Although it doesn't correspond with the Chinese calendar, 2012 was the year of the turtle--Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle that is. If there was ever a question of whether kids were buying action figures, Nickelodeon's TMNT line answered it with a resounding yes. Playmates' TMNT figures performed well throughout the year and were completely wiped off the pegs when the holiday rush came--a phenomenon we haven't seen in the toy aisles for a long time. Playmates found the right formula of aesthetics and articulation to pique collector interest, while also engaging kids though an animated television show. The formula seems simple enough, but it's been one many toy companies have struggled with since the early '90s. While we were also impressed by the ingenuity of Activision's Skyladers SWAP Force video game figures, we decided to acknowledge the team at Playmates for getting the formula right in the toy aisles and awarded our Kid-Favorite Line of the Year to Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

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