Customer Reviews

Hot Wheels: AcceleRacers AcceleDrome Playset

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

This is a review from my seven year-old son, who loves Hot Wheels and has been collecting and playing with them for 4 years. He says: "It's very safe, and very fun. The most fun is competing with the two cars at once, and having two cars in the ring. I also like the movie, so it makes it fun, too." My review would be: it's fun, it's easy to assemble (Dads), and it teaches your child how to judge timing and hand-eye co-ordination. All in all, a blast.

Ok...I found this track on eBay for a ridiculously low price, so I had to splurge since my 5 year-old son is a HUGE fan of the Acceleracers series. Here are my thoughts.

Yes, it is quite involved putting it together, but I found the only hard step was the actual portal. The diagram isnt the greatest for that step, but finally figured it out and got the cars to make it "explode" the right way. Most of the track is on the motorized base, so putting it away just means separating the two launchers and the portal track. Every piece is well marked ("A1", "A2", etc.) and it matches up with markings on the base of the same symbol.

Once you get it going...yes, it is loud. It has two separate motors and the cars REALLY move fast on the inner tracks. My son actually likes to try and launch them occasionally, but usually just plays with it with the motors off. He is ecstatic about this track and hasn't stopped playing with it.

The thing does make me shake my head at times and smile...who comes up with this stuff? But the set is now coming way down in price and if you have a little fan of the Acceleracers at home, this is worth picking up.

This is a very cool and fun playset. I must comment about some of the poor reviews based on my own experience. The funny thing about the reviewers who disagree is I feel they just don't get a key hot wheels "concept"- namely there is tremendous variability in cars- performance characterstics, body shape, center of gravity etc. Certain cars work great on the track, others aren't ideal. Its just like other great sets of the past like Thundershift 500. Like all great hotwheels playsets, they encourage experimentation while developing a child's understanding of physical concepts and cause and effect. There is a recommended list of cars for the set, and it is easy to see the pattern if you just look for it... whatever. Loud? Who cares, no louder than an ipod or an office copy machine.

The launcher issue is in fact an issue, IF you don't have the wherewithal to actually figure out how the launcher works. On a hard floor, the launcher will work perfectly every time, on carpet may work, and may work intermittantly, or may not work at all. You see, there is a plastic mechanical "catch" underneath each launcher that enages the "trigger". Just put a piece of cardboard on it or push the launcher down slightly into the carpet as you pull back the rubber banded launcher. The negative reviews on this point are valid, buy they are not show stoppers. I'm not sure why Mattel put this locking mechanism in place, safety? Who knows.

Bottomline, if you are impatient and have have not internalized or are not interested in teaching the concepts of variability and experimentation, then you might be frustrated with this toy. You can always buy a "screen" toy for your child like a gameboy. For all the rest of you, enjoy!

I'd give it 4 1\2 if I could

If your kid is a fan of any car track systems they will enjoy this track!

WE have owned MANy car tracks. FOr the first time I am not looking forward to throwing it away... Or dreading taking it apart for the fear I will NEVER get it back together with all the insane pieces.

It is STABLE both as a track sitting on even carpet, and as a system all linked together.

I know we are NOT going to lose key pieces OR that he kids are going to knock the track apart over and over and over to the point I dont want to put it together anymore. It this is one NEAT track PERIOD!

For the size of this track, being a multicar track and having mulitple "phases" it really is set up in a pretty compact area, and I woulndt be scared to move it around.

Maybe it makes a difference but we are accelracers movie fans and I am very impressed with how they designed this track!! AND that it is part of the movie!!

It was easy to assemble, VERY easy to assemble.

I will adress some negatives posted by others.

Yes it is loud, Just be prepared for one of a million loud toys you will own in your lifetime. It is STILL a COOL system!

the launchers do seem pretty cheaply made, but that does not ruin the whole track IMO. that is one of 3 "phases" of this track. A kid could just as easy give the car a little push for that short launch part.

So for those 2 "negatives" I only take away 1 to 1\2 a star.

Outside of the launcher this is a very high quality track IMO.

It is the NEATEST seeing the cars actually launch off the motorized loops phase and perfectly through the wheel of power portal!!!!

My son received this as a gift last christmas - he was 4yrs old at the time and had a little trouble lining up the car and race track but soon was able to do this on his own. He loves this track and still plays with it very often. It is REALLY noisy but boy toys usually are. Its lots of fun even I have had a few races with my son. This track comes with one car you really need two for fun. Note only certain cars work with this track - I think there is a list of the ones that work well on the box.

My son just recieved this for his 6th birthday. He absolutely loves it! He is very much into the acceleracer movies and loves to recreate the raceing relms all over the house. Before he recieved this toy, he used to pretend to jump the cars from relm to relm. Now, he Loves seeing them launch. It took him a few tries at the begining to get the timing right, but now he mastered it. The toy itself is very loud, but the enjoyment he gets out of it is well worth it. It is very easy to put together and stay together...unlike some of his other hot wheels tracks. It doesn't take up as much room as the others do either. This toy seems to enhance his timing skills and coordination, as you need both to get the cars to launch and jump through the rings. If you get it for the sale price, its worth it.

My son just got this for his 5th birthday and he loves it! It only took about 10 mintues to put together then away he went. The cars zip around the loop until you send it up the ramp to blast open the ball at the top. My husband and two year old twins are also having a great time with this toy. I would have never thought that a Hot Wheels toy would have any sort of educational value, but this toy is all about timing and you must learn how to time your button pushing right or your car won't make it. It is also a bit loud (the motorized part of it), but it is easily drowned out by the laughter and cheering. Really great toy!

pros: Easy to assemble.

Some parts work fine.

cons: When using the car launcher ramps, seldom does the car make it onto the acceledrome. My kids just place the cars there manually.

Hot Wheels should play test their games to make sure they work as advertised.

Very noisy.

Ok, first, this thing uses an ungodly number of batteries, C's and D's. It rotates and forces the child to precisely time shooting the cars into the track. Miss by even a hair and the car jams the turntable or just gets crashed off. Then getting 2 onto the track at the same time is even more of a hassle.

Then to top it off the child has to using the same perfect timing to get the cars out of the loops and up the final ramp. My son got so frustrated with this thing that he never even turned it on again since last X-mas. Which was fine with us as this thing is REALLY noisy.

My 4 1/2 year old son has been playing with this set everyday since we've brought it home. The whole set is very stable, none of the tracks have been knocked over yet (not like the other hot wheel sets we have). After my husband showed him how to launch the car into the loop, it did not take my son very long to learn to do it himself. Another good point about the track-- it has two launchers, so if you have two kids, they both can play at the same time. The only negative is the system is very, very loud.