Spy Gear Spectacular!

All or the items require batteries and are appropriate for ages six and up.

Security Scanner

Part of the Security line of Spy Gear products, the Security Scanner lights up and beeps when it detects mental. Install one nine volt battery, and you are ready to go. The red dial on the front turns the device on and adjusts the sensitivity.

Security Scanner With Lights Aglow

I have to say, I was impressed that the scanner actually does detect metal. As long as the silver side is pointed toward the suspect, the scanner was pretty reliable. For example, my dog was caught smuggling a tag and a water bowl into the office.

Unfortunately, there is no “ham sandwich” setting on the scanner, so my lunch is still MIA, and my dog remains the primary suspect.

Spy Glasses

As an added bonus, the Security Scanner came with a pair of polarized spy glasses. The amber lenses help to sharpen images, and the wrap around style is streamlined, just like spy accessories should be. And, yes, they really work as amber sunglasses.

Scanner Sporting Spy Glasses

Overall: Security Scanner and Glasses

• Requires one 9V battery (for scanner, not sunglasses )
• Available for around $15
• Impressions: Oh yeah!

Lie Detector Kit

Not sure if you can trust what your suspect is telling you? Well, any good spy will be packing the Lie Detector Kit to judge veracity. Open the detector case, slip in two AA batteries, and set out the finger sensors, and you are ready to go.

Lie Detector Kit Ready for Use

The two nodes on the sensors measure moisture, and a nervous suspect (that is, one who is lying) is usually a sweaty suspect. Simply ask a question, touch the sensors, and the lights will illuminate, telling you whether you can trust the answer or not. If all four lights glow, BUSTED.

Keeping track of the answers is easy when you plot the number of lights on a paper scroll integrated in the unit. And, don’t worry about running out of paper, there’s a spare scroll included with the kit.

Another helpful tool is the Lie Detection Clues booklet.

Say you ask a question, and the lie detector shows two lights. Is your suspect being truthful or trying to get away with something? Consult the clues booklet to get hints about reading body language that just may help you tell truth from fiction. This handy book fits nicely in the detection kit box, so you will always have it ready when you need it.

The reactions from our testers was very positive. They really liked feeling like, “a real spy” with all the gadgets. And, while I wouldn’t recommend this kit to the local PD or to INTERPOL, it was definitely fun for our testers.

Overall: Lie Detector

• Requires two AA batteries
• Available for around $12
• Impressions: fun toy for imaginative play, results are not necessarily reliable, but it’s a toy, and our testers really enjoyed it

Secret Agent Pen

Our lie detector kit came with a bonus pen designed specifically for a secret agent (also available separately). One end has a pen tip with invisible ink; the other end has a purple decoder light (powered by three included button cell batteries). In the middle is a secret compartment where you can store the note.

Secret Agent Pen

Once you’ve written your secret message, the ink disappears, and it looks like you are holding a blank piece of paper.

I Don't See Any Words . . . They're Invisible!

Your words will remain a mystery until a fellow spy finds the paper and shines the decoder light to reveal the message.

Hark! A Message Appears!

Our testers liked to roll up the paper, slip it in the pen’s secret compartment, and flip the lock for safe keeping. Then they “loaned” the pen to a fellow spy who knew how to retrieve the message. Many secret rendezvous were planned this way.

Overall: Lie Detector and Pen

• Comes with three button cell batteries (for the light)
• Available for around $10
• Impressions: Fun, easy to use, loved by our little spy testers

Spy Decoy Listener

Is that someone listening in to our super secret conversation?  No, it’s just someone on a cell phone . . . or is it? The Spy Decoy Listener will allow you to eavesdrop while keeping your true purpose a secret.

Spy Decoy Listener

The Spy Decoy Listener looks like a cell phone, but it has a mini amplifier that picks up sounds, and plays them directly into your ears, allowing you to overhear conversations while remaining incognito. With the phone open, you can flip the red amplifier out and angle it toward the sounds you want to hear. Then, simply listen. If you add an occasional, “uh huh” or , “yes, I see,” no one will know what you are really up to. If you suspect someone is on to you, press the 5 key, and close the phone. Moments later, the phone will ring just like a real phone.

Spy Decoy Listener Open and Ready for Use

While the microphone is not particularly good at picking up sound from any distance, our testers loved the ability to remain casual while secretly listening into conversations. The amplifier worked alright from 6 feet or less, but it could be difficult to hear over other ambient noise (wind, music, etc.). That said, well-placed plants provided inconspicuous cover, allowing testers to get closer and hear better.

• Comes with three LR44 batteries
• Available for anywhere between $3 and $17
• Impressions: not really great for listening, but fun bit of spy gear, especially if you get it for less than $10

In an Nutshell

In short, we got two thumbs up from the little spys who played with the Security Scanner, Lie Detector Kit, Secret Agent Pen, Spy Decoy Listener, and the glasses. We feel that you can find each toy for a price that is right for its functionality. The best part is that the toys provide rich fodder for imaginative play, growing little brains.

We happily give all of the Spy Gear in this review:

5 out of 5 stars

Hyper Dash Extreme Box

Out of the Box

Like it’s predecessor, Hyper Dash Extreme comes with a hand-held tagger and a series of numbered targets.

Hyper Dash Extreme Game Pieces

However, in this new generation, as a player tags a target, the redesigned tagger picks it up. Using a microchip, the tagger identifies each target and tells the players which to find next. The game keeps players moving when they tag their next target; any target in the tagger will pop out the back and land in a new location, keeping the game active and fun.

A Hyper Dash Extreme Target Ready to Pop Out

Hyper Dash Extreme is also packed with math. In the beginning levels of the main game, players simply tag the targets that match the number or color called out by the tagger. As players advance, they are asked to tag double digit numbers, sequences of numbers, sums, and differences. To keep things fun and moving, players can chose which of the four levels they want to start on.

In addition to the main game, Hyper Dash Extreme features three other math-based games:

• Mathema Dash is geared toward older children and is an all-math game that includes addition, subtraction, and multiplication.
• Freestyle Dash is geared toward younger kids and helps them to learn colors and numbers.
• Quick Dash will exercise counting and speed skills.

Another nice feature is that in all games, the tagger will track the time each player takes and determine the winner of each round.

Once you insert the required three AA batteries and put on your workout clothes, you’re ready to go.

Reviewer Response

Frankly, our reviewers had a blast with this game. The hand held device was a lot of fun, and the popping targets evoked smiles and laughs. We found that the early level of the main game was appropriate for children as young as four. Our older testers forgot they were practicing their math skills when they were playing Mathema Dash and just ran around looking for the correct targets. The kids also really enjoyed the  music.

One parent, Laura, said it best, “this is a fun, fast-paced way to get a group of children to practice math while getting exercise.”

In a Nutshell

Pros: durable, can be played indoors or out, fast paced, action packed, works for one to six players, reasonably priced, educational

Cons: really, there were none

We give Hyper Dash Extreme:

5 out of 5 stars

Flipper Frenzy -- Shark and Friends

Out of the Box

There’s no question that Flipper Frenzy is cute. Flipper is a blue shark with a huge toothy grin that opens wide to reveal a large scoop mouth. The shark is accompanied by four multicolored adorable animal friends: octopus, fish, turtle, and sea horse. These friends can be stored in Flipper’s mouth, with a little arranging.

Flipper Frenzy Buttons

Flipper Frenzy is designed to be very easy to operate with just a few buttons. On top of the shark, there is a button that operates the scoop mouth. It is large and easy to operate for small hands. On Flipper’s left, there are three buttons that control the electronics:

• Power - toggles the game on and off
• Menu - toggles through the game options
• Go - starts the game that has been selected

Flipper Frenzy Control Buttons Up Close

Before you can play, Flipper Frenzy requires three AA batteries which are not included.

Let’s Play!

The object of the Flipper Frenzy games is for children to take turns finding the correct animal friend that matches the description given by Flipper. When the child has found the correct animal, he or she scoops it into Flipper’s mouth and shakes the toy to see if it is the correct animal. Children can choose to have Flipper describe which animal to find based on the animal’s name, the letter that starts the animal’s name, the friend’s color, or a description of the friend. For example, Flipper might say, “who has eight legs?” and the child is supposed to find the octopus. Additionally, children can play “Sharky Says” or hide and seek.

Review Reactions

The three and four-year-old reviewers that we had play with this toy enjoyed it. However, we should note that the children did have some difficulty using the small buttons on the side of the whale to select the game they wanted. Additionally, while Flipper Frenzy says it can accommodate from one to six players, we had up to three children play with the toy at a time, and we felt that this was the maximum number of players that the game could realistically occupy. It is also worth mentioning that there is no volume control on the game, and it is quite loud. While this did not make a difference to our testers, the adults in the room commented on the noise level of the toy.

In a Nutshell

This game has a list price of $19.95, and if you have one or two little toddlers at home, it is fun.

Pros: cute, durable, reasonably priced, age appropriate games, fun for one to three kids

Cons: batteries not included, no volume control, small buttons can be tricky for little hands, hard to fit all the animals in the shark’s mouth for storage, really can’t accommodate six children

We give Flipper Frenzy:

4 out of 5 stars

The game follows Wild Planet’s formula of getting kids up and active, while playing games individually or in teams. Woody and Bullseye sit atop an RFID reader that wireless recognizes the character pieces when placed atop them. Kids are prompted to find one of the characters, placing the reader over the correct piece leads to another call out.

In addition to the main game, Woody’s Run-Around Roundup also features a sequence-building memory game, a hide-and-seek treasure hunt, and multi-player modes.

Woody’s Run-Around Roundup is designed for 1-6 players, ages 3+ and will be available May this year at a suggested retail of $25.

Lazer Tripwire

Got valuables or a secret code you need to protect?  The Lazer Tripwire is a “high-tech security system” that uses a red light (not a true laser) and sensors to create an invisible tripwire.  The system is easy to set up with a base that includes swiveling receivers and two sender units, each requiring two AAA batteries. Kids just align the light beam from the sender unit so that it shines into the receiver, wait three seconds, and the unit is armed and ready to go.  If the beam of light is interrupted, a siren will sound alerting you to the presence of an intruder.

Lazer Tripwire

Since there’s more than enough noise in my life already, I was worried that the alarm would be loud and shrill.  Fortunately, my fears were not realized and instead of an obnoxious bell, the alarm is lower-pitched and not too loud.  Thus, the toy can stay in the house.  In fact, the whole tripwire system was a total thrill for the kids who tested it for me, and at a cost of $19.99, it’s a real steal (yes, bad pun intended) for me.

Spy Night Scope

A must for any surveillance mission, the Spy Night Scope is essentially a set of binoculars with a red tint to clarify the picture, even in dim light.  While the binoculars are nothing special (though they do have a working focus knob), it’s the pop-up spotlight that makes this toy a hit.  Little spies can illuminate subjects that are close by with a subtle red light, or slide another switch and the center portion of the binoculars lifts to reveal a bright white light.  According to my testers, the dual-light and pop-up action are ”so cool!”  And, frankly, I have to agree.

Spy Night Scope With Pop-Up Light

By the way, since opening the package, I haven’t been able to get the Spy Night Scope back from my 7-year-old son.  He’s spying on everyone and everything in the house.  The dog thinks he’s nuts every time he sneaks into a room and activates the pop-up spotlight.  That’s a lot of joy from a toy that retails at just $9.99.

Micro Ear Gear

Watch what you say!  Wild Planet’s Micro Ear Gear pack has both a light and a listening device that really work.  The Micro Agent Listener has a small microphone attached by a thin wire to an ear bud.  The microphone amplifies sound and can be used to hear around corners while your little spy stays hidden.  Of course, the microphone is not very powerful, but it’s fun just the same and adds to the feeling of being a “real spy.”

Micro Ear Gear

This set also comes with the Micro Ear Light.  It’s a stealthy red light mounted on an ear clip that an agent can wear on either ear to provide hands-free illumination.  More handy than any flashlight, this little device will light the way of an agent using the cover of darkness to sneak around.

Retailing at around $10, the Micro Ear Gear set is sturdy enough to withstand little hands and is a lot of fun.  In fact, I had a very difficult time getting these toys back from my testers in order to photograph them.

Evidence Kit

With the popularity of crime dramas on TV these days, it’s hard to say who will have more fun with the Evidence Kit, adults or kids.  An aspiring investigator has everything s/he needs to collect evidence: LED flashlight and UV light that mounts to a 30X microscope, glow-in-the-dark powder, dusting brush, double-sided lifting tapes, tweezers, collection bags, ink pad, ID card, and a handy carrying case with plenty of storage compartments to keep everything organized.  All this, and the kit retails for about $16.

Evidence Kit

When I opened the kit, I was intrigued, and I quickly set about trying to lift some fingerprints.  Not only were my son and I successful, we also learned that the last person to use the ice cream scoop was my husband, which explains why there was no peanut butter chip ice cream left for me.  Next time I’ll use the tripwire to catch him in the act

Glowing Fingerprint Under UV Light

Overall, the Evidence Kit has some pretty cool gadgets.  On that note, I should mention that the ink, glow-in-the-dark powder, and UV light are real and should be treated as such.  There are warnings on the instruction sheet not to ingest the ink or powder and not to look directly into the UV light, but I’d also keep this stuff away from furniture and any clothing you really like.  Beyond that, I’d say that Wild Planet has another winner here.

Overall

Wild Planet’s Spy Gear line is really fun and reasonably priced for the young 007 in your life.  Though they weren’t necessarily interested in spying before, I’ve had reports that all of my testers have been found sneaking around their houses keeping an eye on their siblings, parents, and pets since they used the Spy Gear toys.  So, I give these toys high marks for utility, value and longevity of play.

The entire line of Spy Gear is available from Amazon.com.

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

Working with 1-2-3 Stomp is pretty straightforward. There are four modes of play, that range from basic number sequences to early stage math. There’s also a cooperative mode which is fun to play with friends or a family member.

To get started with any of the games, kids are prompted to stomp on the stomp button. The stomping bit is pretty humorous. The older kids that tested Hyper Blast had no problem smashing the stomp button to play. But for some reason the younger kids who tested out 1-2-3 Stomp had some hesitation about stomping on the game. That didn’t last long though, after a bit of encouragement, they were stomping and laughing every time the digits went blasting through the air.

Once the numbers are lunched, kids have to scurry about to find and replace the correct number in its slot. Depending on the child, this might be a bit of a challenge, as the dexterity required to get some of the numbers back in their clips might pose a problem. Younger kids will likely be working with a parent or older sibling though, so it’s not a huge deal. Just be prepared to help until kids can handle the game on their own.

The only other negative we noted is that the call outs from the speaker can be a bit repetitive since it took younger kids a little while to return the proper number, they often heard the same request several times before they could re-seat the number. This bothered parents more than the kids though, as you might expect.

Otherwise 1-2-3 Stomp is another solid effort from Wild Planet and for $20, provides excellent value for an active learning game. Kids who are learning numbers and ready for early math problems will have a lot of fun launching the numbers, then retrieving them. Parents can feel good about their kids being active and learning, it’s definitely a win for everyone.

Editor’s Rating – 4 out of 5 Stars

Playing Hyper Blast

It’s easy to get started with Hyper Blast. Just arrange the balls on the base and press the blue power button to turn the unit on. From there kids can select from one of four game types that support from one to four players. The games work in much the same way though, the kids stomp on the blast button to launch the balls across a room. Then as the base calls out commands, kids return the balls to the base.

The base is made such that a ball only fits a single slot. So the five can only fit in the fifth hole, and so on. If a ball gets returned that’s not right, the kids will have to stomp the blast button to start over. Out of the gate, the games are pretty straightforward, kids will return the balls in sequence, sometimes in reverse sequence. By increasing the difficulty though, kids can be met with colors (blue, green, etc.), double digit numbers (32, 25, 42) and math problems (3+2, 5-1).

The games are all timed, so kids are incentivized to work quickly. In multi-player games, the unit keeps score and announces the winner at the end. The only note is that kids will often not really stomp on the button, but press it just hard enough to get the balls to roll off so they can be faster. In multi-player games, we recommend having the opposing players handle the stomping for each other to keep the kids honest.

From a parent’s perspective, it’s clear kids really had fun with Hyper Blast. It’s also something parents can play a few times without getting bored, which is a nice plus. The game is recommended for ages 6 and up, but kids much younger can play the easy levels, especially with a little help from a parent or bigger sibling. We found that six year-olds enjoyed the game a good deal, but kids much older found it too easy. Without the element of competition, they might not have enough interest in playing.

That said, Wild Planet did a good job with Hyper Dash. It’s a fun game that gets kids moving and thinking about numbers and doing light math; and for a reasonable $25 what’s there not to like?

Editor’s Rating – 4 out of 5 stars

Mickey’s Mouse-ke-TAG is an active learning game that has kids 3 and older running around in response to Goofy’s call outs. The way it works is the red Clubhouse has a speaker and RFID reader in it. Goofy’s voice tells kids which character to find. When they place the Clubhouse over the character, it reads the character’s RFID tag and either moves on to the next call out or let’s kids know they need to try again.

Mickey’s Mouse-ke-TAG offers several game modes, designed to be played from 1 to 6 children. The common theme though is that kids run around the room to best each other in timed games. Each game comes with four levels too, which even had kids much older than the target involved. In fact, parents had fun too scooting around with the Clubhouse, trying to remember which character has yellow shoes for instance (hint: Donald doesn’t wear shoes).

There’s a lot to like about Mickey’s Mouse-ke-TAG. First, kids get running around, which is great. Second, the diverse skill levels make it interesting, probably up to the 6-8 age group, depending on their affinity for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Lastly, while kids don’t really get the technology behind the game, but universally we found them to think it was neat that the Clubhouse “magically” knew which character it was over.

We really only have two complaints; the first is that the characters easily come off their bases, which disrupts play. We recommend gluing the bases onto the characters before you get going, this one quick step will save you from having to put the pieces back together during the games. The other issue is that the game only counts up to 99 seconds due to a limitation in the game’s storage space. If you keep the game contained to a decent sized room however, you’ll probably never notice this.

With a suggested retail price of $25, it’s hard to complain about a lack of memory though. Mickey’s Mouse-ke-TAG provides a lot of fun for kids and stretches to include a wide variety of age groups – parents included. Wild Planet has done well here to create a game that not only gets kids active, but is a great value as well.

Editor’s Rating – 4 out of 5 stars

Lazer Tripwire

The Lazer Tripwire includes two laser emitting pods and one dual receiver to create a security field in any room. If an object crosses the laser bean an alarm will sound. While the tripwire is designed for kids 6 and up, we see more utility here and think the tripwire is destined for cubicles and dorm rooms, not just play rooms. The retail price is $20.

Evidence Kit

The evidence kit includes a mobile forensics set with a 30X microscope, UV light, fingerprint kit & glow-in-the-dark powder. Kids will be able to fingerprint a crime scene and take other evidence back to their “lab.” The kit includes game ideas and tutorials on how to collect evidence. It’s designed for kids 6 and older and will retail for $16.

Secret Agent Briefcase

Any good agent needs a briefcase, especially a dart-launching briefcase complete with secret compartments and spy tools. The kit also includes a removable red laser light and vision scope, DVD holder, storage space, dart blaster & four darts. The briefcase is designed for kids 6 and up and will retail for $20.

$10 Deals

In addition to the new items, Wild Planet is releasing special editions of their most popular sky gadgets for just $10. These include the Spy Night Scope, Agent Tool Kit and Micro Ear Gear.

Look through the red-tinted lenses of the Spy Night Scope to examine far-away objects up close. With the press of a button, illuminate near-by subjects with a red light, or engage the bright white pop-up spotlight to see up to 25 feet in the distance. The agent tool kit includes essential spy gadgets in a locking case; includes a motion alarm, magnification scope, pen & flashlight. Micro Ear Gear comes with a pair of hands-free, ear-mounted spy gadgets; contains a Micro Ear Light & Micro Agent Listener for secret spy action.

Update 10/28/09 – Wild Planet Spy Gear Review Posted

Inside the clubhouse is a microchip that uses RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology to recognize the characters. When the clubhouse is placed over the correct character, the circuit is complete and players advance. If kids tag the wrong character Goofy will repeat the call-out and encourage them to try again.

RFID is just starting to make its way into toys, something that adds a new dimension to play. In this case the technology promises to make the game somewhat magical, as it will seem like Goofy is really inside the clubhouse and can see his friends.

The game also brings physical play into the picture as the characters can be spread out to encourage running, climbing and whatnot. Mickey’s Mouse-ke-TAG works the mind too, as the game progresses, the call-outs become more challenging. In early levels for instance, Goofy calls out names (Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck or Goofy), and sometimes the first letter of a name (D is for Donald). Once kids master names and letters, the game adds in colors and catch phrases (Who has a pink bow? Who says “Golly”?). The audio clues are given in the corresponding character’s voice.

In addition to the main game, Mickey’s Mouse-ke-TAG also features a sequence-building memory game, a hide-and-seek treasure hunt, and multi-player modes.

Mickey’s Mouse-ke-TAG is designed for ages 3 and up and will be available this fall for a suggested retail for $25.

Update 9/22/09 – Mickey’s Mouse-ke-TAG Review Posted