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For those born with Star Wars there was certainly a day when they wished they had an R2-D2 at home. On the other hand, he is nice, not dirty and solves problems. Sphero's replica is partly a dream come true. It is a new toy identical to the original down to the smallest detail, except that it is much smaller (it is 17 centimeters high). It can be controlled from the smartphone and reproduces the same sounds as its big brother in the movies, complete with a trolley that automatically extracts the foot to stabilize its movements.
In the last few weeks we have had the opportunity to run it around at home with BB-9E, the villain droid that we will see appearing for the first time in Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi, in Italian cinemas from December 13th. Here are our impressions.
R2-D2: how it is made
As we said it is a faithful replica of the character from the movies. All in plastic, it is a palm high and by touching it the impression you get is of a very sturdy product. The connecting pipes are made of rubber, as well as the grids carved on the body are really open as they protect the small speaker from which it emits all its classic sounds. The head, as expected, rotates on itself and there are also LEDs that light up and change color according to what he tells us from time to time.
will make R2-D2 walk, the system will automatically tilt the body while keeping the two “legs” vertical: the central carriage is extracted from the base and the rubber tracks underneath the “feet” will begin to move to allow the robot to move in all directions. Playing with it is really a pleasure: it is a perfect replica of the character of the film and faithfully performs all the movements, including sounds and whistles. Different – but necessary – compared to the original there is only the microUSB socket, on the back, which allows you to recharge the internal battery.
BB – 9E: how it is made
BB – 9E is instead a character new to us as, as mentioned, it will appear for the first time in the next film hitting theaters in December. It is basically the bad version of BB-8, which appears in Star Wars VII and which Sphero had already made in a toy version right in the launch period of the previous film (we talked about it here during our test). BB-9E is instead the droid of the Empire.
The use as well as the movements are the same as for BB-8. Again there is only a “training” base, which allows you to play with it on the spot, making the ball rotate on itself in one point: it is an accessory that we appreciated because it allows you to play with the robot without making it move. I walk around the room.
The application is everything
To control the new droids (but also the old BB-8) there is a new application: it is called Star Wars App-Enabled Droids and is available for free on the respective App Stores of iPhone, iPad and Android devices.
It goes without saying that without apps, toys don't work. They turn on automatically as soon as one of the devices previously connected via Bluetooth is nearby and it is only through the application that it is possible to make them move, send them on patrol, see them interact with the films and manage all the various functions offered (which we will talk about). soon). In short, there is no on-off button to keep them “awake” without an app, a lack that is felt especially when not playing with droid.
The most beautiful game mode, at least for the writer, it is in fact that of Standby, especially with R2-D2, the droid par excellence that has already captured the hearts of fans in the 80s with the first films. By simply leaving the app open, the toy will stay in place and move its head, occasionally bounce on the spot and emit classic movie droid sounds – the perfect companion to keep on your desk during long, nerve-wracking work days. .
How do they work
Playing with the droids is simple. In the case of R2-D2 it is necessary to connect it to the mains via cable while for BB-9E it is sufficient to place it on the wireless charging base (also suitably connected to the mains). Then just turn on the Bluetooth on the device, open the app, click on Connect and wait for the scan to track down the droids nearby (probably during the recharge they emit ultrasounds as, at the first start, access to the microphone is required in order to “Listen” to these sounds).
Then select the droid you want to play with and wait for the interface to load, generally a few seconds (the loading speed varies according to the power of your device).
The game interface is consists of 6 different screens. The first screen is dedicated to controlling the droid. One half, the left one, incorporates the virtual joypad, to then move the toy in all directions. The second half, the right one, incorporates 9 different buttons that activate as many actions. There is the one to make him nod (obviously in his own way), to make him say no, to make him mad with joy, make him tremble with fear and the most beautiful of all, the “suicide” button: one press and R2-D2 initially he will scream and then, unable to avoid the imminent danger, he will throw himself forward pretending to shut down, but then continuously moving his feet if he does not get up promptly. Then there is an area dedicated to the separate control of the head, which can thus rotate 360 degrees, and finally two buttons to make it rotate quickly or jump forward.
The second screen is dedicated to the patrol mode: starting this phase the robots will begin to move freely throughout the house, taking small steps in a totally random in all directions while emitting the classic sounds that distinguish them. There is also the option to have all three droids (R2-D2, BB – 8 and BB – 9E) patrol the territory at the same time.
The third mode allows the droids to follow a defined path: the screen area is a kind of artboard. Just swipe your finger on the display to draw a heart, write your name or any other symbol to see it then replicate by the droid in the movements on the floor.
The fourth screen, called AR, allows you to live a three-dimensional experience and varies from droid to droid. With R2-D2, for example, we will explore the Millennium Falcon, while with BB-9E we will find ourselves inside the Supremacy spaceship of the Empire. In both cases we will see three-dimensional landscapes from the point of view of robots. The aim of the game is to discover all the various points of interest located along the route, each of which will reveal a gem of the saga.
The fifth mode will make the droids react to the movies playing on the TV. play the microphone of the devices). In certain scenes, the system will make the droids react, with expressions of terror in the most excited moments or with joyful leaps in the most cheerful scenes. At the time of writing, the droids react with the films Star Wars IV: A New Hope, Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: Rogue One. Support for other films will be added soon.
The last screen is dedicated to settings. It is possible to adjust the volume of the sounds of the droids and those of the app, the speed of the droids, update the firmware and access the assistance panel in case of need.
Price to the public
Sphero R2-D2 is on sale on Amazon for 199.99 euros. Sphero BB – 9E costs 169.99 euros while BB – 8
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