Channel 4's 100 Top Toys

As part of this year’s festive televisual offerings here in the UK, Channel 4 (the UK channel that tries to be the most hip and trendy) spent three hours last night running through their list of the top 100 toys. I couldn’t agree more with their number one choice, but some of the others are just bizarre and non-sensical, and I can’t for the life of me see why they have been chosen.



I can’t go through the full top 100 here, but I’ve highlighted the top choices and my thoughts on them. For the sake of you Americans, I’ll also comment on what they are in case you didn’t have them over there.



Number 46, The Raleigh Chopper bike



The only bicycle to make it into the top 100, but it should be much much higher. This is the bike which dominated the 1970s so completely, it is in itself an icon for the decade. It was designed by Raleigh to ape American bicycles which had come along earlier, themselves copying the vibe of the Easy Rider style “Chopper” motorcycles. Massive ape-hanger handlebars, a big, soft, L-shaped seat perched right over the back wheel (meaning wheelies were easy to start, but hard to control) and 3 gears operated by a gear stick which sat on the frame between your legs – meaning if you pulled up sharply you’d slide off the seat and get a gearstick in the nuts. The Chopper was so iconic that Raleigh brought it back (minus the gears) in the mid 2000s. This really should have been in the top 20 at least. It’s a tragedy it was only 46.



Number 38 Battleships



This was a tactical board game where players hid ships on a grid and then called the coordinates of missile strikes to each other in an attempt to find and destroy the opponent’s boats. In truth I have no justification whatsoever for this being placed higher except that I used to love it when I was a kid – especially the electronic one with the sound effects and explosions.



Number 28 Subbuteo



Again for our American cousins, this was a table top football (soccer) game which was played by flicking weighted figures of footballers around a “pitch” made from a sheet of felt. It required great skill and dexterity to angle players the right way to flick the ball into the nets, and if you had two players it was a whir of action. Every kid had Subbuteo right from the 1960s to the 1980s, and even with the rise in computer games, it remains popular now. In fact, during the late 1990s, a large group of us in my office were so caught up in the nostalgia for our Subbuteo kits that we bought new ones and created an official office league, booking the conference rooms in the building at lunchtimes to play games on multiple pitches. Subbuteo was massive in the UK and deserved a much higher placing than this.



Number 25 Atari 2600



Even without the later references to other consoles, the Atari 2600 deserves a much much higher rating than a mere 25 on the list. This was the console which really kicked off the video game revolution here in the UK. Pong and the predecessors sold in small volumes, but the Atari was so widespread that just about everyone had one at one point. It was the console which convinced all the other manufacturers that home videogames were a viable option, and without it, those rated higher on the list would never be here. When the Science Museum ran an exhibition on the history of video games (which I contributed to) the Atari 2600 dominated it, and was voted favourite console of all time.



Number 20 Action man



Americans will know this toy in its original form as GI Joe. When the Vietnam war broke out in the US, Mattel found sales of GI Joe going through the floor at home, so (with a few modifications to the look to toughen him up) they launched the toy in the UK as Action Man. The toy went on to dominate the 1970s and into the 1980s, proving to be one of the most successful toys ever here in the UK. Features like Action Man’s “Eagle Eyes” (a thing at the back of his head you could use to move his eyes) and especially gripping hands appealed to us kids because it meant we could hang him off trees and buildings on bits of rope and pretend he was on a mission. I was a MASSIVE Action Man fan. I mean absolutely obsessive. I spent all my pocket money (allowance) as a kid on Action Man and Star Wars toys and they were all I wanted for Birthdays and Christmas. I had tanks, jeeps, helicopters, boats, the full nine yards. But the reason I think this should be higher isn’t just down to my personal love of the toys. Action Man was the first “doll/action figure” for boys which succeeded in the UK. Before that boys didn’t play with these things. Without Action Man, none of the others would be here, and as the originator it deserves a higher placing.



Number 17 Train set



The train set, at number 17? Really? Really? The train set is the single most ubiquitous toy in the history of toy making, the most dominant male toy of the last 75 years. One of the toys that is itself an icon of childhood, and it only rates at 17? That is frankly ludicrous, especially when Scalextric, which is a train set for cars, ranks in the top 10? If you do a greatest toy rundown and don’t have a train set in the top 5, you aren’t doing your job right. And this is coming from someone who was never that bothered about having one.



Number 14 He-man Action Figures



Why, just why? Why does this rate a top 15 placing? Did the toy do anything new? No. Did it dominate for 30 or 40 years? No. Did it move toys on? No. Was it the first tie in between a toy at a TV series? No. There is no reason whatsoever for this to be ranked so highly, and especially over Action Man.



Number 13, the original XBox



I don’t see how the Xbox rates higher than the Atari 2600. For the reasons I stated, the Atari was the big bang moment for the industry here in the UK, and if any console deserves a top placing, its that rather than the Xbox. That said I do think the Xbox is important in toy history in that it was the first console to really make online network play work. Yes, other consoles had done it in smaller ways (Dreamcast for example) but the Xbox actually made it work for all of us. Playing games like Halo online was a different way to connect with people. It brought back the playing together aspect that toys should have, albeit in a different way.



Number 12 Transformers



Again, like He-Man, they are just another plastic action figure. What makes them special? What makes them deserve such a high rating? Can you really say the Transformer has been a bigger and better and more successful toy than the train set?



Number 11 Star Wars Toys



Now, having said what I just said about Transformers, you might find it strange I’d campaign for these to be higher, but there is a good reason for this. Star Wars merchandise WAS the first to really tie merchandise into a movie in such a huge way. It was the first to really see the appeal that being able to recreate a movie had for kids, and then capitalize on it. Star Wars toys were HUGE money spinners, and continue to be to this day. Without the success of Star Wars, you wouldn’t have all the movie and TV tie-in toys you get these days. Also, Star Wars moved the game on by producing the smaller action figures, scaling down from the likes of Action Man/GI Joe so that the vehicles could be produced in reasonable sizes. That was a major step forward.



Also, from my personal experience, I ADORED Star Wars Toys. I can say I had a lot of Action Man stuff as a kid, but I can say I very probably had EVERYTHING in Star Wars. I had two At-At walkers for instance, I had the AT-ST, the Death Star playset, even the Han and Luke figures where they are dressed as Stormtroopers (which I saw on sale in Forbidden Planet a few years ago for £500 each *sob*). I even had the ultra-rare Bobba Fett which shot missiles.



Number 10, the Nintendo Gameboy



I can actually see an argument for the Gameboy getting a high ranking – though not top ten. It was in essence the first hand held portable interchangeable video game console. Hand held games had been done for ages before, but one in which you could change games was a big leap forward. The sheer numbers sold, and the way in which consoles like the DS now dominate, proves the Gameboy formula was a winner.



Number 9 Trivial Pursuit



I love Trivial Pursuit. I spent a lot of time playing it as a kid (thanks to a history teacher who used to play games in his classroom during morning and lunch breaks, and after school) and I think it’s a great game. It spanned the entire family through its various versions, and is something kids and adults alike can enjoy. It was also a massive phenomenon in the 1980s, so much so it moved into popular culture. But I’m not sure it deserves a rating in the top 10 best toys of all time.



Number 8 Scalextric



Not sure if you had this in the States, though you will have had something similar in the form of slot car racing games. Essentially this was a train set for car geeks, and as such it appealed to me a lot more. You spent ages constructing the track by slotting pieces together, and then had to judge the optimum speed at which you could get the car around the track without it flying off and scaring the dog. Its been massive in the UK for over 40 years, updating with new cars, new tracks and new gimmicks. I still have my early 1980s sets in the attic. However, should it really be ranked so much higher than the train sets from which it spawned?



Number 7 Scrabble



I’m quite pleased to see a traditional board game like Scrabble make it into the top 10. Scrabble is a fantastic game which (via the iPad version) I still find myself playing a lot today. It’s a great game in that its so well judged to be bother educational and fun, and something which all ages can play and develop as they get older. Its endured as long as it has because its simply a great game.



Number 6 The original Sony Playstation



Why? Where’s the justification for this? What did the Playstation achieve which the other consoles didn’t? What innovation did it bring? How did it move the games world on? It didn’t. At the very least the PS2 popularised DVD as a medium (and arguably the PS3 did the same for Blu-Ray) but the PS1 did none of this. In the programme it was put this high because “it made gaming cool again”. What absolute rubbish. There’s no justification at all for this being so much higher than the Xbox or Atari, and none at all for it being in the top 10.



Number 5 Nintendo Entertainment System



As if the previous choice wasn’t baffling enough, this is completely insane. Whoever did the research for this show was a fecking moron, because the NES DID NOT SELL IN THE UK!!! No-one bought the bastard thing! At the time it was on sale, the machine was being outsold about 1000-1 by the Commodore 64 and the ZX Spectrum, and yet neither one of those even make the list of 100? Arguably the SNES which followed it (along with the Megadrive, which also isn’t listed!!!) started the move back from computers for playing games, to games consoles, but the NES did absolutely nothing whatsoever in the UK. I can only assume the idiot researchers read some articles based on US sales and position.



Number 4 The Nintendo Wii



One wonders if Nintendo sponsored this programme! However, I can see some justification for the Wii being listed (though no way in the top 5, or even top 20) as it changed the way in which games were played, and opened video games up to a new audience. But is it really a better toy than the likes of Meccano, train sets, skateboards, bicycles, and the like? No, of course it bloody well isn’t!



Number 3 Dungeons and Dragons



I was surprised to see D&D rated quite so highly, but TBH I can see the justification for a placing in the top 10. Not so much for what D&D is itself, but for what it then brought about. The whole genre of role-playing games in whatever form (perhaps even the e-fedding that we’ve all done) owes much of its existence to the popularization of Dungeons and Dragons. The game was massive of course (maybe more so in the US than in the UK, but still) and a 1000 “D&D lite” style role-playing games then followed, as did video game spin off versions. For spawning that genre, it deserves high placing.



Number 2 Monopoly



Probably the ultimate board game, and my favourite, its not hard to see why Monopoly gets such a high rating. Its endured for over 60 years, its been transformed into hundreds of different versions, and it’s a wonderfully appealing game which all ages can play. I’ve got no problem with it being quite high.



Number 1 LEGO



Before the show even started, I said “LEGO had better win this or I’ll firebomb Channel 4”, so I was pleasantly surprised when it did. There can’t possible be any doubt that LEGO is the greatest toy that has ever or will ever be made. What makes it so magical is that it’s the perfect vehicle for the one thing which is essentially to any good toy – a child’s imagination. Give a child a box of LEGO, and they have any toy they want – a car, a plane, a spaceship, a boat, a helicopter, they are all possible with a box of bricks and some imagination. You can also link it to any other toy. Need a rebel base or your Star Wars toys? Build one out of LEGO.



In recent years LEGO has been corrupted with these specialist kits that only make one model. I don’t like those. I think they take away some of the creativity in the toy. I prefer the old style boxes where you just got a shed load of the stuff, and some suggestions in a booklet. I used to create all sorts from Routemaster buses to Imperial Star Destroyers.



When I first started work for the Department, I used to work in Staff Training. We kept a huge box of LEGO to use on courses. It was great for teamwork courses and creative thinking courses.



I was also dead chuffed when someone bought me a Darth Vader lego kit a couple of years ago :0)

I really enjoyed watching the programme last night. It brought back a lot of memories from my childhood. I didn't mind the order, because all the toys I played with were in the list somewhere.

The console and the order they are in are indeed baffling. Where's the love for the megadrive, which really as we've discussed before brought the UK into a new gaming age. The Sony Playstation I can see the justification to an extent, as it again, brought us to a new plateau.

The wii...no, just no. Not at 4.

I have a whole plethora of reasons why.... if this was an American list, mind you.. (I've no idea how popular Transformers was over in the UK, but here it was absolutely massive) ...that I would completly disagree with your opinion on #12 (if it was a US list).

I'm short on time so i'll summarize (and maybe get into a longer description later), but Transformer's was like the 80's Pokemon. The toys themselves were not only pretty revolutionary as a concept in themselves and why kids were immediately drawn to them more than figures that did nothing...

But while the He-Man cartoon and mythology and all that was nothing more than a flash in the pan, something about the compelling eternal "war" storyline between two factions of characters (that were immensely fun to play with seeing as the interactivity of their design was remarkable and very new at the time) really shot Transformers up there as being something far more special than any of the other cartoon/toy licenses which felt as if they were just shuttled together for a cheap holiday rush.

Transformers endures in popularity today, while things like He-Man remain an embarrassing look at how stupid this kind of thing was, while Transformers was exceptionally cool and embodied all of it's realized potential for success when a company is really able to get behind their product and it's appeal to what kids wanted and what would hold their attention as far as playability.

....aside from those absolutely piece of shit movies by Bay, that is.

I could go into more detail, but eh. Maybe later.


Anyway, point being, I dunno how popular those were in the UK and maybe they didn't click like they did here, but yeah.... like your reasoning with the NES, I would only disagree if this was an American list. Then i'd say Transformers deserved to me much higher.

Along with Ninja Turtles, and Power Rangers as well, iff this was a US list, there would be similarly no excuse to not have those.

Also, i'm not sure how I feel about Video Game systems even being regarded as toys, tbh.

We Americans know what Battleship is and I still ask for Transformers for Christmas every year and even for my birthday...I just never get it and the Atari needs to be more up on the list, i would trade my Xbox 360 for a good Atari

Well, on the video games point, I wouldn't disagree that they perhaps ought to have been excluded from this list altogether. I'm not sure they are a "toy" in the normal sense of the word.

But if they are to be counted, then the order they were listed was definitely strange.

As for Transformers, they were big here in the UK, but big for a relatively short period of a few years before they were usurped by whatever the next new thing was. They didn't disappear completely, but they certainly faded pretty quickly.

I also don't find myself agreeing with the idea that they were revolutionary. It was a neat marketing trick and a nice idea certainly, they were a good toy and a good concept, but I'm not sure I'd say revolutionary. I'd certainly place them somewhere on the top 100, but to have a place in the top 15 I think they should be more than that.

For me, I think those spots should be reserved for the real icons which have either endured for an incredidbly long time (train sets, bicycles, Barbie, LEGO, Monopoloy, Scrabble) or which represented a major leap in the way toys were handled (like the Star Wars toys with the move tie-in) or which spawned a much larger genre (Dungeons and Dragons, arguably Star Wars to an extent).

Now while Transformers was a good toy, very popular, and sold in large numbers, I don't think it really matches up. But I'm prepared to accept that in the US you have a different market and a different toy history, and it may be different there.

I have to agree with Mike on this one.

Transformers were awesome!

As a kid they just blew my mind. It was a vehicle and a battle robot so it was like two toys in one. Plus the fact that you could "transform" them back and forth was really fun. I didn't really get into them until they were doing the Beast Wars version where they were the animals.

When I was a kid, all I had was Transformers, Ninja Turtles, and Power Rangers figures.

Transformers, Ninja Turtles, and Power Rangers.

And right there you have a snapshot of the modern American psyche.

I read in the TV magazine that the winners were decided not by Jonathan Ross, but by someone even more annoying, stupid and frustrating: the Great British public.

Didn't watch it though, so couldn't say. The Sega Mega Drive should get a mention though. What about Pokemon?

Quote :

Transformers, Ninja Turtles, and Power Rangers.

And right there you have a snapshot of the modern American psyche.

And that..i will have to agree

Pokemon were in the list. Can't remember which place they were at though.

My favourite toy as a child was Thundercats, but I guess that wasn't so popular.

Although again I would have to say Pokemon doesn't count as a "toy". More like a marketing phenomenon that sprang from a video game. A damn good video game, but really just a video game.

By the way, on that subject, I liked it when it came out and as I got older I havn't cared so much about the franchise.

However, the fact that they've moved to a slightly more mature audience with the upcoming Black & White game, the protagonists and antagonists are in their late teens, and the story is more serious and there's more serious of a story revolving around the plot of a religeous cult of sorts really has me intrigued.

Sure it's not quite having moved the story to characters in their late 20's or anything, but it's a welcome turn to have Pokemon "grow up" a little more. I have to say I'm actually anticipating the new generation and it will be the first Pokemon game i've bought since Silver on the original Game Boy.

Pokemon, as trading cards, was somewhere in the middle of the ratings. 30 or 40 something.

Reaper wrote:

Pokemon, as trading cards, was somewhere in the middle of the ratings. 30 or 40 something.

I was about to call bullshit on them for that... but then I remembered that as far as Pokemon merch went, the trading card game wasn't as popular as other spin-offs like the cartoon and even the comics, or especially the main game, so.. yeah that makes sense.

As far as card games go, even Yu-Gi-Oh surpassed the Pokemon Trading Card game in popularity. But that only stands to reason as the cards themselves were Yu-Gi-Oh's main product.

These things always generate a lot of discussion. I have to admit that I'm surprised by how high certain things are. And where is the Bionic Man doll???

If this was an American list, sadly we would have to include that wretched fucking Tickle Me Elmo thing.

Now let me be perfectly clear on this... I actually like Sesame Street. I was a big fan of it when I was a little kid, and I still think it's a good show for little children today, and it's wonderful that it's always been there for multiple generations of children...

But I hate that furry little red bastard Elmo. I hate how he took over the show, I hate how he overshadowed everyone, ect. The most annoying muppet of all time.

But in the US, it was amazing. This Tickle Me Elmo thing came out one year and inexplicably it became the hottest toy of the year. Tickle Me Elmo was what almost single handedly CREATED Black Friday as we know it today.

Retailers didn't expect it would become a hit and thus, not enough of them were produced. Becoming rare to the point where, as the hype increased, there were actually thefts, tramplings, robberies, and fist fights all around the country that developed over that vapid giggling fucker.

Tickle Me Elmo would have to be on an American list.. not because it was a good toy, but because of it's infamy. Hell, there are still Urban Myths that persist over unreported MURDERS over Tickle Me Elmo.

Ah, the beauty of the consumer world...got to love it!

The Bionic Man doll was on the list somewhere in the middle. I too felt it should have been higher, as I loved that thing

Elmo was also featured. He was also massive over here when he launched, and there were plenty of parents paying stupid prices to secure one for their little darlings.

However, there were other toys years before which had the same hype, hysteria, and ridiculous over-reaction as Elmo, and caused the same queues outside toy stores, the same fist fights, and the same blatant profiteering. In fact, only a few years before we'd seen it with Buzz Lightyear dolls - so much so that on a trip to the States I brought back 3 of them and sold them at a vast profit - and years before that in the early 1980s it was cabbage patch dolls which had basically the same thing.

In fact, here in the UK, those toy panics go right back to Star Wars toys int he very late 1970s. My parents recall how they had to visit just about every toy store in London in order to find a Millennium Falcon for me.

Don't forget Turbo Man!

Actually, wait, I'm thinking of that Christmas Arnold Schwarzenegger film

Which itself was a spoof on the Buzz Lightyear phenomenon.

It captured it pretty well haha

Poor unloved Woody

What a great film too, while we're on topic. (Jingle All The Way, not Toy Story)

They both blow!

You blow!

Jingle All the Way is funny. Well, I remember it being funny when I watched it years ago.

Yeah I know! It was on TV about 2 weeks ago, and it's probably on either tonight or tomorrow

It's been on twice now. And even as a big Arnie mark (at least back in the day) it blows!