Remote control has a whole new meaning with the new Sphero Darkside Ollie. Sphero has done it again with this fun and entertaining droid. The Darkside Ollie can go up to 14 mph and do all sorts of fun tricks. It is made to withstand a lot with its heavy duty body and beefy tires to help with traction. Darkside Ollie is controlled with your phone or tablet through the Ollie app available in the Google Play store or the Apple store. Installing the app and setting that up shouldn’t take long, but make sure your device is compatible with the app. I have a Samsung Note 4 and the Samsung Tab 4 and it works on both of those, but it doesn’t work on my husbands Note 2.
When you first get it you will want to let it fully charge (will take up to 3 hours) then you will be able to enjoy some serious play time with it. It charges with a micro USB (what I use to charge my Samsung). If you are getting this as a Christmas gift (which I highly recommend – it is SO FUN for all ages – my 4 year old enjoys driving it as much as my hubby) then be sure to charge it beforehand. While you are waiting for it to charge you can change out the tires, download the Ollie app and have a snack – you will want your nourishment to keep up with this little beasty. Ok…now to the good part!
As you can see it is a lot of fun and pretty easy to use. The tutorials are great at helping you learn how to do tricks. So almost anyone would be able to control Darkside Ollie. You have to admit that even the oldest person you know would undoubtedly have a smile on their face while they learn how to have Ollie do a few tricks. The Bluetooth SMART feature allows you up to 100 feet of range – keep in mind that when Ollie is going fast he can get away from you very quickly so make sure you keep up with him or drive him in an area that is not busy.
Here are some of the features of Sphero’s Darkside Ollie:
Devious. Defiant. Diabolical. Dangerous. Few have the strength to command the dark powers bound within this robot. This is Darkside – an electrical beast that draws its energy from unrestrained competition and reckless abandon. Command this app-enabled robot with these forces to unleash its unrivaled power. But take heed – the Darkside will overpower anything standing in the way of victory – including its master. You have been warned.
Darkside rolls at speeds of up to 14 mph and connects instantly to your device via Bluetooth SMART with a range of up to 100 feet. Turn on a dime with Nubby Tires or take them off to drift like a street racer. Darkside also comes with a bonus set of Turbo Tires and Flux Hubs so you can customize performance. Powered by USB charging, Darkside’s LED’s glow in customizable colors as it spins, drifts and flips with app-powered tricks. See if your device is compatible here.
What’s In the Box:
- Darkside Ollie
- 2 Nubby Tires
- 2 Turbo Tires
- 2 Prime Hubs
- 2 Flux Hubs
- USB charging cable
- Quick Start guide
- Free apps available on the App Store and Google Play
Tech Specs:
- iOS & Android compatible
- Top speed of 14 mph (6m/s)
- Durable polycarbonate body
- LED glow with customizable color settings
- Bluetooth SMART instant connection (100 foot range)
- USB charging (over 1 hour of drive time on a full charge)
- Driving apps: Ollie, Draw N’ Drive
- Programming apps: MacroLab, OrbBasic
- Hackable and programmable internal robot
- App updates that introduce new features and gameplay
- Automatic firmware updates
- Height: 4.7 inches / Length: 3.2 inches / Weight 8.5 ounces
Learn more about Sphero at:
WEBSITE | http://www.sphero.com
FACEBOOK | https://www.facebook.com/GoSphero
TWITTER | https://twitter.com/sphero
You can get Sphero Darkside Ollie and all of the other great droids they sell (like BB-8 which is also tons of fun) in the Sphero store (http://store.sphero.com) or online at amazon.com.
We received product in order to do this review. This does not affect our opinions and they are 100% our own.
