I love when 3 year old threads are bumped and then the bumper asks a damned stupid question that has NOTHING to do with the bumped thread's subject...

 

Thread from the past?!

 

The Allspark.
well, the spark that is generated by the toys.

They spark the imagination- ignore the bios on the cards or the media if ya want and let your mind run wild.
take the toy and fiddle with it; each twist, turn and rotation of a hinge or ball joint makes you want to see what you can do with it. (hence the thread with those kooky "other" alt modes)

Taking the toy out and not using the manual right away is like getting a Rubik's Cube that you actually have a shot at solving and it is rewarding.

Lastly, the toy isn't static. it is an action figure like a G.I. Joe, but in a stroke of genius, the transformations make it the most interactive figure ever.

I like how transformers are just as much a mental action figure as they are a toy.