I was devoted to Kenner's Star Wars, GI Joe, and MOTU as a kid but I still voted for Transformers at the beginning of this Smackdown. Nothing could compare and most kids I knew would take one over some other toy every time.
When will voting be over?

[Puts hand to Head]

I... can see it. It's a Monday. Last Monday? No, next Monday, a number is coming along with it, the 24th!

I'm seeing more numbers, it must be the time... I'm seeing unlucky thirteen and a big 10. 13:10? No, maybe 10:13? Yes, that's it.

There's more, the sun, so it must be AM. I'm also seeing something. East? Easterly? No, Eastern Standard Time.

Yes, it's much more clear now, Monday, Sept 24, 10:13 AM EST.

Behold my amazing psychic powers! What other explaination could there be?





What, that I looked at the information on the poll and saw when the poll ended? Rubbish dear sir!

I am with MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE all the way baby. If not GI JOE then MOTU. Transformers isn't a true 80s product anyways.
Too bad He-man the show sucked donkey balls and the movie wasn't amazing also. But the toy line!!

If you mean this particular poll, see Pravus Prime's post above. Step carefully, as the sarcasm is pretty thick over there.

If you mean this entire contest, the winner of the GC will be announced sometime after the final poll is finished. See the original thread that's stickied at the top of the News forum for more information about the contest itself.

How so?

The cartoon shouldn't have any bearing on this. This whole Smackdown is all about the toys - no media.

Yup, same here

Thundercats & MOTU don't have a chance in hell.

How the hell did Thundercats make it to the final 3 anyway? Everybody knows Transformers, GI Joe, Star Wars & MOTU were the big 4 from the 80's. Thundercats were near the tail end right before everything died. They have no business being in the final 3.

I'd love to hear how a toy line that came out in the early 80s isn't a true 80's product.

Also, yes as an adult, the MOTU cartoon is a bit corny. But as a kid, it was awesome & always taught you a lesson at the end.

The shit people say. SMH...

My take on the Final 3...
Transformers, even ignoring the recent rebirth thanks to the movies, has been a strong player in the world of kids toys from 1984 to today. There have ALWAYS been a Hasbro Transformers product on the shelves every year, be it Beast Machines, StarWars Transformers, etc. That's a long run for a toy line originally based on two completely different Japanese toylines bashed together. After you factor in the cult status of the fandom, it's the clear winner.

MOTU. I loved the show as a kid. I had almost all the toys. They were AWESOME. It was one of the first toylines to have a 30min saturday commercial... errr... cartoon. It came out at a perfect time. It's blend of barbarianism with sci-fi was perfect for a time where people were starting to use personal computers, and the fact that despite He-Man's awesome abilities, he rarely resorted to violence. Unfortunately, Despite an attempted rebirth in 2002ish, the toyline didn't have staying power. Yes, there are the collectible dolls available directly from Mattel, but I don't consider them a mainline series.

Thundercats. Fun cartoon. Shortlived in the 80's, shortlived in it's rebirth. Other than the pilot episode having every main character naked, There was nothing about Thundercats that wasn't seen on other contemporary cartoons (such as Silverhawks). It didn't have the wow factor of other 80s toylines, like the previously mentioned toylines, or later lines such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

and I find it funny that there is even a competition for this, Transformers will always win. Normally you would have to buy a playset to get a vehicle, Transformers are both vehicle and action figure.

Transformers = Winner winner, chicken dinner.

its pretty Obvious TFs was gonna win this. I would have liked to see GI JOE in the finals but bracket design wouldn't allow it as TFs already beat the Joes.

Umm

Actually

Thundercats was originally created in 1982 but did not air or have the figures available until 1986

So not sure where you're going with that there

Hmmmmmm, so bricks vs some posseability vs mostly bricks... I think I will vote for the some posseability, meaning MOTU.

Thanks everyone for participating. kenm2474 was the winner of the $50 BBTS credit.

http://www.toyark.com/news/toyark-sp...kenm2474-6498/

Well

That was disappointing

Congrats, kenm2474!

I love all three, but you can't fade Transformers. Over before it started.

Transformers all the way. MOTU and Thundercats are nothing more than legacy continuation of well established play patterns. MOTU has plenty of gimmick innovation (forgot all about that slime waterfall playset...so sweet!) Thundercats has the shallowest story ever (not counting the new cartoon). The importing of transforming figures and the story built around them, enriched the toy to the point of becoming a classic that endures on a larger scale today than ever before. There is no comparing the engineering marvel of a modern leader class TF to anything else on the market.

I am amazed at how little people know about toys

Thundercats actually predates both MOTU AND TF.

However, MOTU was what kicked off how toys were percieved and the changes that took place within the industry in the early 80's and how toy companies did business.

It also led to the toy boom of the 80's.

You misunderstand me, and trust me, I'm well educated on the history of these toys, but what came out first is not the point. The point is which toy had the greatest long term impact, the greatest intrinsic value, and the most visceral reaction from the fans. We can argue all day about our perspectives depending on our favorites, but from a pure design/engineering perspective there is no doubt in my mind that TFs are more significant than gimmick based action figures like MOTU, that took the basic concept of dolls/action figures and simply took them a step forward. You really can't compare a He-Man or a Snake Mountain to a gestalt TF combiner, Fortress Maximus or Sixshot. Entirely possible that MOTU was an early mover on the 80s toy business model, but that doesn't impact value to fans. My 2 cents.

James

No. Technically, TC was created before TF, but not MOTU. But just to clear this up:

ThunderCats toy line: Created in 1983 and first marketed in 1984.
ThunderCats TV series: Created in 1982, but was not broadcast until 1985.
Masters of the Universe toy line: Created in 1981 and first marketed in 1982.
Masters of the Universe TV series: First broadcast in 1983.
Transformers G1 toy line: Molds created in 1981-1982, TF Brand created in 1983 and first marketed in 1984.
Transformers G1 TV series: First broadcast in 1984.

(Editor's note: above timeframes are all referencing U.S. release dates)

So those two years that TC had on TF were pretty meaningless as far as market impact and public awareness. And MOTU had TC beat by a year, no matter what way you look at it.

I'm not saying TC didn't have any impact, though. Its legacy is evident in the recent revival (and the minor fact that we have a sister site devoted to the franchise).

Important to note that this is US dates only

missed this poll but i would have been another vote for MOTU....I was never big on transformers growing up, enjoy the cartoon and movies now, but not a fan of the toy line. Thundercats is great but its still not MOTU!!

Which is why I put the disclaimer stating as much in my post. ;)

But it doesn't really matter, anyway. All three are the intellectual properties of US-based companies (including Rankin/Bass, the company who created TC), so any other country's timetable would have been after the US dates, regardless of the IP.

Transformers had a base playset, except their base playset could Transform into the largest robot ever and single handed destroy Castle Greyskull and Cat's Lair. Fortress Maximus makes this winner Transformers hands down.

TC didn't deserve to win because their fans don't know how to embrace new concepts, support newer products, and attempts to revive the franchise for a new generation. Their old school fans are too powerful for new school ideas. (Runs and hides for incoming missiles).