Reviews (5)

Not just fun
This toy does what all toys should do! It doesn't just entertain a child it challenges him to be creative and resourceful.After he's jumped over just about everything in his room he can construct pyramids and walls of toys that he can then jump over or into.When the constructed walls get to big to jump he can buil a ramp to jump his truck even higher.After seeing how much fun this toy is I just had to write this review!!

endless possibilites for Excitement
This is a Awesome toy.Definately a BIG BOYS Toy for kids. It jumps almost a foot every time. Its just like going to the Monter Truck races right in our own living room. My 7 year old son loves to raise the bar every time he jumps it.First he starts with small cars and then he builds big walls. The excitement possibilites are endless.He sits for hours by himself or with friends either seeing how many things he can jump over or how big the crash is when he builds up walls.All of his friends love it too.You must make sure you read the directions on the bottom of the box so you know how to work it.Then let it rip!

Big air Fun!
Like the others it took me a little time to figure out how to get the truck to latch down, but from there I showed my two boys what to do and they were off jumping over and through all they could set up indoors and out.It's worth the time and money to get this and figure it out!!! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

I love this set it is wayyyyy cooler than slimecano.
I realy love this play set. It has a launcher, a swamp beast that trys to knock the cars out of the track and, a hyperpod vehicle that is used to defeat the swamp beast. On this playset the car has to keep going around the track until the way to the swamp beast is open. when its open the car goes to the hyperpod vehicle then the hypervod vehicle goes defeat the swamp beast. You have only 30 seconds to defeat him. each time you defeat him he takes out 2 seconds off your time and when you lose he puts 2 more seconds. Buy 2 alkaline batteries they work the best on this set. thats what it said on the box of the set. I think this set is very cool because


1. It has a very fast launcher.
2. I like the hypervod vehicle
3.you have to keep going around the track and watch out for the swamp beast's arms they will knock the car out the track.

4. you can connect other sets into it if you like.
5. You have 30 seconds to defeat the swamp beast.
6.I like how the track is designed.
7.It is very durable.
8.It is very fun trying to defeat the swamp beast.
9. I like the phrases the swamp beast says.
10. you can push the switch down so the car can go to other places on the track.
I don't realy like slimecano it is very messy because of the slime.

THE SWAMP BEAST PLAYSET IS THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love this playset. On the playset theres one booster a swamp beast with two arms trying to hit the car out of the track and you have 30 seconds to defeat him. Each time you defeat him he takes away 2 seconds and when you lose he puts 2 more seconds. I would recommend this item to anyone who likes hotwheels playsets

Way cooler than Slimecano!!!
We returned the Slimecano (see the 1-star rating it got) and bought this as a replacement for our 5-year old son. This is the Hot Wheels I remember! Plastic, snap-together tracks, motorized accelerators for propulsion, fast, high-banked turns. This product actually works the way it portrays on the box. The beast's arms really go up and down and sometimes knock the car off the track. The beast's voice is neat, it sounds like a swamp beast should (think Pirate's "argh!"). I really like the timer on it, you only have 30 seconds to "defeat the beast" which means complete enough laps to trigger the upper loop diverter so your car goes on the inner track, hitting the "hyper pod attack vehicle" which provides the car with enough mass to knock the trigger and causing the head to pop off. If you win the beast knocks 2 seconds off your time (lose and add 2) and starts another round. The victory sound effects are pretty cool, too. All in all I like this toy, it's definitely worth the $24 we paid for it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Vehicles    2. Play Sets   

Subjects:  1. Vehicles   

Reviews (1)

hours of playtime!
We purchased a bunch of the Polly Pocket items and my 3yr old triplets are in love with them.My son won't put down this car, so I had to order another one for the girls to share!They loved that the dog has clothes too, and nothing else has kept their attention as long as these have.I recommend all the Polly Pocket toys.It helps them learn coordination too, because they learn how to put the clothes on, etc.It is also helping them use thier imagination and role playing.Awesome toys!I also sent one to my 4yr old niece who is also discovering the fun of Polly and her friends! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Preschool    2. Dolls    3. Pretend Play   

Reviews (6)

Great add on but make sure you have enough track!
Love this add on to this set.My son already has the basic set, rescue squad, construction set, mile high mnt. but we had to get this too.Only issue with this one is make sure you have anough ramps and straights to incorporate 3 levels of fun into your kids train sets.It not only goes up but crosses through too!Parental guidance necessary when building up otherwise track bldg. conflicts with lower levels.My son loves that every night after he goes to bed I reconfigure the set another way for another days play.

Great Add-On Fun
I have a 6-year old son with special needs.The Geotrax system is simple enough for him to use and, although only one train can run at a time for him, he loves switching between trains and having mom create new layouts for him.One hint to prospective buyers:rechargeable batteries!For the initial price, they are well worth the investment.Thanks, Fisher-Price for a great toy!We love the music and the bells and connecting the tracks to both upper and lower levels!

Ding dong.
This is a great add-on to your geotrax system.Three levels of fun.The top two levels include music and sounds.I will say, the music could be a little louder.With the motorized train running it tends to be hard to hear.You definitely will need to buy at least one, probably two, elevation packs to fully utilize the top two levels.It is, hands down, my son's favorite part of his train set. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The worlds of toy racetracks and haunted houses have never exactly begged to be placed together but it's an interesting and highly entertaining match in this unique set from Matchbox. Part of the ever-expanding "Hero City" line, the haunted house features various secret traps and tricks such as a skeleton that launches cars with a good shove, a "Bones and Moans Bridge" full of scary sounds, and various other classic spooky bits. One car is included although the two required AA batteries are not. Classic racetrack fans will likely not be overly impressed by this simple and fairly corny setup but it's not really meant for the aficionado, rather for the younger children who love a gentle scare and an unlimited supply of trips through a haunted house. --Charlie Williams ... Read more

Reviews (33)

Favorite Toy
This is one of my 4yr old son's favorite toys.Need I say more?The toy is all one piece that is what mom likes about it:)

Fun except when the Van is Stuck
Like others, I bought this toy b/c it resembles the Mystery Machine and my child loves Scooby & haunted houses. A great design overall with cute action & sounds...BUT almost every time the van goes through one of the turns, it gets lodged inside. You have to get it out with a hand or shake the toy to get it rolling again. If it didn't have the one catching place, it would go smoothly. This had an initial great 'wow' factor and my child was most excited opening it out of all their Christmas gifts, but soon tired of the van constantly getting stuck inside.

Destined To Become A Classic
I'm a "Grown-Up" Toy and Game Enthusiast, and I can tell You with much confidence that this Playset is Destined to Become a Classic.It's simple, yet complex enough to keep anybody's attention... both Young and Old.It's made of the durable kind of plastic, not the cheap stuff that tends to crack or break if You sneeze too hard.The sound effects are right on target... not too loud, not too soft, and definitely not distorted.Some assembly is required, but it's very minimal and not a big deal... the only Hard part is unattaching it from the inside of the box... so take Your time with that part, as to not accidentally damage anything.Bottom line, this Playset is definitely worth Your hard earned Pasos. :) ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Vehicles    2. Play Sets   

Editorial Review

Watch out for falling rock! Railroad construction ahead!Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends Big Loader will bring out the train conductor in any child. When the big loader is running, use the control buttons on the track to make the train change direction. Itsy-bitsy engineers control whatever it does next. The track includes hoppers, loading docks, and transfer ramps. The motorized chassis fits under Thomas, Percy, and Terrance, the toys' included companions. After parents take a few minutes to read the simple instructions, make sure a 2-by-2-foot space is available for construction. Requires one AA battery for operation. --Andrea Linsky ... Read more

Features

• Requires at least a 2-by-2-foot space
• Thomas, Percy, and Terrence cars included

Reviews (99)

Never works!!!
I just spent an hour with my two boys (4 and 2) "playing" with this train set.I was able to put it together relatively quickly, despite the directions being perfectly unclear.But the trains don't work at all.The tops keep falling off the chassis, and we have to push Thomas up the ramp every single time; whatever is supposed to aid the train against gravity isn't working.I can sit there with the kids and repeatedly fix, push, pull, aid, and assist the trains, but the point was kind of for them to have something to do WITHOUT me.I'm going back to the wooden Thomas sets.

Piece of junk!
Waste of time and money.Very frustrating.Keeps jumping off the track.Wish I had read the reviews before purchasing at the store.I will be taking this piece of junk back!

Save your money
After months of asking, I finally caved in and bought this set for my son's fourth birthday.It was tedious to put together and the pieces are poorly made.After finally getting the track assembled, my son was anxious to enjoy his new toy.I will say that it was somewhat entertaining to watch the train travel around the track a few times while changing to the different characters.The problem for me is that everytime my son accidentally touched or shifted slightly against the track there would be a malfunction where the train would go off the track or the top pieces of the train would fall off.The pieces are flimsy and my son became increasingly frustrated. My husband at one point had to tell my son to stay away from the toy and that he couldn't touch it, but to just simply watch it go around the track.If you want a "toy" that you can't engage in and do not get frustrated easily during the assembly process than this is the toy for you.MY son likes to actively engage in his play, so this didn't fit our needs. We finally put the pieces back in the box, and I told him we would return it for something else tomorrow. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Push and Pull Toys    2. Vehicles    3. Trains    4. Preschool    5. Activity   

Reviews (13)

Thomas
My 4 year old son really enjoys this toy!! It's not for hours on end but he enjoys the logs and the helicopter most. The durability is great because he has dragged the train all over the carpet lol. I would recommend this as a starter train set.

Nice Toy!
This is a very cute set! My 3 yr old loved to watch it, but we both grew tired of that after awhile. He prefers to push the trains himself. He can do that with the Tomy trains if switched to the off position, however this set is not compatable with the other Tomy trains in that you have to have the special freight car to trigger the different mechanisms. It is also a little difficult to combine this with some of the other Tomy playsets for this reason.

Quality productb that is well built!
This is a great toy that we got for our son. He has hours of fun just watching it go around and load and unload timbers. I like the well built design of the trains. I was most impressed with the design construction of the gear mechanisms in the trains. They are made to unspline the gear mesh when turned off. This way when your child pushes the train when it's off there is no chance of stripped gears and ruined motors. If this toy ever wore out or broke I would purchase a new one without thought. Great toy and the motion is fantastic! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Vehicles    2. Trains   

Reviews (1)

Really fast and very nicely styled car
This R/C Car combines very nice style (the new Mustang looks really cool) as well as a super-fast engine that easily gets ahead of many other R/C vehicles in its category.The speed has a cost though, and it is the loss of sensitivity on making turns -- it's hard to maneuver in situations where you need to be in control (e.g. roads designed for R/C Cars).

The toy's educational value is mostly on helping your kid develop fine movements.

Durability is quite good, despite the fact that the car lacks bumpers in its front and rear ends, something that is common on R/C vehicles designed for speed.

The fact that the car supports either batteries or a rechargeable battery pack is really nice.Buy the Ni-Cd battery pack and you will love not spending as much in batteries.

In summary - a great car for your little kid. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Vehicles   

Reviews (1)

Is ThomasLonely....
How can one have Thomas and not Annie and Clarabel.Thomas can only be so useful without these charming companions.I mean where will the passengers sit?Who will coach Thomas around that fast and dangerous corner?And who will admonish Thomas when he becomes too cheeky?

To be more serious, I was not at all sure what my son (just turned 3) would think about the addition of these ladies, but now I can't imagine how he would play without them.He just adores Annie and Clarabel and everywhere Thomas goes, they are sure to follow.Which means that the trio accompany him into the sand box and into the bath tub.

Very rugged toys, I highly recommend these two gals to keep Thomas company. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Vehicles    2. Trains    3. Train Accessories   

Editorial Review

The young builder in your family will appreciate the realisticdetails built into this Mercedes Benz Cement Mixer. Measuring animpressive 22.5 inches long, the truck is equipped with a hand-powered,spinning cement drum and a three-piece extendable dispenser chute thatswivels up to 180 degrees off the back of the truck. When not in use,the two extra chute extensions clip into place on either side of thetruck, and the cement mixer handle on top of the truck can be tuckedaway neatly. Made of sturdy plastic, the truck rides smoothly on eightrubber tires, and when it's not moving you can tilt the front cabinforward to reveal a large truck engine underneath. Both of the sidemirrors on the front of the truck are adjustable. --Chris Burns ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great truck!
My son got this truck as a Christmas present and he plays with it every day...he loves to look in the window and turn the crank that makes the mixer spin. He looks at the 'engine' and pushes it all over the house. He's 22 lbs. and sits on the mixer daily and it's still as good as new!

Model like toy
This company really deserves and award!They have made a toy that really works, and yet it looks like a model!My kid has banged it around , and yet it is still holding up!Good job bruder! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Vehicles    2. Construction Vehicles    3. Trucks    4. Preschool   

Reviews (36)

The wheels on the bus.......
Adorable music, lights and sounds from this toy-keeps the kids glued to it for long periods of time.

Time for school!
My three-year-old son loves this school bus.He likes to load the kids on the bus and make the bus driver talk and sing songs.He has learned empathy by helping the little people with disabilities (with the wheelchair) on and off the bus.It is good exposure to the idea that not everyone is the same.However, it was shocking to have to describe that to a, then, two-year-old.One of the first questions he had that I really had to think about the best way to answer.Other good features are the stop sign and two doors that open and close.

One of my kids' favorites
We bought this for our now three year old, who loves it, but is having to get used to sharing it with his 1 year old sister.This toy gets played with often throughout the day - every day, so I definately think it was a good purchase.I like that it it teaching my daughter fine motor skills when she puts the people in their seats.We've had it for almost 2 years now, and it has held up very well, and doesn't show any wear.The music and voice is a little annoying, but my kids love it.I am suprised with the age reccomendation though. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Train Set Accessories    2. Vehicles    3. Trains    4. Train Accessories   

Reviews (24)

Not so durable
Once the 2 sides of this case come apart they never stay back together. It looks like it's supposed to snap on and off but the plastic doesn't stay the same after. Not so good for the younger kids that like taking things apart. Also, the way that it shuts isn't so great as it's not reliable.

A lasting toy...
I got my son his first case at age 2 and it survived the terrible 2s.Now at almost age 9 with 2, still, intact cases and a history of 2 other brands (no longer with us)...will purchase more of the Hot Wheel case to replace the overflowing shoe boxes he is now using to store his cars.

I like it!!
I really like this because it holds all my cars and keeps them neat!!plus i can find them easier! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Vehicles    2. Cars    3. Vehicle Accessories    4. Preschool   

Editorial Review

Wooden train sets are a wonderful developmental toy, encouraging hand-eye coordination, creativity, vocabulary, and providing hours of imaginative play. This 34-piece construction collection includes an assortment of basic track pieces, a hardworking construction engine, a magnetic crane car that lifts cargo off of the flatbed car, a rail crossing, and a dump truck. A great starter set for budding engineers, this relatively inexpensive real wood set is fully compatible with other name brand wooden railway systems. --Deb Oroszlan ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Great value and fun
We purchased this for our 2 1/2 year old son because we couldn't get him away from the one set up in the Toys 'R Us store.He loves it!He really likes Thomas the Train, but this set is less expensive and just as nice.I like that we can use it with the Thomas pieces, if we ever decide to.I don't know what an earlier reviewer meant that pieces were missing, ours came just as pictured.The all wood construction makes this a durable toy (better than some of the plastic ones).It is definitely worth the money.

Son's favorite toy!
My 2-1/2 year old son just received this the other day as a gift.He couldn't wait for the packaging to be opened.He played with it immediately and wouldn't stop.All five cars stayed with him through dinner and bedtime.He even wanted to take them to the sitter's house.

I was impressed with the construction of the system.It is easy enough to put together.There is a diagram to put the tracks together like the picture.They have stayed in place on our rug while he plays and the 80-lb. dog walks over it, so I am not sure what the other reviewer meant about the tracks coming apart.One of the features that I liked about the tracks was that they are grooved on both sides, so they can be flipped to create opposite curves.

I kept the tiny construction pieces - cones, boulders, pipes in their original bags till my son gets older.He is having enough fun just playing with the trains.I also liked the fact that it is three magnet connective train parts and two separate trucks - the best of both worlds: trains and trucks!

Wonderful Train Set!!!
This is a great train set!!My 4 children play with this set just about every day.The price is great also (especially compared to the Thomas The Tank sets).One thing I will say, make sure you keep the instructions.Without them, you will have a hard time putting the train tracks back together each time.I keep our instructions put up in a cabinet so they don't get lost. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Vehicles    2. Trains    3. Train Accessories   

Reviews (2)

Holds up to daily playtime!
Santa brought this set for my 3 year old son last Christmas and he has played with it everyday since. With daily use, this wooden set is holding up to his rough play. His favorite piece is Cranky the Crane. It's easy to add onto as we have added the hospital and another bridge. We purchased a Nilo table to put the train on so it will stay together. Well worth the money!

Great for 18 months and up!But expensive...
The Thomas train and train collections are durable toys. Their real value, though, is that playing with the toys allows children to act out the great Thomas and Friends children's stories they read and watch.

This is a nice layout that provides far more track than the usual figure 8 layout that gets purchased first. But it is very expensive. There is generic track available that costs far less. Our kids haven't noticed the difference. IT IS EASY TO CREATE ELEVATED TRACK AND BRIDGES USING LEGO OR DUPLO PIECES AS SUPPORTS.GENERIC CRANES ARE AVAILABLE FOR MUCH LESS.

Kids' imaginations can remarkably supply buildings and water towers and cranes, etc., so that they won't even miss what might be lacking from less expensive sets. And families can build some of these items themselves out of old boxes, etc.

Purchasing recommendation:
* Choose which type of Thomas trains you will 'standardize' on. There are three kinds: This size of wooden trains from Learning Curve; larger, plastic, battery-operated trains from Tomy; and smaller, die-cast metal trains from Ertl. The wooden trains have the most products and accessories available.

* The clickety-clack (grooved to look like real railroad) track in the Thomas series is great, but it's expensive; I recommend buying generic track. ... You can literally save hundreds of dollars by buying these kinds of sets.

* Buy the Thomas and friends engines separately--and wait for sales. The kids care about the characters, so no short-cutting (ie., Brio or generic trains) here.

* Look for trains bundled with VHS videos. You can get a video and a train (on sale) for about the same price as a train alone. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Train Set Accessories    2. Vehicles    3. Trains    4. Train Accessories   

Subjects:  1. Construction    2. Building Sets   

Subjects:  1. Train Set Accessories    2. Vehicles    3. Trains    4. Train Accessories   

Editorial Review

Those of us who spend a lot of time looking at, evaluating, and playing with toys often complain that they all start to look alike after a while. After all, a racetrack is a racetrack and a doll is a doll right? But once in a while, a toy comes along that really makes us sit up and take notice. In that vein, the Hot Wheels Slimecano is easily the weirdest toy we've seen in a long time. The idea is to power up your Hot Wheels car (none included) using a special charger at the base of a big brown mountain with a creepy snake face carved into it. Then while the mountain starts spewing slime, you race to the top, avoiding falling boulders and trying to successfully jump over a pit of goo. The mountain shakes periodically and plays five different sound effects. The Slimecano promises a lot of action and happily it's well-designed so everything works pretty well. Although we're not sure how much sustained play value the Slimecano will have over the course of months and years, it at least brings a unique and bizarre element to the racetrack category. --Charlie Williams ... Read more

Reviews (158)

Pick a different playset...
Slimecano takes forever to put together.Once together, My kids had fun with it- but only because of the slime.Cars get stuck and pieces constantly fall off.The slime is the best feature and it makes a mess!We bought Cyborg Attack later and it is so much better.

A piece of junk-don't waste your money!
My 5 year old son was so excited to receive this as a Christmas gift but we were extremely disappointed once it was assembled.The track pieces do not SNAP hard together so they are constantly separating.The crane falls off, the volcano head is too difficult for a child to put back together, the whole toy tips over very easily.The slime is alright as long as you are closely supervising the whole time if you aren't then be ready for a mess! This toy has been made so chep that it should be selling for only $10.I can't believe that we paid almost $40 for it! We pack the toy away because it was falling apart so much.My son just took it back out (3 months later) to try it again and was even more disappointed than before!It seems like such a fun idea but the toy just extremely frusterates children (and parents too)!

Not as bad as the reviews I read
My little boy recieved this as a gift for his fourth birthday.He really, really wanted it and he could'nt wait to get home from his party to get it put together.
Total time of putting it together took about 40 mins. my husband put it together rather quickly even with our four year old standing around asking "is it done can I play with it now!"
We decided we would not use the slime, it looks rather runny and extrememly messy!So we are'nt even going to try it- it would be a hard job to clean!
Once it was together we turned it on and the volcano makes cool sounds and spits the plastic rocks at the cars!My little boy played with this toy most of the night.
The downside of the toy to us was the cars have a very hard time going up the huge hill- its nearly impossible, but he would rather push the car along the track anyhow.
As a gift it was one of my sons favorite toys.The pieces are staying together pretty well too.We have it on our sons table in his room so he can stand up and play with it.I would'nt reccomend the slime though.All and all I am happy with the hot wheels set so far!I gave it four stars because the cars won't go up the hill without some assistance. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Vehicles    2. Play Sets