i-TOP PRO Contents: i-top Pro, instruction sheet

I think the best ever toy title has a new owner... the i-Top pro! Why 'pro'? Well there was a previous i-top, but it has fewer features. The easiest way to tell the difference in the packaging (i-top pro is packaged like in fig. 1, i-top is packed in try me packaging)

The crux of the toy is this, its a spinning top with 8 LED indicators. When you spin the top, these indicators light up in sequence and read a message. Its actually quite difficult to explain, its like those LED clocks, unless its turned on in front of you its difficult to visualise. Hence my pictures, look at fig 4 and 5! Thats actually what you'd see when the top is spinning! Using this feature this i-Top has a few games and features built in, each corresponding to one of the LED's. I'll go through them now.

The first indicator turns on an attract mode, spin the top and a pattern of lights and messages follow, demonstrating the top. ITs not so much as game as a built in advert.

The second indicator turns on the tops main game, where the top counts every revolution is does, and keeps a high score. So far my top score is 654, but the top actually counts up to 9999 before resetting back to 0. I can't see anyone managing to spin the top to 1000 (with one twist) let alone 10000.

The third LED starts a game where you have to stop the top on a specific revolution. Its actually quite difficult, especially if the top is spinning quickly, each revolution takes a fraction of a second to complete. This game is great for testing your reflexes (or embarassing yourself, whichever is appropriate ;)

The forth LED is essentially the third game, but instead of a single number, it gives you a zone to catch it in. This makes is really really easy, one for kids I guess.

The fifth game is actually 2 variations of a Magic 8 ball. One setting says random cryptic messages, and the other mode answers your yes and no questions with cryptic answers. Its all silly, but the fact its in there at all is nice.

The sixth indicator allows you to put in your own messages, 3 messages up to 12 characters each. You can program these messages in with the aid of a little LED screen opposite the 8 LED indicators. The previous i-Top didn't have this extra screen. One thing I noticed, if you put in 12 characters on all three message slots, it goes a little funny and forgets characters. I don't know if this is just mine, but if I leave a few characters free on a slot, it has no problems. Weird.

The seventh and eighth indicators simply show the highest score (from game 2 and turn sound on and off.

The i-Top pro is fantastic, it even folds the little handle and spinning point flat when not in use! (fig 2) so you carry it around easily! By flicking the little arrow switch the hand pops up. So far I've seen the i-Top pro in three colours, red and solver, blue and gold, and bronze and clear. There might be other colour schemes as well.

The only problem is the packaging doesn't convey exactly how it works. I only picked it up because my initial reaction was curiousity and distain, ('a spinning top? What are they trying to sell?') I can imagine people not even bothering to pick it up to read the box. Which would be a shame, once you have one of these it fills up a lot of spare time. It also knackered my wrist after one too many attempts at breaking my friends high score of 658.

'Why does your wrist hurt?'

'Because I was playing with my spinning top too much.'

'Yeah... right...'