Xeno Koopies interactive toy review

We were recently asked if we'd like to review a brand new interactive toy called Koopies from Xeno & Friends. Do you recognise the dribbling bogies on the Xeno logo?

That was from the original Xeno interactive pets and Koopies are basically their equally cheeky and cute-disgusting little brothers ! Both the Xenos and Koopies can interact with each other, adding even more entertainment value if you already have one.

Koopies are smaller and rounder than the original Xenos which looked like baby monsters. The Madhouse kids were disappointed that the delightfully gruesome hanging bogie has gone, but they needn't have worried because the Koopie has other giggle-inducing grossness up its sleeves, such as burps and farts.

Koopies have a rubbery feel and they're very stretchy. They remind me a bit of stress toys so you can squash their faces or stretch their individual rubbery hairs to your heart's content. Be warned though - they also look like dog toys and the Madhouse pooches often come to investigate when the Koopie is jiggling about on the floor or making grumbling noises so we're very careful it doesn't turn into a very expensive doggie chew toy !

Koopies have just the right balance of cuteness and grumpiness. After all that face-pulling, don't be surprised if your Koopie bites your finger or makes his discontent known by grumbling ! They make over seventy different muttering sounds but most of them are totally incomprehensible - in this respect, they reminded us a bit of Furbies. They also have six touch sensors on their body, on their sides, mouth, ears and tail, allowing you to interact with them.

They are a bundle of emotions, interactions and surprises so the Madhouse kids have loved discovering their Koopie's personality. He can be a bit scary with his glow-in-the-dark eyes but will get scared if you shout at him. He can roll around on the floor, bounce from hand to hand, even move under his own steam by jiggling around. If you put on music, he might love it or hate it and he loves eating, but some things give him gas (from both ends !).

All three of the Madhouse kids think he's hilarious when he's bouncing around grumbing (or burping and farting !) so I'm sure this toy will be a big hit this Christmas. I'm not sure how much staying power it will have though to be honest, as the interactions do seem a bit limited, from an adult perspective. It is suitable for children aged 4+ and appeals to kids (and even most grown-ups !) of both sexes. It requires 3 x AAA batteries which aren't included, so make sure you stock up as they seem to drain very quickly. (We use rechargeable batteries luckily.)

If you want to find out more about Koopies, you can also download a free app to play additional games and explore Xeno Koopies' world.

star rating : 4/5

RRP : £39.99

Disclosure : We received the toy in order to write an honest review.