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Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Remote control toys just keep getting hotter and hotter, and this year is no exception.
Remote control cars, planes and trains are controlled from a battery-operated base usually held in the owner's hand, and remote control devices are becoming increasingly sophisticated - but the fun they provide is just the same as it always was.
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Best Selling #1
Tyco R/C N.S.E.C.T. Robotic Attack Creature - 49 MHz - Blue
This remote control robot looks like a weird cross between a tank and a tick. It has six legs, glowing eyes, and snapping jaws in front. The best part, though, is its Gatling gun-style missile launcher. At the flip of a glowing red switch on the remote, the launcher pops up from under its hard, wing-like cover. You can use the right trigger to shoot the missiles off one at a time or fire all six automatically in under five seconds. You can even shoot while the N.S.E.C.T. is moving. The missiles travel up to 20 feet because they are made of light foam with soft, suction cup tips and weigh .07 ounces each. This makes collateral damage to heirloom china unlikely. The pincher-like "power claw" in front can grab and hold some objects. We were able to drag an empty coffee mug around the floor by its handle, but the N.S.E.C.T. didn't have a deep enough grip to go around the mug itself. Controlling the N.S.E.C.T. is pretty easy; it can move forward, reverse, and can do both moving turns and stationary pivots. N.S.E.C.T. is loads of fun, but be prepared for the fact that its battery needs a good five hour charge before any fun begins. N.S.E.C.T. comes with the remote control, a NiCd battery pack and charger, a 9 volt battery for the transmitter, and basic instructions. --Porter B. Hall
$59.99
Usually ships in 24 hours
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Best Selling #2
Tyco R/C AirBlade Hovercraft 27MHZ
For those remote control vehicle buffs who have grown weary of cars and airplanes, the Air Blade hovercraft is sure to liven things up! This amazing vehicle has the unique ability to float on air and make contact with the ground in order to produce high speeds and tight turns. When air is drawn into the top grille of the vehicle, it becomes pressurized and is then directed out the three bottom air pods. The hovercraft actually floats along the ground on a cushion of air. Players pilot the craft by moving the controls on the transmitter so that the two rear air pods tilt, rotate, and touch the ground. The hovercraft works equally well on (or over) land, snow, or water, as long as the "terrain" is relatively smooth (no pebbles, powdery snow, choppy water, shag carpeting, etc.). The Air Blade is a sleekly designed vessel, with slick graphics and racing stripes
$39.99
Usually ships in 24 hours
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Best Selling #3
Tyco R/C N.S.E.C.T. Robotic Attack Creature - 27 MHz - Green
This remote control robot looks like a weird cross between a tank and a tick. It has six legs, glowing eyes, and snapping jaws in front. The best part, though, is its Gatling gun-style missile launcher. At the flip of a glowing red switch on the remote, the launcher pops up from under its hard, wing-like cover. You can use the right trigger to shoot the missiles off one at a time or fire all six automatically in under five seconds. You can even shoot while the N.S.E.C.T. is moving. The missiles travel up to 20 feet because they are made of light foam with soft, suction cup tips and weigh .07 ounces each. This makes collateral damage to heirloom china unlikely. The pincher-like "power claw" in front can grab and hold some objects. We were able to drag an empty coffee mug around the floor by its handle, but the N.S.E.C.T. didn't have a deep enough grip to go around the mug itself. Controlling the N.S.E.C.T. is pretty easy; it can move forward, reverse, and can do both moving turns and stationary pivots. N.S.E.C.T. is loads of fun, but be prepared for the fact that its battery needs a good five hour charge before any fun begins. N.S.E.C.T. comes with the remote control, a NiCd battery pack and charger, a 9 volt battery for the transmitter, and basic instructions. --Porter B. Hall
$59.99
Usually ships in 24 hours
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Best Selling #4
WowWee Chimpanzee Aive Life Like Chimp Head
Doesn't everyone need an animatronic monkey bust? Well, okay, it's not a matter of need, but, you must admit it's cool. Even the phrase is cool. Wowwee Alive Chimpanzee is a programmable, lifelike chimpanzee head and shoulders that will bewilder your family, astound your friends and, most likely, frighten your pets.  | | Alive Mode allows you to interact naturally with the chimp through its six sensors | Monkey Looks Good
It's so lifelike, in fact, that recent guests to my home did a double-take when seeing it on my dining room table. It has latex rubber skin that's colored, wrinkled, and speckled in very realistic way and has big, brown, bloodshot eyes. Its head and shoulders are covered in synthetic monkey fur. Fine gray whiskers jut out from its brow and chin. The only thing detracting from this realistic chimpanzee likeness are two little sensors plugged into its nostrils. More on that later. Under the fur on its back is a little power switch. When powered up, the Wowwee Alive Chimp looks around the room, shakes his head in a very simian way, and gives up a chimp laugh. It is reminiscent of the automatons at Disneyworld, but with more modest whirs and clacks in place of the pneumatic hiss of the Disneybots. See No Evil, Hear No Evil
There are three basic ways to interact with the Wowwee Alive Chimpanzee: alive, direct control, and program modes.
Sensors turn the chimp into a virtual pet that displays different moods: curious, happy, fearful, and angry
| In alive mode, the chimp reacts to stimulus received through sensors in and about the head. Infrared "vision" sensors in his nose detect movement, which make him track what's going on by moving his head and eyes. Microphone "hearing" sensors in his ears make him react similarly; a snap of your fingers on one side of his head will make him twitch in that direction. His hearing and vision is pretty limited to stimuli just inches away from his face, though, so don't expect him to greet you when you come through the door. There are also "touch" sensors under his chin and on top of his head. These sensors turn the chimp into a virtual pet that displays different moods. His four programmed moods are curious (his default mood when he's first switched on), happy, fearful, and angry. You can elicit different moods with different actions. Petting the top of his head and/or rubbing under his chin will put him in a happy mood. Waving things in front of his face or making loud noises next to his ear will put him into a fearful or angry mood (for the record, I'm the same way). Unless your a primatologist, you'll likely find the distinction between his happy and angry moods to be subtle. He moves his eyes and face and makes chimp noises. Without arms and hands to fling, uh, food, his mood is not so immediately clear.  | | Direct Control Mode allows you to operate the chimp like a puppet | Remote Control Puppeteering
Direct control mode lets you operate the monkey with the included remote control. Anyone who has played a video game system in the last 10 years will be instantly familiar with the remote's thumbstick design. Toggle buttons on the shoulders of the remote simplify the many different control elements into a simple design. For example, in one toggle position, the left thumbstick moves the jaw, and in the other position, it moves the eye lids. Control mode essentially turns the chimp into a puppet. The remote also has six buttons that, when used with the toggles, can go through preprogrammed animations of his moods. The Wowwee Chimp can make a wide variety of gestures. His head can nod up and down and turn from side to side. His eyes can move similarly, and his eyelids can close and open. His mouth can close and open, but his lips don't move, which is a little disappointing. I'd be a lot more excited about the programming feature if I could teach him to lip sync to a Britney Spears song. Program Mode permits the user to store a routine of the chimp's movements and sounds up to 20 steps long. This is easy and fun to do, though you can only store one program at a time. Setting the monkey into Guard mode will make him respond to stimulus by executing the program steps you've put in. One consideration for the Wowwee Alive Chimpanzee is where in your home does he belong? I suggest on top of the piano. After all, as the Three Stooges taught us, music soothes the savage beast. --Porter B. Hall
$49.99
Usually ships in 4-5 business days
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Best Selling #5
Air Hogs RC Dominator
While the Airhog plane is indisputably powerful with its simple pump-up engine and undeniably fun with its tremendous flying range and height, there has always been the small matter of trying to keep the plane from getting away and ending up lost in trees, neighbors yards, busy roads, or bodies of water. The planes are great but essentially uncontrollable and, unless you live in, say, the desert that can sometimes be a bit of an issue. Fortunately, the Dominator (love the name) features some basic controls, letting the pilot on the ground steer the craft up, down, left, and right. As RC planes go, it's not the most easily guided but the rudimentary controls should be sufficient to guide the plane along a relatively safe path. The manufacturer claims it can fly up to 300 feet and the plane's body is fairly solid though still made of Styrofoam and therefore inherently fragile. The cool black styling makes it look like a spy plane. --Charlie Williams
$39.95
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Best Selling #6
Spin Master Toys Gray LIPO Battery
$29.99
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Best Selling #7
GeoTrax Working Town Train Railway Playset
$39.99
Usually ships in 4-5 business days
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Best Selling #8
Tyco R/C AirBlade Hovercraft 49MHZ
$39.99
Usually ships in 24 hours
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Best Selling #9
Radio Control Bladerunner Helicopter
$49.95
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Best Selling #10
Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote
$24.99
Usually ships in 24 hours
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Remote control fans can also join local and regional associations, attend 'meets' and read national magazines about their hobby.
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