I was trying to find my kid something to watch on Tubi and he saw Transformers and instantly became obsessed with it and I'm like "hey, easy Christmas gift" but a quick search for Optimus Prime toys shows me tons of variants at all different price points, some new, some vintage etc.I figured this place was good to ask as any - is there a particular model recommended as just something for kids to play with? I don't want to break the bank here either.
>>11242329Do they still make the rescue bots line? That one was specifically marketed to that age group, I believe.
>>11242329What show did he watch exactly? G1? Earthspark? For a four year old, get the Optimus Prime megachanger. It's a 12 inch transforming toy.
>>11242332I looked those up and they almost look too juvenile for him. We actually have one TF toy from when I was a kid (picrel, but the detachable head was lost years ago) and he plays with it all the time.>>11242336It's G1. And that looks more like what he'd be interested in.
>>11242341Forgot pic
>>11242342Headmasters, fuck yeah.
>>11242341I was gonna say get him the legacy armada optimus, but then I saw the 4 year old bit, so maybe it would be too complicated for him, though the super mode would make for a good big robot for him to play with and you could transform it for him between modes
>>11242341>It's G1. And that looks more like what he'd be interested inSounds like he's already a geewun tooner autist, MP44 it is
>>11242329Torca. It's a tusked Orca. That's super cool.It's an older toy but you know, they used really strong plastics back in the day. If Torca breaks on the kid, then the kid is obviously not ready for any toy or parental love.
IMO the "kid-aimed" toys like the Megachangers and Cogchangers are horrid pieces of trash. They are thin pieces of plastic that break easily especially with a kid hamhanding it- I know some people will argue kid's toys don't usually last long anyway, but it's not like they're even cheap $5 like G1 bumblebee or whatever was back in the day, they're like $15 each.Instead, if your kid can wait a bit for it to be sent from an online store or you are lucky enough to spot it in a store somewhere, I recommend the Legacy G1 Optimus- it's a recent modern remake of the original G1 Optimus toy. IMO the original Optimus would actually still be a decent toy if it released today with 0 changes, and this is basically that except with no diecast and a bit more articulation. And unlike the Missing Link which is crazy expensive this goes for $25-$30. Yeah a little pricey for a little kid's toy, but IMO it's hardy enough to stand up to play for the most part and it's not like those thin pieces of shit like the Cogchangers.If you think that's still too much for a kid's toy (or the G1 toy look is too off from the cartoon), then a Core Class Optimus might be a good choice- $10, looks good, simple enough to transform. Choking hazard maybe, but most 4 year olds should be smart enough to know better.
>>11242575Oh, yeah, I would totally recommend the core class figures of G1 characters. Optimus, Starscream, and Soundwave are all great in core class.
>>11242341>I looked those up and they almost look too juvenile for him.The issue at that age is more avoiding toys that come with parts that are lost easily.Back in the 80s they had mini bots that fit the simple, but fun toy. Those are mostly phased out.https://a.co/d/47jL1w7 is a good preskool versionIf you want something a little more complex but still easy there's https://a.co/d/du9mDJqIf you want something with a gimmick, there's https://a.co/d/hk4ER8t
>>11242329A loaded gun.
>>11242706
>>11242329Non, get them wooden blocks and wait for them to ask for corporate bullshit. You're a bad parent if you let your kids just consume.
>>11242715at least they're playing with toys and not disregarding them completely for video games and dumb youtube videos
>>11242575The Legacy G1 is more or less exactly what I'm looking for. He's going to want it to transform into a recognizable, somewhat realistic looking vehicle. It's a hair higher than what I wanted to pay but I might be able to find it on sale next week. I was kicking around buying some G1 bootleg repro off Ali Express but I dunno if those will fall apart instantly or what.>>11242715He has an older brother so he has TONS of that stuff already and blocks and toy cars are his preferred toys...but like I said when you already have that stuff you have to expand out a bit.On another note, it IS kind of sad watching your second kid "grow up" much quicker thanks to his big brother's influence. My first kid was still watching Sesame Street and stuff at 5. Kid #2 won't even touch it.
>>11242726Also, yeah your primary goal as a parent in 2024 is keeping your kids off Youtube (really, all of the internet) as long as possible.
>>11242732What if they are not your biological children?
>>11242731> I was kicking around buying some G1 bootleg repro off Ali Express but I dunno if those will fall apart instantly or whatI want to say you get what you pay for, but it's not the 90s anymore and sometimes the Chinese knockoffs actually have better build quality than the official stuff while also being cheaper. It's a rabbit hole- you'll spend hours and hours browsing through aliexpress with how much Transformers knockoff shit there is out there if you're not careful.But if you're open to knockoff shit, just some additional suggestions here for your consideration.There's a bunch of fairly cheap Bayformers Optimuses because the Chinese love that shit. Just worth mentioning. The Bumblebee movie design tends to look pretty G1-ish so your kid might be happy with that (he might even like the greebles making it look more "adult").MPP-10: $40-50 but well worth the cost, this is a knockoff downsized version of the Masterpiece MP-10 Optimus. Probably too complex for a kid (Though MP-10 is a pretty elegant transformation as far as MPs go), but plenty of kids love toys that are "too grown up" for them.Power of the Primes Optimus: $50-60 so obviously way above what you're looking to pay, but I wanted to suggest this one because it has some of the most play value out of any Optimus toy. Basically it's a version of him that comes in Optimus's younger form Orion Pax but then he wears the trailer as a suit of armor to turn him into Optimus Prime. It has a lot of ugly kibble on the vehicle mode but it's a "comprehensive" version of the character that includes Orion Pax, Optimus, and Truck+Trailer. It also has an oversized KO version but it really likes to hide on Aliexpress for whatever reason. I found one searching HMK-09A.Lego Optimus and/or the KOs of it: Always worth mentioning. Legos are just an evergreen toy for kids. $150 for the official but you can get a KO for like $35.
>>11242774Thanks for the insight, this in particular is what I was looking at.https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256807663218863.html?src=google&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21USD%2144.73%2125.94%21%21%21%21%21%40%2112000042531229047%21ppc%21%21%21&src=google&albch=shopping&acnt=708-803-3821&isdl=y&slnk=&plac=&mtctp=&albbt=Google_7_shopping&aff_platform=google&aff_short_key=UneMJZVf&gclsrc=aw.ds&albagn=888888&ds_e_adid=&ds_e_matchtype=&ds_e_device=c&ds_e_network=x&ds_e_product_group_id=&ds_e_product_id=en3256807663218863&ds_e_product_merchant_id=5445835543&ds_e_product_country=US&ds_e_product_language=en&ds_e_product_channel=online&ds_e_product_store_id=&ds_url_v=2&albcp=20546179873&albag=&isSmbAutoCall=false&needSmbHouyi=false&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA9IC6BhA3EiwAsbltOGPVc8tZ3kgaBhIYrFz4azeEYdAY7VphySv5G28eGAUM227Bod1dkBoCdKAQAvD_BwE&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa
>>11242775I've at least heard the knockoff repros are of questionable quality and the main people buying them are people who want to complete a G1 toy collection display. Though honestly it's not like the original 80s toys were famous for standing up to endless play. For Optimus in particular while it's nice the KO will include the trailer he has the same flaws he's always had for better or for worse, perhaps most notably being that kids will always find some way to lose his damn hands. The remade versions like the Legacy G1 Prime (or Missing Link, but that's a collector's display piece) have the hands built into the toy.Also that listing's total is like $40 like most listings of that toy because it uses the typical annoying online salesperson tactic of sticking like half the price in the shipping. I think at that price unless you're really in love with owning a G1 style toy in particular you'd probably be better off getting something more modern.
WalMart has a big Optimus that you change by like, flipping the body in one or two steps. Only 25 bucks.
>>11242329>>11242341Get him a core scale Optimus Prime.They're like $8 and based on the G1 designs.The limbs can pop off the ball joints, but they pop back on easily and are hardy enough to not actually break You can find them everywhere at local stores. I found some at my local Kroger but you can usually find them at Target, Walmart, etc
>>11242329just start with core classes, they are the best bang for your buck. I did around the age of 5 and I never had issues except for breakages. come to think of it, it's those movie core classes that probably give me such a soft spot for that franchise
>>11242329ok so hes 4fuck i forget the name but there used to be these little "preschool toys" transformers that was like a little optimas and a little bumblebee that would take like 3 or 4 steps that were intuitive like no tabbing just pull the legs down and the arms and head out... pretty much just that PERFECT for a 4 year old
>>11243076That actually looks way better than I could guess from the box, I might have to grab one for my kid. She loves my transformers, I don't love having to drop what I'm doing every ten seconds to switch Starscream from an airplane to a bad guy, so I'm glad there are some quick-changers that aren't complete trash.
>>11244618Rescue Bots has a few like that. They're harder to find now, but should still be easy enough to order off Amazon or something.
>>11242543He lies :(
