maybe we should let a kid choose among ana armada or a g1 toy. this should tell us what's really best. :tfgrin

Well, how about I tell you what my 5-year-old son thinks is best?

 

There are two factors that influence him: 1) his exposure to a given TF line's TV show or comic, and 2) recognizable characters.

 

Re: #1 -- My son only started to get into any TF generation (including G1 and BW) after he saw the TV show. (His first TF exposure was my copy of TF:TM.) His interest in Energon comes mainly from the fact that we buy and read the DW Energon comics every time a new one comes out. The stories and action in these shows and comics not only gives fuel to his imagination, but tells him about the characters -- who they are, how they relate to one another, etc.

 

Re: #2 -- Proving that the re-use of old TF names is a good marketing strategy, my son has consistently wanted to buy every Optimus Prime he could find. And even though he knows less about G1 than other generations, he nevertheless gravitates towards G1 characters with familiar names or faces (the Predacons, the Combaticons, Megatron, Starscream, Unicron, etc.) that have spanned generations. He's not so excited about G1 characters like Grapple and Ironhide and Dirge (for example), whose names or likenesses haven't really been re-used at all. Since he's been so steeped in TF mythos, the names and faces that have appeared the most over the years are the ones that have risen to the top for him.

 

You know what he doesn't care about?

 

1. Articulation

2. Die-cast vs. plastic

3. Poseability

4. Show accuracy

5. Color scheme

6. Realistic alt modes

 

In short, all of the things we bitch about.

maybe we should let a kid choose among ana armada or a g1 toy. this should tell us what's really best. :tfgrin

Well, how about I tell you what my 5-year-old son thinks is best?

 

There are two factors that influence him: 1) his exposure to a given TF line's TV show or comic, and 2) recognizable characters.

 

Re: #1 -- My son only started to get into any TF generation (including G1 and BW) after he saw the TV show. (His first TF exposure was my copy of TF:TM.) His interest in Energon comes mainly from the fact that we buy and read the DW Energon comics every time a new one comes out. The stories and action in these shows and comics not only gives fuel to his imagination, but tells him about the characters -- who they are, how they relate to one another, etc.

 

Re: #2 -- Proving that the re-use of old TF names is a good marketing strategy, my son has consistently wanted to buy every Optimus Prime he could find. And even though he knows less about G1 than other generations, he nevertheless gravitates towards G1 characters with familiar names or faces (the Predacons, the Combaticons, Megatron, Starscream, Unicron, etc.) that have spanned generations. He's not so excited about G1 characters like Grapple and Ironhide and Dirge (for example), whose names or likenesses haven't really been re-used at all. Since he's been so steeped in TF mythos, the names and faces that have appeared the most over the years are the ones that have risen to the top for him.

 

You know what he doesn't care about?

 

1. Articulation

2. Die-cast vs. plastic

3. Poseability

4. Show accuracy

5. Color scheme

6. Realistic alt modes

 

In short, all of the things we Starscream about.

Your kid knows best. He just enjoys waht he does. We are the ones who complain about it, the so called "collectors", myself included.

NOT TOO BAD :tflaugh :tflaugh

well, the only thing I complain about is articulation.

maybe we should let a kid choose among ana armada or a g1 toy. this should tell us what's really best. :tfgrin

Well, how about I tell you what my 5-year-old son thinks is best?

 

There are two factors that influence him: 1) his exposure to a given TF line's TV show or comic, and 2) recognizable characters.

 

Re: #1 -- My son only started to get into any TF generation (including G1 and BW) after he saw the TV show. (His first TF exposure was my copy of TF:TM.) His interest in Energon comes mainly from the fact that we buy and read the DW Energon comics every time a new one comes out. The stories and action in these shows and comics not only gives fuel to his imagination, but tells him about the characters -- who they are, how they relate to one another, etc.

 

Re: #2 -- Proving that the re-use of old TF names is a good marketing strategy, my son has consistently wanted to buy every Optimus Prime he could find. And even though he knows less about G1 than other generations, he nevertheless gravitates towards G1 characters with familiar names or faces (the Predacons, the Combaticons, Megatron, Starscream, Unicron, etc.) that have spanned generations. He's not so excited about G1 characters like Grapple and Ironhide and Dirge (for example), whose names or likenesses haven't really been re-used at all. Since he's been so steeped in TF mythos, the names and faces that have appeared the most over the years are the ones that have risen to the top for him.

 

You know what he doesn't care about?

 

1. Articulation

2. Die-cast vs. plastic

3. Poseability

4. Show accuracy

5. Color scheme

6. Realistic alt modes

 

In short, all of the things we Starscream about.

Best. Post. Ever. :D

 

Though I have to admit I'm curious what the little guy thinks of, say... the Car Bros. Their transformations are so complex that I've always thought they must be really.. well.. not fun for kids.

Though I have to admit I'm curious what the little guy thinks of, say... the Car Bros. Their transformations are so complex that I've always thought they must be really.. well.. not fun for kids.

He loved Robots in Disguise, and we have all of the Car Brothers. Not that he ever figured them out. (Not that I ever did, either. :tfhuh ) It was always, "Daddy, can you transform him for me?" Again, I think he was more excited about the characters, and played with them more as action figures than anything else. However, he *did* enjoy transforming the ones he could figure out, which was pretty much just the Spychangers and the Decepticons. (Makes you realize why Armada was so Playskool-ish in comparison.)

 

Now that he's older, though, he does enjoy the challenge of transforming them himself. Energon seems to be just about right for his age level, in terms of something that isn't either too easy or too hard. Plus he's nuts about the whole Powerlinx thing. (Why are combiners automatically ten times cooler than regular Transformers?) :tfgrin

Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking.. I remember it took some 20 minutes to figure out Sideburn the first time, so I really can see why they're a little less complex in the newer lines. It's a lot more fun if you don't need to consult the manual a few times... but not so simple as some of the Armada ones. :)

 

And.. Combiners are cool because.. uh.. they just are. :nuts

Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking.. I remember it took some 20 minutes to figure out Sideburn the first time, so I really can see why they're a little less complex in the newer lines. It's a lot more fun if you don't need to consult the manual a few times... but not so simple as some of the Armada ones. :)

 

And.. Combiners are cool because.. uh.. they just are. :nuts

Sideburn is the hardest transformers I have ever had to transformer. :tfhuh

 

I'm happy that not even the alternators/BT's are that hard. :clap

Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking.. I remember it took some 20 minutes to figure out Sideburn the first time, so I really can see why they're a little less complex in the newer lines. It's a lot more fun if you don't need to consult the manual a few times... but not so simple as some of the Armada ones. :)

 

And.. Combiners are cool because.. uh.. they just are. :nuts

Sideburn is the hardest transformers I have ever had to transformer. :tfhuh

 

I'm happy that not even the alternators/BT's are that hard. :clap

Then I pity you :P

 

It took me, maybe, a minute to transform Sideburn, sans instructions? And that was back into car mode, because I gave him to my bro to try out first. The only thing remotely difficult about Sideburn is trying to find ways to manipulate his kibble so he doesn't get caught on himself, which isn't too big of a deal, either.

Honestly, the Car Brothers were an awesome testament to how complex Transformers ought to be. Sideburn and Prowl are among probably my favorite Transformers I ever owned, simply because the complexities of their transformation made them extremely posable.

 

And oh, do I wish I could recall the days when I cared little for things such as articulation...I still remember the day my Soundwave shattered in my bare hands just while I was holding him...to this day the sound and sight of those little purple pieces scattering from my hand to the ground is enough to bring a tear to my eyes some nights.