James Spence

Author – Cartoonist – Toyologist – Dreamer

Archive for November, 2011

My Baby Alive

November 28th 2011 Posted at Toys
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Toys R Us recently asked me to review a new doll.  It’s called My Baby Alive (although, technically, it’s not!).  However, it does do a lot of the things that a living baby would do.

Toys R Us have asked me to review a couple of dolls recently and it has helped me to get an idea of what works and what doesn’t.  In the case of My Baby Alive, it is clearly a very well designed product, both in terms of appearance and functionality.

The look of the doll is quite cartoony rather than realistic, with her big cute eyes and head of hair.  Personally I think it is much more appealing than some ‘realistic’ dolls which can be very creepy!

The doll is a good size, it does what it is supposed to do and does it well and I’m sure any wee girl would feel like she had received a substantial gift if she was presented with this toy.

My Baby Alive is available from Toys R Us

 

GX Buggy from Tomy

November 21st 2011 Posted at Toys
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The GX Buggy from Tomy claims to be a Speed Stunt radio controlled car, and I can certainly confirm that when it comes to speed and the ability to do stunts, this toy really delivers.  The car can reach a top speed of 22km per hour, can be controlled up to 10 meters away and can reach 85cm off the ground (with the right ramp of your own building).

However, these impressive abilities come at a cost:  if you don’t have plenty of room, it’s difficult to control as it will crash into objects long before you can steer it away!

However, I personally really liked the toy…

When I first set the car up, I thought it wasn’t working.  I had plugged it all in and left it to charge, but it didn’t seem to respond to the controller.  However, this was operator error and not the fault of the toy.  If I had read the (admittedly not overly simple) instructions, it would have been a better outcome.  Once I went through the instructions one step at a time, I realised what I had been doing wrong and it worked great after that.

It is worth reiterating that you need to have a good amount of space for this toy.  If you try to operate it in a small room, you may find it quite frustrating.  This was my first impression of it.  However, after taking it round to show my Dad and using it in his spacious kitchen my opinion did a complete U-turn.

As far as stunts are concerned, this is where this toy excels.  It is very light and unbelievably fast.  Seriously.  Fast.  Powering it up ramps on full acceleration (if you can control it) is amazing.

In the end, I really liked this toy despite my first impressions.

GX Buggy is available from Toys R Us

Cars 2 Lightning McQueen Plush

November 21st 2011 Posted at Toys
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At the outset of this review I’d like to point out that I enjoyed the Cars animated movies.  I have also been impressed by other toys relating to the Cars movies (specifically the Duplo sets which are really well produced).  However, I’m afraid I find myself in the uncomfortable position of having to give a very poor write-up of a toy relating to the second Cars movie.  The toy in question being the Cars 2 Lightning McQueen Plush.

Let me put it this way…

Yes, unfortunately, this toy failed to impress me, Tiffany and, most importantly, Elwood.  Tragically, it would have been a nice toy if it had been made without any electronic components inside it.  It could then have been useful as a nice, light, stuffed toy rather than a heavy, scary, annoying object.

I guess if you had a kid who was mad about the Cars films, it might be worth considering, but then again there are so many other great pieces of Cars merchandise out there, why go with one that isn’t brilliant?

 Cars 2 Lightning McQueen Plush is available from Toys R Us

Playmobil Gangster Lab

November 15th 2011 Posted at Toys
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Last month, those super people at Toys R Us asked me to review the Playmobil Top Agents Detection Jet, a metal-detecting spy plane with secret agent character.  I liked it!  So, as a follow-up, I have now been asked to review the Playmobil Top Agents Gangster Lab, a villain’s lair where sinister ne’er-do-wells can experiment with robotics, chemicals and science!  It’s a bit like the Batcave, but for baddies.

The toy is full of little bits and bobs and while I’m sure it is inevitable that a few pieces may get lost or sucked up into the vacuum cleaner, it’s great to have so much to play with.

The torch is really fascinating.  It works by pumping the handle at the side, making me wonder how many other battery-eating toys could be powered in other ways?  Hmm… if only they could make a remote controlled car powered by toy reviews.  Seriously though, the torch works brilliantly and with the UV stickers and light-up robot station, demonstrates just how well thought-out this range is.

The villain figure supplied with the set looks delightfully sinister, with white hair and glasses like Andy Warhol would, if he had pursued world domination instead of pop art.  Assembling the robots is great fun and takes full advantage of the fact that Playmobil is a construction toy.  In this case, the building of the robot is both part of the play scenario and part of the way Playmobil works!

This toy goes to show that often Baddies have the coolest stuff!

 Playmobil Top Agents Gangster Lab is available from Toys R Us

 

Competition – Patchy Doll

November 15th 2011 Posted at Blog
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Thanks to Toys R Us and the Toyology Programme, I have one Patchy Doll to give away as a competition prize.

So, if you’d like the chance to win one, read on:

To enter, all you need to do is visit and ‘like’ the Toys R Us Facebook page then leave a comment on this post telling me you have done so. The Toys R Us UK page regularly posts competitions, news and reviews of toys and, in my honest opinion, is a great page to subscribe to.

The competition closes at 6pm (GMT) on Monday 21 November 2011.  The winner will be drawn at random and asked to provide their address and phone number (for the purpose of sending out the prize only).

The winner will be drawn at random from all valid entries.

Facebook has no affiliation or responsibility for this competition.

The toy will be sent directly from Toys R Us at the beginning of December.

No alternative is available. No cash equivalent.

UK entries only.

Good luck!

 

 

— Competition Closed.  Congratulations to Cari Jones —

 

Barbie Puppy Water Park

November 13th 2011 Posted at Toys
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When Toys R Us asked me to review Barbie’s Puppy Water Park, I just wasn’t sure where to begin.  So much so that I immediately turned to Tiffany for help.  Tiff had had many Barbies as a kid so was more than qualified to assess this one.

The water park is a good playset.  I’m not sure if Puppy Water Parks exist in the real world or if this is something Barbie herself dreamed up and then sent Ken out to the shed to build one!

It does work well and is both bright and colourful.   I would recommend putting down a tray or mat to avoid getting your carpets wet.  Better yet, play with it in the kitchen.

I think any Barbie-loving kid would enjoy adding this toy to their collection.

 

 Barbie Puppy Water Park is available from Toys R Us

Girl’s World Bead and Style

November 6th 2011 Posted at Toys
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When Toys R Us ask me to review a girls toy, I must admit I usually turn to my wife and ask for help.  Not that Tiff is a particularly girly girl, but she is certainly girlier than me (or, at least, so I’d like to think!)

The Girl’s World Bead and Style head is a large plastic head with reasonably realistic hair and open facial features just waiting to be styled.

 The toy comes with hair styling and make-up goodies and beads. However (as the comic above says) it only comes with one type of bead (admittedly in a variety of colours).  We have played with some very cheap ‘make your own bracelet’ sets with Charlotte which contained loads of types of beads, so it is just a little disappointing that they haven’t supplied more of the beads.

Of course, that is a fairly small criticism.  The toy itself is very good and ideal for a wee girl, especially a girly girl.

 Girl’s World Bead and Style is available from Toys R Us

Leap Frog Xylophone Zoo

November 4th 2011 Posted at Toys
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I’d love to know where the concept behind certain toys came from.  In my mind, there is a toy genius out there sitting around dreaming up crazy ideas, like a Willy Wonka but without tooth decay.  The good people at Leap Frog must employ such a person because when Toys R Us asked me to review the leap Frog Xylophone Zoo I couldn’t imagine how this idea may have been conceived!

Yes, Xylophone Zoo:  A Xylophone combined with a Zoo, complete with French translations!!

Leap Frog are well known for building electronic components into their toys to encourage interaction and to teach a child how to play with it.  This is what Xylophone Zoo does.  The colour-coded animals correspond to the bars on the instrument.  Each animal is a button with a light on it.  It all seems to make sense when you play with it…

The cynical part of me wonders if the French mode is there so that Leap Frog can sell this toy to another market, but even if this is the case, it’s still a good idea!  It’s a bonus feature rather than a key ingredient in making this toy work.

 I really do like this toy.  It’s fun to use and play with while guiding a child through the initial steps of playing an instument.  So whoever the creator of this crazy concept was, I salute you!  Kudos.

 

 Xylophone Zoo by Leap Frog is available from Toys R Us

 

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