Spotted Online – JKM Talks Milton Bradley’s Star Bird
You want to see this post by JKM where he dives into the late seventies and brings back Milton Bradley’s Star Bird electronic spaceship toy. Not all of us had the Star Bird (or one of the variants) way back then, so the best we can do is enjoy these looks at the toys and wish that someone would produce awesome spaceships today.
Just imagine what someone like Hasbro or Mattel could do these days with an electronic spaceship toy. It would clearly have to include an app for my iPad so that I could do attack runs over the target. Woah. That actually makes me now ask:
Hey, Hasbro! When are you going to make an electronic X-Wing for your Star Wars line and launch an app so we can attack the Death Star? The app should flash up targets we have to attack by running around and swooping in and targeting the iPad. You need to include a sweet iPad stand in the box, and you need to get this made immediately!
Think of it as a modern take on the Captain Power (Wikipedia) gimmick with Star Bird-like sound effects and features. Yeah, go make that for us, Hasbro.
Related articles
- Hasbro is way cooler than Mattel (money.cnn.com)
- Milton Bradley’s Star Bird Commercial (battlegrip.com)
My dad got me the first Star Bird when I was 5 or 6, and I remember him explaining how I had to be very careful and responsible with it because it was really for much older kids. I think the box said it was for kids aged 9 and up. I had so many fun afternoons racing around the back yard with the Star Bird making its climbing and diving sounds, and blasting the whole world with its lasers. It’s one of my favorite toys ever.
@rosewater – You’ve no idea how amazing it is that you share the story about your dad giving you a toy that was designed for older children. I just finished reading Toyland on the flight yesterday and the section on child safety goes into exactly that sort of behavior.
“Adults buying toys usually assume that the age label on a package is there to assist them by suggesting an appropriate age span for the child with average intelligence or dexterity.”
It’s a great chapter in the book, but that quote is not the entire story behind age grading. A lot of age grading of toys and games is more than just is the kid bright enough to properly use the toy. The book also adds:
“They have no idea that the label is a ‘warning’ that the toy is considered hazardous to younger children.”
Of course none of this has anything to do with Star Bird, but the timing of your comment aligned so nicely with my reading is sparked me to post this.
Yeah, I had the Intruder as a kid and it was a real wonder. I’ll have to track one down again someday…
Ironically I picked it up as a replacement for being unable to pick up a Space Hawk before they disappeared from the local TRU…
http://rockettubes.livejournal.com/69003.html
(the Space Hawk is decidedly inferior electronically, and a really obvious Battlestar Galactica Viper KO, but was huge and could seat a 3 3/4″ figure…)
@microbry – That Space Hawk looks great! I’m definitely pulling that and sharing outside of the comments; more people need to see that toy.