Magnetix I-Coaster

by Magnetix

Product Features

• Magnetix iCoaster is a high-tech, exhilarating construction toy powered by magnetism
• By using magnetic power, coaster performs stunts such as loops, corkscrews, and levitations
• 10 possible ways to construct iCoaster
• Comes with Sound FX and Music Studio so kids can put soundtrack to coaster
• Fun for both kids and adults

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 4 x 14 x 24 inches ; 5.8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 6.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000EQHK26
• Item model number: 28396U
• Our recommended age: 8 years and up
• Manufacturer recommended age: 6 years and up
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #68,001 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (70 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Experience fast-paced magnetic fun with the MagNext iCoaster from Mega brands. With lights, sound and the ability to plug your iPod into it and customize the background beat, this 64-piece set features a stunt-packed track that can be configured 10 different ways. This construction set provides a creative outlet for kids aged six and up. Small pieces make it inappropriate for small children who require constant supervision.

Seven stunt pieces add drama to each iCoaster ride. View larger.

A magnetic elevator takes metal rider balls back to the top of the coaster. View larger.

What We Think Fun Factor: Durability: (what this means) The Good: Track can be reconfigured for long-lasting fun The Bad: Small parts may get lost In a Nutshell: The iCoaster is a unique building set for action-loving kids. At a Glance Ages: 6 and up Requires: Four C batteries

Ten Extreme Configurations
The 64 piece iCoaster set comes with a booklet that illustrates ten different extreme roller coaster layouts. With ten towers and seven hyper stunt track pieces to include, there are all kinds of possibilities. Each piece is identified by a symbol at both ends so that assembly is a straightforward process that encourages little engineers to be precise in building the suggested tracks. When they've mastered these, they can unleash their creative instincts and invent new layouts.

Once a coaster has been constructed, five 15-millimeter magnetic rider balls act as cars, zipping around the track, providing a serious adrenaline rush. Before the action starts, an adult will need to use a Philips head screwdriver to install four "C" batteries, which power the lights, sounds and cool magnetic elevator.

Lights, Music and Speed
Stunts that can be incorporated into the track include a bounce jump, vertical loop and magnetic slide. One of our favorite features was the sleek, magnetic elevator that transported each metal ball back to the top of the iCoaster at the end of a ride. Two flashing lights can be placed in any tower to complement the neon track pieces and add visual interest every time a ball goes whizzing by.

The plug & play control box features ten music backgrounds, ten sensor beats/sound effects and a jack where you can plug your iPod or other MP3 player in and customize the sounds behind your roller coaster. You need to provide your own connector cable and music player to take advantage of this feature.

Durable and Educational Design
The plastic pieces seemed quite durable, and they snapped apart just as easily as they snapped together. Our only concern about the iCoaster was the potential for losing or damaging small connector pieces, but even these held up well in our construction and reconstruction of the track.

It's easy to see why the previous iCoaster was recognized by The National Parenting Center and Parents Magazine as an incredible building toy. This version retains all the great qualities of its predecessor and is bigger, stronger and faster.

The construction oriented iCoaster encourages kids to build with determination, helping enhance their ability to focus and their fine-motor skills. It also promotes understanding of magnetism, inspires creativity and helps kids develop problem-solving skills, adding an innovative dimension to play.

What's in the Box
Magnetic elevator, 10 towers, 10 tower bases, 11 track pieces, 7 stunt pieces, 17 connector pieces, 2 light-up sensors, plug & play control box with speaker, 5 15-millimeter magnetic metallic rider balls and illustrated instruction booklet.

Product Description

Build your own thrill-filled coaster. Watch the 10MM spheres go through cool loops and pass by the magic Magnetix bridge. Use the iMixer to create your own background music. Choose from 10 different beats and over 20 sample tracks. Requires 4 "C" batteries, not included.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

222 of 226 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars educational+fun, August 3, 2007

A Kid's Review

= Durability:3.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Magnetix I-Coaster (Toy)

All of my family loved this toy. It involves a lot of real roller coaster physics. It can be a little frustrating at first because the ball flies off the track unless you get the angles correct. But after you get the hang of it, this toy is really fun for pretty much all ages. Do not buy this for impatient kids; they will get frustrated. The music feature is really nice. As well as continuous music, it has two gates that play selected music when a ball goes through them. There are quite a few selections for both kinds of music. The hyper stunts are very cool, too: a trampoline, a magnet that flips the ball around the outside of the track and onto a piece of track directly below it, a magnetic bar that carries the ball across the "ravine" to the other side, a circular piece of track that changes the ball's direction by 90 degrees (horizontally), a roller coaster loop, and a ###### piece of track for downward slopes (though that one is not particularly cool). 6 year olds should have adult/older brother help when building this toy. Pretty much all smart kids of 7+ can do this on their own. This toy takes a lot of trial and error, but is very rewarding when finished.

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Science Teacher and Mom, November 18, 2007

By 

L. Chervenak (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Magnetix I-Coaster (Toy)

I bought this toy for my son for his birthday ($[...]on sale at a toy store) with very little knowledge or research. I couldn't be happier! There aren't a million little pieces that are hard to put together - the magnets make it very simple to construct. Although others have looked at the magnets as a negative, I see a positive: when one support gets too far away from another, it doesn't pull the whole structure down, the magnet just pulls apart at the one support. Much easier to fix and move on.

There are lots of pre-designed structures to copy in the instruction book, but also very clear instructions on how to design your own coaster. Kids just have to look at the number on each piece of track to see how far of an incline the piece can handle. GREAT for free play in physics!! Lots of scientific inquiry comes from this toy!

I'm hoping for some extension sets to come out soon!

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great trial and error toy, November 18, 2007

By 

Irina Yusupov "Rapunzel" (South Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Magnetix I-Coaster (Toy)

My 8 year old received this toy for his birthday. At first, this track is somewhat complicated to put together and actually work right. My son over time got the hang of it. He plays with it for hours. At times the balls fly off the track, but he is understanding the mechanics of pitch and speed. He applies those concepts and realizes that by adjusting the height of the tracks he can slow the balls down, which keep the balls on the track. The manual comes with 10 different variations of track designs. My son has learned to use his imagination to put together his own icoaster track. As an adult I had to explain the mechanics of a roller coaster. It is actually fun to play with this toy. My cat gets a kick out of watching the ball roll thru the tracks. Since this toy has small parts, I would keep away from animals and small kids. Overall one of the best toys this year.