Review: Ultimate FX LightSaber by Hasbro
Written on Oct 18, 2011 by RuthJS and filed under Brands, Featured, Hasbro, News
“An elegant weapon for a more civilized age,” is how Ben Kenobi describes a lightsaber in “A New Hope.” The Ultimate FX Lightsaber, new from Hasbro, is hands down closer to that description than any other toy lightsaber we’ve played with. And, agreed with us, our testers did. Overview Hasbro’s Ultimate FX Lightsaber is well-designed [...]
Review: Thomas with Annie & Clarabel
Written on May 19, 2010 by RuthJS and filed under Bachmann, Reviews
Bachmann, a name synonymous with model train heaven, has caught the attention of many small enthusiasts with their Deluxe Thomas with Annie & Clarabel. Part of their Big Haulers line, we reviewed the large scale Thomas with Annie & Clarabel. After several hours of use, we recommend this train as a fun collectible for a more mature model railroader, but not as a toy for small children, no matter how much you may be tempted.
Review: OLLO Construction Kits
Written on Mar 15, 2010 by RuthJS and filed under Reviews, Robotis
Some of the coolest toys I found at Toy Fair were the OLLO construction kits. They resemble a cross between an Erector® set and K’nex® with some LEGO® mixed in for good measure. Currently, there are just three sets available in the USA at three levels of sophistication and at three price points. But, this [...]
Ekomini Interactive Piggy Bank Review
Written on Feb 7, 2010 by Brian and filed under Reviews
We’ve seen innovation in many places, some expected, some not. The new Ekomini interactive piggy bank isn’t one we were expecting to see. The principle is simple, engage kids with a piggy bank that connects to the computer and opens an online universe that teaches saving and basic personal economics.
Review: Jazwares MP3 Player (Ben 10 Echo Echo)
Written on Jan 27, 2010 by Brian and filed under Jazwares, Reviews
Jazwares has created an great-looking MP3 player around the Ben 10 Echo Echo character. The 1GB player features a lot of great things like an LCD display and speaker to give kids a relatively robust portable music experience.
Review: LEGO Stop Animation Video Camera
Written on Jan 14, 2010 by RuthJS and filed under Lego, Reviews
LEGO has lent its formidable brand and style to Digital Blue, a leader in photo and video equipment for kids. The result: one cool video camera! The LEGO Stop Animation Video Camera records videos, takes still shots, and (coolest of all) makes stop animation movies. I love it, my testers love it, but it’s not without its quirks. Still, it would be hard to find a cuter video camera with a wider appeal.
Review: Freaky Creatures
Written on Jan 3, 2010 by Brian and filed under Reviews
Freaky Creatures offers a world of online competitive battle play that’s combined with social networking and offline action figures. Designed for kids 8 and older, the Freaky Creatures universe lets players customize their creature with attributes and special powers before heading off to battle. There’s even a mobile interface, expanding the world beyond just the PC.
Review: Ultimate Buzz Lightyear Robot
Written on Dec 18, 2009 by Brian and filed under Disney, Reviews, Thinkway
Ultimate Buzz Lightyear was a summer announcement for Disney and followed in the steps of the Ultimate Wall-E from the year prior. Ultimate Buzz features 7 motors, multiple sensors and over 100 sayings in Tim Allen’s Buzz voice. The sometimes-delusional Buzz can also walk, play games and otherwise be directed by kids via 15-button remote.
Review: Disney Pix Twist
Written on Dec 16, 2009 by RuthJS and filed under Digital Blue, Disney, Reviews
Disney’s Pix Twist digital cameras are designed for kids age 7 and up and come in two styles: Jonas Brothers and Disney Princess. The Pix Twist was part of Disney’s summer announcements of digital cameras and digital video cameras for the tween crowd and features a rotating lens for self portraits, 5 megapixel sensor and the Disney PhotoFriends image overlays.
Review: Playskool Monty Rex
Written on Dec 14, 2009 by Brian and filed under Hasbro, Reviews
We recently reviewed Playskool’s smaller animatronic dinos – we’re back this time with the much larger Monty Rex Dinosaur who was announced earlier this year at Toy Fair. Monty features six sensors that detect touch or sound and reacts accordingly with roars, crunches and even a little walking.
Review: Disney Mix Lights Digital Music Player
Written on Dec 8, 2009 by Brian and filed under Digital Blue, Disney, Reviews
Disney has expanded on their digital media products for kids with the Mix Lights line of digital media players from Digital Blue. The Mix Lights media players feature internal rechargeable batteries, 2GB of storage, SD card slot and a light show that pulses with the beat of your music. The Mix Lights comes in four designs: Jonas Brothers, Wizards of Waverly Place, Princess Wish and Hannah Montana.