Bitzee Hamster Ball Review
Summary: Bitzee Hamster Ball is a great update on the previous generation
4.5
Next-gen Bitzee
For the uninitiated, Bitzee is a line of interactive digital pets developed by Spin Master and it first appeared as a small purple pod housing a holographic pet that came to life on a flexible LED display drawing on the nostalgia of 1990s digital pets such as the Tamagotchi and reacting to swipes, tilts, shakes and touch to deliver a more tactile experience with less reliance on a flat-screen interface. The latest incarnation, the Bitzee Hamster Ball, builds on this concept by introducing a new form factor and fresh interactive possibilities.
The Bitzee Hamster Ball is housed in a transparent plastic sphere that sits on a sturdy base and marks a clear departure from the original pod design by replacing the purple casing with a luminous orb that invites users to roll the ball and manipulate the digital hamster inside through real-world motion linking the on-screen actions directly to the toy’s movement in three-dimensional space.
Consider it the next-generation of Bitzee!
Gallery (Unboxing)
Well packed from Spin Master, our kids really enjoyed unpacking the Bitzee Hamster Ball and as they already owned the original, this larger incarnation really built the excitement!
It also comes with everything you need to start your new Bitzee experience, including infographic instructions to help master this new 3D toy.
Play revolves around nurturing a single baby hamster that the user must feed, pet and exercise by rolling, tilting and shaking the ball helping it to grow through three distinct life stages from baby to teen and finally to Super Bitzee while unlocking a total of twenty themed hamster friends each endowed with unique abilities as well as accessing five mini-games that add further variety to the experience.
A defining feature of the Hamster Ball is its motion-sensitive control scheme as each physical gesture triggers a corresponding digital reaction so that rolling the sphere feeds or exercises the hamster, tilting it enables it to interact with its environment and even ambient sounds elicit responses that bring the virtual pet to life although the volume defaults to a high setting with no immediate on-unit control which may prove distracting until the instructions are consulted. Changing the volume is done via the menu which is a little convoluted.
The screen-free design and engaging rolling mechanic make the Bitzee Hamster Ball an appealing choice for parents seeking to limit their child’s screen time while still offering a fun and hands-on play pattern and the collectability of twenty different hamsters provides a compelling long-term goal resulting in strong replay value though the loud default volume with no quick way to adjust it can be jarring and some players may find the core gameplay loop becomes repetitive despite the variety of characters and mini-games. Compared to the previous model, the orb display is not as sharp but thankfully this was a moot point for our kids, but they did mention it.
Last generation Bitzee vs next-generation Bitzee Hamster Wheel
Final Thoughts?
Ultimately the Bitzee Hamster Ball stands as a successful evolution of the original concept blending nostalgic digital pet care with a novel interactive twist and its clever spherical design not only defines the gameplay but also serves as a striking aesthetic statement making it a solid pick for a new generation of digital pet enthusiasts aged five and up. And our kids? They loved all the new Bitzee characters that they could collect and the new mini-games are truly fun that makes it a win on all levels.
Features
- Digital friends you can interact with: Bitzee Hamster Ball reacts to touch, movement & rolls with sounds & interactions. Find 20 friends to join your hero hamster on fun adventures. Includes 3 AA batteries.
- Interact & care: Feed your hero Bitzee hamster treats, pet them, exercise on the hamster wheel, give them a bath & so much more. Grows from baby to teen to Super Bitzee.
- Explore & unlock 20 hamsters: Roll to find treats, items & Bitzee friends with themes like baseball, chef, magician, spa & more. Each friend interacts & evolves with the hero hamster. Can you unlock them all?
- Customize & play games: Customize your hero hamster’s outfit, backdrop, pose & snap a pic – you can even scroll through its looks. Plus, collect the Super Bitzee friends & play 5 mini kids games.
- Must-have gifts for 5 year old girls & boys: Experience electronic pets collectibles like never before. Bitzee interactive toys for ages 5-7 & up are a screen-free alternative to a handheld game console or video games
