Hexbug Nano (Colors May Vary)
by Innovation First Labs Inc.
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List Price: Our Price: $3.95 You Save: $9.04 (70%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $2.99 (click here) Category: Toy See more product details |
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Toys and Games Reviews of Hexbug Nano (Colors May Vary)
Customer Review: BEST Electronic Toy for Cats EVER!!
Summary: 5 Stars
We bought two of these on a whim to see if our four cats would like them. There's nothing for them to bite off or ingest, they're too large for them to swallow, and I was intrigued. We chose red because cats see red as black, like a real bug. I opened up the package and turned the little thing on in my palm, and it immediately began vibrating like a buzzing cicada! I dropped it onto the hard floor and the cats came running and started chasing it around, trying to figure it out. They batted at it, it flipped, clickety-clattered, jittered, righted itself, and sped off all over the place. The cats liked it so much they even blocked the kitchen closet door so it couldn't get under there and "escape!" We put them away after 15 minutes, and the cats started begging for them again a short while later. They love it! The price can vary a little depending on where you buy it, and you can get batteries for them pretty easily. Over the years I've bought electronic toys for our cats for more money than this little gadget, but none of them have ever held our cats' attention and they've been too annoying to us to keep them on for long. This one is definitely a winner! This is also good if your cat is bored or overweight and could use some fun and stimulating exercise, but keep it to about 15 minutes or they could overdo it since this thing is so fascinating to them.Customer Review: Hilarious(ly awful)
Summary: 1 Stars
This is just a toothbrush head and a vibrating motor.
No, seriously, I'm not kidding. These toys are based on a common kids' project where you take a small vibrating motor, saw off a toothbrush head, and voila- a "bug". You can clearly see in photos that's exactly what you have here, they've basically just kept the design of the gum-massaging rubber bristles and moved the motor in-between to have a sleeker look. This company does in fact make more complex bugs that actually walk, but these aren't those.
The complex behavior? It's all in your mind. The way the "bugs" are set up generally encourages them to move forward, and that's about it. When they bump around corners and find their way around mazes? It's purely in your mind. If the bug shakes itself out the wrong end of the puzzle or gets stuck you attribute it to just being "silly", while if it wins you're amazed by its intelligence.
These toys are pretty fun for small children and people who aren't "in on" the secret, but once you know the truth, it looks rather silly to pay the list price for something you and your kids could have a lot more fun building at home. Do yourself and your kids a favor- look up how to build these yourself, or pick up quick-assemble kits that are available at most fine toy stores.
Customer Review: Deceptive
Summary: 2 Stars
Actually, I really agree with the review posted by Michigoon: this is basically a digital-age Sea Monkey, in which you're urged to imagine that random actions of a bristlebot have meaning. Watch the promotional video of them "playing" with each other or "learning tricks": that's like saying that falling leaves in autumn have learned a new way to dance as they head for the ground. They haven't learned anything, they don't know anything: it's all random motion. What I'd hoped based on the packaging is that each little nano had some limited unique "genetic" information that could be shared with another nano, and that they'd interact based on that (either via a website or physically) based on that, rather like in some early a-life games like Steve Grand's Creatures.
Also, the website which the registration takes you to, the Hand and Stars Challenge, has at best an oblique connection to the product itself. I can't imagine that any kids, even older ones, are going to be able to do much with some of the puzzles and quizzes there--many adults would be baffled. In any event, there's almost no thematic link between the content there and the hexbugs themselves.
Customer Review: More Entertainment Value than Robots that cost 20 Times as Much!
Summary: 5 Stars
I am a teacher and in the summer I teach Robotics and I also run a Science Camp. Most of my purchases for the camp are more expensive items... things in the $50-$200 price range. I bought this on a whim thinking it might be a little fun. I truthfully didn't expect much from it. Around the same time, I bought a Wowwee Mr. Personality (MSRP $250), a Wowwee Tribot (MSRP $99), and a small Innovation First 6 legged walker (I forget the name of it - MSRP $14.99).
Out of all of these robots, the tiny, inexpensive ($8.15) bug gets the most play and the most attention. My students are in awe of it and we have had many discussions of how it is constructed and how it works.
I've dropped it several time and it always continues to run. If it is flipped on its backside it'll turn itself over in moments. The only place it struggles running it carpet. While it still vibrates, it does not move forward much when it makes its way to a carpeted surface.
At any rate it is one of about 20 different robots I own and it is both the cheapest and the best. I found a birthday gift for all of my nephews as well!!
Customer Review: Awesome little toys... hours and hours of fun!
Summary: 5 Stars
I got one of these for my 6 year old son but also love them myself. He has Zhu-Zhu pets he got for christmas. Played with those for an hour and never since. But this little Nano Hexbug he wouldn't put down at all the first day we got it! I mean seriously 8-10 hours of playing with this little thing!!! We didn't buy it one of those habitats... instead we whipped out our leggos and built one for it. Serious fun. Next thing I know I myself HAVE TO HAVE more! Me a grown mom. We love these things and two months later the frenzy of all day play is gone but when we do bring them out we still play for a few hours at a time. Love them, love them, love them. And since they rely on a tiny little battery we figured they would just chew threw them, but no... the first day we ran all day on one battery. By the end of the day we could tell this little guy was getting tired, but these batteries can be obtained at Wal-Mart for $5 for a three pack. All in all I highly recommend these little guys. And am even contemplating their company's fund raising options you can view on their web site ([...]) for our elementary school.