Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)If you're unfamiliar with Zoobles, the easiest way to describe them is to say that they're a combination of Bakugan and Littlest Pet Shop. If your daughter likes one or both of these, she'll probably like Zoobles.
The Zoobles themselves are exactly like Bakugan - small figures that collapse into a round ball. When the bottom of the ball is placed on something metal, the figure springs open into its shape. However, they are themed more toward girls with plenty of pink, purple and other soft colors. This gift pack also comes with 3 "Happitats" for the Zoobles to sit on (or in). These features are very similar to Littlest Pet Shop toys.
On the tops of the happitats are a small metal disc that allows them to pop open into their shapes. In this way, unlike Bakugan, there's no strategy or cards needed. Placing the Zooble inside a happitat rather than on it allows it to stay in its ball shape rather than springing open. I guess this is for when they're "sleeping".
So what do they do - basically nothing. It's up to your imagination. Take that as you want. If your child likes to make their own pretend play this is probably great. If you're looking for the set to come with some sort of strategy, moving parts, etc, then you'll probably want to look at a different toy.
They do seem to have more details than Bakugan - some of them have tails, ears, hands/arms, legs, noses, and not least of all, eyes. Now a clarification on the eyes - some Zoobles' eyes change each time you close and open them. Some Zoobles have 3 different eye pattern (looking straight ahead, looking up, and closed). Therefore, these ones appear like they're not closing their eyes when they are closed, but in reality, since there's 3 positions, they ARE working properly. Some Zoobles have a nose which when pushed make the eyes move. Some noses can be pushed to make the Zooble pop open, whereas other noses don't make them pop open. With so many combinations, I think it's easy to confuse this with not working properly. Since there's no instructions on what each Zoobles' features are, it's hard to tell. This would be my recommendation to spinmaster - include a card or paper for each Zooble (they are "collectible" after all) which highlights these differences and what the Zooble should actually do.
Quality is on par for a product of this type. I've found that the best way to close them is to close all ears, hands, arms, etc THEN close the feet where the magnet is located. This ensures they stay shut. Closing that part first sometimes causes the ears or other parts to stay open. The only thing I think was "cheap" is that on the Happitats, where the metal disc is placed, it's only covered by a sticker the same color as the plastic. Some of these were already peeling off when I opened the package, and I can easily see them coming off. It won't affect the functionality of the toy, you'll just see a shiny metal disc on top rather than a colored sticker.
The gift pack is really just 5 Zoobles and 3 Happitats which come in a vinyl zippered bag. The bag is ok to put them back into, but is actually quite oversized for this set alone. If you have other Zoobles from separate purchases the bag is probably a nice addition to keep them all together. There's no accessory items like brushes, purses, flowers, or whatever else, so no real small parts to lose or keep track of.
In terms of value, I can't really asses it since I received these as part of Amazon Vine. Personally, I don't think I'd spend the full retail price for them, and I predict that like most new/fad toys, the price will decline to something more reasonable in the future. If comparing to Bakugan, you'll get about 6 Bakugan for the same price, though you'd get extra cards and no "happitats". Littlest Pet Shop gift packs are around the same price or a bit cheaper. From that comparison, the Zoobles Gift Pack is probably at least in the right ballpark compared to similar products.
Overall, I'm giving it 4 stars. I don't see any major problems with quality, they are marketed to the right audience, and are priced similarly to the two toys that they are easiest to compare to.
For the record, my gift pack included the following Zoobles:
#113 Wensley
#114 Zizi
#115 Panzi
#117 Daniela
#118 Dell
Also, and I'm checking with the Vine program, I was sent the item that actually seems to be Zoobles Petagonia Gift Pack. When I compare the pictures, I have that exact item, whereas the picture for the item of this review is slightly different. In fact, the item number under UPC on my item is 20034543.
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Zoobles ZBL Zoobles Gift Pack Version 2These 6 special Zoobles and Happitats have a unique color and design that are exclusive to the Gift Pack* 5 Zoobles, 2 Double Happitats, 1 Single Happitat, Vinyl bag* They can magically transform into tiny balls hiding from the unknown, rolling to colorful destinations, sleeping after a long day* The set comes packaged in a fancy vinyl bag* Pop open action* This toy contains inaccessible magnets. Keep away from electronic medical devices.
Click here for more information about Zoobles ZBL Zoobles Gift Pack Version 2
