Tagamoto – HEXBUG for Car enthusiasts

Love HEXBUGs? Love cars? Tagamoto from the makers of HEXBUG is a hit!

We started with the Tagamoto Police Enforcer Set. Surprisingly there are some mixed reviews out there and the “not so positives” seem to stem from ignorance so we hope to educate you here. Like any technology based toy however, you must read the instructions and we wont be covering all of the instructions here. If you *hate* HEXBUGs then you are not going to like Tagamoto… but on second thought, who doesn’t like the semi random jittering motion of a HEXBUG?!? One HEXBUG is mesmerizing enough but an entire nest of HEXBUG running around is as intriguing as it is relaxing. WAIT! THATS IT! That’s why Tagamoto is so awesome… they are HEXBUGs on a *new* level!

The Tagamoto vehicle: It uses the HEXBUG vibrating function for motion.  Taking a peek under the car reveals 2 HEXBUG legs just in behind the front bumper.  The difference between the car and bug is the wheels: they facilitate a faster forward motion and the ability to “track” the little bot around. That’s right, there is no gear-to-wheel drive mechanics. You can touch and hold the wheels while the car is on, and vibrating, and you wont strip a gear. You also wont find hair wrapped up in there like other motor powered car toys.

HEXBUG Legs!

The Tagamoto roads: They are made up of raised tracks that guide the cars around. Selecting different sections of track allow the user to send the car on a high stakes adventure limited only by your imagination! But the fun doesn’t stop there! Each car has a barcode reading “eye” on its chassis that reads barcodes that YOU place on the track. These trigger actions and sounds in the car: Lights on/off, Yield, Tune UP, Engine Start/Stop/Fail, Radio, Crash, Different Speeds…. shew! Some cars don’t have all of the same lights/sounds/actions built in so they will react a little differently. The black/white nature of the barcode has a host of hack able options: we turned a car loose on gray/black marble countertop and had a good time with the random sounds.

Tagamoto Troubleshooting:  Stuck cars?  Wrong direction?  Missing barcodes??  Holy cow people!!  These are HEXBUGs and the fun is in the randomness of the car.  If you want fully automated cars driving perfectly around the track to mindlessly stare at, then go to the toy store and buy a…  um… well dang there is no such toy!  So don’t forget to read the instructions and carefully align your track, its pieces, and the stickers (no bubbles and don’t overlap a curb) and you will be fine.  I said it before; Love HEXBUGs? Love cars? Tagamoto is a hit!

Next on our Wish List for Tagamoto 2.0: Double Decker Freeway, Drag Strip (with lane randomizer and a Christmas tree start that vibrates the cars to start and a finish line), and some barcode HACKS… maybe even some Easter Eggs!  Tagamoto!