Top 10 Toys for Boys 12 and Older, From Action Figures to the Nintendo DS
10. Attacktix
When I was a kid, there were two kinds of toys that I enjoyed the most: action figures and board games. Attacktix, made by Hasbro, brings you the best of both worlds. In Attacktix players collect figures that are 2 inches in size and stand on a base. Each figure has some kind of weapon attached to it whether it is a gun that shoots missiles or an arm that swings a sword. The two the players choose a team of figures and the two sides use strategy to battle each other. The Attacktix toys also feature some familiar franchises. The first series of Attacktix were Star Wars figures. You can get figures of all the main characters like Yoda, Obi Wan and Chewbaca, but you can also play as generic soldiers such as Battle Droids or X-Wing Pilots. The second series stars Optimus Prime, Megatron and Soundwave, everyone’s favorite Transformers. In November Hasbro is releasing a series of Attacktix based on Marvel Comics characters. There are also rumors of G.I. Joe being the next franchise to make into Attacktix.
9. Monopoly
I’m sure everybody is familiar with Monopoly and some might think that Monopoly is no longer a fun game to play anymore. However, Monopoly continues to stay fresh by the different versions that are available. There are some Monopoly sets that feature a particular city like a Chicago version that allows you to play as a Sears Tower token and buy companies such as Chicago Bank One and Chicago Tribune. If you’re looking for a more fun version you can always try the Looney Tunes version of Monopoly where you can play as Bugs, Marvin, Taz and others. There is an endless amount of different version of Monopoly: Muppets, Pirates of the Caribbean, Family Guy, Nintendo, Notre Dame, Power Puff Girls, Red Sox and Spider-Man.
8. Legos
I know that Legos were once for only small children because of their simplistic block building capabilities, but as the years have gone by Legos have become more and more sophisticated. Like many of the other toys on this list, older kids will enjoy the franchises that Lego has made figures for. There are now Batman Legos that include not only Batman and villains such as the Joker, Killer Croc and Penguin, but there are also vehicles made completely as Legos, such as the Batmobile and the Batboat. You can also find Harry Potter, Spiderman and Star Wars Legos. There are even Star Wars video games where all the characters are Lego figures and there is also an upcoming Lego Batman video game.
7. Nintendo DS
Of course no toy list would be complete with some type of video game. The DS is the Nintendo’s handheld system. The Nintendo DS comes especially handy when going on vacation and you need something to entertain your kids during those long rides in the car. The DS is also better than other handheld systems like Sony’s PSP because of its price and selection of games. Nintendo games such as the Mario series and Animal Crossing are also much more children friendly. The Nintendo DS is going to set you back a little bit more than the other toys on this list, but it’s also cheaper than buying a regular gaming system.
6. Marvel Legends
Marvel Legends is a 6″ action figure line by Toy Biz that is based on characters from Marvel Comics. It’s one of the better action figure lines as the figures are much larger than the Star Wars action figures and more detailed than most other action figure series. The selection of characters also ranges from the most popular Marvel characters like Spiderman, Captain America, and Iron Man to the more obscure characters like Beta Ray Bill and Abomination. In the most recent sets of Marvel Legends each character comes with a piece of another larger figure. If you collect all the action figures in that set then you can put the pieces together to make larger 16″ figures like a Sentinel, Apocalypse or Giant Man.
5. McFarlane Figures
There are actually very many action figure series produced by McFarlane Toys, but in particular I’m talking about their sports figures. McFarlane Toys makes figures for all four of the major sports: Baseball, Basketball, Football and Hockey. Most of the figures are first released in a 12″ figure but several of them are later remade in 3″ inch size. What makes them different than past sports series is the great details and likeness to the actual player. I remember when I was younger the Starting Lineups were all the rage but all of those action figures were the same generic faces and same generic stances. The only way to identify a player was by the name on his back. On the McFarlane figures you can actually look at someone’s face and recognize the player. If certain players have a unique batting stance like Ichiro of Jeff Bagwell then the players will also stand in that position. Also, if players are well known for doing something very well that will be shown in the figure. For example, the Ken Griffey Jr. figure has his climbing a wall to catch the ball and the Kevin Garnett figure has a basketball goal that Garnett is hanging from after dunking a ball. They only make McFarlane figures for certain players but they do a good job of making the superstars like Terrell Owens and Allen Iverson, but also throw in some very good players who don’t get as much attention like Bobby Abreu and Craig Biggio. There are also Legends series that include players like Jerry West, Clyde Drexler, Nolan Ryan, Mickey Mantle, Bobby Orr, and John Elway.
4. Star Wars Ultimate Light-saber Kit
There is a reason that a lot of the previous toys have some version that has to do with Star Wars. Everyone loves Star Wars and everyone especially likes light sabers. There are all kind of light-sabers. There are some that light up, there are some that expand and retract and there are some that make sound effects. Then there is the Ultimate Light-saber Kit. The Ultimate Light-saber Kit comes with 22 parts that you can put together to create your own light-saber. It includes a hilt, two blades, two emitters, light bulb housing, three kyber crystals, three filters, two hilt sleeves, two caps, adapter, three sleeve rings and two switches. You can use all these pieces to customize your own light-saber; there are more than 1,000 different combinations.
3. Scene-It
When I was younger I remember going over to a friend’s house and playing board games. However, in this day and age it seems like board games are not quite as popular nowadays and gets are more into playing video games or watching movies and television. Well Screenlife brings you away to watch your TV, put your movie knowledge to use and play a board game all at once. In Scene-It you are given a board and you must move across the board. There are several types of questions that are asked in order to get to move. Some of the questions are just questions read off a card. However, the game also comes with a DVD that you put in your DVD Player and some to answer some of the questions you will have to play a clip from the DVD to answer a question about the clip. Like for example you may be asked to name the movie, the actor, or even what the famous song from the movie is. There are several version of Scene-it too. The first version simply tests your movie knowledge but there are also versions that quiz you in television, music, sports, Disney and Harry Potter.
2. Plug N’ Play
Plug N Plays are another type of video game that can be an alternative to the more expensive games systems like the Playstation or X-Box. A Plug N Play is the size of a video game controller and the game (or games) is inside the controller. So if you need to carry this game somewhere, say on vacation or just to a friend’s house, it is very small and easy to carry. You also don’t have to worry about a bunch of plugs because it has just one plug that goes into the Audio/Video Input in your television. The graphics of a Plug N Play aren’t going to be as good as one of the big video game systems but there are many Plug N Plays that have classic games like Pac-Man, Centipede and Pong that will last for hours of great fun. If you’re not into the classics like Pac-Man there will soon also be Plug N Plays that feature brand new games with characters such as Batman or Spiderman.
1. Stars Wars Transformers
A long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away one of the most beloved movie series was first created. Years later there was a line of toys that were “More than Meets the Eyes” that became one of the most beloved toy series ever. Now the two have come together. As if something with the name Star Wars couldn’t sell itself, the geniuses at Hasbro went and slapped a Transformers logo on these babies too. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Transformers, Transformers was a line of toys in which each figure transformed from a human-like robot to a vehicle. Well these Star Wars Transformers do the same thing except they transform from classic Star Wars Characters to classic Transformers vehicles. Some of the figures the in the Star Wars Transformers series include a Darth Maul that turns into a Sith Infiltrator, a Darth Vader that turns into a Tie Fighter, an Obi Wan Kanobi that turns into a Jedi Starfighter, a Luke Skywalker that turns into an X-Wing, and Chewbaca and Han Solo figures that combine to make the Millennium Falcon.
