Customer reviews from shop.spinmaster.com
Spin Master - Star Wars BB-8 Droid - White/Orange
Average customer rating
4.1
(35 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 35 reviews
5 Stars
10
4 Stars
19
3 Stars
5
2 Stars
0
1 Star
1
97%of customers recommend this product.
(
33 out of
34)
Customer Reviews for Spin Master - Star Wars BB-8 Droid - White/Orange
Customer Rating
4
BB8 is Huge!
on October 18, 2017
Posted by: Elcucuy831
from Madera, CA
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] My son and I have really enjoyed playing with this Droid. We liked the fact that's it's fast and it's able to move on tile floor, grass and even tried it on the street. We liked how it moved in the street but of course you'll scratch it and get it dirty so do it at your own risk. Liked that it has 3 ways of controlling it you can use the control, it will follow you and voice control(limited phrases). Droid feels solid feels like it will last a long time. I had a couple of complaints with BB8 droid it's pretty cool how the head moves but it falls off when it bumps into things. If they can fix that who's a little stronger magnet it would make the droid even more life like. Also they did voice commands just wish they had a bigger list of phrases. All in all a solid toy for not only Star Wars fans but RC fans in general
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting shop.spinmaster.com
Customer Rating
3
Fun, entertaining toy with some issues
on October 31, 2017
Posted by: turbovr6
from Clifton, NJ
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] First off this robot is big, I had no idea the size and weight would be so massive until it was delivered.
The robot was packaged very well, no damage. Assembly is a bit tricky. The head is held on by magnets but nowhere in the manual does it really explain this well. Once you figure it out it's simple to detach/reattach the head.
Batteries... For the price point of this toy it was disappointing to learn the body uses ni-cad batteries. Ni-cads do not have a great life cycle and it is apparent that there is no simple way to replace them when they fail. The head uses a Li-ion battery, I wish the body did also.
Overall the robot functioned really well. I really took my time to explore all the features before writing the review. I am honestly impressed with the follow me feature. I think it works great. Manual control is a bit tricky at first but you get the hang of it after 10 minutes or so. My only other complaint besides the batteries is how easily the head falls off if the robot bumps something or is jarred by something like transitioning between two different level floors. The designers should look into some stronger magnets to better keep the head on.
I give this a 3 of 5 stars closer to the 4 star side. Upgrade the batteries and magnets and this is a 5 star robot well worth it's price point.
The robot was packaged very well, no damage. Assembly is a bit tricky. The head is held on by magnets but nowhere in the manual does it really explain this well. Once you figure it out it's simple to detach/reattach the head.
Batteries... For the price point of this toy it was disappointing to learn the body uses ni-cad batteries. Ni-cads do not have a great life cycle and it is apparent that there is no simple way to replace them when they fail. The head uses a Li-ion battery, I wish the body did also.
Overall the robot functioned really well. I really took my time to explore all the features before writing the review. I am honestly impressed with the follow me feature. I think it works great. Manual control is a bit tricky at first but you get the hang of it after 10 minutes or so. My only other complaint besides the batteries is how easily the head falls off if the robot bumps something or is jarred by something like transitioning between two different level floors. The designers should look into some stronger magnets to better keep the head on.
I give this a 3 of 5 stars closer to the 4 star side. Upgrade the batteries and magnets and this is a 5 star robot well worth it's price point.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting shop.spinmaster.com
Customer Rating
3
If the head would stay on...
on October 17, 2017
Posted by: scottschluter
from East Wareham, MA
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Wow! This droid is MUCH bigger than I expected. It appears to be as big as it was in the movie which is totally cool. My 8 year old son was so excited to see the box and then when we opened it and saw how big it was he was even happier.
This is a very solid toy, the plastic is pretty strong; it absorb bumps and minor crashes and even the head falling off (more on that later). The remote is compact and strong enough that a drop or two had no effect on it.
BB8's actions are funny. The noises and lights are very realistic (well realistic to the movie) that it feels like the movie droid is right before you...almost. After playing with BB8 over a few sessions, it started to feel repetitious. The novelty wore off a bit. I can't help wondering why, in this age of the app, there isn't an app that one could program and/or download programs to make BB8 do and say new things? Wouldn't it be cool to have a setting to watch the Star Wars movies with BB8 and see it react to different characters or points in the movie?
Controlling BB8 is tricky. Because he's a ball, forward/reverse and left/right change as he moves along so it takes a bit to get the hang of it. There are 3 frequency settings so if BB8 doesn't seem to be responding correctly, switch to another frequency and that usually fixes it. You change the frequency on both the remote and in his head compartment. You really need a LOT of open space to really enjoy it. Controlling is not precise, it just goes in the general direction, but with a little practice finer control is possible.
There are three modes for BB8 which is neat. The first is via remote control where you can control BB8s direction forward and reverse as well as left and right. BB8s head rotates along the ball appearing to be trying to catch up with the body. Pretty clever how the manufacturer got it to work. However, his head comes off..a lot. And every time it comes off there is a wait time for it to reset or something. This detracts from play quite a bit. Maybe stronger magnets? Or perhaps it is the indented surfaces on the body?
The second mode is voice activation. There are some pretty funny actions BB8 responds with when you say certain words. You do have to speak very clear and loud or he just stares at you with a blank eye. But when he gets it, he's pretty funny. Here is where an app would be awesome, you could have him do new things you could program in.
The third mode is follow. You wear the remote and walk around and BB8 follows. We couldn't get this mode to work very well. It took a bit to get him to recognize you and he often just stopped. Not as much fun as the other modes.
Finally there is the action button. When you push it various times and ways BB8 does certain actions. A lot of them are funny antics. Another opportunity for an app to be able to program things.
BB8 makes a lot of noises, some of them repeat often. His whistle I can only describe as "wooow" will become an earworm. The sounds are pretty true to movie BB8. Sometimes it is neat to just let it sit there and randomly make noises and move around. It's a bit kooky sometimes.
I am thrilled that the only replaceable batteries are in the remote. BB8's body and head both have rechargeable internal batteries. The body has a wall plug, the head has a usb plug with wall adapter. I'm not sure why there are two different typ cords. Just remember, BB8 will take up a standard wall socket when charging both parts with one plug for each piece.
I am amazed again and again on the progress made with toys. They do so many things, but I think a lot of them miss this generation of children's target. Above all else, they need to make toys be able to become "new" or "different" to keep their attention. With TV, video games and the internet, the kids have lower attention spans and less patience. When I could play for hours with "Dan Van" which would only go forward, backwards, left, and right via voice commands and that was all it did, today's kids demand much much more. BB8 has the potential to give them what they want, but falls short of the mark without having program-ability or the ability to download new scripts. My son played with it for 15-30 minutes then put it away. He'd come back a few times during the day so he does like it.
In summary, BB8 is really a great toy. It's big. It does a lot. It is very true to movie. It is rugged. It is fun to play with. But eventually it leaves you wanting it to do "more" and "new". And that head just doesn't like to stay on which leads to frustration unless you are super careful. It would get a 4 star rating if the head would stay on. It would get a 5 star rating if you could upgrade or change things with an app or computer connection. All in all, it is a fun toy.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting shop.spinmaster.com
Customer Rating
3
Lost my head!
on October 17, 2017
Posted by: CMathews
from Cabot, AR
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Pretty cool little droid. I was initially impressed by the size of this thing. Controls are a little tricky to get used too and it doesn’t work too well on my tile floor. But overall I think it is a awesome toy but parents be warned/prepared to be reattaching the head a lot.
I let my 7 year old niece play with it for awhile. She just giggled and giggled as she annoyed the dogs and ran it into everything in my house. I can see hours and hours of entertainment for the little ones with this.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting shop.spinmaster.com
Customer Rating
3
BB-8 in your own home!
on October 23, 2017
Posted by: tanders1
from Henrietta, NY
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I was excited to open up the box containing my BB-8 and interacting with it right away. After charging the base and head for a few hours, it was ready to go. The round base is quite large and hefty. This weight is probably due to the mechanisms within that help it get up to pretty quick speeds while racing around. My biggest gripe about the movement is that it will not turn in all four directions easily. If you want to turn 90 degrees, be prepared to have a lot of room available as it needs to make a long curve in order to turn. The head is a neat accessory, and the lights and noise it emanates are lots of fun. However, the magnets are not the strongest and it tends to fall off if BB-8 hits an obstacle a bit too hard. Luckily it is resilient and the antenna do not appear easily breakable. The controller leaves some room for improvement as it feels a bit cheap in one's hand. For the overall cost of the droid, I would have expected a better build quality for the controller. The voice controlled features are fun, and it is especially enjoyable watching BB-8 stand guard and quickly going into action if it spots one of our cats. All in all, this is a fun toy, with a few minor quibbles that keep it from being perfect. If the gyro feature allowed full movement more easily I would be quite happy with the final product.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting shop.spinmaster.com
Customer Rating
4
BB-GREAT! Fun Star Wars Collectible
on October 18, 2017
Posted by: stini777
from Montville, NJ
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] This Star Wars Hero Droid BB-8 defines cool. It's a full size replica of BB-8 that operates just like the one in the movie. You can control it via a set of voice commands or with the included remote control. Call BB-8's name and he responds! Say "come here" and he rolls his way to you buzzing and beeping all the way! It comes with rechargeable batteries so you don't have to worry about the expense of replacing batteries. The head and body act independently of each other for a really cool effect. The remote takes a little getting used to but it adjusts its speed to how far you push the lever. At the top of the remote is an "animate" button that allows you to send random commands to BB-8. You can even attach the remote to your belt or pocket and BB-8 will follow you around! A few tips: BB-8 definitely needs to be on a flat surface - in my house it operated best on our hardwood floors. You'll need plenty of room so BB-8 can move around - if you're in a crowded space, BB-8 has a tendency to bump into things which leads to his head falling off. That's one of my only complaints - BB-8's head mounts magnetically and falls off a little too easily in my opinion. Keep in mind that this really isn't for small children - I would say 12+.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting shop.spinmaster.com
Customer Rating
4
A Review from a Galaxy Far Far Away
on November 4, 2017
Posted by: mbowleswv
from Belle, WV
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] We couldn’t believe how large BB-8 was when we received it, I thought it would be a small rc toy not full size, which was awesome. We had a great time using the voice commands like “droid please” and having him follow us around the house. BB-8 was very responsive and all around fun. The sounds are great and the toy looks very cool. Driving it took some practice trying to determine which way the Motor was directed. My 2 year nephew came in while I was testing it and he didn’t understand why this ball had a topon it and he kept wanting to take the head off. After a little while watching us play with it, BB-8’s head fell off during a bump with a chair, my nephew had watched enough he walked over and picked up the head and tried to reattach it to the body. I believe this is a great toy for kids and adults.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting shop.spinmaster.com
Customer Rating
4
Great idea with a few flaws
on November 10, 2017
Posted by: rusty1701
from COLUMBUS, OH
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] The BB-8 is a pretty decent toy. It really sounds and moves like BB-8 inthe movie. Its quite bigger than I expected. The details are great. The instructions were easy to follow and it also came with a quick start guide, which was nice.
The droid has a unique feature that allows the droid to follow you around. The sounds it makes are like in the movie.
In my opinon the two issues that take away a star is that a dew time, the head popped of and there was not a charger to charge the head module. It onlu come with a usb cord that you have to plug into a cell phone charger. The body charges with an included adapter.
The droid has a unique feature that allows the droid to follow you around. The sounds it makes are like in the movie.
In my opinon the two issues that take away a star is that a dew time, the head popped of and there was not a charger to charge the head module. It onlu come with a usb cord that you have to plug into a cell phone charger. The body charges with an included adapter.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting shop.spinmaster.com