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"Fans of R2D2 will be clamoring to get their hands on this. Fans of $100 will assuredly belittle the toy for its flaws." ---from the review ----------------- Feel free to contribute. As always, review submissions are accepted! ------------------ ------------- Sidebar : ------------- So, what are your own favorite traits of Artoo?... Some say all they want in an Artoo unit is for the amusing beeps and chirps depending on your comments to it. However, others want to see that holographic image of a young Carrie Fisher; no more, no less. Others want it to serve them a drink a la Jabba the Hut. The list goes on and on. That said, taking away the traits technologically unlikely at this time (sorry; no holograms of a princess), this Artoo toy is surprisingly versatile. From its little penlight "projector," to its room alarm, there's little a child wouldn't want here. On the other hand, at $100, maybe there's a few things they'd want a bit more. For true Artoo fans, however, there's little cause for complaint.
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Star Wars R2D2 Droid(by Hasbro)
New Order Link! Cool New Packaging! A Techtite ReviewWhen word got out, upon the release of Attack of the Clones, that there would be an 18" Artoo toy which sounded, walked and even acted just like Artoo, fans were thrilled. This might have to do with the online video teasers, heralding this as a voice activated toy (!), not just a typical remote-controlled one. The promise of a voice-commanded R2D2 is a very impressive sales pitch! However, for $100, how's it work...really? Little need be done to get Artoo going. You need to snap on his legs yourself upon removing him from the box, though that's easy enough. There is also a small faux "periscope" on his head which you can either use with the included pole to look like it's protruding from his dome (a la Empire Strikes Back) or simply put it flush with his other blue ports on top. There is also one little nonfunctional "projector" that needs to be snapped on to the top of Artoo's head which oddly wasn't snapped on at the factory; other than that, add four AA batteries and 4 D batteries, turn him on, and after a 30 second warm-up, you're off. As the instructions tell you in full, Artoo can accept 40 commands. Admittedly, at under $100 bucks Artoo's voice recognition is nothing fancy, though it is surprising how well it truly works. Say "light beam" and the little flashlight "projector" on Artoo's head lights up (it would've been nice if this projected images on a wall, though it's still cool as a penlight in dark rooms). Say "play message" and an audio clip of Princess Leia's famous holographic message plays (without the hologram, of course). He also knows popular character names, with various reactions: ask him "Do you remember..." Darth Vader and he screeches, while for Anakin he gives a sorrowful sigh, and for Princess Leia he repeats her audio message. So far, so good... There's also mobility. Artoo's tractor tread "feet" are surprisingly mobile, even on thin carpet. Artoo can scout around a room and see where he can/cannot go on his own, though you can also give a set of movements to perform, which he'll do in the order you gave them. These trips can also be used to transport small items, thanks to two compartments in Artoo's front section: one empty, one with an extendable robot arm, designed to hold a soda can (or a small drinking glass). Persistent kids can teach him during Saturday Morning Cartoons to go to the kitchen and get a soda, without you leaving the couch...presuming, of course, that your Mom obligingly places the drink in his arm while he's there! There's only two limitations to such mobility; Artoo cannot climb nor descend steps, and as for obstacles, all of Artoo's sensors are in his DOME. This means anything shorter than about one-foot-high cannot be seen by Artoo at all. Even a grade school textbook will lead to him either attempting to drive over it, or get stuck trying. Clean your rooms, kids! Artoo can also perform a few games. Say "Dance Music" and hear Artoo play the cantina song while he's "dancing" around. A hide and seek option has a child hide while Artoo tries to find them, chirping in victory if he can. While this hide-and-seek game is limited because Artoo cannot look under beds nor in closed closets, it is still amusing how this mere "toy" can slowly traverse a room, and find its owner (try it in a pitch black room, with Artoo's light beam flashlight turned on!). He can also play "spin the droid" a la spin-the-bottle, and he can be his own Magic 8 Ball and answer yes or no questions. Best of all, he can act as room sentry, and if any sound or movement occurs in your room while you're going to get a snack, he'll alert you with a decidedly Artoo-sounding "alarm"! Yes, for $100, this is impressive. Just don't expect everything this robot does to be perfect, as "just" $100. For one thing; each command is a serious lesson in articulation. If you're a sugar rushed hyper-talker who'd say "Hey Artoo! Game Mode! Dance Music!" more like "HeyR2gamodansmusic," you'll need some time getting used to Artoo understanding you. Aside from that, the only gripe is in how for $100, the meekest of additions could've made Artoo even cooler. The "periscope" should extend on its own. The light beam "projector" should project an image on the wall. In particular, there should've been one additional sensor at his feet. Artoo bumps into smaller things way too easily. While such gripes nearly led to a less-than-perfect rating; the truth is, in the end, this is an extremely admirable toy. Sure, the voice recognition is a little edgy; it's still better than the typical remote controlled toy, and a quantum leap better than those "infra red" remote control toys which came out recently (and which, in my experience, barely work at all). Fans of R2D2 will be clamoring to get their hands on this. Fans of $100 will assuredly belittle the toy for its flaws. Solution: Buy them an infra-red remote controlled toy. They'll change their opinions quite quickly.
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