Toy Hall of Fame Announces 2013 Finalists

From Hot Wheels to Mr. Potato Head, every good toy deserves its proper recognition, and the folks at the Toy Hall of Fame take this task very seriously. That's why the organization convenes every year to put together a list of possible new inductees deemed worthy of the honor.

This year, the contenders vying for a special place in toy history range from the always-styling My Little Pony to the classic tools of living-room-battle known as Nerf toys. The Toy Hall of Fame also recognizes some of the more generic toys, with past inductees including playing cards and the traditional dollhouse. After all, as the organization's site explains, dollhouses "help children learn about interior design and household management."

See also: 15 Totally Concerning Toys From Your Childhood

The nominated toys are eligible to earn a spot in the Hall of Fame based on four criteria: icon status, longevity, discovery and innovation. This category checklist is designed to ensure that the toy not only enjoyed massive popularity amongst youngsters in its heyday, but that it also encouraged qualities like "creativity" and "discovery." Therefore, that little yapping robot dog that did nothing but walk and do flips in the air may not, for obvious reasons, be a strong contender.

Nevertheless, voters have the option of nominating any beloved childhood object. The process works by allowing the public to determine which toys are included in the initial pool of toys by voting online, by mail or at the National Museum of Play website.

Afterwards, curators, historians and educators decide which toys will make the top 12 list. Toys with the largest amount of panel votes get their rightful place in the Hall of Fame. The panel will announce the final results of this year's vote tally on November 7.

Last year, Dominoes and Star Wars action figures were among the toys that took top honors. Other nominees this year include Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the Magic 8 Ball, the board game Clue and the classic Rubber Duck.

Which toy would you vote for? Tell us in the comments below.

BONUS: 18 Geeky Toys From Your Favorite Video Games

1. 

   Cut the Rope Toys

   Cut the Rope's little monster Om Nom had a big appearance at the 2013 Toy Fair, with cute plush that transform into candies and stars from the game.

   The plush also have a link on each tag to unlock an augmented reality game on iOS mobile devices, which brings Om Nom into our world. The game allows players to swipe to toss candy into Om Nom's mouth.

2. 

   Cut the Rope Playsets

   There are also Cut the Rope playsets where you still have to get Om Nom candy.

3. 

   Minecraft for Your iPhone

   ThinkGeek has partnered with Mojang to create a line of Minecraft

4. 

   Angry Birds Star Wars Playsets

   Hasbro is releasing a full line of playsets and figures for Angry Birds Star Wars that incorporate many of your favorite characters, birdified.

5. 

   Angry Birds Star Wars Jenga

   This Angry Birds Star Wars adaptation of Jenga has less to do with stacking blocks, and more to do with knocking them over. It incorporates the classic Angry Birds slingshot to knock off pieces of this piggie TIE Fighter's wings. It's also made by Hasbro.

6. 

   Angry Birds Star Wars Jenga

   Here's a closer look at the game's plastic figures.

7. 

   Bejeweled

   Hasbro has turned the match-three smash hit Bejeweled into a physical board game. It has similar rules as the mobile and Flash versions.

8. 

   Bejeweled

   A closer look at the Bejeweled pieces, styled exactly like the gems in the game.

9. 

   Draw Something

   Here's someone taking it for a test drive. The pen's lines glow from the board's light.

10. 

    Draw Something

    The Zynga mobile game is now in your living room as a family game. You can draw on the translucent board so everyone can see, and they'll pick words from the available letters.

11. 

    Tetris Jenga

    There's a new twist on Jenga with the addition of Tetris pieces. This game, made by Hasbro, has the same stacking mechanics as the original...

12. 

    Tetris Jenga

    ... but it's made more difficult by the irregular piece shapes.

13. 

    Even More Tetris

    This stackable Tetris lamp comes with seven light-up pieces that can be configured in any pattern. It's made by Paladone, who had several other Tetris licensed products on display.

14. 

    Pokemon

    Pokemon had a full display at Toy Fair, with figures, plush and cards. Here's a figure of the Kyurem Pokemon, found in Black and White.

15. 

    Nintendo Plush

    Toy maker Sanei had a whole booth of Nintendo plush featuring characters major and minor from many popular franchises. Super Mario Bros. fans will recognized these baddies.

16. 

    Nintendo Plush

    And here's a Shy Guy, also from the Mario universe.

17. 

    Pac-Man

    Paladone also had a full line of Pac-Man licensed toys on display.

18. 

    Space Invaders

    Those pixelated aliens are showing up on all kinds of gadgets.

19. 

    Tomb Raider Figures

    Diamond Select Toys is producing these small figurines of the heroine Lara Croft and her crew and adversaries.

20. 

    Mortal Kombat

    Licensed toy creator Jazwares was showing off its line of Mortal Kombat figures at the show. Shao Khan sure looks menacing.

21. 

    Plants Vs. Zombies

    The popular mobile game has also jumped into the physical world thanks to Jazwares, who showed off figurines and zombie masks.

22. 

    Portal 2 Toys

    Fans of Portal 2 will recognize this little robot, Wheatley, your frenemy from the game. ThinkGeek has created a whole line of Portal 2 swag.

Image: Flickr, John Lambert Pearson