Later on this month, Blip Toys, the makers of Squinkies, will launch a brand new toy line with a name that that rolls of the tongue about as well as matriculated python.
To understand O.O.T.W. (which stands for Out Of This World), simply imagine hard plastic Squinkies, only about 500x larger (which still puts them only at about 5 inches tall) and hard. Wait, I said that already. The character from the Girlaxy (their word, not mine) we got to preview is the clairvoyant Vizi, and despite my teasing to this point, she has been an unquestioned hit ’round here. From the moment we freed her from her cardboard prison, the Mouse has taken Vizi everywhere — poolside, farmer’s market, road trips, bathroom — and asked her a shitload of mostly inane (in that tender and adorable 5-year-old way) questions, but none more than this one: “Vizi, is ‘totally’ your favorite answer?” When she *answers* totally, Mouse howls and rolls around on the floor like a soggy, punch-drunk poppy.
Oh, now would be a good time to explain that Vizi has a Magic Eight Ball-esque die in her head that illuminates to provide one of six possible responses to any closed-ended inquisition, but none more so than totally (note: I know this is happenstance. At least I’m 97% sure Vizi’s die isn’t weighted to favor that Valley Girl retort.)
Other characters in the new line of “trendy, cute” dolls (their words, not mine) with a low-tech electronic embellishment & mobile social media component include GIGI (the jokester), FLIX (the cinematic one), TECHNO (the raver), and pets LOCO and DITTO. I’m not 100% sold on the intergalactic-lite, girl-power-ish, dance-hall-ready thang Blip is trying here. O.O.T.W. seems not as fully realized an idea as their mega-hit Squinkies.
The concept is iffy, the name spotty, the look & feel decidedly (and uncomfortably) early-80’s, but the fun, well that is real. Totally.
The MSRP is $9.99 on these O.O.T.W. dolls and pets. They will be widely available in late July 2012.
*OWTK received a product sample for review consideration. The opinions above are honest and unbiased, as always.
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