Hot Off the Shelves: Tyco R/C Terrain Twister

By Jonathan Berohn

For some reason, I happened to be watching Jingle All the Way the other day (a Christmas tale about Arnold Schwarzenegger—in his pre-governor days—trying to buy the hottest toy of the season for his kid on Christmas Eve). After surviving the shudder flashback it gave me about procuring a Tickle-me Elmo for my daughter, I smugly turned off the TV and went downstairs to do some early shopping for my son.  Little did I know what was coming.

An Innovation in Radio Controlled Toys

I have to hand it to Tyco.  They’ve really come up with something cool in the Terrain Twister.  It’s not just a radio-controlled car—it’s a radio-controlled turbo screw.  What this means is that it can go through or over just about anything, including snow and water.  The keys to this amazing mobility are the two screws that replace tires as the drive mechanism.  The Terrain Twister literally twists its way along.  Needless to say, my son had to have this thing as soon as he saw the commercial for it.

You Get What You Pay For

Obviously, the folks at Tyco know they’re onto something, and they price their wonder toy accordingly.  The cheapest I saw the thing anywhere is about $50.  And that doesn’t include the special battery pack you have to make the thing run.  That’s not the worst part, though. Finding one is next to impossible right now. You can sign up for waiting lists if you are so inclined. I haven’t had any luck finding one at a physical store near me.  You can, of course, over pay at eBay, but I’m not that desperate yet…Yet.