Fighting crime and eating pizza aren’t the only hobbies the Ninja Turtles have.
Designed for TMNT-loving kids ages 4 and up, Jakks Pacific‘s XPV R/C Skateboarding Mikey gives young R/C enthusiasts the chance to shred with the fun-loving Michelangelo himself. Kids can do wheelies, 360s, and one-footed spins as they enjoy all the radical adventure for which the half-shell heroes are known. Included in the box is a skateboard, a Mikey figure, and a remote control.
Before kids can begin, they’ll need to fasten Mikey to his skateboard by snapping his right foot into a peg on the back end of the board. After I aligned his toes with the indents on the platform, it snapped into place with ease, but kids may require an adult’s help to make sure it’s assembled securely. But heads up: Once Mikey is married to his board, he can’t be removed, so keep that in mind before putting it all together.
Mikey’s skateboard is pretty gnarly, and it’s reminiscent of a plastic skateboard I used to own when I was a kid. Like an oversized Tech Deck, rubbery black grip tape rests on top and plastic orange wheels sit below. A black battery compartment under the tail houses five 1.5V C batteries, but they’re not included so make sure to pick those up beforehand.
The controller—styled like Mikey’s signature dual nun chucks—is small and compact for little hands. It sports one large orange button on its face (which happens to be a manhole cover) and has two press-able sides: The left side controls Mikey’s spins, and the right drives the skateboard forward. A small round pizza icon with tiny “pepperoni” holes acts as a speaker that emits 10 rad (and super loud) sound phrases that kids can enjoy. “Oh yeah, Michelangelo is on the move!”, “Booyakasha!”, “It’s pizza time!”, and “Oh snap!” were my favorites. The cleverly crafted controller requires two AA batteries, but they come included. Rad!
Operating the XPV Skateboarding Mikey is fairly simple with the two-button control system. Kids can accelerate at a moderate speed and use the spin feature to watch Mikey twist and turn atop his board. While there are no specific directional controls, Mikey’s spins and weight shifts will help orient the R/C in different directions. That said, kids will enjoy operating this R/C in a large, open area rather than in tight quarters where more direct control is needed. The R/C itself is designed for indoor use, and it’s recommended that kids operate it on hard surfaces such as wood, tile, or concrete. I don’t see it having much trouble operating on a driveway or smooth sidewalk.
Skateboarding Mikey is loads of fun, and the sheer size of him and his ride will undoubtedly get kids excited. The deck measures a whopping 14 inches long, and with Mikey on top, it stands just as tall. With simple controls and exciting sound effects that heighten the play experience, the XPV R/C Skateboarding Mikey is easily a cause for shell-abration.
