![]() Families working as a team report putting it together over a couple of evenings. We find it takes a tween or teen about a week to assemble it on their own, working for a few hours each day. You build this two-in-one vehicle from 772 Lego pieces, which is a project in itself, so that means you won't have a working vehicle right out of the box. Best of all, this race car costs even less than the price of one of the video games. The Super Mario Kart comes with those demonstration batteries and a cord connecting the car to the remote control, so be sure to remove the cord and replace the demo batteries before play.įamilies who have tested this RC car for us report it being equally popular with 4-year-olds and teenage racers - and, of course, adults who are nostalgic about Mario and friends, or who never gave up playing Mario. Parents report it holding up to real abuse, including being sent off ramps and smashed into walls.įun fact: You know how you can "try" a toy in a store by pushing a button through the packaging? That power comes from "demonstration batteries," which are different from the batteries that run the RC vehicle when you actually use it. The remote control works even 100 feet away from the toy, making it entertaining to race the car over a distance. "It does not, in fact, leave the ground, but it is a fun illusion," noted one tester. The wheels can turn sideways - that's the "anti-gravity" mode, because it makes it look as though the car is hovering. This fun little vehicle can do tricks, including wheelies, spins and drifts, like the moves featured in the video game. If any franchise deserves an RC race car, it's got to be Nintendo's Super Mario Kart. The fact that users raced earlier versions long enough to have the battery start to weaken is a testament to how robust - and how fun - this RC vehicle is, since it's getting use over a long period of time. But to some extent, gradual depletion is expected with any rechargeable battery (as we all know from life with our smartphones). We haven't been able to play with this new-for-2022 version long enough to determine if this car's battery will gradually weaken too. With previous versions of this Air Hogs RC car, users reported that the rechargeable battery got weaker over time and held for only 15 minutes or so - still a respectable amount of time in the RC vehicle universe, but worth noting. But our tests have shown that schoolkids, teens and adults love it. Toddlers may not have the patience to use all the features on this toy. ![]() The remote control's buttons are small and require some finger agility, so pay attention to the 4-and-up age rating. In fact, this RC car is a pick for the 2022 Good Housekeeping Best Toy Awards. Flippin' Frenzy is also able to do tricks, including wild spins. Either the blue side or the red side shows at any given time, and it can speed along either way. If the car hits an object and turns upside down, it just keeps going, which is great for uninterrupted racing. Our testing has shown that it's strong enough to be raced down a staircase or smashed into cabinets without damage to the toy or to a home. Our top picks:īecause of its soft wheels, the Flippin' Frenzy is ideal for indoor use, where it's unlikely to mark walls or scratch furniture, though you're welcome to use it outdoors too. Our list is practical for the young (there's even a first RC for toddlers!) - and for the young at heart. ![]() We place a premium on RC cars that can do fun tricks, like wheelies and spins, since that's a big part of their appeal. We check to see if an RC vehicle leaves marks on walls or if it's awkward to juice up a vehicle's rechargeable batteries. To that end, we've sent samples to homes to get real-life feedback and also tested many remote-controlled cars in our Lab. We want to be sure that an RC car is going to stay charged for more than just a few laps around the living room (we're looking for at least 15 minutes of go time) and that the controls are easy and intuitive. So if you find yourself browsing for holiday gifts, or you need a kid's birthday present, or you just want to treat the whole family to some fun, consider a zippy but sturdy RC vehicle.Īt the Good Housekeeping Institute, we've put hundreds of remote-controlled cars through their paces over the past 10 years, with family testers and our own engineers. Little kids, big kids and adults all like to make electronic remote-controlled cars and vehicles careen through the house or around a yard or park, testing how far and fast they'll go and whether they can overcome obstacles and turn on a dime.
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