I've reviewed the Playmobil Robo Gangster Truck which is a good, robust Secret Agent vehicle. It stands alone as a good toy, but for the gadget mad technophiles among us, it has even more to offer. It has two attachments which are available to purchase separately that turn the car into a remote controlled vehicle with a secret spy camera set mounted inside.
The RC Module upgrades compatible vehicles giving them remote control capability with three speeds and steering. The controller is easy to use. It is very manoeuvrable and the controls are sensitive. The aerial is a little bit fragile as the wire is fed through a tube that can fall out, which was the only downside of the conversion kit. The internal components were easy to fit into the body of the car.
The Spying Camera Set includes a high resolution screen, separate camera and USB cable. The camera can be set up to 'spy' on anyone or anything!! It is a proper piece of geeky, high tech equipment. When the camera is put into the truck in the passenger seat, it can be used as the 'eyes' to steer it around remotely even if the truck is out of sight, with the screen which can be mounted on the remote control unit. You can carry out Surveillance work and monitor rooms to check for the all clear! Very James Bond! It has an auto shut off feature to save battery life.
My husband was ridiculously excited by the potential of this toy, and 15 year old Ella loved it too! They were able to whizz the car down our hallway using the screen as guidance. They had huge fun with it! It really is quite unique and very innovative, taking Playmobil in a totally new and uber modern direction. It is amazing what technology can be packed into a child's plaything.
Kizzy is 9 and was not as confident with steering the car and had a few crashes, but it added to her fun, watching the objects in the screen get closer and closer until...CRASH!! The truck is thankfully really robust and withstood her driving skills!
The Spy Camera is an expensive piece of kit retailing at £69.99. The RC Unit is £49.99. Add this to the £29.99 of the Robo Gangster Truck and this is a very expensive toy. Plus you need to factor in the batteries which are not included. But it is unique, innovative, high tech and is a really cool boys' toy! Hours of secret agent fun will be enjoyed using this sophisticated equipment. It really allows kids to have the whole secret agent experience. A great, but pricey extension to a great Playmobil toy! We love it!!