsets ever. I played with these toys forever as a kid and I wished I had saved them.
ZOOB
One of the best building toys ever. This award-winning toy line uses 5 different shaped pieces as well as wheels and other custom units to make all sorts of great things. Unlike LEGO which are blocks, ZOOB is much more creative.
for me.
1. USS FLAGG
2. GI JOE Skystriker (XP-14)
I think that the Kenner Batman Forever BatCave is one of the largest, coolest things i have ever scene. Huge and you can put your batmobiles, batwing. wow it is cool.
I used to think my Mego Wayne Foundation BatCave was cool, even though it was basically a doll house for guys. Still do but wow that Batcave is cool.
It has three levels and elevator, Venus flytrap snare device, Batmobile turntable, Zipline between the towers and a lot of play value. Unlike the other tri folding Wayne Manor / Batcave, it has never been reused.
Macross 1/55 VF-1S/G1 Jetfire for older toys, was my favorite as a kid, was way ahead of its time in articulation, and the armor made for great play value. He is extremely solid and could take a beating, he was also huge compared to my other TFs and could easily kick Devastators' ass.
As a modern toy, I would have to say Masterpiece Prime, superior engineering, and they really nailed it.
I've been contemplating this since I put it up. I am torn between the toy line I love (Transformers) and trying to be fair minded about some other great toys. If I had to go the biased route, I would probably say RID Optimus Prime. The overall look, the engineering and the sheer fun I had transforming and posing that figure have yet to be matched for me. I loved the amazingly detailed sculpt, and the articulation, which was astounding.
If I tried to be more fair handed in my assessment, I might pick the USS Flag from Real American Hero. The massive size alone was awesome. Add to that the hidden compartments, and the great interactivity with the rest of the toys, and it was one of the best vehicles in a line known for their excellent vehicles.
RID Prime is awesome, he is the figure that got me back into collecting in 2000.
The Flagg was an amazing toy, I only knew one kid who had it, endless play value with that
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