Tickle Me Elmo. Beanie Babies. Furby. If these words conjure up images of crowds of crazy people shoving each other aside for a chance to grab the last box of the season's hottest toy, then you should be fully prepared for the next entry on this list: Star Wars' newest droid, BB-8. We've gotten plenty of looks at the feature film version of the orange-and-white, free-rolling bot in all of the marketing for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but the biggest emergence of BB-8 might be on the horizon. Friday, September 4th - now known by the new international holiday of "Force Friday" - will see a variety of BB-8 toys coming to market, available to the teeming masses.

While this shiny new droid likely means that R2-D2 merchandise will see a marked decrease in cost and priority display space (and C-3PO may be relegated to discount bins altogether), the BB-8 toys are merely a drop in the bucket of all the Star Wars swag that is on the way. However, this cute little roly-poly robot has already captured the eyes and imagination (and bank accounts) of children and adults alike. Let's take a look at some of the various BB-8 toys that are on the way.

First up is this Target exclusive, a $79.99 version of the orange-and-white ball-bot that wobbles around via remote control. Take a look at the packaging and a video of BB-8 in action below (via /Film):

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Image via Target

For those of you looking to spend a little more coin, there's the $150 version from the company behind the droid's technology, Sphero. Head over to their most excellent site for much more info on how BB-8 works, along with more on their other cutting-edge designs. Owners will be able to move BB-8 around via their mobile device (either iOS or Android), and can purchase the toy through Apple, Best Buy, and the Sphero website. Here's another look at Sphero's BB-8 in action, plus new images of the app-controlled toy:

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Image via Sphero
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Image via Sphero
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Image via Sphero

Meet BB-8™ - the app-enabled Droid™ that's as authentic as it is advanced. BB-8 has something unlike any other robot - an adaptive personality that changes as you play. Based on your interactions, BB-8 will show a range of expressions and even perk up when you give voice commands. Set it to patrol and watch your Droid explore autonomously, make up your own adventure and guide BB-8 yourself, or create and view holographic recordings.

 

It’s now possible to explore the galaxy with your own trusty Astromech Droid by your side. BB-8 is more than a toy - it’s your companion. Learn more: sphero.com/starwars

But that's not all! You might be wondering if Sphero's BB-8 is worth the price, what it does, and how well it holds up to constant use. Well, Gizmodo has a detailed review of the little gizmo that answers all your questions for you. The short version: They call it "the coolest Star Wars toy ever," so there you go. Now if you're curious to see how BB-8 responds to a room full of puppies (and vice versa), Vanity Fair has you covered:

Here's a look at some of our other recent Star Wars coverage:

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Image via Disney