XP-4 SPY PEN would be really great if you were trying to spy on your parents in the backyard. This pen definitely doesn't qualify as a regular old pen, whose only use is writing. But, of course, this pen does write. SPY PEN is a cool gadget that has all sorts of non-ordinary pen things like a motion detector, a flashlight, a magnifying glass, a miniature telescope, a light redirector, and an awesome case to store it all in.

When the pen is stored in its little spot in the side of the silver case, it is an ordinary pen. All it does is write. But when the case is opened, it exposes all sorts of fun things.

One thing that comes with the XP-4 SPY PEN is the flashlight. On the top of the pen, there is a little blue cover for the outlet inside it. If you take the cover off, you can plug in the flashlight. There are batteries inside the pen, and that is where the power comes from. On top of the flashlight, you can put a little green thing that directs the light down, so you can write in the dark.

Another feature is a motion detector that can be plugged on to the end and can be set at the edge of a doorway to tell you when someone is entering or leaving the room. The drawback of this gadget is that it has to be a well-lit room for it to run. So, you can't use it at night to tell you when your twerpy little sibling is trying to disturb you. It is kind of fun to mess with and at least you can use it with your best friend during the day, especially if you have a whole lot of brothers and sisters that drive you nuts!

Last, but certainly not least, are the magnifying glass and the telescope. On the side of the pen are small ridges that you snap a green piece on and at the end of the pen you put on another green thing to look through. If you turn the piece on the ridges it comes into focus, and if you turn it around, it either magnifies what you are looking at or lets you see farther away.

When you are done playing {or spying} with your pen, all of the gadgets fit inside a silver case with the pen stored on the side.
The XP-4 SPY PEN is a great toy and really fun to play with. There are things that don't work so well on it though, such as, the motion detector doesn't work in the dark and the flashlight doesn't give off much light. I would definitely recommend it, though, because it is cool. I would suggest this toy mostly to kids 5 and up, because it's really no fun to play with when you're younger. The XP-4 SPY PEN is a cool toy, so be sure to get it soon {hint, hint, Mom and Dad}. (December, 2001)