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| Hexbugs BattleBots Arena Pro |
Based on the hard-hitting action of the BattleBots TV series, Hexbug's at-home version does not disappoint! In this review, we'll be taking a closer look at the four sets we got down and dirty with.
First up, we have the complete BattleBots Arena Pro set (pictured right - click to enlarge). It includes the arena with walls, transparent debris guard, and even two hand-activated hammers with which to smash your opponent.
As far as the Bots go, this set includes the most versatile selection, with two Bots that are completely customizable with four primary (top mounted) weapons, eight armor plates, six front or rear mounted rams, four high speed wheels, four high traction wheels, and two wireless remote controls.
This variety of parts allows each player to design their BattleBot not only to fit their own individual tastes, but it encourages extended trial and error and strategic planning as each tries to give their Bot an edge of their opponent's.
The alternative to this set is the BattleBots Arena with Minotaur & Tombstone, which includes the same arena setup but instead of customizable Bots, includes the two fan-favorites, "Minotaur" - a fast, brute-force style Bot, and "Tombstone" - an agile Bot with a punishing spinning blade. Of course, if you are interested in going the route we went, Minotaur and Tombstone are also sold separately and in sets with other special, special BattleBots with their own unique weaponry, advantages, and disadvantages.
So how do you play? What's the goal? Why, to destroy your opponent, of course! More specifically, you are proclaimed the winner of the round once you have knocked off each piece of the enemy's armour. The customizable Bots each have two pieces, while the special Bots like Minotaur have three. The learning curve is extremely small, and if you watch our video at the end of this review, you might notice that the first couple rounds are a bit slower but really take off as we get the hang of the controls.
Each player controls their Bot via a wireless controller. These controllers have great range but require a line of sight to the receiver on the top-rear of the Bot, so playing from a position above the arena is preferable to having your hands level with it, as it might be if it were on a table with each player sitting at a chair on either side.
The arena's debris guard definitely came in useful! We expected it to be mostly for show, but you would be surprised at how often it stopped pieces from flying out of the set in the midst of some particularly exciting battles. However, they don't work all the time! A few times we had pieces flying clear out, landing feet away from the arena. But don't worry, it just added to the thrill of the battle and the flying pieces themselves do not represent an injury risk.... just fun!
The last thing to mention is in regard to the arena itself. The hammers can be positioned in corners on the same side or diagonally across from each other, completely up to the players. They proved to be useful on multiple occasions, especially when combined with other, sneaky attacks that your opponent does not see coming. For a good example of this, check out our video at around 11 minutes and 12 seconds! The base of the arena comes folded in half, which means that straight out of the box there is a slight elevation (mound) in the middle that can interfere with game-play, but it's nothing a night under a heavy book won't fix.
All-in-all, this was one of our favorite toys, to date! We played with it for hours and then went back for more the next day. There are so many different ways to design and strategize, the BattleBots stays fresh round after round (after round).
If you're interested interested in learning more and checking out the sets currently available, check out these Amazon links!
Check out our BattleBots video on YouTube!
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