A GEEK DADDY: HEXBUG Battle Spider Battle Ground

**A Geek Daddy received the featured product for free to review**

Hexbug has put to shame the Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots Game of my youth when it comes to being able to have robots fight against one another with its Battle Spider Battle Ground playset. My kids have been having a blast competing against one another as they battle robotic spider toys in a replica war torn town. The set includes two Hexbug spiders plus 15 "wreckage walls" to create a maze for the robots to battle in. Each robot has a remote control that independently sync to it allowing for head to head action, plus if you purchase additional Battle Spiders up to four people can play against one another simultaneously. With futuristic sound effects and infrared technology that allows the spiders to actually shoot ray guns (beams of light) at one another these toys would have just been a sci-fi dream when I was my kids age. These toys are a reality now and really fun to play with!

Put your geometry or pool playing skills to the test as the infrared beams these robots fire at one another can bounce off the wreckage walls in your battle ground to score a hit. Or maneuver your Spider to get a straight shot at your opponent's robot. In addition to controlling your six legged battle bot as it moves around the maze of walls that players can create, the remote control also allows you to steer its head 360 degrees to target enemies on the battle ground with your infrared cannon.

A match ends when there is only one functional Hexbug Spider left in the game. Each robot has damage detectors that measure each time it is hit by another player's infrared beam causing the Spider to recoil and react every time in reaction to the impact. Also when a Spider is hit it will be stunned for one second prohibiting the robot from moving or firing its gun. After being hit 10 times a Spider will shut down. The last functioning robot left standing on the battle ground is the champion of the match. We've only played matches with 2 Spiders at one time, but I'm sure it would be incredibly entertaining to have 4 friends battling against one another at the same time.

Accurate pulses of light let you do trick shots bounced off walls or take a direct sniper shot through a gap in the maze combined with the special effects that occur when a Spider takes a hit as these Hexbug robots battle it out make for some exhilarating competition. Designing your own battle ground maze with the walls and tower included with the playset add an extra element of creativity and imaginative fun. Adding extra batteries to keep the bots powered up once their initial ones run low on energy was a nice touch by Hexbug because I always hate having to hunt for new batteries when my kids have been playing a lot with a toy ... and yes your kids will spend a lot of time playing with these! I also appreciate that these Hexbug Spiders include remote controls instead of having to access a phone or tablet to control the robots -- I hate turning my mobile devices over to young kids so they can play with a toy. Plus the fact these toys are in my opinion are just plain cool really make them worth checking out.