A TipToi is an orange electronic device by German company Ravensburger that looks like a gigantic pen. With its rays it scans micropatterns on fields triggering certain sound sequences the pencil reveals. Each program has to be loaded directly into the pen via USB link from the internet. There are books and jigsaws which can be played with the TipToi, telling children everything they want to know – from the beginnings of the universe to the landing on the moon.
TipToi became a big success, the basic devices and the “software” – books, posters and jigsaws were being sold thousands of times. After a while toy figures appeared on the market – with small yellow pattern fields to be scanned for information about the very animal. These animals became a big success, too – and, logically, now we have dinosaurs.
One of these figures represents Camarasaurus, the well-known classic upper Jurassic macronarian from Northern America and Europe. The model is 31cm long and stands up to 15,5cm tall. Its color varies from bright orange at the back to light beige at the belly, being divided by a dark red line from the back of the head to the tip of the tail. Camarasaurus is a
The head probably is a little too big, but reveals many details, such as the nostrils at the tip, a muzzle with a red tongue inside and a row of white, yet inaccurate teeth. The eyes don´t have painted pupils, but light reflections give the impression there are some.
If you upload a certain program from the internet to your TipToi (my children do have TipTois!) and then hold the pen in front of the tear-shaped field at the hips of the figure, the pen gives some basic information about the animal, you can do a small, easy quiz and you hear some noises the animal is supposed to have made. You don´t need this information, honestly, in order to enjoy the figure.
I like this toy sauropod for its unusual color choice, its detailed skin pattern and its compactness. It has a broad belly, much head detail and big eyes. As for accurateness, it certainly has some flaws, for example the feet which are too big and the massive claws (and four at each foot!). But I can´t help but liking it! If you like uncommonly colored toy figures and do not necessarily need pure accurateness, Ravensburger TipToi Camarasaurus is a good and affordable choice!
Available from Amazon.co.uk here
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