When you look at the year’s most popular toys, Transformers are going to be among the most popular. They sky rocketed in popularity when they were first introduced in the 1980s, then waned in popularity, finally regaining popularity in 2007, with the release of Transformers: The Movie. So, why are these they so popular?
One of the biggest reasons these toys enjoy immense popularity is because they can do so much more than a typical toy. A transformer toy does just that — it transforms. This makes it a fun toy to play with. It offers a lot of function as it can be a car, a robot action figure or both. They have movable parts which makes them multifunctional and, therefore, head and shoulders above typical action figures.
Another reason they are so popular is because they fuel the imagination. Kids can spend hours transforming their toys, role playing action scenes and staging battles between the good Autobots and the bad Decepticons. They are the perfect fodder for imaginative play and group play. These toys work well for kids playing by themselves or in groups.
Of course one of the biggest reasons for their popularity is that they are inspired by a popular movie, Transformers. The first Transformers movie was a real hit, and the second, Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, which came out on June 24, 2009, was just as popular. This means that the toys are popular among kids and adults alike. Most action toys that gain popularity are based on a television show, movie or comic.
Here are just a few of the most popular Transformer toys available, as they relate to the movie and the good guy/ bad guy side of things. Autobots are the good guys who are trying to protect the humans and fight off the Decepticons and protect the AllSpark. The Decepticons are the bad guys who are trying to steal the energy of the sun, and do not care about human casualties.
Autobots:
• Optimus Prime, Leader of the Autobots- a semi truck that turns into a robot, which just so happens to be one of the most popular Transformer toys.
• Bumblebee; a mini Volkswagen that turns into robot, also a very popular toy because of the role it plays in the movie.
• Trailbreaker; a black truck with shell that turns into a robot.
• Wheeljack; a white race car that turns into a robot.
• Jetfire; a jet that turns into a robot.
• Blaster; a boom box (the Autobots communications officer,), also a robot
• Eject; a cassette tape (inside Blaster’s tape deck), that turns into a human-shaped robot
• Ramhorn; a cassette tape that turns into a rhinoceros robot
• Grandslam; a cassette tape that turns into a tank
• Raindance; a cassette tape that turns into a jet (combines with Grandslam to merge into form Slamdance)
Decepticons:
• Megatron; Leader of the Decepticons, a jet that turns into a robot
• Starscream; a fighter jet that turns into a robot
• Dirge; a jet with 4 wings and no tail fins that turns into a jet
• Thundercracker; a jet that turns into a robot
• Astrotrain; triple changer- space shuttle, train and robot
• Soundwave; cassette recorder (Decepticon communications officer)
• Frenzy; cassette tape and humanoid robot
• Overkill; cassette and T-Rex robot
• Beastbox; cassette tape and gorilla robot
• Squawktalk; cassette and robot bird (combines with Beastbox to make Squawkbox)
Parenting viewpoints from parents in the trenches, because parenting doesn’t come with a manual. In addition to