My husband has been waiting so long for our kindergartner to reach the age of being able to play with "big boy" toys. Even though our nearly 6yr old son is not yet into console or PC gaming, this game of turbo tops called Battle Strikers by MEGA Brands offers just as much excitement for a child his age.The object of the Battle Strikers Tournament game is for each player to drop their spinning top into the area with their motorized turbo launcher. Then each player uses their magnetic controller, which slides onto two fingers, to push their Striker top into their opponent's to make their opponent's top stop spinning.
Please take a few minutes to watch our Battle Strikers in action . . .
What my family and I thought about the Battle Strikers Tournament Set:
1) This game requires a steady hand and a lot of control. You need to get your controller close enough to your Striker to affect it with the magnet, but not too close that you accidentally cause your own top to stop spinning. Someone with shaky hands like me would most likely knock their own top out of the game.
2) Even though this game can be enjoyed by anyone ages 6 to adult, my husband and I agree that the level of enjoyment may vary depending on the player's age. For someone my son's age, he just enjoys playing with only a little competitiveness. He would just play until his hands and arms got tired. A tween or teen would most likely enjoy this game the most because they may employ strategies about which Striker to use against a specific opponent, since the attributes of each Striker vary, and perhaps even thinking about the physics behind each move. An adult would enjoy all of the above, but their interest may not last quite as long and they may not be as anxious to collect all 12 of the Strikers.
3) Although this game can be played on any smooth surface and not just inside the arena, I do recommend playing on a surface that has a lip around it, like a train table. The Strikers sometimes spin at such a high velocity that when they do shoot off to one side, they can mildly injure someone. I was hit in the hand quite a few times while gathering footage for the video and I ended up with a small dent on one knuckle after being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
4) I think that it is fun that there are two different ways to use the launchers. The players can either hit the top of the launcher to release the spinning top or they can bump it into the other launder. Even though my husband never has any problems launching his Strikers by hitting the top of the launcher, my son usually needs to hit his at least three times before he can get it to release his spinning top.
5) Although the arena serves its purpose, I was surprised that it was so lightweight. It is made out of glossy molded plastic, only slightly heavier than a childs Halloween mask would be. I also would have loved to see an arena that doubles as a storage case for the launchers, controllers, and Strikers.
Thank you to MEGA Brands for providing us with a review product free of charge.
