And the lists keep coming! This time, I’ve got a new list up at This Blog Rules.
Top Ten Action Figure Vehicles of the 1980s
Before you start ripping into the list, be sure to read the note at the end explaining my criteria…then you can rip into the list.
thomas
great lists poe
@Novelty:
I DEF would have included some of those vehicles, especially the Thundertank!
Poe- Keep doing those list man, they rock!
Novelty
I'm not so sure that the Dragon Walker is more iconic than say, the Battle Ram, Wind Raider or Land Shark. It is a choice, but I'd like to hear your process of elimination to get to the DW.
My list would have included (with the same rules):
The Silverhawks' Maraj
The Thundertank
Sky Commander's Rapid Deployment (one of the first toys to feature a zipline)
Starcom's Shadowbat (particularly with 2 Parasites attached – one of the few lines where magnets played a huge part)
I have no idea which other vehicles I'll drop off from your list, probably the tron cycle and the turtles vehicle.
The Air Raiders and Shadow Strikers are also from the same time and hvae great vehicles, but I wouldn't rank them in my top 10. Oh and I'm surprised that neither PoP or NA vehicles made it to your list Poe.
FakeEyes22
That was a fun list! Very fair, too.
I think an important criteria that you didn't clearly mention, but certainly utilized, was the "gotta have it" factor. KITT was pretty much a regular car, but it trumps many superior toys based on novelty value.
I'd have included a Captain Power jet if that line had ever caught on, but the A-Team van and others beat electronics since they had crazy popularity.
I swear those Tron cycles zipped across the floor with enough psychotic speed and force to kill a cat.
AmericanHyena
I hereby request, nay, DEMAND lists for the '90s and 2000's.
dayraven
@Reilly: there's a real human being! spydor was eight times as cool as the dragon walker, and the noise was less than pete townsend playing eight weed whckers. to me, spydor was the absolute top of the heap for he-man vehicles… and it was released in 1985. it even made a cameo in "Big."
Reilly
Great list, I agree on almost all choices! I'd just dare say that Spydor's actionfeature was even more amazing than the Dragon Walker's.
Poe
@Dead Man Walking: I thought it'd be a pretty boring list if I went with multiple vehicles per toyline, but obviously I could have done that.
I agree the Defiant is right on the line, but I still think it's more of, or at least as much of, a playset than/as it is a vehicle. That said, I probably would have included the Technodrome on the list had I been able to, so maybe I'm just a raging hypocrite.
Ultimately these lists, much like my reviews, aren't intended as a scientific attempt to objectively determine something that's obviously subjective. They're just for fun, and to encourage debate–like this!
Dead Man Walking
Reading through the list I was able to surmise that one of your criteria was the "no-playset" rule. Though I feel like that's a bit of a cop out in regard to The Defiant, as the the shuttle is undeniably a vehicle, even if it comes with the launch pad. Furthermore, some might even say the AT-AT is playset-like.
It seems you did not state one of your rules: only one vehicle per toyline. At least I assume that was your approach, as GI Joe could have fielded 10 or more vehicles that could arguably have made the list. Mask, TMNT, SW, and He-Man could also have supplied multiple candidates.
Overall, there's some good choices here, and it's obviously a hard list to do. Personally, I would have put the Nightraven over the Skystriker, b/c the only thing cooler than an F-14 is a blackbird.
PrfktTear
Haha… just as I was reading about the A-Team van, I was instantly thinking “PARTY WAGON,” then lo & behold, it was right there, next on the list!
I thought it was a very fair & accurate list, and the criteria made a lot of sense too!
I love the last comment though, comments are for–to tell me how wrong I am, and why. In detail, please.