【Australia】

What if your friendly,Australia neighborhood Spider-Man could spend less time out fighting crime and more time at home with you?

That’s the concept behind Sphero’s latest Disney/Marvel Universe-inspired toy, the Spider-Man Interactive App-enabled Superhero. It's a tabletop companion that responds to your voice, tells stories, virtually joins you on missions, and can watch over your room.

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Even though he’s a superhero, this Spider-Man has a decidedly Funko-like figure (giant head, squat physique) and a rubberized body. Its stumpy arms are poseable, but he’s otherwise immobile. It is rechargeable so you can take it out on your own little Spider-Man-inspired adventures.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Inside, though, is an Android-based system, motion sensors, a speaker just below his Spider-Man logo button, microphones, and expressive LCD-based Spidey eyes.

The toy companion’s launch is timed to coincide with the release of the new Spider-Man: Homecomingmovie franchise reboot. Aside from the eyes and web-slinger gear on its wrist, though, the toy is wearing a classic Spider-Man costume.

Designed for a night table or desktop (he can be used as an alarm clock), Sphero's Spider-Man will spend most of its existence on its included charging base, waiting for you to press the Spider-Man logo on its chest. Once you do that, the logo lights up and microphones listen for key words and phrases, like “What’s the crime report?” "Let’s fight some bad guys,” “Make me laugh,” and “Tell me a story.” And Spider-Man has many tales to tell. Sphero packed it with over 100 comic books' worth of stories and adventures, and Spider-Man keeps track of what he’s told you and where in the action you left off. Sphero representatives told me the toy won’t be repeating itself.

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There’s also an associated app that lets you create your own superhero name and abilities and helps you keep track of which bad guys you’ve fought.

Inside the app, you choose your name from a two-part word wheel, where you make up combos like “Stealth Wolf” or “Ultimate Shark.” You get the same two-word choice system for your super power. During setup, I chose the name “Colossal King” and “Super Fists” as my super power. You can update your alias and powers at any time.

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Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

When I connected the app to Spider-Man (you just hold the phone near Spider-Man), he immediately used my name and asked me if I was royal by birth. He also noted my super power and said he wondered why my hands were big and red.

Put simply, this is a toy with intelligence.

You can pick it up and move it around and, because of the accelerometer, it will react. I turned Interactive Spider-Man upside down and it said. “Unhand me, you fiend,” and when I shook it, he said “Shake your super hero booty.”

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The Interactive Spider-Man never had trouble hearing me, even when I spoke softly, and I never had difficulty hearing or understanding the sound coming out of the single speaker in his belly. Volume is controlled via the app.

Spider-Man’s youthful voice is always accompanied by eye animations that make it look like he’s happy, sad, or amused.

There’s no camera, but Spider-Man can use its infrared motion sensor to detect movement, In sentry mode, which you activate by double-pressing the logo button and saying “Activate guard mode,” Spider-Man says things like, “Freeze, knucklehead, you’re not allowed in here.” You turn off this mode by telling Spider-Man to “Stand down.”

All this interaction and engagement might make you nervous, but Sphero spent a lot of time thinking about privacy. That’s why there isn’t a camera and Spider-Man isn’t always listening. You must press the Spider-Man logo button to turn on the microphone, and the logo is always lit when the toy is listening.

Sphero’s interactive Spider-Man is Wi-Fi connected, but only for content updates. Whatever you tell it is encrypted and, as soon as Spider-Man has completed the associated voice task, the data is, according to Sphero, discarded.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Spider-Man is also full of hidden Easter eggs. Every time you push its button, Spider-Man will respond, but if you keep pressing, he may threaten to reset. He even appears to do so, but it’s a ruse. Not sure if kids will find that entertaining or frustrating. I suggest shaking him a lot to see what happens.

In general, though, this could be the perfect companion for a Spider-Man-obsessed 8 year-old (or older) who wants wants to live the Spidey lifestyle with all the entertainment and activity value, but none of the real-world risks.

Sphero’s Interactive Spider-Man goes on sale Thursday for $149.

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