Have you heard of Gogo’s Crazy Bones? If not, and you have school-aged kids, I suspect you’ll know all about Mosh, Hiraku, B-Boy and hundreds of other characters before too long. Although they’ve been around since the ’90s (310 million have been sold worldwide) Gogo’s are currently being re-launched across North America.
What, exactly are Gogo’s? First of all, they are “Gogo’s,” not “Gogos.” Sorry, but had to get that out of the way for my editors. Now that we know how to spell the name, let’s get on to what Gogo’s actually are.
Ichiro MW from the Most Wanted Gogo's (screen capture from www.gogos-crazybones.com)
There really are four things you need to know to understand the concept:
- Gogo’s are small plastic collectible figures, with hundreds of different characters in all (100 in the first series, with each available in multiple color variations). We all know how kids like to collect sets and Gogo’s oblige with multiple series of characters (Series 1: The Originals is currently available with Series 2: Evolution, Series 3: Explorer, Series 4: Power and Series 5: Superstars, all on their way). Besides the regular characters, there are rarer pieces, divided into “Wanted Gogo’s” and “Most Wanted Gogo’s.” There are also limited edition characters, such as the Gold Series. Gogo’s were named the “Collectible Toy of the Year” by the 2009 British Toy and Hobby Association (BHTA). There are also stickers and sticker collector books.
- Each character has its own stats and abilities. For example, Irchiro MW from the screen capture above (one of the “Most Wanted Gogo’s”) has the ability of “Dagger Eyes,” has a favorite game of bowling and carries the description: “Don’t stare into his eyes. You’ll be overcome by his great mental power.” Among the stats are several key ones that affect play based on the design characteristics of the figure —its Speed, Balance and Bounce likelihood.
- The Crazy Bones bit comes into play in how the Gogo’s are played with. Inspired by an ancient Greek game called Knucklebones, the gaming aspect of Gogo’s Crazy Bones is largely focused around throwing the Gogo’s. Think jacks, but throw in variations like Bowling, Battle and KO; the basic mechanics are tossing the little plastic guys around and scoring based on how they land or what they take out. Strategy comes into play thanks to those Speed, Balance and Bounce stats which will affect how one of the figures will physically behave (e.g., it may be top heavy or very light).
- There is an online component in the form of Club Gogo’s.
As part of the North American re-launch, one million Gogo’s are being given away (including five thousand limited edition pieces complete with official certification). The web site is hosting a slew of contests and giveaways including a “Win a day with Bailee Madison” contest (Bailee Madison being an actress best known for her role in the film adaptation of Bridge to Terabithia).
Speaking from personal experience, the collectible aspect of the Gogo’s is pretty strong. The originals from way back were monochromatic plastic, and the new versions are more detailed and include paint jobs that make them much more visually attractive. Basically, if your kids like Pokemon, there’s a pretty good chance they’re in the Gogo’s demographic. The gaming aspect may appeal to some kids more than others. I think my kids are more interested in the collectibility angle than the gaming but that suits me just fine — I have no wish to step on one of these in the dark. Parents should note that Gogo’s are quite small, so even though there are no moving pieces or removable parts, they shouldn’t be given to very young children. Gogo’s are pretty inexpensive and are available in a wide range of options, including three-packs, five-packs and tins. They’re available at most retailers, including Walmart, Toys R Us and Target. You can pick up a three-pack for $3.99 on Amazon.
Gogo's 3-Pack. Image from JDNA.
If you want to check out Gogo’s Crazy Bones for yourself, JDNA gave us a nice Gogo’s collection to prize up a GeekDad reader. Simply leave a comment below and I’ll pick one at random to receive some Gogo’s swag, including a Limited Edition Collector’s tin complete with 10 exclusive Gogo’s. Contest closes at 5pm Pacific Time today (Monday, March 28) and the winner’s shipping address must be in North America.
Update: Thanks to everyone who left a comment. Merb101 will be receiving the Gogo’s gift pack. Congrats!
Disclosure: A sample of Gogo’s were provided to GeekDad for review and giveaway purposes.
