Somehow "Just a Thought" columnist and game reviewer Michael Erb and I got into a discussion of '80s toys, more specifically, toy robots. Michael had Capsela, a transparent robot you built out of different gears, motors, etc. and some wind-up robots that were cool wind-up robots. I had two robots - Tomy's Hootbot, a little owl, and Verbot, a little robot that would attempt to respond to voice commands. I 

say attempt because I seem to remember recording the command, then speaking into the microphone and it doing something completely opposite. And lest you think I remembered these things' names, we have our friend Google to thank.

But alas, after doing way too much research, Google still could not produce the robot we both remembered from a Christmas catalog, some sort of giant (to a kid) programmable robot toy/butler. Does any child of the '80s out there remember what it was?

A quick consult with my mom tells me that Hootbot and Verbot are both in my parents' attic somewhere. I am planning to go on the search.

While on the subject of '80s toys, I happened to mention a current toy set that I try to get the kids to buy and they show no interest in - Marvel's Handful of Heroes. These colorful little toys are various Marvel superheroes (awesome!) and remind me of the C.U.T.I.E.S. toys from the 80s (the girl version of M.U.S.C.L.E.) Either set are basically small plastic figures in vibrant colors that do...well, nothing. You just collect them. And everytime we go look at toys, I try to convince the kids they want them. And they don't. Which is bizarre, because they will play with the C.U.T.I.E.S. (still have 'em at my parents' house.)

So what are some 80s toys you still have/wish you still had? What are some toys out now that are nostalgic throwbacks that you try to convince your kids they want or they do want? And does anyone remember the name of that robot?