MBO UFO Buddy
Review by JoshB
Nikko was one of those brands that used to litter KB Toys with huge Radio-controlled monstr trucks and boats. They always had the most garish packaging, but the toys were generally solid and high-quality.
This toy was actually sold out of the now defunct F.A.O. Schwartz, sometime in the 90s. It's a unique UFO toy with an interesting propulsion system.
I have no idea what the MBO in "MBO UFO Buddy" means. The packaging implies that it's two toys in one, but it's just one toy.
The box is large, and complicated to open.
Inside there is a huge block of styrofoam containing the toy, controller, charger and 2 batteries - a rechargeable 4.8V battery pack, and a 9-volt battery for the controller.
The pack gets inserted into a slot underneath the disc portion of the toy.
The BMO Buddy is super cool looking, with lots of translucent parts and durable construction. It's also very top heavy due to the gyroscope in the top section.
The real joy is watching it work. When the Gyroscope activates the toy picks itself up off the ground with lots of lights. The thing makes a loud whirring noise when activated, and the direction is set by slightly shifting the weight of the gyroscope so it pivots on one ball or the other. Be sure to watch the video below to see it in motion. Getting it to work is a bit of a crapshoot, but when it does, it is super cool.
Comments
2 comments postedI believe UBO is another toy in the line and the callout is stating that the toys won't interfere with each other.
It's wacky and obscure stuff like this that keeps me glued to CollectionDX! Always keeping it fresh, unique, and interesting!
The gyroscope stabilization is awesome! I wish more toys utilized such a feature! Such a mechanism would've been great for something like, say, a Masters of the Universe vehicle.