Play time
The sun is shining, the kids will soon be off from school,
and the old familiar dread returns to the stomachs of parents across the land.
If you're worried how you're going to keep the wee tykes entertained this summer,
then read on. We've gathered together a few newly released toys that will keep
the kiddies amused until September.
Transformers: Age of Extinction action figures
One of the big summer blockbuster releases will surely be
the latest in the Transformers franchise. It is no surprise then that Hasbro,
purveyors of all things playable, have got a fresh batch of goodies ready to
go. The range sees a new versions of all your old favourite robotic characters,
with some new (or, if you're a Transformers purist, old) faces being introduced
to the line.
We were lucky enough to be sent the new Optimus Prime and
Bumblebee action figures, which are unique when compared to their many previous
incarnations as they take just seconds to transform. Dear Optimus will change
from his robotic form to that of a truck by simply being smashed down on the
surface of the floor or a table, with spring-loaded joints doing all the work
for you.
Bumblebee features a similar transforming process, with the
added benefit of having a 'Power Attacker' arm that lunges out toward enemies
while he's in robot mode. This way of creating a Transformers line of toys is a
pretty unique thing for Hasbro to do. Although the spring-loaded joints mean
the toys transform quicker and with impressive force, the final articulation of
the figures does suffer. For example, once in robot mode Bumblebee's legs are
pretty useless for anything other than standing there, reducing play scope.
Still the new line is extremely robust and we can see the
sprogs getting a lot of play time out of these.
Optimus Prime Flip and Change £23
Bumblebee Power Attacker £13
Transformers Hexbugs
We were mightily impressed with the Hexbug Habitats last
Christmas when we had the chance to test drive a could before the big day. Now
it seems that the little jittering robotic bugs are playing in the big leagues
thanks to a partnership with Transformers.
Unlike the actual transforming action figures reviewed
above, the Hexbugs are stylised versions of the characters and can only promise
to transform your boredom into excitement. They still look very much like
Hexbugs, with sleek plastic bodies and soft-feel legs below, but thanks to
vicious looking additions that clip onto the front of each robot, a miniature
duel can take place.
Although the new Transformers Hexbugs are fully compatible
with existing Hexbug Habitats, each pack of two robots thankfully comes
complete with a small battle arena. This means the bots can battle each other straight out of the
packet and makes the set a great introduction to the hobby.
£18.99 for the duel set (£8.99 each).
Visit www.hexbug.com
Syma S5 3-Channel
Infrared Helicopter
If the kids are looking for a summer activity to lift their
attention away from the floor - the usual domain of the action figure - and
onto higher pursuits, this could be for them. Similar to the Mini Helicopter RC 3 Channel with Gyro AlloyFrame that we review in the New Year, the S5 is a cheaper, lighter alternative
that is tonnes of fun.
Controlling this
sort of gyro-copter really is as simple as RC aircraft get. Unlike the often
complicated controls of a quadcopter (like this one or this one) mastering the
S5 takes just a couple of minutes. Once you've balanced that throttle and
attained a level altitude, you're away.
The S5 (and it's
included controller) is similar in shape and size to the aforementioned Mini
Helicopter RC, but because it is made entirely out of plastic, we did tend to
notice a slight rattle as it flew around. It also wasn't quite as responsive as
many of the RC helicopters we've tested previously, but that was made up for by
an impressive battery life of eight minutes. Another plus was that the chopper
itself, normally charged via the included USB cable, can also get its juice
from the controller's four AA batteries via a pop-out cable. So no running off
to find an available USB port.
£19.99
Visit
www.tobar.co.uk
Water Slingshot
Put away the hi-tech toys and ground that damn helicopter,
because this is a toy that is as simple as it is fun. We all love it when our friends
throw a water balloon full pelt into our faces (don't we?) so this toy is
perfect for adding aim to even the most useless of throwers.
The Water Slingshot is a catapult for water bombs, launching
the water-filled balloons up to 30 feet. There isn't much we can say about
that, except to say that this review is being written while wearing a very wet
t-shirt. Included in the pack are 50 water bombs that are a perfect fit for the
Water Slingshot's catapult, and also a very handy nozzle that screws onto your
hosepipe or tap and can be used to quickly fill those bombs.
In application this thing is jolly effective, being far more
accurate than just lobbing the bombs. The included balloons aren't the biggest
we've ever had launched at us, but can certainly contain enough water to give a
thorough drenching to your chums. And isn't that what Summer is all about?
£6
Visit www.tobar.co.uk