Star Wars - Lightsaber Academy Interactive Battle Lightsaber - Multi

The Lightsaber Academy interactive Battle Lightsaber is a toy my kids have loved so far. It's a pretty simple idea, and really easy to set up. After that I am clueless on how the technology works, but it is very cool. You need 3 "AAA" batteries (not included) and a phone or tablet to download the 'interactive' part. I suggest an iPad, if possible, simply because that's the easiest to see, especially for children. I would suggest to download the app first. Then, while the app is downloading you'll want to install the batteries. Start the app, then 'pair' it with the lightsaber (push and hold a button on the saber itself--it took maybe 5 seconds to pair up) to get started. You'll have to 'tune' the lightsaber before use, which is very simple. From there you can choose from half-a-dozen recognizable Star wars characters, and a few extra characters if you scan the QR code on the instructions. The game itself is fairly challenging (starting off pretty slow then gradually getting harder). There are single player and 'head-to-head" choices. For single player the game will have you match stances, then motions, then a 'fruit ninja' style portion of the game against floating droids. Head-to-head are basically the same challenges but you're scored against another jedi trainee, using either their own lightsaber or trading off with the same one. They get points in the form of crystals for completing tasks correctly, which unlocks things farther into the game. There are a lot of cool details included with this. There is a 'crystal' (as Star Wars nerds like myself know this is an important part of building a lightsaber) that you can press that changes colors--and the color of the lightsaber--depending on which master you're learning from: Luke is blue, Yoda is green, Kylo Ren and Darth Vader are red, etc. It also makes the lightsaber noises when you swirl it around or do cool things in the game. The only frustrations we've run into are small. The instructions don't give a clear way to turn the saber off (figured out it's holding down the pairing button) so that was a little annoying to try to figure out. The biggest frustration for my kids is not getting an explanation on what they've done wrong when trying to play. They'll try to 'match' a stance on the screen, appear to have done it right, only to get a score of "0" with no real indication as to why. It's been a minor frustration for them, but it hasn't kept them from wanting to play. The app works pretty well most of the time, but things like that could be improved with a clear explanation of both what they need to do to get a good score, and what they've done wrong when they don't get a good score. Also, you should obviously make sure anyone playing is in a pretty clear area, as there are some pretty wide swings required by the game sometimes. Overall this is a pretty inexpensive toy that has the look and sound of a light-saber, and gives a fun way to feel like you're really doing something with it instead of just swinging it around. For such a small price this is easily a winner of a gift for Star Wars fans!

Ok, so even coming from minor Star Wars fans(we like them but are not crazy about them) we absolutely LOVED this toy! So clever how it comes with an app that has training missions, games, and you can even connect with other friends who also have it! It comes with sound effects, voices from the characters, and it flashes and makes more sounds when you wave it around in the air. My son turned it onto the green setting and we heard Yoda voice say “do, or do not, there is no try.” Sooo cool. Also, we accidentally tapped it against the wall and the saber flashed whitened made all these sounds — I LOVE how interactive it is! My only negative was something small: it does 3 AAA batteries that are NOT included and you need a tiny Phillips screwdriver to install them (I HATE HATE having to find these!) Other than that, this is such a cool toy and really really good for the price. I would have expected a toy with an app and all these features to cost more, but no complaints here!

So far my son is enjoying it. The only issue that took me a while to figure was the batteries need to be pressed down with something, I used a piece of cardboard. If you don't press down the batteries, they come loose and the saber won't turn on intermittently and it could be annoying.

Lightsaber is robust and full of different ways to play. Connection to the app was easy and allowed for a significant number of new lightsaber colors and Jedi to train with. My 6 year old finds the training part of the app a little difficult, so I would reserve that for older kids (or grown up kids). Overall totally worth the cost and a unique star wars lightsaber experience.

The Star Wars Lightsaber Academy Interactive Lightsaber is just a really fun toy. I really wish I had this thing when I was 10 years old. From the moment you get going, you select who you want to train under such as Luke Skywalker, Yoda, Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, and others. Then the masters of the force will help you perfect your craft by showing you various moves. Once they show you, you have to demonstrate your ability to execute these moves. It is awesome. The lightsaber assembly is all that really comes in the packaging. The lightsaber does require 3 AAA batteries which are not included. You will also need a small Philips-head screwdriver to open the battery case. You will also need some type of smart device such as an iPhone of iPad to operate it. I was a little worried about playing this on an iPhone due to the size of the screen, but it still works out really well so I don't think you will have any problems. The lightsaber in some ways resembles other simpler toy lightsabers. The actual end is telescoping so it retracts when not in use. The end will light up in red, green, or blue depending on which Jedi you train under. The lightsaber also has accelerometers, gyroscopes, and a barometer so it is able to track you moves. The lightsaber even makes cool sounds as you move it. The Bluetooth connectivity to the smart device was quick and easy. Additionally the in-app calibration of the lightsaber only takes a few seconds,. As mentioned, there is a companion app which goes with this system. The app should be free to download. Once in, the app guides you through a few steps to get up and running and then you are off. Jedis will show you moves and then test you on how well you can mimic the movement. Then there are interactive games which you can do to increase your power with the force. The game is set up for one or two player action. So if someone else has a lightsaber, you can even have battles between people. Kids should have no problems using this system. The in-app controls are simple and most actions can be controlled by motions or by pressing buttons on the lightsaber. The biggest thing is to make sure whoever is using this has enough room. There are some motions that require the person to put the lightsaber over there head and also some swinging from side to side. You just want to make sure not to hit a fan, something on the wall, or another person. This really is a fun toy for the Star Wars universe. It can be a little addictive though trying to level up and do all the moves. It really is hard to put down. I would recommend this to a friend.

This item arrived early and was as described. I got this to be a part of my 4yo sons Halloween costume and he hasn't put it down for the last 2 weeks. It eats one set of batteries a week. Its not bad given how much it gets used but i would recommend the higher quality batteries for a better experience. It is a really cool toy, my son loves his... i would also recommend buying them in pairs they are really fun to battle and compete with!

My daughter really likes this lightsaber so far. She’s barely tried the training part in the app, but it seems like that will be fun to go through every now and then, and try out training/competing with different characters. (The app tracks things like angle and swing, etc. Pretty neat.) I suspect she’ll honestly have more fun though simply being able to just play pretend with the lightsaber by itself. It lights up, makes noises and sounds, has a nice look to it, and is a great entryway into making a kid feel like they’re in the movies. I’m sure some adult collectors will gobble these up as well and probably will not be disappointed. I’m not able to compare it to what else is out there, but I think this will strike a good balance between being interactive with a screen, but not completely dependent upon it to have fun. Obviously, given the app experience, you might want to skip this one if you’re planning to give it as a gift to a child who doesn’t have access to a smartphone/tablet. Even then, be prepared to help them through the process as you’ll have to “tune” the lightsabers sensors, among other things, to get it up and fully running.

I bought 2, 1 didn't work and I returned it. The one that worked is really cool.