Bop It! XT

What is Bop It! XT?

Bop It! XT is the newest member of the Bop It! game line. Reviewers say Bop It! XT is a fun, frantic and frustrating way for players ages 8 and up to test their reflexes. Bop It! XT features a series of colorful knobs, handles, and buttons that each perform a specific action. A computerized voice shouts out a random series of active commands, like "pull it," "twist it," and "shake it," and players must act quickly to perform each activity before time runs out. Bop It! XT offers a variety of play modes, so you can play solo, with a partner, or with a whole group of people. It also offers four different difficulty levels that are unlocked the further you progress. One of the more ingenious features of Bop It! XT is a headphone jack, so solo players can play without disturbing others, making it a useful distraction for kids on long road trips.

What players think

Bop It! has been a popular game with both kids and adults for years, and reviews indicate that Bop It! XT is no exception. Many parents who bought the game for their children say they themselves have trouble putting it down. As one user posting to Amazon.com says, "When I took it out of the box, the adults were practically fighting for their turn to play."

The addition of the headphone jack also scores points with parents. "No more being annoyed by the sounds of commands heard over, and over, and over again," says another Amazon.com reviewer.

Its various play modes make it ideal for any number of people to play together, and fans of the original Bop It! game say they like the new challenges that Bop It! XT offers. A few dislike the sarcastic comments the game makes when you lose ("You can give a game a personality without it being like salt on an open wound," says one user), but others find them funny and feel that they add to the game's entertainment value ("It's all in a happy upbeat cute, non-annoying or non-tiresome tone, I love it!" writes another owner). Some reviewers find that the game isn't always responsive to the "shake it" command, but they go on to say that there's an option to remove that command from the rotation.

The bottom line

Bop It! XT may be marketed toward kids, but it's clear from reading reviews that adults get just as much (if not more) enjoyment out of it. It's a great game for families to play together, especially as it requires no set-up and there are no small pieces to go missing. A few quibbles aside, most owner feedback suggests that Bop It! XT will keep players coming back time after time.