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I recently had the chance to play around with one of those little £9.99 radio controlled cars. They're about the size of a walnut, really amazing and great fun if you have two on different frequencies.
During Christmas I was also able to sample the new James Bond Scaletrix sets while round at a friend's house. Their son wanted me to have a go and I found myself getting annoyed by the linear racing around a track with a single groove for each car and the one button for speed.
Thinking about both of these together, wouldn't it be a much smarter idea for the toy companies to take the technology for these radio controlled cars and use them on a similar track? You'd need larger track space and bigger borders, but it would be so much more fun to weave in and out of each other, having control of the steering as well as the speed.
This kind of things seems so obvious to me that I can't believe the toy companies haven't thought of it yet. Good though Scalelectrix was in the 80's, it's really old technology, relying on a metal strip to provide power to the cars. I hope by the time I have children (and therefore a more valid excuse to buy toys) they will think about my suggestion and create something much better.
I'm sure that there are other toys that could be advanced to make them better. What about those lightsabers? Ever since I can remember them (and I had one way back in the early days) they've been bits of plastic that glow from the bottom. Surely there's a way of making sliding fibre optics that will automatically zoom out to simulate a real lightsaber action? How about barbie dolls that can't stop talking and get moody every month? (maybe not).
Transformers are still on the market, I found out the other day, but what if they could be made to automatically transform? They'd be so much better. How about using that laser tag technology for toys as well, GI Joe and other action figures could have real battles with full battle sound. You could tell if your infantry had been hit by a tank or another soldier.
Of course, consoles give us versions of all of this on our screen, games are great that way, but they'll never replace toys. So I'm still holding out hope that the toy companies can change some of our old favorites and make them better for a new generation.
During Christmas I was also able to sample the new James Bond Scaletrix sets while round at a friend's house. Their son wanted me to have a go and I found myself getting annoyed by the linear racing around a track with a single groove for each car and the one button for speed.
Thinking about both of these together, wouldn't it be a much smarter idea for the toy companies to take the technology for these radio controlled cars and use them on a similar track? You'd need larger track space and bigger borders, but it would be so much more fun to weave in and out of each other, having control of the steering as well as the speed.
This kind of things seems so obvious to me that I can't believe the toy companies haven't thought of it yet. Good though Scalelectrix was in the 80's, it's really old technology, relying on a metal strip to provide power to the cars. I hope by the time I have children (and therefore a more valid excuse to buy toys) they will think about my suggestion and create something much better.
I'm sure that there are other toys that could be advanced to make them better. What about those lightsabers? Ever since I can remember them (and I had one way back in the early days) they've been bits of plastic that glow from the bottom. Surely there's a way of making sliding fibre optics that will automatically zoom out to simulate a real lightsaber action? How about barbie dolls that can't stop talking and get moody every month? (maybe not).
Transformers are still on the market, I found out the other day, but what if they could be made to automatically transform? They'd be so much better. How about using that laser tag technology for toys as well, GI Joe and other action figures could have real battles with full battle sound. You could tell if your infantry had been hit by a tank or another soldier.
Of course, consoles give us versions of all of this on our screen, games are great that way, but they'll never replace toys. So I'm still holding out hope that the toy companies can change some of our old favorites and make them better for a new generation.
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Damn, gave my sets away to my cousins when I was younger. It's amazing that they haven't designed a proper Lego game yet. One where you can build anything and get it working, just like the real thing without the huge mess of blocks or the painful injuries when your foot finds a block before your eyes do.
I was vastly into lego when I was a kid. I had enough to make a full town center (all in the right colors) with 2 train tracks running through. Once I set up an entire city on a 8 by 4 foot board my dad set me up with for a model railway, and i had plenty to spare. i have a dustbin in the loft of town and space.
I then went onto technic, which I took with me to my new place with the missus (about two suitcases). I still have a car that I made set up on the srairs windowsill, and it suitcases come out every now and again.
last time they were out me and a mate made an ashtray on wheels. It was like the thing they carry the shuttle out to the runway on, and it had the motor programmer on board. It moved around the room from person to person, carrying a doobie on an arm that came out from under the ashtray, and swang round to line up with the person who was next on it.
Yeah, i'm sad and proud of it!!!
I then went onto technic, which I took with me to my new place with the missus (about two suitcases). I still have a car that I made set up on the srairs windowsill, and it suitcases come out every now and again.
last time they were out me and a mate made an ashtray on wheels. It was like the thing they carry the shuttle out to the runway on, and it had the motor programmer on board. It moved around the room from person to person, carrying a doobie on an arm that came out from under the ashtray, and swang round to line up with the person who was next on it.
Yeah, i'm sad and proud of it!!!
Ive still got 2 big buckets worth of Lego up in the loft. Ive grown out of it now, but in the day i used to build men that were about 30cms tall. It took a lot of bricks, but it was worth it.
El Blokey wrote:
> Damn Lego.
YOU TAKE THAT BACK! YOU TAKE THAT BACK RIGHT NOW!!!!!
> Damn Lego.
YOU TAKE THAT BACK! YOU TAKE THAT BACK RIGHT NOW!!!!!
pb wrote:
> Good though Scalelectrix was in the 80's, it's really old technology
TCR was far superior - you remember them? "Total Control Racing" - like Scalextric, but you could flip a switch on the controller to make the car change lanes on the straights at will - none of this poncy crossover track nonsense! It made for much more exciting racing.
I had quite a large set, with long straights, flyovers etc. Gave me hours of fun.
Unfortunately TCR never took off as well as Scalextric - the cars were smaller, but they went through tyres like no-one's business, and the pickups wore out pretty quick too - but they were much better than Scalextric.
> Good though Scalelectrix was in the 80's, it's really old technology
TCR was far superior - you remember them? "Total Control Racing" - like Scalextric, but you could flip a switch on the controller to make the car change lanes on the straights at will - none of this poncy crossover track nonsense! It made for much more exciting racing.
I had quite a large set, with long straights, flyovers etc. Gave me hours of fun.
Unfortunately TCR never took off as well as Scalextric - the cars were smaller, but they went through tyres like no-one's business, and the pickups wore out pretty quick too - but they were much better than Scalextric.
www.masterreplicas.com
Damn it all to Hades! I've been dreaming about my own "proper" lightsaber for years now. And, by all accounts, it's possible to do although it won't be anywhere as powerful as the ones in Star Wars.
"Where's your id?"
"You don't need to see my id."
"We don't need to see your id. Move along, now"
Of course, I'd rather have The Force than a poxy lightsaber!
"Where's your id?"
"You don't need to see my id."
"We don't need to see your id. Move along, now"
Of course, I'd rather have The Force than a poxy lightsaber!
It's true, the theme park took the place of Windsor Safari Park, which I used to go to a lot as it was just down the road from my Grandad's house and he knew the person on the side gate, so we sneaked in for free.
The park was huge and had loads of great animals, but now it's all blocks and really kiddy rides. Fine for small children, but nothing for anyone else.
Perhaps they should have a 'build your own scary ride' section, where you build your own rollercoaster, then try it out. Or on second thoughts, perhaps not.
Still, Lego itself was great and they've spoilt even that now by making the packs really small with purpose built bricks that can't be used to build lots of other things. Back in my day they had huge loads of blocks in a pack that could be used for anything, that way it stretched the imagination and allowed you to build a house one day and a working transforming robot the next. Now you get spaceship sets with about 20 parts, most of which are not half as flexible as the old blocks, or Pirate ships with hardly any building required. What's up with that?!
The park was huge and had loads of great animals, but now it's all blocks and really kiddy rides. Fine for small children, but nothing for anyone else.
Perhaps they should have a 'build your own scary ride' section, where you build your own rollercoaster, then try it out. Or on second thoughts, perhaps not.
Still, Lego itself was great and they've spoilt even that now by making the packs really small with purpose built bricks that can't be used to build lots of other things. Back in my day they had huge loads of blocks in a pack that could be used for anything, that way it stretched the imagination and allowed you to build a house one day and a working transforming robot the next. Now you get spaceship sets with about 20 parts, most of which are not half as flexible as the old blocks, or Pirate ships with hardly any building required. What's up with that?!
This has been bugging me today after a chat with a friend prompted by seeing a £300 Millenium Falcon lego set:
What the hell is up with Legoland? It's got this freaky dragon theme, but last time I checked, LITTLE PLASTIC BLOCKS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH DRAGONS. Lego is great, I had much fun as a kid, probably could now, we used it in school for electronics, it has many humorous possibilities (see online Lego Torture Chamber and Lego Porn)...but making a theme park is ridiculous. It's soiling Lego's good name. It was a nice enough day out but ultimately it's trying to turn its back on Lego's fine heritage and making it into a roller-coaster with fire and evil and mystery and armour and stuff. And the Star Wars tie-in is awful. The whole point was creating your OWN hero, or Lego making a franchise such as their action hero guy. The generic castles and dungeons were amazing, as were the space kits.
Damn Lego.
What the hell is up with Legoland? It's got this freaky dragon theme, but last time I checked, LITTLE PLASTIC BLOCKS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH DRAGONS. Lego is great, I had much fun as a kid, probably could now, we used it in school for electronics, it has many humorous possibilities (see online Lego Torture Chamber and Lego Porn)...but making a theme park is ridiculous. It's soiling Lego's good name. It was a nice enough day out but ultimately it's trying to turn its back on Lego's fine heritage and making it into a roller-coaster with fire and evil and mystery and armour and stuff. And the Star Wars tie-in is awful. The whole point was creating your OWN hero, or Lego making a franchise such as their action hero guy. The generic castles and dungeons were amazing, as were the space kits.
Damn Lego.
Cool.
I'm getting more and more back into toys again. I never really left them, I'm just more open about wanting them back, I guess.
Lego, Scaletrix, yay.
I'm getting more and more back into toys again. I never really left them, I'm just more open about wanting them back, I guess.
Lego, Scaletrix, yay.
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