This week, we take a look at some fun toys aimed mostly at boys. We’ll get to the girls soon.

Transformers Rescue Bots Beam Box
Video game-themed toys are all the rage these days—especially the kind that bring the toy and the player into the game—and Hasbro has joined in the fun with the Transformers Rescue Bots Beam Box (why do manufacturers insist on such long names?). Rescue Bots were created for smaller hands and have fewer intricate parts. The unit comes with a controller and one figure, Optimus Prime, who is your main character inside the game. There are five games to play as Optimus, all of which are easy for little hands to control. The starter set, which includes Optimus and the console, retails for $49.99, with additional figures available for $6.99. Available at your favorite brick-and-mortar or online toy store.

Beyblade Shogun Steel Octagon Showdown Battle Set
This toy has been around for a few years, in several variations, but boys still love it. Here’s how it works. Two opponents each launch a “warrior” into an “arena” by pulling on a zip-pull ripcord. The warriors spin furiously like tops and bash into each other until only one is still moving. Sounds like something that could get pretty old pretty quickly. But no. Boys will play this game for hours and hours—and for weeks and weeks. And because it’s so engaging, it’s a great way for dads and moms to log some really fun quality time. The Octagon Showdown Battle Set comes with two Shogun Steel BeyWarrior battlers, the arena, ripcords, and two collector trading cards. Retails for $35 everywhere.

The Ugglys Pug Electronic Pet
We did a column a few weeks ago on gross toys, and this one fits right in. Most little boys and their dads (along with some little girls and their moms) who’ve played with it have had a little too much fun, giggling as if they were watching Comedy Central. The Ugglys Pug Electronic Pet is all about noisily bodily functions, most notably gas and burps. Your child, spouse, father, or self can control the timbre of said gas as well as the pitch and how long the sound will go on (there are 30 choices). There’s also an added feature that makes the Pug ring like a telephone or buzz like a bee at random moments. Oh, and he’s a handpuppet too. Does life get any better than this? At retailers everywhere for $35.

Trash Pack Wheels Junk Yard
Another late entry into the fun-yet-gross category, the Trash Wheels Junkyard Play Set features a series of toys that are shaped like and look like garbage, but often with faces. An odd concept, but kids and adults love it. This goes well beyond Sesame Street’s trashcan-dwelling Oscar the Grouch. Think “old socks with ugly facial expressions” or “dirty banana peel that looks constipated.” There are also garbage bins, toxic waste canisters, garbage trucks, and more—every one of which is a huge crowd pleaser. But wait: What if you need to repair the Trash Wheel? With the Junk Yard, you can fix it, scrap it, or crush it into a piece of scrap metal (most boys like that option best, but no worries—it doesn’t actually crush anything). The set comes with two Trash Wheel Vehicles and a place to garage them. Not for kids who still put everything into their mouth, but fun for everyone else. Retails for about $20 everywhere.