November 30, 1998. Copyright, 1998, Graphic News. All rights reserved

HOT TOYS ENSURE A COOL CHRISTMAS
By Julie Mullins

LONDON, November 30, Graphic News:  AS another Christmas approaches, parents are again being driven to despair by the elusive quality of the seasonÕs hottest toy, Furby Ð the fully interactive animatronic pet which, by virtue of being cuddly (well, almost), has replaced the soulless tamagotchi in youthful affections.
Interactive is the name of the game this Christmas. Hot on FurbyÕs heels comes Real Live Babe, the lovable porker whose new film, ÔPig in the CityÕ is released in time for the holidays. Babe and his three mouse friends chat, question, sing, eat and sleep to order.
Established favourites like Lego and Barbie are in on the act too. LegoÕs Cybermaster, a PC game and robot combined for children of 10 and up, offers a range of activities Ð from visiting another dimension in Technic City to building a model to tidy their room. Older children can tackle Mindstorms, where complex robots can be designed and built which then operate independent of the computer.
Barbie fans can design new fashions for their dolls on screen, print the fabrics and have Barbie model the results.
Needless to say, interactive toys donÕt come cheap Ð Lego Mindstorms will set you back £160, while Furby costs a relatively modest £29.99, assuming you can find one.
The yearÕs top seller, however, may turn out to be the once humble yo-yo, 70 years old in 1999 and enjoying another worldwide surge in popularity. Prices range from £5 for a basic model up to £110 for a stainless steel SB2, capable of a whole range of tricks with intriguing names like Walking the Dog, Splitting the Atom and Lunar Loops. For discerning spinners, smart London jeweller AspreyÕs offers a silver-plated yo-yo for £60. 
An impressive idea new to the market this year is WOW Science, a series of magic tricks Ð called ÔWowsÕ, with explanations called ÔHowsÕ Ð which teach fundamentals of science such as centrifugal force, gravity and surface tension. Available in two sizes, £15 for 12 Wows and £9 for seven, it is one of a good selection from the Really Useful Games Company, who also have another winner in three-dimensional Sculpture puzzles. Ranging from £8-£40, hundreds of horizontal layers must be stacked correctly to recreate an exact cardboard replica of such luminaries as Marilyn Monroe, The Beatles and Beethoven, or works of art like MichelangeloÕs La Pieta and RodinÕs The Thinker.
/ENDS


Sources: British Association of Toy Retailers, Hamleys