With the gift giving season upon us, toy shelves begin expanding with a plethora of new wares from Toy manufacturers. Here at the Talking Dad Institute, we see the same, new toys are constantly arriving for our expertise in playtime. This week a cache of new Toy State automobiles pulled into the testing studio. From realistic replica RC’s to beat-savvy whips, Toy State is bringing the heat this winter!
[two_third]Professor Pal’s pick of the group is the Road Rippers Street Beatz. This bad boy features motorized drive, realistic lights, engine sounds and a killer soundtrack…oh and the speakers pulse with those jamz. Check out the Vine video for a quick demo. There aren’t as many tracks as previous or similar models, but the few that are here are pretty catchy. Pal really enjoyed the motorized driving, as his new car is much speedier than some of the other rides in his collection. The car is modeled after a high-speed tuner, it’s pretty sweet looking. Recommended for ages 3 and above.Toy State also sent along an Radio Controlled (R/C) model from their line-up. R/C’s always get a ton of attention here at the Talking Dad, because radio controlling anything is just cool. The Mobile Command R/C Dodge Viper is no exception to this rule. The replica Viper will turn heads with its detailed styling, down to the four disc brakes and working headlights. This R/C is quick too, more so than any other Road Ripper we’ve had the privilege of testing. However, these aren’t your high-end backyard burners, these are playroom toys, so keep that speed claim in perspective. I’ve included another Vine to show-off my sick driving skills! Recommended for ages 7 and above.
Also coming out this season, the Road Rippers Maximum Boost! What separates the Maximum Boost from its brethren is its ability to pop wheelies while launching a booster rocket. There are two switches aboard this whip which operate real-engine sounds and the motorized drive, wheelie, and rocket booster. The rocket pops out from the trunk, initiating wheelie speed, and concluding with an exhaustive cool-down sound effect. I thought for sure this would be the first toy to fall apart
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due to the additional articulating parts (i.e. the rocket versus the kids), but it didn’t. The Road Rippers Maximum Boost is built strong and brings the fun. Good luck prying this one away from Littler Pal, this was his favorite! Recommended for ages 3 and above.
Finally, the CAT Construct Dough Dump Truck. Not the most flattering toy in that the truck shapes and expels modeling dough from its rear-end, however, it is quite amusing. Here’s the gist, the Contruct Dough line of CAT toys can produce play dough in I-Beam, Pipe and Angle Bar shapes, as well as other worksite tools. You can use these new forms for building houses, road obstructions, etc. There’s also a Construction Cone that can stamp out highway signage. The Dump Truck paired well with our existing collections of modeling doughs, we were able to make large play sets that we could demolish with the Dump Truck! Overall, the CAT Construct Dough Dump Truck is an amusing, albeit awkward-operating toy. Recommended for ages 2 and above.
