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Motion-controlled Battroborg Warriors deliver armed robot combat
Last year's Battroborgs were a blast, but not without their quirks. Accuracy was not one of the tiny bot's strong points, and moving or turning was an exercise in frustration. This year, TOMY decided to simplify things a bit, while adding armed combat to the mix. The resulting Battroborg Warriors wield swords and scythes, and ditch the dual-fisted controls for a more streamlined system that uses only a single accelerometer-based remote. Obviously, we had to swing by the company's booth at Toy Fair to try our hand in a one-on-one battle against the reigning champion, Senior Brand Manager Tom Zahorsky.
Battroborg updates Rock'em Sock'em Robots for the Wii generation, we go hands-on
When Battroborg hit shelves in Japan last June we were, admittedly, a tad jealous. Where were our tiny, motion controlled boxing bots? Well, if you can be just a bit more patient, the vicious little toys should be landing stateside in time for Christmas. Tomy was nice enough to bring them by our office for a little preview and to help us work out some intra-office tension. So, beyond the obvious Wii and Rock'em Sock'em Robots comparisons, what's it like piloting these puny pugilists through battle? Head on after the break for impressions, pics and a dose of combat -- Engadget style.
Tomy BattroBorg 20 throws motion-controlled punches, rocks 'em and socks 'em Wii-style (video)
The last time we saw someone move the game on for Rock'em Sock'em Robots, it was a motion-controlled experiment that was unlikely to see the light of day. Tomy must have been frustrated enough waiting for the practical reality to take matters into its own hands, as it's just unveiled the BattroBorg 20, a fighting robot that... lets you take matters into your own hands. The toy uses a Wii-style nunchuk motion controller that translates the player's own thrusts into the plastic robot's punches. Each robot can tell if it's been decked, although it takes just five punches to win by TKO -- these aren't exactly Queensbury rules. At an estimated $50 for each robot and matching controller on the July 14th release date, the BattroBorg isn't the cheapest way to relive the glory days of pint-sized fisticuffs, but it's certainly the most involving.
