I've got a thing for castles. When I was 4 all I wanted for Christmas was the Fisher Price castle that was out in the 70's, and when Santa gave it to me I was in heaven. It remains one of my fonder childhood memories, and I've been trying to get my own children a comparable castle since before they were born! They've now got quite a collection, but none ever compared to that 70's version... until now!

Product Description:

You may already be familiar with Imaginext sets from Fisher Price, however the new Imaginext Adventures Castle is a bit different. Imaginext sets usually involve modular plastic pieces that you can use to build castles and other similar structures. The Imaginext Adventures Castle, on the other hand, is a pre-built castle with no building involved whatsoever. Fully expanded it measures roughly 15 inches tall and 23 inches wide, however it does fold closed for storage.

What does make this castle unique (and what makes it more like the castle I had as a kid) are all of the cool little extras built into the castle walls. Scattered around the castle are little circular indentions (called "action stones") where you can place one of the included characters. When you turn a character on one of the little discs something cool happens in the castle. The list of interactive features (triggered by turning the "action stones") includes:
+) The steps of circular staircase that lead up to the 3rd floor rotate together to become a flat wall
+) At the top of one of the turrets, the floor gives way to drop unsuspecting villains down into the dungeon below
+) Lower the drawbridge, complete with clicking sound-effects
+) A revolving wall that turns to reveal the throne
+) Raise and lower the middle "shield" section of the wall - a good place from which to shoot the canon
+) From the lower level, reveal a secret passageway to the outside of the castle

In addition to the cool features triggered by the rotating discs there is also a ladder that can be raised and lowered to give access to each level of the castle, the door to the dungeon which can be raised and lowered, and the ornate doors just inside the drawbridge that can be swung inward or outward.

The castle itself is made of a sturdy plastic. The castle is mostly gray "rock" with green at the base, a yellow 2nd floor, and a red top floor. The plastic is molded with nice texture and detailing - including wood grain on the floorboards and intricate patterns on the castle doors. There are 3 "floors" on the inside, with lots of windows and balconies as well.

We purchased our Imaginext Adventures Castle from Toys 'R Us where it came packaged with 2 additional knights, 2 horses, and their accessories (helmets, lances). Aside from the additional characters we received, the castle came with a king and a good knight (dressed in gold) and 2 "bad" knights (dressed in black). The figures came with various accessories (swords, helmets). Also included was a canon with spring-loaded missiles that can be fired to protect the castle walls. There were 2 flags that could be attached at various points on the castle (but I think we lost ours).

There was no assembly required, except the king was actually screwed into place on top of the castle (for display purposes). It took a Phillips screwdriver to release his feet from the packaging (although my son had been playing with the castle for a while before we got around to releasing the king, so it didn't hinder his enjoyment any).

The manufacturer recommends this castle for children ages 3 and up. There are no batteries required.

Our Thoughts and Experiences:

I stumbled across the Imaginext Adventures Castle while shopping for my eldest son's 5th birthday, and simply could not resist it. Out of all of the castle toys I've seen, this one is the one that comes closest to the castle toy I loved as a child. With its secret passages, revolving walls, trap door, and collapsing staircase, I knew the fun features would keep both of my little guys occupied and exploring.

Don't get me wrong, I love our other Imaginext castles too. My son is still a bit young to really build them according to the instructions, but we have a lot of fun together building whatever his imagination can come up with, and he always has fun when we build them "correctly" with the instructions. The main problem currently is his 16-month-old little brother, who is none too gentle with our Imaginext castle creations. With the castles we build ourselves, our toddler can have them demolished in seconds. That's another reason why this particular Imaginext Adventures Castle appealed to me - since it isn't a build-it-yourself castle there's nothing for my miniature-Godzilla toddler to destroy. Both of my boys can play together with this castle -- it is big enough to keep them both occupied on different sides, and entertaining enough to keep them interested in it for a good chunk of time.

I really don't have much to complain about with this castle. The one minor one I can come up with is that you need your imagination to come up with that 4th wall for the dungeon. The back of the castle is completely open, so even though there is a door to the dungeon, there's no 4th wall. On my old castle the dungeon was completely enclosed and you had to raise the door, stick your hand in, and fish around for the guy to get him out. My son doesn't really seem bothered, even when his victim falls down into the dungeon and bounces out of the castle onto our floor. Another minor thing is that my old castle had some furniture to make the castle seem more like a home. There is no furniture with the Imaginext castle (unless you count the throne, which is built into a revolving wall).

According to the back of the box there are lots of additional accessories you can purchase, many of which have those same "action stones" as the castle. There's a "Battle Coach", "Royal Ship", and "Dragon" with "action stones", as well as a number of additional characters (dungeon guard, knights, an Ogre, a Wizard, a "treasure keeper", and a Griffin). We don't have any of the add-ons (yet - my son is already asking for some of them though), however I do feel that the castle alone came with enough characters to keep things interesting.

Quickie Summary:
Pros:
+) No assembly required
+) Folds for storage
+) Convenient built-in carrying handle
+) 6 interactive (and fun) features triggered by the "action stones", including a trap door, revolving wall, collapsing staircase, etc
+) Comes with a king and 3 knights
+) Also comes with a canon and projectiles
+) Additional accessories available
+) Made from sturdy, colorful, and well-detailed plastic
Cons:
-) The dungeon isn't completely enclosed (no 4th wall)
-) No furniture

Final Thoughts:

My husband rolled his eyes when I came home with our Imaginext Adventures Castle and asked if we really needed yet another castle, however after the birthday party as both of our sons explored the castle and shouted with delight as each new feature was revealed even he had to agree that yes, we did need yet another castle. It was one of my son's favorite gifts, and he still lugs it with him from room to room in our house (a feat made easier with the built-in handle). I highly recommend this castle with its secret passages and surprises.


Related Reviews:
Imaginext Dragonmont's Fortress
Little People Lil' Kingdom Castle

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 39.99