Top 5 Reasons Batman is Awesome on Batman Day

  Today is Batman Day! A day to celebrate that dark knight, the world's greatest detective you love! Or at least you should love Batman, I hope so! First let me thank Bill Finger and Bob Kane for creating Batman, without you both we'd never have the cultural icon that means so much to all of us this past 76 years and counting!  

  Now to honor Batman on Batman day, I created a top five reasons why I think Batman is awesome. 

  Let's begin...  

1. He is 100% Human

  While most heroes are aliens, or humans who gain magical powers, get some sore of radiation sickness, or are born mutants, Batman is 100% human. He might have lots of money, know a ridiculous amount of hand to hand combat moves, and have lots of toys, but he is human. In most comic book stories when he comes face to face with aliens or even the big old boy in blue, he almost always is shown to be the human side of the conflict, and overcomes the threat and wins. Comics have always recognized that his humanity is almost his super strength. He represents all of us when he faces odds that would be against a normal human from over coming, and he over comes those odds every time!

2. He has the Greatest Villains

  I can't think of any other comic book hero that has the most well known villains than Batman does. While it is true that we are living in a Comic Book Golden Age with the movie industry having a comic book movie premiering every 3 months or so, Batman still has the most villains that could be named by the average person.  Why is that? He has had countless TV shows, Movies, and other media made about him. But I think one of the major reasons someone on the street could name at least three Batman villains if you asked them is because these villains speak to our culture. Joker that smiling clown of crime is probably one of the most well known of Batman's villains. Many of the rouge's gallery top villains such as Catwoman, Riddler, Two-Face, Joker, and Penguin have been with Batman since almost the beginning. Catwoman was created to be Batman's Irene Adler and as such has always been a romantic interest, with the elephant in the relationship of her being a thief. Batman's first arch nemesis is still well known to comic book individuals but not as mainstream as the rest of the rouge's is Hugo Strange. He is Batman's first villain to make the first re-appearance in the comics. It's interesting how all these villains started out. I could go on and on how each one had interesting origins within the mythos and I could probably write a whole post just about one of Batman's villains.

  The point being is that Batman's villains speak on a whole level of our cultural "mind". Joker represents the evil that a mere man can do, the unspeakable violence anyone could achieve. Catwoman represents thievery and selfish gains. Riddler represents a cultural ego and always wanting to be on top. Penguin represents greed and lust for power. Harley Quinn, a newer villain, represents the many people who just want to be loved and cherished and often suffers abuse for that love and affection. All the major villains represents something within our own culture that speaks to us on a deeper human level. They represent how maybe good intentions could lead to a darker path if left unchecked, and obsessed over.  Each one brings out something in Batman, and adds to his mythos and character. Without his many enemies Batman probably would not achieve the level of reception within our culture and popularity.

3. His Story is Tragic, and in Essence a Modern Shakespearean Story

  Since his Origin story was printed Batman has always been a story of tragedy. The mindset of Batman was born out of a young boy who lost his parents at too young of an age, and in the most horrific way possible. From there we see a young man obsessed with righting the one wrong he could never fix, by trying to prevent that from ever happening in his current day city. However, after his heroic journey starts and it seems he finally is able to take down the mobs and other criminals within his parent's city, he has to face the problematic effects of his actions. The insane individuals come out of the woodwork to challenge him. Joker might not have existed if it wasn't for Batman. The story evolves into a tragedy of a man who wanted to right wrongs, only to cause greater problems than the ones he fixed. Whether Batman or the reader faces this truth or not,  it still is in mythos. A small boy who grew up to be a man in a bat suit fighting evil that is still too great at times to bare.

4. His Allies are Awesome

 Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, Ace the Bat-Hound, Huntress, Catwoman, and Gordon are just a few well known Batman allies. Each one is special to fans in different ways. Mostly because although Batman is some rich, white, strong guy, he isn't as relatable as say Robin. Robin often is the kid sidekick, someone a kid would want to be if Batman was rule. They often go through real life problems in the comics and you get to watch them grow into other super hero roles as the years go on. Batman is on his 4th Robin, the newest is his biological son. The other Robins have all grown into super hero roles that they forged on their own. Oracle who was Batgirl before the New 52 reboot was a paraplegic after being paralyzed by Joker, was very relatable. She took her weakness and made it a strength, but also faced real life issues of what it is like to lose the ability to walk and run, and how to face it. Every single ally of Batman's has something to admire and appreciate. I haven't kept track but I believe his might be the biggest "family" in the DC universe, and there is a reason for it. They are all very human and face very human issues.

5.The World's Greatest Detective in American Culture 

He's our American version of Sherlock Holmes. In the old 1966 TV show, The Animated Series, and even the comics themselves, Batman has often shown to be a detective at heart. He has to solve some criminal case, or some new caper that effected the city of Gotham. In fact Batman started out in a Detective Comics issue, as a showcased Superhero like detective. That's where his origins lie, and he would eventually take over the entire issue as his first starring comic. When I think of the Dark Knight series by Nolan I don't really regard it as a true Batman series, because it always missed this part of Batman. He didn't solve any cases or crimes, or did any detective work in those films. Honestly, Batman does do a lot of detective work when he has to solve crimes by new villains or link Joker Toxin to where Joker might be located as his hide out. Batman always will figure out who is behind the crime because he is the world's greatest detective. Even Ra's Al Ghul calls him that when they first meet in the comics.


  Well That's my Top 5 Reasons Batman is awesome for today. It was a quick post, and I feel like I can write more and more why Batman is awesome and about his rouges' gallery and allies. I think I will write more on them at a later date. Anyways, thank you very much for reading. Have a happy Batman day to you, and....

Happy Batman Day to Batman! 

-Bordon

Disney's Interactive BB-8 a Review

  On Force Friday September 4th I had gotten the two BB-8's that launched in the United States that day. There was one from the U.K. that was sold through their version of the Disney store that was not sold to the U.S. I had contacted the U.K. and U.S. stores to inquire about their BB-8 because it was the cheapest BB-8 out there that could light up or beep. At the time I was not able to purchase the Disney Store BB-8. That is why it was not in my original review. 

  That all changed on September 11, 2015. That is when BB-8 went on sale on the US Disney Store online. I went the next day to try to purchase it, but the two they had in-stock had already been sold out. So I ordered from them in-store to their online website through the cashier and got free shipping! BB-8 arrived four days later on Wednesday, September 16th at my front door. 

Here is my Unboxing Video I made on September 16th.

  It's a toy recommended for ages 3 and up. However it has two small antennas that you attach after opening, and they easily come off if pulled, so if you have a kid that sticks things in their mouths this toy is NOT recommended.

Check out BB-8 in Action

      

Here is some great things about this BB-8:

• The head lights up and *boops* & *beeps*.

• It expresses emotions.

• It's head does not fall off!

• It moves around easily on most rugs, as long as they don't curl up. 

• It can take a beating.

• It has nice details.

• It is the cheapest BB-8 on the market. About $35.

• It is huge! And looks great next to my Hasbro Interactive R2-D2 from 2002. 

They are pretty close to scale if compared to the movie versions. 

Here is the Bad:

• It does not move like in the movie, it has a wheel built in that goes forward and back.

• It can't be controlled, no remote controls.

• It moves where it wants too and sometimes keeps backing up into things, although it has a button sensor in the front oddly enough. 

• It is very noisy when moving around or moving it's head.

Still a great looking toy and fun too! 

How does it rate compared to the other BB-8s?

The BB-8 Brothers! 

  Against Sphero, Disney's wins as a toy to get your child. It is significantly cheaper and comes with batteries in it, while Sphero's is expensive and like I have said before Sphero's feels like an adult collector toy, not a toy for a child.


  Against Hasbro, Disney's BB-8 loses. Although it is still significantly cheaper and comes with it's own batteries, Hasbro's still feels like the best toy on the market, and has nicer paint job than Disney's in my opinion. Also, it is nice that Hasbro's is controllable and moves like he does in the movie.


  I wish Disney's BB-8 and Hasbro's where combined. I love that Disney's lights up and that Hasbro's moves like the movie version. I wish honestly that we would get a full-sized replica of BB-8 from the movie at some time. Maybe by the 2nd or 3rd film with BB-8 in it we will? Until then I do not regret buying any of my BB-8s! I do however still love Hasbro's a little more then the rest.

  Thanks for reading. May the BB-8 be with you!

-Bordon 

  If you'd like to purchase the Disney Store BB-8 it can be found here: http://bit.ly/1iFdIq1

  If you haven't read my comparative review of the Hasbro and Sphero BB-8 you can read it by clicking here: http://bit.ly/1UHrST4



Minor UPDATE (9/28/2015):

Andrea in the comments asked where the battery compartments are, I've included a picture of my thumb and finger touching their locations. They should be easy to spot once you know what you are looking for.

A Serious Star Wars Cereal Review

  You might have noticed this new Limited Edition Star Wars Cereal by General Mills at your local grocery store. You may have come across it on a trip to your local Walmart or Target as well. I know a lot of people are often weary on if the cereal is worth getting when it is merchandised towards a movie property or TV show. I can tell you though that this cereal was worth the $2.50 I bought it for.

  The marshmallows in the Star Wars cereal have fun shapes. You can get marshmallows shaped like Yoda, R2-D2, a Jedi Starfighter, a Stormtrooper's helmet, and a red or blue lightsaber. They sure look delicious. They might not be healthy though. How do they look inside the box though?

  They look pretty much like this. Sometimes the Stormtrooper's visor is off a bit and looks more like a mustache. Some Yodas have no ears. The Jedi Starfighter is often too chubby to be recognizable. Somehow though the lightsabers always manage to look like the above image. How do they taste you might be saying right about now? Think Lucky Charms! Yes, they taste exactly like a Lucky Charms marshmallow. Very delicious and sugary! 

  This is how the corn flakes often look. They do not taste like the Lucky Charms flakes, however, they do taste however surprisingly like Fruit Loops. To me that's a very surprisingly tasty combo. Notice the top two flakes? They are the most common, although the "X-wing" flake on the left often looks like the bottom flake. The Tie Fighter flake is the most common in my cereal box, which is movie accurate if you think about it!

  The Back of the cereal box has two games a child or an adult can play with someone else. One game is the basic checkers game with the suggestion you use the Tie Fighter and Rebel Flakes as pieces for each side. The other game is where you use a corn flake and flick it across the board and if it lands on one of the red circles you get the recommended points. I'd recommend cutting this off the box after finishing the cereal. Maybe then buy a new box of Star Wars Cereal and use the pieces from that to play with it, or use actual checker pieces the play the games. It was a nice idea of General Mills to make up these neat games to play. 

Is it worth getting?

  Yes! It very much is worth getting. I bought mine for $2.50 and I thought it was worth every penny.  The box is small and you get about 3/4ths of the boxes height in cereal. Enough for about 6-8 normal sized bowls I'd say. I loved it. I thought it was worth it that I got another box full at the same price. To sum up the taste again think Lucky Charms Marshmallows got together with Fruit Loops. It's a yummy and sugary saturday morning cereal! A great choice for the kids, and adults! 

  If you have time and want to see the cereal box in more detail along with some other thoughts I have check out my video review! (I show off my BB-8 mug in it too!) 

Thanks for reading!

May the Sugar be With You!

-Bordon 

Top 5 Reasons I loved Gotham last Season

Watch the Villains Teaser for Season 2 of Gotham Above

  Gotham Season 2 Premieres next week Monday September 21st on Fox. I'm very excited for the new season to air! So I thought it would be great to make a post of the top 5 reasons I loved Gotham last season. 

  I should also note that this post will contain spoilers from Gotham Season One so you have been warned! 

1. Gordon and Harvey Bullock get the Limelight

  For this dynamic duo think of The Odd Couple meets Dragnet. At least that's what I think the writers told Fox when they brought up having Harvey and Gordon to be the lead characters on the show. Harvey Bullock is a very interesting character from the Batman Mythos so it was great to see him be a lead on Gotham. He got some spotlight in the Batman: The Animated Series in the 1990's but since then he has been a side character, showing up in The Dark Knight movie to say a few lines but was never named in the movie. He's a pretty great Gumshoe detective, not a white knight, and often is the grey character on the police force. Not too surprising in any medium Harvy is in her is often the comic relief as well. Donal Logue plays him on screen really well and is in my mind the perfect Harvey.

  The Partnership with Gordon is spot on what I thought it would be as well in the show. Ben McKenzie brings a great presence on screen as Gordon, a detective who almost cares too much about his job. I did think there would be more moments mirroring the old Dragnet show, take the partners from there and make them more extreme opposites. However I never expected Gotham to copy Dragnet as a basic cop show does not fit the Batman universe and would bore audiences quickly, even if some fans believe there is too much Rouge's Gallery already featured in the Pre-Batman Gotham universe. At first the season had it's dynamic duo seem cheesy but as the show got its legs going and the actors learned to play off one another this team really took off. Gordon might be taking on the Batman mantle of his own in this universe's future with how much he keeps resembling Batman's mantra as the show goes on, in the comics he currently is Batman. It still is nice to have a Gordon and Harvey centric show and I can't wait to see what they both face this coming season. Maybe Harvey Dent? 

2. We get to see Bruce become Batman

  We usually have the origin story down pretty well of the Batman Mythos, some random dude starts mugging Bruce and his parents after the are walking out of a movie or opera, things get tense and both Bruce's parents end up dead. Sometimes the killer is Joker, Joe Chill, or an unknown. That's about it for Batman's back story in the mainstream Movie/TV universes. Usually it just flashes forward to present day Batman, or an older Bruce just before he gets into the cowl like in Batman Begins. In Gotham however, the show starts off with Bruce's parents dying pretty quickly, and the rest of the season we start to see Bruce growing this Batman persona inside himself. Sometimes he lets his emotions get the best of him in the show, and other times we see this tactical fighter coming into fruition. It's awesome to see Bruce learn from Alfred, sometimes Gordon, or other people he starts to look up to in the show. It will be great next season to see Bruce train some more, maybe find a tutor to learn more fighting moves from too. Also, I love Sean Pertwee who plays Alfred in this show, but how often do you have a butler that is also the son of a Time Lord?! 

3. Dr. Thompkins

  Dr. Leslie Thompkins has been part of the Batman Mythos for quite awhile. Other than being in an episode or two of the Batman: The Animated Series in the 1990's there hasn't been a lot of her seen in the mainstream media. In the comics she runs a clinic (sometimes the clinic is in Martha Wayne's name) right outside Crime Alley where Batman's parents were murdered. Often Bruce visits her when he or someone else gets injured, or during his yearly visit after his anniversary visit to the place where Batman was born, where his parents died. Leslie also was notable in the comics for being the mother figure to Bruce after Martha died. She comforted him a lot during the first few years after the incident, and in some universes was there the night of the incident to comfort him.  In Gotham though Leslie hasn't been shown to comfort Bruce at all. I expected she would be visiting him through out the first season after Alfred caught Bruce hurting and challenging himself, that Alfred would take him to Leslie to possibly cure the PTSD Bruce has after the shooting. This never happens. Instead we see Leslie date Gordon. It's not really a bad thing in my mind, she is a far better character and better looking actress than Barbara is in this universe. In some ways the actress and how the character is played reminds me of Louis in the old 1990's series Louis and Clark, a Superman TV show. She's strong willed, attractive, and smart, sometimes too smart for Gordon. Is she a strong lead yet? Not quite. But I love having Leslie getting the Limelight in a Batman show. I've always pictured her dating Alfred in the comics which they often hinted at, but in the TV show, her relationship with Gordon is awesome, even if Alfred loses his love interest. She is younger in this version anyways. 

  What I would like for her to do in Season Two, would be to help Bruce with his lost, have a few scenes where he comes to her and maybe even tells her how he is training himself and such. In the comics she often was close to Thomas Wayne so it would be interesting if she did have a relationship of some kind with the late Mr. Wayne. Show the relationship she will develop with Bruce in the future as a healer and surrogate mother. Also, more dates with Gordon, and please do NOT break them up for him to get back with the wacko Barbara. 

4. The Villains

  Getting to see the rouge's gallery young, or youngish is awesome. Gotham starts off showing you the big main four Batman villains Penguin, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and Riddler. A possible Joker does indeed show up in the first season, and is heavily hinted to be coming back next season but mainly season one focused on the former main four. 

Ivy

Not like Poison Ivy yet.

  Poison Ivy didn't get a lot of character growth the last season. Other than showing her love of plants right away, she mostly had stuff happen to her and that's it. She had her dad get killed by cops. Her mother I think committed succeed so she is an orphan now. Which I think that's why she got the name Ivy Pepper in this universe I bet this season she will be adopted and called Pamela Isley. Anyways, she mostly ran into Catwoman the rest of the season, and was pretty awkward on screen. Probably the weakest villain in the season but still interesting to see how she interacts with Bruce and Selina as kids. Hopefully the coming up season things get a bit better for her and she goes through some character growth. 

Riddler

Good day! 

  Riddler had surprising character growth towards the finale of the season. During the start we meet the quirky Edward Nygma who loves riddles and puzzles. In this universe it was interesting to have him working for the police department as one of their Forensic Scientists. He's a pretty nice guy in the beginning of the season if a bit weird. But after some bullying and his crush getting hurt by her drunk boyfriend who is on the force. Riddler gets a little too protective and ends up doing the unthinkable. That was probably the hardest thing to watch this last season, but it did birth the Riddler inside him. It will be interesting to see if this season he does fight the law, or if he keeps working with the police but does bad things on the side without them finding out. 

Catwoman

Someday you will have a kid and she will be Huntress after you both die. 

  Catwoman was a fun romantic interest for Bruce this season and a thorn in Gordon's side. She witnesses the Wayne's murder which sets her on the path to asking help from Gordon, and eventually meeting Bruce Wayne. She taught Bruce some skills he will use later in life during some of their adventures last season. One of the major moments last season is when she saves Bruce from doing the unthinkable, by doing it herself. Which goes against Catwoman as in most versions she does not kill which is why Bruce is often able to love her. In this universe though it might not be a big deal to him as he was battling with the desire to do it himself. The guy she killed had almost killed Alfred earlier and was threatening to kill Bruce and Alfred for good in the future, so it was one sure way to stop him. Either way it will be interesting to see where Catwoman goes next season and if she will still be on good terms with Bruce. 

Penguin

Yes, I am going to steal the show! 

  Penguin stole the show last season. Robin Lord Taylor did an amazing job at capturing a young Oswald Cobblepot. I think that's the one thing all Batman fans agreed on with the show was that he did an amazing job and was worth watching. We see Cobblepot in the first episode has this lowly henchman of Fish, who is willing to betray her at a moments notice so he can take her place. She is the one to give him his infamous alias, and he hates it at first. Stuff happens and she finds out, he ends up almost getting killed by Gordon, who helps fake Cobblepot's death. That is all how the first part of the season starts up. Gordon seems to have tricked Falcone and Fish into thinking he's a killer, and Penguin can start planning his revenge in secret. Then as we get to the mid-season finale we find out that Penguin had been planning this all along with Falcone in order to weed out the bigger threat to Falcone, Fish and her friends who want to dethrone him so to speak. Of course at the end of the season Penguin betrays Falcone as well and after a lot of stuff happens he some how ends up on top of the mafia family tree. It's a great achievement for him, but much like owning the nightclub in the earlier half of the season, this might be a job too big for Penguin to handle. It will be interesting to see what he goes through this season, if anything at all happens to him that is. 

MAJOR Spoiler Warning Below!

5. It became its own universe and did its own thing 

  Like her or hate her, Fish Mooney was a big character for season one of Gotham, and an original character to the universe. The show set up pretty early that she would lose to Penguin her turf and gang at one point in the future and it didn't take very long for that to happen in the season after a failed attempt to take out Falcone was her main undoing. But her story didn't stop there, she met up with Dollmaker in the second half of the season, and made it out with a new eye for her trouble and a new gang of loyal followers. Her arch ends with shooting Sal Maroni in the face after he taunts her in the finale, changing the game of the whole origin of Two-Face and Gotham. Without Sal around, who will throw acid on the young District Attorney? Fish Mooney's fate at the end of the first season was that she was thrown off a building into Gotham Harbor to presumably swim with the fishes. Is she dead for good? We don't know, we do know she is no longer a show runner, but that doesn't mean she won't show up as a side character later. 

  As for the rest of the show it builds Gordon to almost being Batman in this universe. He is taking on a lot of Batman's rouges before Batman shows up. And often takes on the police force and goes above and beyond the call of duty. I almost wonder if a major twist in the show will be Gordon becomes Batman before Bruce gets a chance but I don't think audiences would enjoy that. Either way it is fun to see new tales of origins for all the classic Batman characters, Sal Maroni's death is a huge change and twist for this universe from other Batman mythos and it will be interesting to see where the show goes from here on out. 

  The first season of Gotham was a wild ride for me. It was great to watch as a Batman fan, I enjoyed seeing this new universe get it's foot on the ground and I am excited to see where the show goes from here. Last season's finale seemed to kick start a divergence from the normal Batman mythos and it will be interesting to see where everything goes. 

  Remember to watch the first episode of season two of Gotham which premieres Monday September 21st on Fox! Thanks for reading! 

-Bordon 

New Joker Lawn Decor Releases for the Scary Season!

Knife may not be included per Think Geek product description

  Think Geek just released images of the New 52 Joker lawn decor that you can order right now at ThinkGeek.com. This Joker is based on the Scott Snyder storyline "The Death of a Family"  Joker in the New 52 universe. If you can't tell from the above image in the New 52 universe Joker had cut off his face and disappeared for awhile. This is the look he took on when he came back to take on Batman and the rest of the Bat Family in "The Death of a Family" story-arch. I always thought this version of Joker reminded me Michael Myers and I guess Think Geek thought so too. I should also say "The Death of a Family" story-arch should not be confused with "A Death in the Family" story-arch in which Joker kills Jason Todd, the second Robin. I say this because Think Geek has both story-arch names in their description at the time of this posting.

  Somehow I doubt my wife would want me to buy this lawn decor, and thankfully, this version of Joker is my least favorite of any universe so I will happily pass on it.

  Although I think it would be very funny to get it for a family member as a practical joke and stick it under their bed. Why? So when they look under their bed they would find this staring back at them.

I think sticking this under any family member's bed might be "The Death of a Family" indeed. 

Anyways, if Joker is not in your taste this upcoming Halloween there is always the original inspiration for your lawn to consider, a Zombie.

I should note Joker turned 75 this year. Happy 75 years Joker!

-Bordon 


Joker Lawn Decor can be found at Think Geek or by clicking here.

Images were obtained from Think Geek. 

BB-8 Showdown: Sphero v. Hasbro

On the Left is Sphero on the Right is Hasbro. Who will win?!

  Today I will be reviewing the two remote controlled Star Wars BB-8 toys that where released on Force Friday, September 4th. Both were bought by me on Force Friday. For this blog post only one shall be the winner for the best BB-8 Toy for kids on Christmas. So keep in mind when I review these toys I am thinking which one would be best for a child to play with. It was a tough choice with a lot of factors for me. I had 5 factors that I considered while comparing them: Cost, Box Presentation, Ease of Putting it together, Size and Look, and Usability. Each characteristic was judged with clear winners, which in the end helped me determine the final verdict. So let's begin shall we?

1. Cost

Sphero:

What you pay for is the box presentation and all that technology inside. 

Sphero costs about $150 before taxes. I think my total with state tax was around $159. It's very pricey, and that doesn't include the Smartphone required to move BB-8. That's right, this little guy has no remote that comes with it. 

Hasbro:

A good representation of all you need to make this guy run. It's definitely a toy box. 

Hasbro's which is a Target Exclusive in the US costs around $80 before taxes. However, unlike Sphero who has a built in rechargeable battery this BB-8 does not have one. It requires 4 AA Batteries in the robot itself and 2 AAA Batteries for the remote that comes included with the toy. So factoring that all in you are spending about $94 for the two packs of batteries. 

Winner: It's pretty clear in this case who won. Hasbro did. Although they require batteries for their BB-8, they do include a remote and don't require the extra cost of a smart device. For a toy for a child I'd rather have them use a remote than a smart phone to move a robot around. It also helps that you are saving $60 when getting the Hasbro BB-8. 

2. Box Presentation

Right away you can tell Sphero has the slickest box. 

Sphero:

The box was slick, and it's packed like an iPhone. 

Here's my unboxing video if you are curious!

  Sphero's box as you can see form the unboxing is really well designed. When you open it up it pretty much is all in one piece. In fact it reminds me of unboxing a brand new iPhone. The fact that requires a smart device makes it all the more apparent that this is a really sophisticated robot.

Hasbro:

It's a typical Hasbro boxed item. Lots of cardboard inside.

Here's my unboxing video for Hasbro as well: 

  I took an after shot of opening the box. As you can see from the un-boxing video and the picture Hasbro expects you to treat this like any other toy they have sold in the past. I think the only time a Star Wars toy had really fancy packaging in my youth from Hasbro was when I got my Interactive R2-D2, but even that was close to bare bones and not as fancy as Sphero's box. 

Winner: Sphero. They really cared about presentation. Remember you are paying $150 for the toy, instead of $80 though. 

3. Ease of Putting Toy Together

Sphero:

  Sphero made it pretty easy. You get BB-8 all put together, all you have to do is put on it's head and put it in the charging station and wait for it to charge before booting up your smartphone BB-8 app and starting up your new robot toy. Oh you do have to hold the smartphone next to it really close for it to lock on to the robot. That was a bit annoying, and expect an update to download to the robot at launch. It's nice though that BB-8 is pretty much in one piece.

Hasbro:

  You have to put BB-8 together for the hasbro one. It's neat to look at the guts, and the instructions included with it is pretty easy to get the hang of. Don't forget to put the batteries into the black part that moves the whole droid around! Also, have to use a screwdriver to put in the batteries into the remote as well. This step pretty much takes a parent to do.

Winner: Sphero. It was close though, the app for Sphero was annoying to wait for, but as far as putting together the droid, Sphero already did it for you. 

4. Size and Look

Winner: Hasbro.  This picture pretty much sums it up. Sphero is the smaller of the two. Sphero's look is smooth and shiny. However, it looks painted on and flat. Hasbro's has more details, even a bit of dirt here and there in it's paint job. It looks like a prop from the movie. It has character. Size matters not, but as far as character, Hasbro's BB-8 has it and Sphero's doesn't.

5. Usability: 

Sphero:

Here's a video on how Sphero's BB-8 is controlled.

  Sphero's usability feels limited. It needs pretty flat carpeting so it got stuck in parts of my apartment that has thicker carpet. You need to re-align the blue light constantly while it moves to where you are to make it move right. The control stick on the app is weird and wanky. You only get one control stick that controls movement. He does have great little head bobs that you can input in, and he can explore on his own if you wish. The one feature it does have is a gimmicky hologram that shows up in your smartphone's screen.

  Here's one annoying thing: You need the app for him to make sounds, it all comes from your smart phone, and some of the sounds are very annoying. Such as the lightsaber sound that it makes every time you have to point the blue light back at you to re-calibrate where you are in relation to BB-8. Something just feels off about Sphero's BB-8 right now. I know that the head of Sphero announced pretty quickly that we will be getting updates, patches, and more in the coming months and after the release of the new Star Wars film. He can free roam while Hasbro's can't. However, he didn't free roam well on any of my carpets, where Hasbro's got around mostly fine. So for me free roam hasn't worked real well and should probably be done on a flat service such as hardwood floors. The AR message system that the app can do  to make BB-8 have his own "Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi" message mode. The Hologram message mode is neat, but feels gimmicky. It's not something you'd use a lot while playing with him.  Sphero BB-8 feels like a toy meant for an adult collector, not a kid. Nothing wrong with that, but for my review I am thinking of what you'd want to get for your child.

That dang cat hair gets everywhere. 

The head has wheels that collects dust. Mine having only been used a few times had already started to collect stuff in the wheels.

Side-Note: My cat loves chasing this one!

Hasbro:

Here's a Video on how Hasbro's BB-8 is Controlled. 

  Hasbro's controls are pretty easy to figure out. Turning him on is easy too, just shake him awake, or turn him upside down. You get 2 pads to control BB-8 with. One for head movement to point him in the direction you want him to go, and the other for forward and backward motion. You can also make him move pretty well for angles and such by pressing both controls down at the same time. You have to remain closer to BB-8 than the Sphero one but it wasn't too bad. Even though he can't explore on his on like Sphero, mine moved at times on it's own free will. He emits all the beeps and boops from himself, not from the remote like Sphero.  He also has a cute personality that I assume his "voice" sounds closer to the film version of BB-8 than Sphero's chipmunked R2 chirps.

Although it sometimes falls off, there is no way cat hair can get in it! 

  Also, the head has no wheels so no dust collection! The magnets control it's movement at all times and stays on pretty well.

Side-Note: My cat was curious about this one but ran away because it was too big and scary.

Winner: Hasbro. It just seems like a toy meant for a kid.

SO WHO WINS THE SHOWDOWN?

Don't feel too bad for Sphero BB-8, he's still a great toy. 

The Winner is:  Hasbro. 


  Although Sphero is a pretty great toy and is fun to play with, at launch it has many faults. It feels like it's not fully released yet, because it hasn't really. We will see when the movie launches how BB-8 Sphero is then and I'll probably make a new post on the updates then.  For now Sphero's feels like an adult collector toy. While Hasbro's is clearly meant for a child.

  Hasbro's also feels like it just popped out of the movie. It has character. It is easier to control. It's priced way more reasonable. It doesn't require a smart phone. It is just simple to use and control. A beautiful and simple child's toy that has pretty much everything Sphero does great right now, but in it's own unique way that feels more real. Hat's off to you Hasbro you made BB-8 proud!


  Don't let my review choose for you though, both these toys are excellent! I just felt that if you were to buy one of these toys for a child, Hasbro's is the most sensible and suitable choice. If you do want to purchase either Hasbro's or Sphero's BB-8 I have included information below.

  Hasbro's BB-8 again is a Target Exclusive and can be bought online here. You can also find it at your local store while supplies last.

  Sphero can be found in many stores in the US. I got mine at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. You can also find it on Amazon, Gamestop, and Disney Store. Although a lot of stores are trying to get it in stock, so check your favorite store for availability!

  I hope this review helped you make a future purchase of your BB-8 for yourself or a loved one.

  Until next time, May the Force Be With You.

-Bordon


Update: On September 11th the US Disney Store has started selling an Interactive BB-8 that lights up and beeps. Since it has way different features to the BB-8s in this review I have made a review for it on its own that can be found here: http://bit.ly/1F8C7y4 

#ForceFriday and The Two BB-8s

  First, let me say, Welcome to my new Blog! This is my first post, and I apologize for any errors, and how long this post might be. I'm just very glad to finally start blogging and having built the blog the way I want it that I figured I'd tell a story right now that might rant a bit. I'll try to keep it short. Tomorrow I will have a review of the two toys I got on Force Friday but please, read the two short stories, on how chance and luck lead me to getting them! 

  Today as every Star Wars nerd knows was Force Friday. What is Force Friday? Well unless you were living in a galaxy far, far away or something you would know that there is a new movie called The Force Awakens coming out this Holiday season. The new movie of course is set in the Star Wars saga. So Force Friday, September 4th, is the day when all of the new Star Wars toys from the upcoming movie come out. Of course grown men like myself were super excited for this day. Almost like a Star Wars Christmas for many collector's so to speak. There was only one type of toy I wanted during this day, and I ended up with both versions of it.  

Here they are boxed up! My two BB-8's. 

The one on the left is by Hasbro and is a Target exclusive. The one on the right is by Sphero and I obtained mine from Bed Bath and Beyond. 

How I got the Hasbro BB-8 from Target

  I learned about Force Friday earlier this week. I wasn't super stoked for it, just a bit excited to see all the toys to see if they gave away any indication to the plot of the movie. Also, hoping there would be a BB-8 toy coming out by either Hasbro, or the rumored BB-8 from Sphero. Sure enough Sphero announced their BB-8 yesterday, just 12 hours before release, but I did not see an ad by Hasbro at all until earlier this morning. I read many blogs last night but I could not find where I could buy the Sphero model in-store. Most stores where just advertising that they where getting Star Wars toys but not much more than that. Target, Toys R Us, and the Disney Store where the only one's I knew from last night to be selling new Star Wars merchandise on Force Friday. Both Target and Toys R Us near me where opening at midnight to sell the new toys and the Disney Store was opening early Friday morning for their event. I debated going to the midnight Target opening but decided that I'd check it out during my lunch hour since I work at home on Fridays and leave it up to chance. 

  On Friday morning just before setting off right at noon, I looked up on the Target store for any BB-8's, at the time I didn't know Hasbro had made a BB-8 so when I saw it on their website I was ecstatic! It was cheaper than the Sphero, which at 11:00 am Central was sold out on Amazon and about to sell out on Gamestop's site. Even though it didn't have the awesome technology that Sphero did it was very similar in that they are both remote controlled, and Hasbro's has a built controller where Sphero's has you use your smart phone. Hasbro's was exclusive to Target only and E-bay it looked like it was selling already double the price! Looking up on Target's site for locations that might have them in-stock, there were already a few stores sold out, but the closet Target near me claimed to have a limited stock. So, figuring it was worth a shot since the Target was only 8 minutes away from my apartment I set off.

  It was 12:15 when I reached Target. As I walked inside I was greeted by the "Braw-aaaaahhh!" roar of a Chewbacca standee. It had a sign next to it that asked people to take picture's with it and tweet it out. Although, I would usually love to pose next to Chewbacca and take a picture I didn't. I was a man on a mission and I need to get to the toy department straight away! 

  Having been to this Target several times I went straight to the toy section, in a quick walk. I figured I may as well find out if BB-8 was here or not. When I got to the Star Wars section I was greeted by a life sized BB-8, who was activated by my movement and turned it's head towards me and says hello in it's little chirpy language. *BEEP-OOP-EE!!* Beautiful. Honestly, I would be jealous of the store employee who gets to take BB-8 home with them after the display is over with! (If any of you readers know anyone who works at a store that doesn't have any Star Wars fans as employee's please hook me up with one!) 

 Anyways, the Star Wars aisle still had several awesome figures. Some of the aisle did look like it had been picked barren the night before. The only thing I could tell was missing were figures of the new characters Rey and Kylo Ren. There was only Darth Vader masks as the Captain Phasma's Mask and Kylo Ren's Mask where no where to be seen sadly, so much for hearing first hand any lines from the movie then. There was one Finn figure left and mainly original trilogy toys. There was one Kylo Ren hasbro lightsaber left and a Nerf Chewbacca bowcaster that was tempting me to purchase as well. Honestly most of the toys where still at this target besides 3 figures. Those weren't what I was after though. I wanted a BB-8 to go with my old R2-D2 toy I had as a kid. I walked down the aisle and low and behold the "limited" supply of BB-8's where there, all 8 of them. Honestly it looks like only one was missing. 

  I picked one that looked like a good box and briskly walked to the front desk. Learned about the new Micro-chipped credit card I have and how it works at the new registers (it's a really neat innovation that I should blog about later). The cashier also teased me a bit and scoffed at the new Star Wars movie and toy lines. Some people are purists and only like the original trilogy. I laughed it off and continued my purchase after being pushed at getting a Target credit card. (I didn't get one.)  Oh, I also picked up batteries which I am returning as I found out later that I have plenty at home. This BB-8 takes batteries while Sphero has a built in chargeable one. 

  I was so happy to have my BB-8.  Having had probably the worst week in a while, it was just a small uplifting thing for me. I completely left it to chance and I got exactly what I wanted. It wasn't the Sphero BB-8, but It was a BB-8. Now you are asking, well you got a Sphero BB-8 too, didn't you? Why, yes, yes I did.

How I got the Sphero BB-8

  As you already know I got my BB-8 from Target during my lunch break. Well Sphero's BB-8 purchase was mainly because I got lucky. The Sphero BB-8 has been blogged all over the internet world as this years best and most wanted Christmas Toy. It was also rumored that Sphero was behind the design of the real BB-8, which turns out today is not true. Either way, in my mind, Sphero BB-8 would be the hardest toy to find on #ForceFriday and of course it was. It was no where to be found in Target, but I figured that's why they had the exclusive Hasbro version there anyways. Amazon it was already sold out around 9:00 AM when I checked, not that I would have bought it there anyways, as I wanted to see the display in person and see how big it was. 

  Well today was also the release date for the Batman Arkham Knight: Arkham Knight figure and my pre-ordered Sony PS4 Anniversary Edition Headset at Gamestop. So I had stopped there too during my lunch break on the way home. It wasn't really out of the way as it was basically on the pathway home from Target. I've worked at this Gamestop in the past so I know the employee's well and waited for them to find my headset in the back room while I looked at their new stock of Star Wars merchandise. So far only online can you get the Sphero BB-8 from Gamestop. I wasn't shocked. Although, on Black Friday they will more than likely  have a few in stock across the stores in the U.S. as Gamestop this year has been trying to push more Gaming and Nerd merchandise and apparel at their stores and it seems to be the hottest item this fall so far. Anyways, they couldn't find my figure but did find the headset so I would have to come back after work to see if they found it or if it was still being shipped, as that sometimes happens with pre-ordered figures at Gamestop. 

  When I went into Gamestop the second time they still didn't have my figure in stock. I wasn't upset as I often like to just get out of the house during my telecommuting day's breaks so I enjoyed the drive out I even stopped at Barnes and Noble to see if any new Star Wars books came out. None did that I could see. I checked my phone to see the news on Star Wars toys and started reading an article. Not to my surprise that I found out that a lot of people had trouble even at the midnight releases to find the toys they wanted. Many adult collectors where upset. I also read that Sphero BB-8's where almost sold out across the country, and as I was reading the article I noticed that Bed Bath and Beyond was selling them! 

  I couldn't believe a place like that was selling Star Wars toys! My main guess is that I assume mom's shop there so it'd fit within a target market who might be shopping for their kids. I remembered visiting the Bed Bath and Beyond when I first moved here after getting married. My wife and I checked it out once so I knew that the BB&B was just down the road from Gamestop. So I got in my Batmobile and drove down to the Bed Bath and Beyond. It's not the greatest looking store from outside, it sure shows it age compared to the new Super Walmart next door. I was glad that it was small enough of a store though, that I'd be able to find the Star Wars section, and get out of there fast after finding out they were sold out. I already had my doubts of finding one! 

  So as I go on into the store and I see this lady huffing it past me. I think she saw me get out of my car and figured what I was there for. I wasn't in a rush like I was at Target, because I already had a BB-8 and I was literally giving this up to chance. I already decided to blog a review about the Target BB-8, but I thought I'd get the Sphero one too, so I could compare the two, and because I wanted to see which one would tease my cats the most! *Evil Joker Laugh*

  Anyways, the Star Wars display was NOT hard to find. It literally was right in front of the main entrance, pretty close to blocking it to be honest. There too was a display of BB-8 Sphero that was in it's charging station moving it's cute head around. It was so tiny. I looked around the display and there was a Darth Vader Toaster and a few Star Wars themed cups and mugs. Not much more, and no sign of any Sphero BB-8s for sale. I sighed. I knew they would be sold out. The mom that had huffed in before me was seemingly looking frantically around the display for a BB-8. Took a picture of the displayed one, and was texting what I assumed was either her husband or her kid. She didn't look upset though. She eventually just walked away and started shopping at the store. I started to take a photo of the BB-8 for my blog, and was about to video it when I heard one of the store employee's complain to their fellow employee about the Star Wars music that was constantly playing from the display. I most definitely would find it annoying too when you are only working 3 feet away, and the sound quality wasn't the greatest for the music. Anything repetitive can get annoying fast too. Having worked at Gamestop though I knew they'd eventually tone it out and not even realize it was playing. Anyways, while thinking back to Gamestop and smirking because the employee was saying something I would say today if I worked there I started to think back to working during last year's Black Friday at Gamestop as I watched the BB-8 in the display 

  *Cough* "Hello, can I help you sir? Are you trying to find something?" 

  I must have looked lost as I was thinking and watching the BB-8 because I didn't realize at first she was talking to me. I turned around and it was the employee who complained about the music. She looked at me as if I didn't belong here, which I didn't. I walked up to the desk and said. "I was wondering if you had any more.."

  "BB-8's left?" She finished for me. She knew that's what a guy in a Batman baseball shirt without his wife with him would be looking for in a place like this.  "You're lucky, there is only one left. Do you want it?" 

  I looked around, thought maybe the mother should get it but she was long gone. I quickly justified that since she didn't even ask if any where in store, and I just did that chance just gave me another lucky curveball today. So my internal battle was quickly lifted inside my head and I smiled and said. "Yes, I would thanks!"

   "Alright, let me go in back and get it for you." She smiled at me and took off to the back room. I think she was more excited to sell the last one than maybe anyone who bought a BB-8 today. The wait didn't take long and she sent me over to another cashier to finish my purchase. 

  "Dude, there were so many people lined up this morning for this thing, what is it?" The cashier asked me holding it up as he scanned the box. I told him how it's basically a remote controlled robot and the news dubbed it the new Tickle Me Elmo and that Target has a cheaper version if anyone he knows is looking for one still. He didn't seem to care as he finished my purchase and I marched out of the store like a champ. And that is how I got the Sphero BB-8.

Thanks For Reading!

  Hopefully you found my two short stories on how I got my BB-8s interesting. I will be making a blog tomorrow on how both compare to each other. I already shot unboxing videos and tested them out a little. However, I want to make a post with better videos to give an in-depth review and help out anyone debating on which one to get for their kids or themselves. I know some other adults are looking for these toys for themselves! Don't be ashamed, I definitely am not! 

  I will probably make a new post comparing the two and showing them off in videos when there is better lighting tomorrow morning. You can see how dark it is in my apartment from the current photos on this blogpost!  I built this blog today too, so I apologize dear reader for not having any videos or review up already tonight because the rest of my daylight hours where eaten up by making this blog. I do want to show them off though and can't wait to share which one I think is the better purchase! I'll update this post with a link and maybe even update this post itself with videos tomorrow as well, so be sure to check back in!

Thank you again for reading my first ever blog post!

Take care until next time!

-Bordon

Bordon's Note: I included links to any outside sources that influenced the story, as well as product information of the toys I found cool and of the toys I bought myself.