The Furby Boom Review - A Christmas 2013 Dream Toy

Do you remember the Furby? Back in the 90’s Furby took the world by storm, and it was soon on many children’s Christmas lists. I know it was firmly on mine. I remember it making the news when parents were lining up outside stores at god awful times just to try and get their hands on this coveted Christmas toy for their little ones.

There was a lot of mystery surrounding the Furby back then, and the urban legend that kept cropping up was that if you left your Furby among people, or by the television/radio then they would eventually pick up some English words. You see Furby’s speak Furbish first and foremost.

Furby was all the rage for a long time, but then he went quiet and I thought we had maybe heard the last of him… But boy was I wrong… Last Christmas he was back with new crazy designs and a whole new level of game play. Heck he even had his own App.

But just when I thought he couldn’t come on any further, they release the Furby Boom which has given Furby an even bigger depth of play value that I as a child from the 90’s wouldn’t have even considered back then.

Leo and I have been trying out a new Furby Boom from Argos and it is suffice to say that we have both been enjoying him. I wasn’t sure if Leo would get much out of Furby to start with but as soon as Furby was released from the captivity of his box, Leo loved him. In fact Leo then took him away and decided he couldn’t possibly share him with Mumma.

The Furby Boom marks a whole new generation of Furby… Depending upon how you treat him, you will shape how he turns out. He really does have a mind of his own. The better you treat him, the more English he will pick up. Yup these new 2013 models actually speak some English!

There is a lot of fun to be had with the Furby Boom even without the need to have a smart phone or tablet. You can feed Furby with your finger and he will let you know that he is enjoying it by nibbling and making very enthusiastic noises. Just be careful not to over feed him… You will know when you have as his eyes will start to flash and all of a sudden Furby’s voice completely changes! Instead of a cute little voice, you get a gruff older voice and a Furby who has a lot of wind!

Of course Leo thinks this is absolutely hilarious and spends a lot of his time deliberately over feeding his Furby for this very reason. You can tickle Furby, pull his tail (thus resulting in more wind!), talk to him, cover his eyes, make him dance… The list goes on.

Of course if you do have access to a tablet of some sort you can then unlock a completely new play experience that makes Furby even more animated. The Furby Boom App lets you feed, shower and groom Furby amongst many other things, you can even give him an X-Ray should the need for it arise. As you continue to use the App with Furby it will level you up and reward you with eggs that eventually hatch into Furblings! Yes… baby Furby’s!

The app allows you to keep a check on Furby’s over all needs, you can see if he’s hungry, in need of a shower or bored. Then of course you can combat any of these that need attention by means of the app. To use the app I find it best to put Furby down in front of it so that they can register the other is there. I think this is a nice touch for older kids who are playing, I have dabbled but not really spent a whole lot of time on the app.

In terms of the Furby Boom on his own, I can see so many improvements from the original Furby I once owned. The old eyes have been replaced with lights and computer animated eyes that can give off many different emotions depending on how Furby is feeling. His ears are now a soft plastic as are his feet and the overall quality of this toy is great.

I may have secretly been rather excited to have a play with this toy again, and I am sure many kids from the 90’s who once owned a Furby will be rather excited to see it back for their kids enjoyment.

A few things you may like to know before you DO buy one

You cannot turn Furby off – Nope once those batteries are inserted in Furby, he is alive. Don’t be alarmed though, if you pull Furby’s tail for 10 seconds he will send himself off to sleep.

They can accidently throw themselves off things – Now this is something we have tried hard to remember. Because Furby’s have the ability to dance and wiggle around so to speak… If they don’t go straight to sleep or the television wakes them up… they can  accidently topple off things. It’s always best to leave them somewhere that they can’t do this.

So for Christmas 2013 Furby is back and ready to play bigger, harder and better than ever before. I can certainly see why he is one of this year’s ever popular Dream Toys.

To pick up your very own Furby Boom Argos have a great selection of different and unique designs, some of which are exclusive to Argos. They are currently on offer at £54.99 with a saving of £5.00 to be had from the RRP of £59.99.

The Dream Toys for Christmas 2013 are available to buy at Argos.

Disclaimer: In collaboration with Argos

Dear Santa...

With each passing day we are getting closer and closer to that one magical day of the year. Christmas.

With this date coming around quicker and quicker each year, or that’s the way it feels anyway, we turn our attention to the Christmas lists written by our children so that Santa knows exactly what to bring with him on his sleigh.

I have been examining many a letter to Santa already, and I am pleased to share with you the toy’s that are going to be in high demand this festive season.

In no particular order I give you the Christmas 2012 Highly Anticipated Toys

Dear Santa,

This Christmas there are a number of very exciting toys that your elves have spent all year crafting, and I am so excited by what you may have in store for all the girls and boys.

Furby has recently been re-launched and is more life like than ever before. He dances, sings and even learns more English as your journey together progresses. He comes in a variety of bright colouring's and will be sure to add some extra excitement to Christmas day, maybe even annoyonce to many a adult!

The LeapFrog LeapsterGS is a gaming learning system for children aged 3-9 years old tailored in a robust kid's design. There is even a camera and video camera included so that you can edit your pictures or even put yourself into the game you are playing! 

The Innotab 2 is the latest creation from VTech for tech savvy kid's. There are many different apps to suit each child's taste from music, TV programmes and Ebooks, There are many children's favourites such as Peppa Pig and Thomas and Friends that you can download. 

The Mookie Scramble Bug is a unique ride on that can move in all directions due to the incorporated castor wheels. It features a fixed handlebar that your toddler can hold on to as they go along, the castor wheels mean that the Scramble Bug can turn 360 degrees with ease and is suitable for the use of children from 1 years old, right up to 3 years old. 

The Razor E90 Electric Scooter is aimed at children 8+ and reaches speeds of up to 8.5mph! It comes in a variety of bright colours and has recently been seen sported by One Directions Zayn and Little Mix's Perrie!

The Fisher-Price Wheelies Loops 'n' Swoops Amusement Park is the ultimate in toddler fun! There are play options on both sides and it stands at over two feet tall. It is the perfect height for kid's to send their Wheelies vehicles down a swirly whirly ramp filled with twists and turns and a gravity defying 360 degree loop! This action fun toy would not be complete without the many lights and that accompany!

The Mini Micro 3 in 1 Scooter  is exactly what it says on the tin! A toddlers very first scooter that will see them through until 5 years old. As the child grows you can adjust the scooter to reflect their new stage of development!

WOW Toys Dudley Dumper Truck is just one toy out of an extensive range of incredibly fun resilient toys that work with no battery's! 

So Santa please consider my Christmas list this year, and I promise that upon your arrival you will find a nice glass of Sherry and home made mince pies! 

P.s If you are still in the process of Christmas shopping, Argos Reserve and Collect is a great way to shop. You can reserve many of the above gifts online to guarantee collection in store! It really does take the stress out of Christmas shopping!

Merry Christmas!

Disclaimer: I wanted to put together a selection of toys that I have enjoyed this year that I think will be popular this year. In order to put together this composition I have been sent the toys to personally try out where possible and have or will be sharing my full experience with you. I have not been paid to write this and all views expressed are completely honest and my own.