For his 7th birthday earlier this year kiddo was given many new toys, one such toy was the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Leonardo Turbo Basher by Playmates Toys. Apparently the Turbo Basher is available with six different figures as I'm reviewing this one it's obvious kiddo received Leonardo. What this toy is essentially is a Beyblade (that’s a top for those of you without boys of this age). Playmates recommends this toy for ages 4+.

There are three parts to this top and thankfully, unlike kiddos Beyblade, it doesn’t come apart into many small pieces (I hate that!). There’s the main piece which has a nifty handle making for easy use. The top itself has a small figure of the Ninja Turtle (or villain, in our case Leo) standing in the center. This piece is to be placed on and gently turned so it clicks into the base a few times. The third and final piece is the rip cord which is to be placed sideways into the lower part of the base. Instructions are included and sadly enough, I actually needed them. I kept trying to put the rip cord in right side up, not sideways. *ahem*

The little figure in the center of the top stands about 2 ˝ inches tall and is permanently affixed. There are what Playmates calls, “hidden signature weapons” on each top. In Leo’s case we’ve got his weapon of choice - swords. These are basically four little things that are vaguely molded and painted to resemble swords. They are attached around the top and come out away from the top twirling spinning with the top once it gets going. Yeah, what a thrill but the kid likes it though so they’re onto something.

Playing with it

Once kiddo (and mom) figured out how to put the rip cord in properly, this toy was deemed awesome and sweet. Kiddo enjoys playing with it on the floor and seeing how well it spins or doesn’t spin on any other surface he can find or invent. Somehow it keeps his interest; perhaps because it doesn’t always do exactly the same thing? Sometimes it spins for a long time, sometimes not. Sometimes it falls over really quickly, sometimes not. Sometimes Leonardo’s swords don’t really come out away from the top and look spiffy and something they do.

Kiddo played with his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Turbo Basher quite a bit for the first couple of weeks. Now compare this to the two days he played with his Beyblade (he took it apart, it kept coming part and he lost a few critical pieces) and it’s not too bad. He still plays with it when it catches his eye and he’ll spend a good thirty to sixty minutes with it each time, which is again, not too shabby.

As a parent I like how this toy only has three parts all of which are big and not easy to misplace. I also like how it's relatively quiet, minus the outbursts of “Sweet!” and “Awwwwesome!” from kiddo. And finally I’m pleased with this toy because it does not require any batteries. Yay! Kiddo has owned this toy for about 2 months and it’s held up perfectly thus far. I haven’t really spotted any flaws with its craftsmanship so have hopes that it will hold up for the same amount of time as his interest in it does.

Recommendation

While I hardly think the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Leonardo Turbo Basher is a must have for every Turtle fan, it is a fun toy that isn’t too pricey (from what I’ve seen - ours was a gift) and it’s made decently to boot. It does make kiddo use his fine motor skills and he really does seem to enjoy it. I can easily recommend something like this over that of a Beyblade for any child who is somewhat younger (under 8). Trust me, you’ll be happier with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Turbo Basher as it has fewer pieces and is much easier to use. Granted, it isn’t as cool as a Beyblade (according to the school kids) but whatever.




Other Ninja Turtle Toy Reviews:
Playmates Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Sewer Slider Transforming Tunnel Transport Vehicle
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Donatello Ninja Action Figure
and many more to come

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): GIFT
Type of Toy: Other
Age Range of Child: 6 to 8 Years