Short Version: A faithful recreation of the arcade classic, Jakks Pacific’s Big Buck Hunter Pro TV Video Game is a nice alternative when you’re too lazy, broke, or inebriated to make it out to your local watering hole to play the real thing. → Read More
[tab:Intro][flagallery gid=7 name="CrunchGear Gift Gude 2009"] The problem with creating a category for toys on CrunchGear is that almost everything we review is a toy – it’s fun, cool, and great to play with for at least a day or two until our attention is inevitably drawn to something else. That said, here are some gift ideas for the toy lover in your life. → Read More
How often have you said to yourself “If only there was some way I could use a small stylus to create odd rap beats using samples from known beatboxers along with with the sounds of drum and bass?” If you’re like me, every day. Thankfully, there’s the Stylophone Beatbox. First, a sample of what you can really do with this thing if you try. → Read More
I can’t seem to shake the strong resemblance that these “Ghostbusters Minimates” share with LEGO characters. But you don’t need dimpled toy blocks in order to play with these “hyper-articulated” action figures. → Read More
So this is a weird thing. It’s kind of like an electronic camp counselor and it’s called Swinxs. Kids wear RFID bracelets and then the box tells you to do stuff like run around and play hide and seek. You check in with the box by moving your RFID band near the box.
There are 25 games so far, most of which involve running around and then coming back to the box for further instructions. Parents can also make their own games including, presumably, my Dad’s old favorites, Go to the Store and Get Me Some Beer and This Is What You Get When You Spill Paint in the Garage. → Read More
Whether you want it to put the lotion in the basket or have some great fun running around in the back yard after dark, the Jakks Pacific EyeClops Night Vison 2.0 Binoculars are for you. These super cool, $59 binocs have a built-in infrared night vision system for spying on folks in complete darkness up to 50 feet away. While I’m not quite sure I know any eight-year-olds who need night vision binoculars, these things definitely work. They run on five AA batteries and display a small, clear image of the subject on an internal screen. There are multiple settings including a green filter as well as improved infrared LEDs. → Read More
If your next dinner party turns out to be even half as awkward as the last one, you’ll need to have these “Wind Up Breakdancers” on hand if you want people to stay for coffee and passive-aggressive banter between you and your significant other. → Read More
As much I want the Force Trainer from Uncle Milton, the evil nerd in me would much rather have Darth Vader’s robotic arm instead! → Read More
So this seems like a good enough idea. It’s called MySecretCircle and it’s basically it’s a closed social network for girls. You and your buds buy a USB key that acts as your login. It autoruns under Windows and OS X and brings up a photo and journal sharing system that only allows certain people access to your daughter’s personal info. In theory and in practice this is great. It ensures your tween doesn’t connect with creeps like me. Kids can only connect with friends that have their private key – no one else exists in the site except for Sabrina Circle, the Tom of this candy-pink MySpace. → Read More
Of all the times I’ve longed to go back to 1987, this might be one of the stronger nostalgiac chin-quivers I’ve felt in quite some time. I’d totally bring this Moto Horn back in my time machine and haul ass through the neighborhood on my Huffy, giving each passerby a quick shot of sweet motorcycle revving sound effects eminating from my handlebards. I’d be treated to a nice, hearty “Vroom! Vroom!” but everyone else would only hear a single “Vroom!” as I’d be much too far away by the time the second one hit the open air. → Read More
It’s true what they say: Little kids love the BlackBerry. Imagine the message you’re sending to your kids by having your own big boy BlackBerry glued to your face all the time. They want to be like mommy and daddy and mommy and daddy have two kids and two BlackBerries, which equals a family of six. Naturally, your little ones want their own QWERTY-enhanced handhelds. → Read More
San Francisco, CA
