Thames And Kosmos Ultra Bionic Blaster Review

Reviewed by Helen O

The Ultra Bionic Blaster arrived within a couple of days and was really well packaged in an outer cardboard box, so upon opening the item was pristine and packaging was fully recyclable. First impressions of the packaging was that the item looked great fun and would be a perfect project to build with my 8 year old nephew, who is a massive fan of foam dart guns. The Blaster is a powerful robotic glove, which shoots foam darts. The packaging, as with other Thames & Kosmos kits, was informative, such as number of pieces (139), what the contents and the features of the built Ultra Bionic Blaster looked like.

The pack also contains an ‘experiment manual’, including key information about the contents, as all individual components are coded with individual part numbers to assist the build. The manual uses pictures, as well as words to describe the actions that have to be taken.

The kit requires a couple of tools, which aren’t included in the pack, so it’s best to read the instructions first, to make sure you have everything before you start the build. For example, some of the parts are on plastic frames and need to be cut out of their frames. It is advised that a small diagonal cutter is used, but failing that scissors and a nail file can be used. We used scissors and noticed some rough edges, which needed to be filed down.

You also need a small Philips-head screwdriver and a device with internet connection for the experiments & additional science info. This is because, within the manual there are some useful assembly, demo, troubleshooting and experiments/ science info videos, which can be accessed by scanning the QR codes on the pages. I thought this was a great addition to an instruction manual and would appeal not only to the age range that the product is intended for, but also for children who find it difficult to follow documented instructions.

The product is marketed as a STEM experiment kit, so is perfect for children with an interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills development- in this case building a pneumatic system. This kit is marketed as being suitable for age 8+ with help and age 10+ as their own project. My husband helped my nephew with the build and would say that it is pretty complicated, especially for the lower end of the age range. However, it depends on your STEM abilities.

My husband and nephew took several hours to complete the build of the Ultra Bionic Blaster, which was longer than they had expected. At one point, one of the parts needs to be oiled (which is provided in the pack) and tubes needs to be cut to specific lengths, so the experiment is pretty hands on and needs to be done properly, otherwise it would be quite easy to ruin the experiment. Although there are contact details in the manual for Thames & Kosmos if any Tech Support is needed.

Where this kit differs from others, is that once it is built, you don’t then take it apart to keep rebuilding. The finished robotic glove, is then the thing that gets reused over again.

Once the build was complete, as expected, my nephew was keen to try the glove on and shoot the darts, but my husband needed to do a few tweaks, as initially only 1 foam dart was released. However, after a bit of fiddling, he got it to work. Although the trigger is quite hard to pull, so you definitely need quite a lot of strength in your hands. There is a dial on the top, which alters the angle of the darts and you can also lift the launch platform too.

6 foam darts are included in the kit, 3 fit into the blaster and there is also a clip in which to put the additional 3 foam darts for reloading. the clip fits onto the wrist strap, but it did come off a couple of times, so might benefit from the strap being threaded through, rather than being clipped on.

The cost of the Ultimate Bionic Blaster is RRP £45, which is a relatively high price point, however, given the complexities of the build and the number of pieces that need to be put together, I would say that it is value for money. It would definitely be a good Christmas gift idea for children who enjoy foam dart type guns, who want to add something different to their collection. It looks pretty cool and there’s a feeling of satisfaction having built or helped build it, rather than just buying it pre-made off the shelf.

Thames & Kosmos offer a variety of STEM kits for all ages, depending on abilities and interests. All kits are are available on the Thames & Kosmos website.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

RRP: £45

Buy here.