As an aficionado of VTech’s Switch & Go Dinos line, as well as a fan of R/C toys in particular, I was very interested in trying out one of the company’s larger creations. Suffice it to say, as enjoyable as the comparatively diminutive (and less battery-powered) Fray the Ankylosaurus and Turbo the T-Rex Launcher were, the Switch & Go Dinos Turbo–Bronco the RC Triceratops brings a whole different dimension of fun for kids ages 3 to 8—that is, provided your idea of fun is racing a dinosaur around. In my case, it is.
Bronco has two modes, and as you might guess, one of them is the classic, three-pronged Triceratops horridus, while the other is a sleek, sports car-looking vehicle. Both handle well using the included remote control: When putting Bronco through its paces as a car, he responded well to sudden requests to turn and accelerate. Mastering the buttons for the Turbo Boost took a moment; however, the end result was a discernible surge in power and speed. In triceratops mode, meanwhile, Bronco was slightly less maneuverable, but still impressive, especially given the dinosaur species’ reputation for being clumsy and lumbering.
With the remote control, kids can make Bronco emit engine-revving noises, as well as say phrases that include educational facts about the triceratops. He also has a pixilated display behind the vehicle’s windshield, which in dinosaur mode projects a pair of cartoonish eyes. Small touches like these give this transformable ride/robot animal personality, but in my opinion, the best aspect of Bronco the RC Triceratops is the transforming feature itself, which naturally, can also be controlled by the remote.
I showed Bronco off to someone who wasn’t expecting it, and their jaw dropped as I pressed the fateful button that caused it to dramatically shapeshift. The bottom line: If this were just an R/C vehicle, VTech would already have a fun toy. Instead, here’s a fun toy that’s also a dinosaur. What more could anyone ask for?
