I Love Spiders! AKA HexBug XL Review

Let me correct that tile. I love mechanical, remote-controlled spiders in bright colors. Cause real spiders are icky. Now where was I...

Disclaimer: I was sent a Blue HexBug XL Spider to review. All opinions are my own and may vary from others.

Meet my new little bud Blu McSpud! (That wasn't supposed to rhyme.) Yes I named my toy. Don't judge me! He looks almost futuristic doesn't he? Although some have argued he looks retro (Sputnik anyone?).

I fell in love with HexBug years ago. I love the idea of the fun buggy electronic toys. I went to the Big Toy Book's Biggest Day of Holiday Play a month ago (early December) and that is when I met the XL HexBugs. And I immediately feel in love all over again. I knew I had to have one.

Why do I love the XL HexBugs? Well first off they are user friendly and Dragyn (that's me) proof! You know that little kid who ran RC stuff into walls? Hi! Yep I am not the most gifted person at controlling RC goodness. But with Blu McSpud (the HexBug XL Spider) he goes where his head is turned. So simple! If you want him to go in a different direction you face his head that way. Genius! The Hex Bug Spider XL's head turns 360 degrees so there is no limit to how he can go.  He can also walk forward and backwards.

I love the way the HexBug XL Spider moves. If you check out the video below you can see what I mean. They actually want on their legs. There aren't hidden wheels or a tread hiding somewhere. It's walking (it's alive!). Each creepy leg crawling along and propelling the XL Spider forward or back. I did notice that because of this sometimes Blu McSpud (remember I named him) would sometimes go a little crooked. Like his legs were pulling him in different directions. The walking wasn't too wonky and was easily corrected with a turn of the head.

Last thing to note is this isn't a toy for the speed demon in your life or the stunt man. Blu McSpud (XL Spider) doesn't go 0-60, he doesn't do back flips. But he is the most interesting when it comes to moving and being a technically complex RC toy. It's actually pretty impressive that the XL Spider and the other bugs can do what they do. I love seeing the gears and pieces work. They are kind of clear so you can see their insides. The geek in my loves this.

The HexBug XL Spider (or any member of the XL family) would be great for any age geek in your life. They'll love seeing how it moves and operates and will be mesmerized by the mechanics.