Bakugan 7-in-1 Maxus Dragonoid

I remember the moment like it was yesterday: sometime last spring, 3Po and Jammy went for a playdate at a friend's house, and when I picked them up they had discovered a new religion: the Church of Bakugan. They have been obsessed with Bakugan since then, and they treasure their small collection of magnetic pop-out action figures like they're the holy grail.

Recently, I, Bonggamom, became their favorite priest when I told them that Spinmaster had sent me their latest toy to review, just in time for the holidays -- the Bakugan 7-in-1 Maxus Dragonoid. Getting to try out this toy was like getting an early Christmas present. If you need a holiday present for a boy anywhere from age 5 through 10, STOP. Look no further than the Bakugan 7-in-1 Maxus Dragonoid! Here's why:


The Basics
Spinmaster have taken their popular Bakugan dragonoids and Bakugan traps and combined them to make the Bakugan 7-in-1 Maxus Dragonoid. Each one can be played with separately, but they also snap together, a la Transformers, to make a totally new action figure. Here's what Spinmaster has to say about their latest and greatest toy:

Bakugan 7 in 1 Maxus Drago Features Maxus Dragonoid is a combination of 7 Bakugan (1 Bakugan and 6 Bakugan Trap) that unite to form the ultimate monster. The 6 Bakugan Trap that make up Maxus Dragonoid are unique to the Maxus Dragonoid monster and cannot be found in any other Bakugan products. Comes with Grakas Hound, Dark Hound, Grafias, Brachium, Spitarm, SpyderFencer & Neo Dragonoid. All the Bakugan that compose Maxus Dragonoid can also be used individually in the game. 1 Bakugan and 7 Bakugan Traps unite into ONE.

The Bongga
Before you read this section, be forewarned that I'm going to use the word cool a lot. I could use the word awesome, but I try to use that word sparingly. The Grand Canyon is awesome. The Maxus Dragonoid doesn't quite compare to the Grand Canyon (my sons would disagree), but when you see it in action, you really cannot help but say, Aww...Cooooooooool. 3Po and Jammy love it, of course, and it's not surprising that Alfie loves it -- but what's surprising, even a girly girl like The Pea loves it. Even I love it. It's Just. So. Cool.



It's cool how they pop open when placed on a magnetic card. Cool that they look like little dogs and crabs and dragons when they're open. Cool how they fold up into such compact objects (how in blazes they managed to design all that detail into such a tiny object is beyond me!). Cool how they fit together to make a single robot/beast/fighter/whatever. Cool, cool, cool. Time To Play.com named the Maxus Dragonoid one of the hottest holiday toys of 2009, and I agree wholeheartedly. You don't even need to watch the Bakugan tv show or know how to play the Bakugan game to want this toy.


The Blah
I was all set to write quite a bit about how difficult this thing was to transform, and how the age rating really ought to be 6 or 7+ instead of 5+. But before I even managed to think of the first sentence, 3Po and Jammy had already put all 7 Bakugan together and transformed them. The instructions? Uesless (to me, at least). Better to watch one of the many videos on YouTube that show you how to do it. I still can't quite figure out some of the twists and turns, but fortunately my sons are one step ahead of me.

The one thing I'd love to see is the ability to buy each of the 7 components separately. Unfortunately Jammy grew a bit too zealous with one of the pieces (the Grafias Bakugan trap), and snapped it in half while he was trying to rotate it (hmmmm.... maybe they should change that age rating after all). Both boys are devastated, and now I have to buy a whole new complete set in order to replace it!

The only other thing I didn't quite like was how firmly each Bakugan was strapped to the plastic packaging. I can easily imagine some of those delicate limbs being torn apart by eager young lads ready to play with their new toy.


The Bottom Line
The Bakugan 7-in-1 Maxus Dragonoid is THE toy to put under your son's or nephew's or grandson's holiday tree this year! He will be the envy of all his friends because the coolness factor of this toy is off the charts!


I received a sample in order to review this product, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.