Neopets: Voice-Activated Pet - Kacheek Toy Review

Toy Review: NeoPets: Voice-Activated Pet - Kacheek, Mynci, and Uni

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Any child who has spent some time in the Neopets community at Neopets.com will love holding a replica of the virtual pets in their hands! A new line of voice-activated pets have arrived, and they're really quite adorable. Each pet is approximately 4 inches high, colorful, and responds to voices with lights, sound, and movement. Although they are all similar, each character has unique responses.

We took a look at Kacheek (pictured above), Uni, and Mynci. The Kacheek toy features wiggling ears, light-up cheeks, and plenty of giggles and laughs. Mynci also has wiggling ears and light-up cheeks and his head nods too. Uni the unicorn's wings flap (faster when they are happy) and its horn and mane flash with light.

Each character has three possible moods, depending on how they are treated--happy, content, and not-so-happy. It will respond either with a press of their "talk" button on their tummy or in reaction to a child's voice. Consecutive loud sounds will make them a little grumpy, but if you speak in soothing tones, they'll get back into a happy or content mood. You know when your pet is not-so-happy because, in the case of Mynci and Kacheek, their cheeks glow instead of flash and they make complaining sounds. Uni also complains, and its wings flap more slowly as its horn and mane glow.

Their microphones are hidden in their foreheads, but we found the toys to be very responsive (you don't need to speak directly into the microphone). The toys "know" if you pick them up or put them down, and they go into battery-saving "sleep" mode when they're left alone for a few moments. They also have a switch at the back. Two NeoPets placed facing each other will "talk" to each other, and happy Neopets will hum a fun little tune.

These toys come with demo batteries, so you're likely to need to replace the batteries at some point (Duracell 'N' batteries are recommended). They come attached to platforms that require the use of a screwdriver to dismantle!

We fully enjoyed these toys. They will be recognizable to any Neopets fans, but they are adorable enough little creatures to be enjoyed by pretty much any young child. Voice-activated Neopets are far from demanding "pets", so parents need not worry about young kids becoming anxious about tending to these toys. They are really quite happy, in general, and Neopets fans (especially younger ones) will enjoy their little companions.

Also available: Neo Pets Kougra (orange), Neo Pets Scorchio (orange), and Neo Pets Shoyru (purple) (pictured at right).