FunKeys Specialty Starter Kit Review

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(More customer reviews)My 8-year old son loves the UB Funkeys, plays it every chance he gets, and has already acquired several new Funkeys. It's a little like Club Penguin without the monthly fee - though the cost of the new Funkeys would pay for several years of Club Penguin so it's not clear you're saving anything. Still, it'll be a hit for most preteen kids. BUT...

You've got to get it working first. The out of box installation fails - you have to download a driver patch from their website (which is now fully operational - it wasn't working properly when I installed, which colored the experience). The patch has to be installed during product installation - read the installation instructions on both the toy and the patch very carefully.
Another major glitch occurred after my son had been using it for a while. The Funkey software "phones home" on startup, and suddenly decided it wanted to download and install an update. It did this when my son started up the game, with no prior notification and no request for confirmation. Unfortunately, the installation failed because my son does not have administrator privileges, and afterwards the game was unusable. I had to reinstall, which lost all history files, so my son had to start over (fortunately, the game is fun enough that he didn't mind).
In my opinion, there's no excuse for not requesting confirmation and permission for a download, or for assuming all people playing a toy aimed at preteens are administrators. There's also no excuse for not providing an option to preserve player history on a reinstall. So the Radica people deserve credit for creating an addictive toy, and also deserve a slap to the face for not understanding some basic principles of user-friendly software design.

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This specialty starter kit will have you well on your way to U.B. Funkey world -- and a possible collection addiction. Funkeys are creative vinyl characters that plug into a larger Funkey hub attached to a computer in order to travel around their virtual world, play games, build a "crib," and interact with other Funkeys. This starter kit includes the 5-inch-tall white Funkey hub, USB cable, two 2.75-inch-tall Funkeys, and installation software. All in all there are 42 different Funkey characters: three different colors in 14 different designs. Of the three in each design, one is quite common, one is rare, and the third is very rare by collection standards.

To log your Funkey on, simply stand it on the "hub" attached through the USB port. You’ll see your character’s avatar match the appearance of the Funkey plugged in and you’ll be able to visit locations and play games that are attributed to that Funkey’s properties. To encourage collection of additional Funkeys, Radica implemented a few clever rules. For instance there is a coin system, which awards different coin values depending on the Funkey currently in play. Items that can be purchased with those coins also vary with the character in use, and, lastly, certain games are only unlocked and available if the right Funkey is plugged in to the hub. Which means the more Funkeys you collect, the more virtual places and games you can experience and the more coins you can accumulate.

By playing games in the U.B. Funkeys world, characters earn coins that they can then use for purchasing items for their "crib." These rooms are customizable, from wall colors to furniture and plants to accessories, and can also be uploaded for friends to see. Just give your "crib" a name, share it with your friends, and they can visit anytime they’re logged on. There are four zones that offer a total of 16 games for players to conquer, and 30 stores where they can spend their hard earned coins on more than 1,000 virtual items. Now the question is: Are you Funkey?

System Requirements
Windows Vista/XP/2000ME/98 operating system
800 MHz processor (1.3 GHz recommended)
256 MB RAM (512 MB recommended)
1 GB free hard disk space
USB port
32 MB video card (64 MB recommended)
8X CD or DVD drive
Sound card
Keyboard and mouse

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Big Screen Solitaire Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I recieved the new big screen lighted version for christmas and did notice that it is a lot harder to win than my older version. I do like the new high score recorder and the undo button. However there seems to be a problem with the programing, the game is suppose to allow three passes through the deck before penalty points are deducted however, if you play the first three cards dealt during any pass through the deck, it will deduct points or will assume you have made another pass through the deck when you deal the next three. It will continue to do this as long as you play the first three cards. I have contacted the manufacturer but have not recieved a responseUPDATE:
I recieved a response back from Radica and they confirmed that there is a problem with this game. However, there was no definative plan for resolving the issue. Below is the exact response from Radica:
"We are aware of the problem and are in the process of attempting to resolve this issue. Unfortunately we do not have a guaranteed time frame for the resolution to take place. I apologize for the inconvenience".
Please let me know if you have any more questions.
LaTisha
Consumer Services
800-728-5993x 126
I would not buy this product until Radica has fixed the problem and has provided a replacement to all the customers who already own this game. What is truly bothersome is that they continue to sell the product with a known defect.


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Radica Cube World Block Bash Review

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(More customer reviews)My children love this toy. They have a rather large collection. They enjoy moving them around to see different animation occur. You can play mini games to gain extra animation if you score high enough which is easy to do. Provides good entertainment for kids of all ages. Sometimes the characters fight, party or excercise in their own cube or go visit a friend in another cube.

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Cube World just got a little bigger. The Block Bash cube is four times the size of the small Cube World character cubes, and offers up a slew of new distractions through additional characters, animations, and games. Turn on the yellow cube to see Alley, Block Bash’s main resident who keeps watch over the neighborhood, sweeps the streets, and picks up trash.

You can have fun with Alley alone in many ways. You can watch him perform over 100 unique animations as he inhabits the city. You can play the interactive game Trash Dash in which you need to catch items falling from the balconies above you. Or you can try to unlock up to 21 additional animations by jumping over rats running across the street while simultaneously trash dashing. Block Bash will even keep track of your high score.

But things get truly interesting when you connect multiple cubes together using the magnetic contacts that are on four sides of each cube. Block Bash can be surrounded by eight small cubes, can be connected with other, large Block Bash or Global Get A Way cubes, or a mix and match combination of any of the above. This makes the possibilities virtually endless. Because when Alley gets visitors from other cubes, they all interact with each other--or hop in a cab and drive off to a destination they’ve never been to before!

Whether they head to the circus, a jousting tournament, a concert, or some other crazy event, it’s guaranteed to be the hottest ticket in town. When the cab brings the characters back home, a block party complete with music and dancing may ensue, or the characters may just call it a day and head back to their respective cubes for some shut-eye. After four minutes of no interaction from you, Alley will go into sleep mode, complete with animated snoring after he lies down. After another minute of no movement, the cube will shut off to help conserve battery power. When you’re ready to play again, simply press the "on" button for Alley to appear.

If you have multiple Cube World cubes, you can connect up to 16 in any vertical and/or horizontal configuration to see them all interact together (even if there are more than one of the same character). Since each cube can hold up to four stick figures, this provides hours of unpredictable and thoroughly entertaining fun. The Block Bash cube requires three AAA batteries which are not included.

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Radica Cube World Global Get A Way Review

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(More customer reviews)The Radica Cube World Global Get A Way isn't nearly as much fun as I thought it would be. Basically, it isn't worth the money spent. We have all of the Cube World people and this item should have been an excellent add on. Unfortunately, there are only a few getaways, so it becomes boring very quickly. The little guys are way more interesting. Stick with them.

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Cube World just got a little bigger. The Global Get A Way cube is four times the size of the small Cube World character cubes, and offers up a slew of new distractions through additional characters, animations, and games. Turn on the blue cube to see Trip, Global Get A Way’s main resident who relaxes on his beach front property until someone comes along to play with him.

You can have fun with Trip alone in many ways. You can watch him perform over 100 unique animations as he frolics outside. You can play the interactive game Jungle Jump in which you need to jump over coconuts rolling out of a tree. Or you can try to unlock up to 21 additional animations by catching bananas that a monkey is throwing at you from the tree. Global Get A Way will even keep track of your high score.

But things get truly interesting when you connect multiple cubes together using the magnetic contacts that are on four sides of each cube. Global Get A Way can be surrounded by eight small cubes, can be connected with other, large Global Get A Way or Block Bash cubes, or a mix and match combination of any of the above. This makes the possibilities virtually endless. Because when Trip gets visitors from other cubes, they all interact with each other--or hop in a helicopter and fly off to a remote destination they’ve never been to before!

Whether they jet-set to the mountains, a sandy beach, a theme park, or some other fun place, it’s guaranteed to be a memorable vacation. When the helicopter brings the characters back home, a party complete with music and dancing may ensue, or the characters may just call it a day and head back to their respective cubes for some shut-eye. After four minutes of no interaction from you, Trip will go into sleep mode, complete with animated snoring after he lies down. After another minute of no movement, the cube will shut off to help conserve battery power. When you’re ready to play again, simply press the "on" button for Trip to appear.

If you have multiple Cube World cubes, you can connect up to 16 in any vertical and/or horizontal configuration to see them all interact together (even if there are more than one of the same character). Since each cube can hold up to four stick figures, this provides hours of unpredictable and thoroughly entertaining fun. The Global Get A Way cube requires three AAA batteries which are not included.

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Radica 20Q Theme - People Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I agree with the other review. The original 20Q is amazing. The fun of playing it is picking hard obscure objects and it actually getting it right. I got this for my daughter and I choose Johnny Depp, thinking he has to be one of the hottest celebs around now, it's first guess was Mel Gibson, and second guess was James Spader. I think for kids wanting it to guess their fav stars, it is too hard to distinguish among them and they will be disappointed. Stick to the original game.

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20Q is back and this time it knows eveything about famous people, sports legends, movie stars and much more! Think of anything from your favorite actor to a historic personality. Answer 20Q's questions and be amazed when 20Q People guesses what you're thinking. Features a built-in light for day or night play and an easy viewin screen. Even the biggest history or tabloid buff will need help to outdo 20Q!

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Radica Big Screen Tetris Review

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(More customer reviews)I just don't get addicted to videogames. Though tetris I can play for over an hour before finally getting bored...which says a lot for this game...it is my favorite computer game of all time. My only complaints about this toy are witht the display. The extrawide screen is GREAT! But a screen light (for playing when it's dark) would also be great. Colored blocks would be cool too. Oh yes, and I usually keep the music off because it's just too annoying. But it really is a great game for the price, I have had mine a while, and play with it frequently.

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Play one of the most popular video games of all time anywhere you go with this big-screen, handheld unit. Features three game variations: classic, speed, and Ultra Tetris for new twists and turns. Screen also displays score, level and game time. Measures approximately 6" tall.

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Cube WorldTM Series 3: Chief & Dash Review

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(More customer reviews)These things are too cool. We bought them for our 10 year old grandson, but we found ourselves playing with them for the longest after he opened them for Christmas. Each cube is neat on its own, but they are really funny when you put them together. I love how the characters leave their own cube to visit their neighbors.

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In Cube World, you can build an interactive world as cool stick men play with and pester one another. Visit one another's cube. Play with one or both. Shake things up with motion sensors that allow you to pester your stick man. Play and reach a new high score with interactive buttons. Over 100 stick animations per cube. Collect them all. Includes two cubes that measure 2" x 2". Each cube requires one CR2032 battery, included.

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Big Screen Tetris Review

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(More customer reviews)If you want to play some old school Tetris, this is it!! Buttons are easy to use...you can turn off the sound if you want...3 versions of Tetris to choose from...what's not to love?!?

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The world's most wonderfully addictive video game now comes with a bigger screen for better viewing. The hottest new addition to Radica's Big Screen line, this handheld game includes three variations of gameplay. Requires 2 "AAA" batteries, included. Measures 7.4"W x 1.038"D x 10.5"H.

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Big Screen Poker Review

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(More customer reviews)I smoke outside on my patio, where I play this game. You have three to choose from; Draw, Deuce and Lowball. You can "Let it ride" which is fun to see your points double. The sound is good, not annoying at all. The buttons are kind of rubbery, so it's comfortable and your fingers don't slip. Also, there is a light that goes on during play, so you can play in the dark. This one also has a "silent" mode. The only drawback is that it slows down when the batteries are getting low. It does go through the batteries, but then I play this thing on and off during the day and night. So far, I haven't lost any points while replacing batteries, which is good. This one is my favorite game so far. Great buy!

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The big screen version is here, so ante up! Big Screen Poker has the same classic play with larger cards and an auto light. Plus, an all-new style, design and features - including three game modes and multiple betting options - make this game of classic casino poker even more exciting. Players will feel like they're playing in a real casino!Requires 2 "AA" batteries, included.

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Video Journal Review

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(More customer reviews)What a great idea! My daughter loves the ability to combine her photos and videos with great stories that she writes. You should see what she did with our vacation to Cape Cod! You don't have to be artistic to make a beautiful looking journal. Great activity for doing with her friends, too. How can you go wrong at under $30, the camera is worth more than that, alone.

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Girls, it is time to throw away that old spiral-bound notebook and start keeping an interactive journal! Better than the boring diaries of the past, the Radica Video Journal allows girls from ages 8 and up to download photos and live videos into their journal entries.Create a Unique Digital Keepsake The Radica Video Journal allows you to create and customize your journal entries using the software program and digital camera. Use the creative templates to express yourself with beautiful poetry and prose and take photos or videos with the digital camera. The Video Journal even has a calendar to keep you organized because everyone sometimes forgets important dates and holidays.Have fun updating the daily calendar with pictures and video taken on that day. Best of all, the Video Journal is snoop proof, just use the hide button for extra privacy from your siblings or friends. The Video Journal comes with everything you need to get started, including software, USB, camera, docking station, and lanyard.An Important Learning Tool The Video Journal fosters a girl's creative side while teaching the basics of digital technology and photography. Specifically designed for young girls, Video Journal encourages communication yet maintains privacy. The draw function allows unlimited creativity as girls draw pictures into their journal and the hide button makes sure their private thoughts are kept secure. The Video Journal's scrapbook functionality helps design beautiful pages that can be looked back on years later. Moreover, all of the pages can be formatted and printed out to compose a physical diary. What's in the Box Video journal software, USB, camera, docking station, and lanyard.

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Big Screen FreeCell Review

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(More customer reviews)I have had the old verion of the Radica Freecell game for about 12 months, but wished it lit up in the dark. Hey presto, someone must have heard me and now my husband is even closer to divorcing me- (only joking. He says he won't, providing I keep the sound effects turned off!) This new upgraded model of the game is SUPERB especially with the 'low light' feature. Now I can be antisocial day or night!!! Joking aside, the cards are much easier to read, the scroll up and down buttons are far more easy to handle than the original 'roller' and the buttons are much bigger which makes the chances of mistakes fewer. On the next upgrade, is there any chance of an 'undo last move' button to reduce the curse words when I mess up????

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Put your Solitaire-playing skills to the test. This on-the-go version of Solitaire lets you play your favorite card game on a large LCD screen with game sound effects. There's even an auto-light for night-time play. Requires 2 "AA" batteries, not included. Measures 4.35" W x 1.25" D x 6.40" H.

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Radica Pocket Poker - Red Review

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(More customer reviews)This game is a great thing to do on a short work break or at the Dr office waiting to be seen .

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Are you a high roller? Cheaper than Vegas...and you won't lose your shirt! All the fun of your favorite casino games!
Draw and Deuces Poker is achieved through superiorprogramming, graphics and pocket-size design. Pocket Poker will challenge your skills as Lady Luck provides hours of fun anytime, anywhere! Requires 1x 'AA' battery (included). Compact size allows play anywhere! Electronic scoring. Order yours today! Measures about 3-inches tall x 2 3/4-inches wide x 3/4-inch deep.

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Big Screen Tetris Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Let me state for the record that I am a Tetris Addict. I'm not a gamer, I don't do Wii or Playstation or MMORPGs or any of that. But I love Tetris. It's a simple, conceptual puzzle that keeps my mind agile and is never the same twice. When my first GameBoy was stolen from me, I had to get a GameBoy Advance. I played it into the ground, and when it finally gave up the ghost, I started looking for replacements here on Amazon.
The first one I got was the Color Screen Tetris, which was a very satisfactory game UNTIL one of the little blocks on the bottom of the screen burned out ... and then another ...
Next it was the Radica Handheld Game Tetris. What a piece of junk. I tossed it in a matter of days, and you can read my review to see why, if you like.
Now I am using the Radica Big Screen Tetris. It's far better than Radica's handheld game, but it has a couple of drawbacks:
1: The screen light that automatically comes on when your room is dark becomes less adequate for seeing those Tetris blocks as they start dropping faster and faster.
2: The game is pretty unforgiving, and that's really the only way I can put it. If you have played Tetris on a variety of devices, you'll know what I mean.
BOTTOM LINE: Of the three Tetris games I have purchased from Amazon, I still have to give my highest marks to Color Screen Tetris. Although it sucks batteries pretty quickly, it has a GREAT screen, adjustable skill levels on the various games, and good controls. If only those little blocks didn't start burning out!

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Can't get enough of Tetris? Then this is the version for you!With three challenging modes to choose from - Marathon, Ultra, and Race; the super-sleek design enhances game play, and the auto backlight makes it perfect for viewing indoors or at night. 2 AA Batteries included.

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Color Screen Pearl Quest Review

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(More customer reviews)I will admit it...I like handheld games. My family owns several Nintendo Gameboys, GB Advanced, DS, as well as Leapsters, etc. But we like the handheld electronic LCD games for a quick distraction. We probably have 20 simliar LCD games (Yahtzee, Tetris, Connect-4 are the most entertaining). This game delivers what I expected Pearl Quest..nothing more, nothing less.
The game is not difficult. Swap two "pearls" in order to line up three or more pearls of the same color horizontally or vertically. When you do the matching pearls disappear and the remaining pearls drop down in their place. There are three modes of play: 1 - try to get the highest score, 2 - you have 2 minutes to complete a round and reset the clock, 3 - complete the level as fast as possible. (I like mode 2 because it adds some stress to the game.)
I want to stress that in all three modes you essentially play the same game. The only difference is whether and how you are being timed.
There is a strategy you can use to optimize the number of points received in each move. If you plan your swaps you can cause a cascade effect where more pearls of simliar color line up giving you bonus points. As the game progresses, it gets harder to see where swaps can be made. The Hint option comes in handy in these cases.
The game colors are nice and bright. Don't expect a lot of fancy graphics and animation. It comes with its own stylus that fits neatly in the back. (The stylus that comes with the game is not required. You can use any simliar device...even the corner of a business card.) Sound is pretty bleepy (almost annoying but what do you expect). Uses three AAA batteries (and a philips screw driver to replace them).
I paid $[...] for it. I honestly think that is too much...but I was looking for a few surprise "I was thinking of you" items to stow in my wife's bag for a long and boring trip she will be taking. I think she will find this as nice distraction.

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Color Screen Pearl Quest

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Mattel Radica Tetris 360 Review

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(More customer reviews)
Got this for my 9 and 12 year old, but they have not had much chance to play it as I am always hogging the game.
This is different than Tetris in that you stack the pieces all along the edges. The small rectangle is the "out of bounds" area where if the stack reaches, you lose. The really neat thing is that turning and tilting the toy causes the piece to fall in that direction instead of pressing keys. You use the sets of two buttons along the sides to do the rotating and "quick drop", you need 4 sets because you may have the toy turned in any direction to get the pieces to fall down where you want them.
The screen is 2 by 2.5 inches and I can clearly see it without my bifocals. The graphics are black and white.

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The classic Russian puzzle game gets a new twist with Tetris 360! The pieces start in the middle of the screen and its up to you to decide which side of the screen to send the them! Controls are located on each side, making gameplay easier... at first!

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Radica 20Q Artificial Intelligence Game Review

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(More customer reviews)Radica's 20Q is among the most amazing and enjoyable gadgets I've come across in quite a while. A handheld version of the website 20q.net (try q.20q.net if you have trouble getting online), this little doodad will ask you 20 questions to narrow down what you're thinking of (if its first guess is wrong it will ask another five questions and take a final stab at it). You can answer yes, no, sometimes, or unknown, and it pays to go with your first reaction to the question (Can it be used for recreation? No ... well I guess somebody could, but not usually and they really oughtn't ... so is that sometimes or unknown? Hmmmm). Its success rate is astounding. It's not hard to baffle it if you pick something totally obscure, but I've found it's more fun to lose to the machine than to win. Among the disparate things it's beat me on are: birthday cake, pirate, badger, oven, buffalo, carrot, fan, lion, key and flashlight.
I gave several as gifts before I picked up one for myself (you can only play with one in the store for so long before the clerks start glaring at you), and I expect Santa will be giving away a few this December. My 4-year-old son enjoys playing with 20Q, too - I read off the questions and help him think through the answers (he knew a lion was dangerous right off, we had to discuss whether they're brown or yellow).
My only complaint is that the animated "trash talking" gets old fast and there's no way to turn it off. The many pros of 20Q, however, far outweigh this minor con. The small buttons might be a problem for some people. You can control how fast the text scrolls across the screen (your only defense against the trash talking is to make it go by faster). Colors I've seen it available in are dark blue, red and orange; the plastic is transparent, so you can see the electronic brain inside (not that there are any flashing lights or electrical arcs to make it interesting).
If you're looking for a great gift for yourself or someone else, you can't go wrong with 20Q.

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Plenty of hand held electronic games can be fun but it takes a special game to be both entertaining and deeply unsettling. This small spherical game of 20 Questions looks like it rolled right out of 1979 with a retro design, old arcade style sound effects, and a red light display for its various questions and guesses. Game play could not be simpler. Just think of something and then answer the ball's assorted queries by pressing buttons for yes, no, sometimes, or don't know. In our informal test, the ball accurately guessed our selection of giraffe, motorcycle, and sock but came up a little short on buttered toast. Two AA batteries are required and included. --Charlie Williams

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White Wings USAF Raptor Review

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(More customer reviews)This is easy to put together, and very easy to throw/catapult. However, the enclosed tapes are very weak, and I highly recommend using duct tape (even if it is unsightly) to hold the wings to the body together. Once you do this, the kids will keep catapulting this thing for hours!

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This giant SkyRacer is 18 inches long with a 14.25 inch wingspan. Made of balsa wood, foam, and a rubber-cone nose for longer life, this accurate replica of the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor can be thrown or launched by the included catapult to fly over 200 feet! Easy to assemble with no glue or tools required. Detailed instructions included.

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