|
|||
 ™ |
 |
||
| The Ultimate Quest For The Ultimate Toys | |||
| by John Mundazio with additional editing by Bridget Petrella | |||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
Aeromax Inflatable Space
Shuttle and Astronaut Suit |
|||
|
|
|||
|
N.S.E.C.T. by Mattel |
|||
|
|
|||
|
The Roboraptor by WOW |
|||
|
|
|||
|
Superman Returns
Inflato-Suit by Mattel |
|||
|
John Mundazio works for one of the numerous publishing companies in the
New York metropolitan area which is currently planning a bold takeover
of the parallel universe in which he occasionally resides with several
of his imaginary friends and at least two of the strange voices in his
head. But he is confident it is not the one you're thinking of at this
very moment. Convinced that Susie-Q's are indeed a food group and that
no REAL list of fun toys is ever really complete without mentioning
"Log"— that quintessential Ren and Stimpy Show toy that boldly dared to
go where no toy ever could... "The Dazed-Meister" refuses to partake in
anything which requires him to dress up like Wonder Woman or sing the
theme song from The Partridge Family in its entirety. He also opposes
floatation devices of any sort. |
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
Disney opens its much-vaunted "vault" to release the eighth installment in
the limited-time availability Platinum Collection with The Little Mermaid,
Special Edition. To commemorate this movie release, Disney has teamed up
with a variety of manufacturers to offer Little Mermaid Special Edition
products including the Magical Talking Salon. This interactive child-sized
vanity is packed with gadgets and gizmos such as salon supplies, sound
effects, a stool, and even a dingle hopper (true fans know what this is).
We did the research and discovered that Ariel, The Little Mermaid, is
consistently ranked as the favorite Disney princess. Playing with a vanity
that recreates Ariel's under-the-sea world, complete with
shell-embellished scissors, allows kids to interact with Ariel in a way
that combines the romance of the storyline with make-believe dress up.
This role-play fun is kicked up a notch with the salon's interactive
elements, which feature Ariel's image appearing in the mirror and a
voice-recognition system that responds to kids' voices. Disney's film, The
Little Mermaid, is indeed an all-time favorite, and the new edition is
likely to introduce a whole new group to the character. For those who are
already into the Disney Princesses, this is Ariel's year, so this is
likely to be a hit with any girl who's into playing "Princess"— most
girls ages 4 to 6.
We suggest you send your little space traveler into orbit in what UPBEAT
ranks as a phenomenal imagination-boosting inflatable rocket Shuttle!
Cruise the solar system...and next summer, in the pool. Now kids can climb
aboard for a journey to wherever their mind wants to take them. Bay doors
open and close to show genuine looking instrument panel and gauges for
added play value. Joystick handle makes for realistic look and feel. Great
fun in the house or for the big splash down in the pool. Supports up to 75
lbs. For ages 3 and up. Inflates in 10 minutes with our Electric Pump. And
whatever you do don't blast off without the talking Helmet— hear Mission
Control give the countdown! Includes flip-up visor, built-in microphone,
and padded shoulder rests. For ages 5 and up. Takes 3 1.5-volt batteries
(included). And blast off NASA-style in the Astronaut Suit, with authentic
detailing and cap. Out-of-this-world when personalized; with up to 13
letters (5 for rank; 8 for name). The suit itself is made from machine
washable polyester. This product truly captures your child's imagination!
The N.S.E.C.T. is quite simply... a massive ton of fun. We snagged up
four of them for our eager test crews [ages 5 and up as we DO NOT
recommend these for anyone under 5], and we must say, both the kids and
adults enjoyed them equally. The movement is very smooth and
extraordinarily consistent. There are many games you can ultimately play
with them. We played tag, capture the flag, bug races, war, darts and a
game we called "the transporter", where you must drag items around to
certain points using the really cool N.S.E.C.T. claw. Featuring a
"biomechanical" design, the N.S.E.C.T. robot scurries with amazing speed
and then transforms from "bio-bug" to "bio-missle" blaster in seconds!
Two shooting modes allow the N.S.E.C.T. single or rapid fire, up to an
alarming distance of 25 feet. It also has working claws for capturing
things,... More and laser-like eyes that change color when its in attack
or explore mode. The N.S.E.C.T. Robot requires one 7.2V battery and
charger, plus one 9V battery for the transmitter, all included. The toy
is a whopping 27 MHz. and measures 15" long. We had to get the kids
several bags of army men so the N.S.E.C.T. would have an impressive army
of cool bad guys to easily plough through. Overall, this rather
realistic and innovative toy is well worth the money.
The distant past and far future collide in the wildly popular Roboraptor
robot. This 32-inch remote-controlled dinosaur can walk, run or "hunt"
with the lifelike stride of a natural-born predator. Use the included
remote to guide Roboraptor, or turn him loose in auto mode, letting him
explore the house on his own. You can even trace a line on the floor
with the... More remote and watch Roboraptor follow it like he's on a
mission. A full battery of infra-red, sonic and touch sensors help
Roboraptor detect sound, motion and other stimuli, to which he responds
in one of three moods: aggressive hunter, cautious creature or playful
pet. But beware: Roboraptor can be unpredictable at times, nuzzling your
hand as you pet him one second, snapping with his powerful jaws the
next. It's especially fun to watch him interact with your Robosapien V.2
and Robopet robot toys. As all good robot veterans will immediately
notice, the Roboreptile features fewer sensors than its predecessor.
While this does reduce its capabilities in interacting with humans, it
simply represents the new direction Roboreptile is taking. A couple of
very important caveats for all parents: This toy uses up a pile of
batteries, which aren’t included. We had our own, but be warned if
you’re buying it as a gift. There’s also no mute button, and trust us...
it’s pretty darn noisy.
Ah yes... Superman. Following a mysterious absence of several years, the
Man of Steel comes back to Earth in the epic action-adventure Superman
Returns, a soaring new chapter in the saga of one of the world's most
beloved super heroes. An old enemy plots to render him powerless once
and for all as Superman's bittersweet return challenges him to bridge
the distance between them while finding a place in a society that has
learned to survive without him. In an attempt to protect the world he
loves from cataclysmic destruction, Superman embarks on an epic journey
of redemption that takes him from the depths of the ocean to the far
reaches of outer space. And now, thanks to this dynamically hip costume,
every kid can be as buffed-out as the Man of Steel and transform
(almost) instantly to a massive, muscular superhero. Slip on the suit,
switch on the fan, and the suit instantly inflates, giving kids an
impressive physique that's sure to give kids that super feeling of power
and scare away the evil bad guys. This toy is indeed good for hours upon
hours of wacky role-playing fun and can actually keep a 4 year old
interested for much longer than 10 minutes. Most girls and boys ages 3
to 6.