Review: Hexbug Nano

Written on Oct 14, 2009 by Brian and filed under Hexbug, Reviews

The Hexbug Nano is the latest autonomous robot in Hexbug’s bug box. The Nano features 12 rubbery legs that propel the mini robot rapidly across hard surfaces. Nano quickly scurries about, bouncing off objects and otherwise frequently changing direction. Hexbug has also included online tools that let kids register and “collect” Nanos online.

Nano Specs

• 1.75″ long
• .5″ wide
• .75″ tall
• .25 ounces in weight
• Button cell battery included
• Suggested retail price – $7.99

Nano in Action

The Nano works by sending vibration through the dozen rubber legs once the power switch is turned on. The little guy really scoots, taking off as soon as you put him on the floor. The movements are largely erratic, as the Nano bounces off walls and other objects. The only thing that slows it down is carpet. The Nano even flips off its back if it gets turned over, as you can see in the video.

Kids enjoyed walling in Nano with blocks and other toys, making a pen for him to bounce around in. Other fun games included making a maze and seeing how fast the Nano could go end to end.

As fun as Nano is though, it certainly stands to reason that more than one Nano would be more fun. In the promotional video for Nano, Hexbug shows dozens of them being released at once. While that might be overkill, running half a dozen together would be more enjoyable and would let kids race the bugs against each other and so on.

Hexbug does plan on releasing several sets of the Nanos though. Each collection will be named after a world famous scientist, the first set is called the “Newton Collection” and the Nanos come in green, orange, blue, purple and red. Hexbug has on their website, and will be releasing soon, a series of cases, courses and the like to encourage collecting behavior. I’m sure teachers across the country will be confiscating plenty of these guys once kids return from their Holiday break.

We rarely spend time on packaging, but in this case it’s pretty fun – each Nano will come in a test tube package to tie in with the science motif. At just $8 in retail, it stands to reason that parents and kids alike will be tempted when they see these tucked in next to the registers at Toys R Us.

Online Gameplay

Online games are handled through a website called Hand and Stars. The gameplay is surprisingly deep, kids will have access to logic-based games. The first set for example gives kids control over a block that has to be manipulated through a course to the end. Along the way they pick up resources to create a Nano. The system keeps score and has a leader board. As each level is complete, another is unlocked. At present there are five games available, each with multiple levels, but there’s plenty of room for expansion if these games become popular.

In addition to the games kids can inventory their Nanos. It looks a little plain with our one Nano, but this model seems to encourage multiple Nano ownership, and at the sub $10 price point, we’re sure kids will want more than one.

Bottom Line

Hexbug has added distribution with Toys R Us, so the Nano will be an easy impulse purchase as the little test tubes will surely be near the registers this Holiday season. It will be interesting to see if the potential collectible nature of the Nano takes off, this is really the first Hexbug product with both the potential and product support to make it work. Even though we only had one for review, it’s obvious to us that more Nanos means more fun.

Hexbug continues to impress – both with kids and the editorial team here. For $8 there’s nothing to complain about, the Nano is a tremendous value and will make most kids very happy.

Editor’s Rating – 5 out of 5 Stars – Editor’s Choice

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