Jada Toys Battle Machines Laser Battle RCs

Of course you can always come up with your own rules and variations, but basic game play is simple.

You have 2- 6 players set up in a circle. To keep it fair, have the Battle Machines facing away from each other initially so that each one takes off in their own direction. Once the cars and trucks are turned on there will be a powering up sound and you'll hear "Prepare to do battle" to signify that the Battle Machine RCs are ready to start the game.

Once the game is started you try to shoot (tag) your opponent three times to tag them out of the game. Last team or individual standing wins.

To tag your opponent you aim the front of your Battle Machine at the other vehicle and drive at them head on and push the little red button on the back of the transmitter to fire your weapon. The RC will make laser shooting sounds and flash lights to give an indication of shooting at your opponent. A light indicator in the back car window or on top of the truck indicates a hit (tag). Three tags and a vehicle is out.

On the back driver's side of the cars there is a little silver button for reset. On the truck it is located in the back of the bed towards the front of the driver's side. Pressing the button will reset the number of tags to zero so you can start the battling all over again.

These aren't designed for major bashing but overall I would say these toy-grade RCs are pretty tough. Since the bodies are made of hard plastic they can resist (up to a point) bumps and crashes. However, there are some pieces that could come off if a collision were to occur.

For the Chevy Camaro I would say the most likely part to break or fall off would be the flimsy plastic light bar on top and its little gun up front. For the Chevy Dually the little gun in the bed of the truck and the plastic smoke stacks would be the most likely to break. As for the Ford Mustang, the wing in the back if hit hard enough might break. Other than that they are pretty much indestructible during normal play if used as intended.

There isn't much to not like about the Battle Machine RCs. They are a lot of fun, durable, inexpensive both individually and as a twin pack. They don't take a truck load of batteries to run and the run time is a long time especially considering all they have to do with the lights and such. The only thing I can think of is that they don't shoot a great deal of distance away so you need to get close to tag or be tagged and that they're slow -- these aren't designed for racing. They also don't have any suspension so a rough surface might be difficult to drive on. Other than that they got two thumbs up from me!

I find that sometimes the most simple RCs make great afternoon activities for both children and adults. This is the case for the Battle Machine Laser Battle RCs from Jada Toys -- it's an electronic twist on the game of tag. I think that these RC toys would make a great gift for the holidays or birthdays. Hey, it could be a fun way to settle office disputes too. Get a set for your co-workers.

• TV Commerical Shows Battle Machines in Action

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