DJ Furby Elongates the Classic Toy With a Literal Glow Up

3 weeks ago 3

Hasbro is launching a new type of Furby Tuesday, with an elongated design that makes it part cat, part worm and part DJ. The $70 DJ Furby is three times the size of a standard Furby, and the creature's body includes a light display along its body that can be used for various games.

After unboxing the DJ Furby, it was immediately obvious to me that the wormlike body emphasizes the animatronic toy's resemblance to a cat more than ever. It can easily sit around my shoulder, and it looks like a pet when I set it on a couch at CNET's New York office. DJ Furby has more than a passing resemblance to the "long Furby," which are fan-made creations that place a standard Furby into an elongated body. When I asked Hasbro if the DJ Furby drew inspiration from these, the company noted that they knew a portion of the Furby fanbase would appreciate the look.

"DJ Furby is a great addition to the Furby family, and we are excited about the innovation and creative play we've brought to this product. We are always listening to our fans, and we know that they will be excited about the new design as well," Hasbro said in a comment.

Much like the standard Furby, the DJ Furby is a chatterbox that immediately gets talking once you load its hidden battery box with four AA batteries, which require a Philips head screwdriver to install. The DJ Furby has colorful lights all over its body, with the most located along its stomach, for a variety of games.

Given my past experiences playing with cats, being invited by this catlike creature to play with its stomach almost gave me pause. Real cats typically don't like to have their stomachs touched. But in the case of DJ Furby, I flipped it onto its back in order to play a Simon-like memory game, pressing colors in the order they appear. The DJ Furby has a total of 20 games, and it'll constantly offer activities while telling jokes for as long as you give it attention. As per the name, the DJ Furby also allows for kids to create custom music, and the creature's lights will sync to the beat of the music.

While DJ Furby doesn't have an "off" switch, it does get sleepy and becomes quiet if you leave it alone for about 90 seconds. The "review unit" I was provided for this DJ Furby was the Rainbow edition, which launches alongside a checkered Neon Star edition. There are also smaller DJ Furblets that cost $13 each, which have a similar catlike body but come in a more travel-friendly size.

The DJ Furby and DJ Furblets are available for preorder Tuesday, and officially go on sale July 15.

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