Make sure your balls aren't crushed! (Harry's Levitating Challenge)

Member Name: Daisy

Product:	Harry's Levitating Challenge
Date:	04/01/02 (159 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: good clean fun!

Disadvantages: Price, can be tricky for younger kids

My seven-year-old daughter received this game for Christmas from her grandparents. The object of the game is to move a levitating ball around a circuit of obstacles against the clock. The game consists of a central playing platform onto which obstacles are added. There are up to 200 different courses possible depending on the arrangement of the obstacles on the platform. A jet of air is blown up out of the central playing platform, which ?magically? supports a small polystyrene ball (the sort of thing you see in science museums and Tomorrows World programs usually using a Hoover and ping pong ball). The intensity of the jet of air can be controlled via a lever, making the ball rise or fall to pass through the obstacles and the ball is moved around the board in a big circle by turning a large knob on the front of the platform.

When you start a particular challenge an electronic voice gives advice and also starts a timer going. At the end of the challenge your time is spoken to you and you are given a grading as to how well you have done. The voice is a little odd and can be off-putting at times.

In practice the ball is very difficult to control with any degree of accuracy and my daughter found it almost impossible to complete even the most simple of challenges without loosing the ball at least once. The game is however aimed at age 8 upwards and my spouse did enjoy trying out the challenges ? probably a very good game of skill for adults to try at parties! You are supplied with six balls in the game - some are perfectly spherical and are easier to control (top tip for you!) than the others which may have been crushed in transit. Harry's balls are, however, easy to massage back into shape! The game takes 3 type ?C? batteries.

The price tag is a bit prohibitive in my view. In the UK the game retails for £39.99, the grandparents however bought it in Florida from retail giant Wal-Mart for $12. Why the massive difference ?perhaps the Brits a
re more taken with HP than the yanks and are prepared to pay through the nose for the latest themed merchandise!

Summary: