Category: Cool Toys

Those fortunate enough to live in Tokyo have recently sighted lifesize Coca-Cola robots wandering the streets. Now you can own your own miniature version of the wandering Coke robot for your desktop. Combining robotics, Japanimation and caffeination, the Coca-Cola vending machine robot is the perfect embodiment of all things geeky.

Here’s a fun bit of decor for fans of Nintendo’s Super Mario games. It’s a friendly invincibility star from the game, which can play a little tune while it sits on your desk. Just like those brilliant yellow stars in the Super Mario series, simply activate the star, and you’ll instantly feel invincible (even if your office-mates think you’re a complete dork).

This sophisticated compact robot has been available in Japan for about a few months now, and is now finding its way to American shores. The HPI GR-001 G-Robot features 20 motors that can be programmed to follow your every command.

Star Wars fans, here’s another oddity to add to your shrine to all things Jedi and Sith. These candy lightsabers won’t cut through flesh and bone, but they sure will satisfy your sweet tooth. Hasbro’s Star Wars Candy Lightsabers are based on the authentic movie weapon designs for Darth Vader (red) and Anakin Skywalker (blue).

What die-hard Trekkie could possibly walk around without a communicator? Now you can own this nifty remake of the original 23rd-century Starfleet communicator from the 1960s TV classic. The modern-day replica offers up blinking lights and sounds just like the original Starfleet-issue communications gizmo.

Check out these fun Gameboy plush toys I came across in my recent Web travels. Featuring a whimsical, cartoony take on the classic hand-held gaming system, they’re the perfect gift for the Nintendo Fanboy or Fangirl in your life.

I’ll start out by telling you that I used to live in the Deep South, home of cockroaches the size of small mice. Oh yeah, did I happen to mention that they could fly? Every time I saw one of those airborne six-legged nasties, it made my skin crawl.

Seems like a day doesn’t go by when some new bit of USB wackiness finds its way to my computer. Today’s find: this desktop boxer that connects to your USB port. The pint-sized prizefighter is more sophisticated than your average USB gizmo, letting you throw punches using your computer keyboard.

Can’t get enough Guitar Hero? Well now you can carry a miniature version of the game anywhere you go. The 7 ¾” X 3” guitar is small enough to easily carry around in your backpack, but the neck folds down so you can even fit it in your pocket.

Having seen my share of weird Japanese robotic animals, I was actually pretty impressed by the fact that this one doesn’t look like it’s going to attempt to murder you in your sleep. SEGATOY’s new robotic dog is a heck of a lot less creepy than their hollow-stared robot cats, and actually seems to act quite a bit like a real pup (sans the poop).

Are you a Mario fanatic? Here’s a couple of new desktop toys which are a must for any serious Super Mario collector. These excellent Super Mario Sofubi (soft vinyl) figures stand 9.5-inches tall and look great in your cubicle, living room, standing on top of your horizontal Wii, or even glued to your car’s hood as an ornament.

Were those lightsaber laser pointers just too tiny to satisfy your man-sized Star Wars hunger? Then wrap your hands around one of these full-sized lightsaber replicas which you can actually customize to your own liking. The Force FX Lightsaber Contstruction Kit gives you everything you need to create your own blade.

If you’re a Halo fan, at some point you’ve probably wished you could have an actual energy sword to take out your frustrations with. While no such real-world weapon currently exists, here’s the next best thing.

If you haven’t gotten a chance to play either of the Brain Age games on the Nintendo DS, you might want to check out this gadget from Japan’s SegaToys. Thanks to my limited knowledge of the Japanese language, I’m not 100% sure what the Brain Checker does, but it sure looks like it could be fun.

These radio-controlled helicopters are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. The choppers come in a matched pair that can run on different frequencies, so you can have mini-dogfights with your friends. Pressing a button on the remote can fire an invisible IR beam at your opponent’s helicopter, making it start to spin out of control.

What fun are toy cars if you can’t smash them together and cause little car crashes? These new r/c cars encourage reckless driving by sending their occupants into the sky when they hit. No airbags here, just flying little men, spiraling through the air to an untimely demise.