As most of you know, I currently own many yoyos, and have at one point or another owned almost every yoyo that's come out in the last few years. I've recently gotten a whole bunch of yoyos that I loved so much, that I felt I needed to review them. Taking a second look, I realized that there were too many yoyos to write full reviews for, so I've decided to do this instead. This will be a constantly updated thread, divided into three categories:
Love It!,
Decent,
...Meh, and
Don't Even Bother With This Crap...Seriously. I'll start this list off initially with just a few entries in
Love It! and perhaps one or two in
Don't Even Bother With This Crap...Seriously, since I don't really have the will to remember every single yoyo I've ever owned.
My plan to get the other entries is to simply have you guys post the name of a yoyo that you want my take on, and I'll throw it into one of the categories, perhaps with a blurb or two explaining my rating for it. Agree? Disagree? I don't care. This list is solely based on my point of view. Take from it what you will.
I'll also be adding any yoyos I get in the mail to this list right away.
USE CTRL+F (CMD+F FOR MAC USERS) TO QUICKLY LOCATE A YOYO!Love It!C3yoyodesign-Capsule 2 (Protytype): A performer. Has a thinner "Gleipnir" shape and tons of rim weight, so it's super duper stable. Easily mistakable for YYR.
C3yoyodesign-Halo: Smoothest, best-playing delrin ever made. Though, the bearing seat on mine was TIIIIIIGHT. Not even Nick's (Calibuddha) BRuTe v2 could get the bearing off.
C3yoyodesign-Master Galaxy (Prototype): Screw the Monster, forget the Superwide, this is where it's at. Comfortable and DEAD smooth. Smoothest yoyo I own right now. And the wideness doesn't get in the play at all. A current favorite, right up there with the Blink!
C3yoyodesign-Trident: Looks stunning, quick, light, solid, excellent for horizontal, and very very very smooth.
C3yoyodesign-Darkstar: Very smooth, tight binds, solid and excellent for horizontal. The blasted ones have the best beadblast you'll ever encounter, and I mean that.
C3yoyodesign-Winning Bird: Incredibly solid. Great performance, as expected from a C3.
C3yoyodesign-H5: Don't be fooled by the size or weight, because this is no novelty. Longest spins ever, dead smooth. Great graphics, too.
CLYW-Peak: Aside from being a collectors item, the Peak is actually an incredibly fun and functional yoyo. The weight is good, the finish is nice, and the color options are more than I can count.
CLYW-Chief: Dare I say on par with YYR? It's really good. Much bigger than I expected, though.
CLYW-Canvas: Looks sweet, thin enough to put in your pocket, awesome binds. Best CLYW thus far, IMO.
CLYW-Sasquatch: Very smooth, very stable and spins for hella long. Looks great, too.
HSpin-Pyro III: Best HSpin ever. Great look, up-to-date play.
ILYY-Torino: Best ILYY ever made. Especially if you can get your hands on that green candodized version. So smexy, and with a modern shape to boot!
ILYY-Fury: Smooth, sexy, and solid.
OneDrop-Project 2: Takes the winning looks of the OG Project and makes it 10x more playable. With solid performance and a beautiful design concept, what's not to love?
OneDrop-M1: It's not stable, and it's not competition worthy. Still, there's something about this yoyo that makes me like it. It's incredibly smooth and fun.
OneDrop-54: So smooth, and has this awesome sound. The weight is really nice too, enough to bump it up to the top even though the shape can't really handle anything too extreme.
OneDrop/CLYW-Wooly Markmont: Takes the best aspects of both the Wooly Marmot and the Markmont Next and combines them to form something better than either counterpart. Amazing look, awesome finish, good grinds, smooth, long spin, nice sound. I really dig it.
SPYY-Addiction (v2): Really smooth yoyo, with a great feel to it. Comfortable to hold, excellent finish, light weight, and just really fun overall.
SPYY-Supra:
http://www.yoyonation.com/talk/index.php/topic,90516.0.htmlSPYY-Pro: Despite what I wrote before in the Supra review, this is currently my favorite SPYY. Great shape, super smooth, and just really satisfying to play with. The Green and Pink ones are fugly, though.
Turning Point-Maxbet:This thing is my current fave. Super strong spins, great for horizontal, mega-stable, tight binds. Japanese manufacturing at its finest.
Turning Point-Positron: A lighter, sharper take on the Maxbet. Amazing binds, looks awesome, handles anything you can throw at it.
Turning Point-Solenoid: So, when I first got it I thought it didn't spin for long enough, especially since I was comparing it to my Positron. After I messed around with it for a bit, I realized that the bearing was the culprit. I swapped out the CT for a KK, and bam-smooth, stable, and hella good play.
Werrd-Irony GBA: A very good yoyo, especially with a KK. Incredibly smooth, super stable, and the hardcoat one looks killer.
YoYoFactory-Avant Garde: So awesome. Plays very well, stable and solid (kinda like a Genesis, but not really). The shape looks killer, and the 44Clash version that I have is the absolute stones.
YoYoFactory-Catch-22: Plays perfectly and looks great. The only downside is that it's rare and expensive as f---.
YoYoFactory-Protostar: Dead smooth plastic that looks cool and makes a nice sound, all for only $35. Everybody should have one.
YoYoFactory-Superstar: I love the weight, shape, and that...Superstar feeling? I don't know how to describe it, there's just something about Superstars that makes me love playing with them...
YoYoFactory-Supernova: YYF's best looking yoyo yet. Good shape, gorgeous splashes, and solid, smooth play.
YoYoFactory-Genesis: Solid, stable, readily available in great colors, excellent for horizontal, and the list goes on. A staple of modern yoyoing.
YoYoFactory-Yuuksta:
http://www.yoyonation.com/talk/index.php?topic=86438.20YoyoFactory-MVP: I absolutely hate the shape, but I've fallen in love with the way it plays.
YoYoFactory-Catalyst: Stable, rim-weighted, pleasing sound when you throw it. The graphics are cool, too!
YoYoFactory-DNA: Big, floaty, smooth, and very fun.
YoYoJam-Phenomizm: One of my favorite plastics. The design is cool (metal rings in the middle), the caps are my favorite out of any YYJ ever made, and it plays really well. Handles horizontal amazingly, and it even comes with a real Dif-E-Yo KK! At $65, it's a solid buy.
YoYoJoker-Luminous: One of the best looking yoyos ever made, and it plays awesomely to boot.
yoyorecreation-Stardust2: A true and worth successor to the original Stardust. It's a bit lighter, thanks to the shrunken hub. Otherwise, it's similar to the original, and still every bit as smooth, now with the beautiful aesthetics of the newer YYRs. Also uses the same pad size as the original Stardust, though there's not really a noticeable effect.
yoyorecreation-CLASHcube: It's not a really wide yoyo, as a picture may suggest. It's actually just a really small yoyo with a disproportionate ratio of diameter to width, being 44x44 (hence the "cube"). Even so, it performs very well. Stable, smooth, and nimble. THE yoyo for chopsticks tricks.
yoyorecreation-Sleipnir: Light and fast, yet stable. Excellent for horizontal.
yoyorecreation-Stargazer (v2): Light and fast, yet stable. Excellent for horizontal. What distinguishes it from the Sleipnir is its more moderate size. It's also slightly more solid-feeling than the Sleipnir.
yoyorecreation-e=mc^2: Solid and stable, but not as heavy as the weight might suggest. It moves deliberately. A tuned one is awesome.
yoyorecreation-Dreadnought: Big, smooth, and stable. Plays lighter than it looks. One of the best yoyos for doing Eli Hop variations.
yoyorecreation-Acrophobia: A relatively wide yoyo, but light and easy to maneuver. Has a unique sound to it. Tight binds, great for horizontal.
yoyorecreation-CLASH (2011): Same dimensions as its predecessor, but is a bit lighter. Still by no means a light yoyo like the Sleipnir, as this thing still has quite a powerful spin, just moves a bit faster than the old version.
yoyorecreation-CLASH (2010): Thinner than most YYRs while having a larger diameter, identical to that of the Overdrive. Spins powerfully and moves deliberately. The green beadblasted version looks especially nice.
yoyorecreation-Overdrive: Big, light, fast, yet stable. Excels at horizontal and behind the back.
yoyorecreation-Messiah: Best undersized yoyo, bar none. Solid yet quick, this baby can do anything.
yoyorecreation-Gleipnir: Solid, light, stable, awesome yoyo.
yoyorecreation-Blink: Light, quick, easy to maneuver, one of my top YYRs right now.
yoyorecreation-DreadnoughtG: Not quite as big as the H5, and it plays lighter too. Still, this thing's a tank. On the hefty side, but you can easily pull off whatever you want to with it and have enough spin left to do it 4 more times.
yoyo(44:)recreation-Stardust (v2): So smooth, such a good weight and feel to it, and beautiful. It plays just as well as the newer YYRs.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DecentAnti-Yo-YWET: Terrible finish, terrible response, cuts string, outdated shape, giant letdown. Still, it's dead smooth and looks cool, especially with side effects. It's hard not to like any yoyo with side effects. Definitely not worth the hype, though.
CLYW-Avalanche: It's like a lighter Sasquatch, but with a vibe. It's tiny, but enough to knock it down one category.
CLYW-Bear Vs. Man: I hated this yoyo for a long time, but started playing with them lately, and realized that they're actually really fun yoyos.
CLYW-Gnarwhal: I've had some super smooth ones, and others with a vibe. Not a bad yoyo by any means, but kinda average.
Crucial-Confection: Uncomfortable (and somewhat impractical) shape, but it plays well and has really vibrant colors.
General-Yo-5Star (v2): Kinda ugly, but played very well and smooth.
ILYY-Falcon: Gorgeous yoyo, but for some reason it felt weird on a bind...maybe it's just me.
ILYY-Lio: One of ILYY's best yoyos, but it doesn't excite me as much as it used to. Once upon a time, though, I absolutely adored it. I debated between categorizing this in "Decent" or "Love It!".
Jazz-Yo-Regulus: I loved this yoyo so much when I first got it. Amazing color and finish, neat design (especially the star hubs), and a modern shape (similar to the Positron). Plays smooth, solid, and stable, but I just got...bored of it. And the binds were kinda slippy.
OneDrop-Dietz: Sweet shape, but other than that has little aesthetic appeal. Plays amazing, but mine had a tiny vibe. I'm sure its tuneable, but it doesn't look good enough for me to want to invest any time in doing so. Definitely one of my top two for OneDrop.
OneDrop-Markmont Next: Looks way uglier than the OG Markmont, but plays smoother and is overall, still a decent looking yoyo and a good yoyo.
SPYY-Solaris: Solid offering from SPYY, but looks rather plain and feels...cheapish?
Turning Point-Leviathan (v1): A good yoyo, but I'm not a fan of pad response or overly tight bearing seats.
VSNYYC-Flying Hut (Prototype): Boring shape, but plays pretty well. Very smooth when tuned.
VSNYYC-Skywalker: I really really dislike VSNYYC's aesthetics, and that's whats keeping anything from them from being in the top tier. They play incredibly well, though, and the Skywalker is no exception. Not too heavy, not too light, not too floaty, not too solid. Just right.
VSNYYC-Septopus: Plays incredibly, but the shape is too much of a turnoff.
Werrd-4XL: Fun, especially the grooved ones. Not as fun as a DNA though.
Werrd-Irony: An excellent player, but way too plain looking.
YoYoFactory-DV888: Smooth and solid play for a super low pricepoint.
YoYoFactory-Skyline: Great feel, but not enough spin.
YoYoFactory-VK: One of the best small-bearing yoyos out there. SUPER tight binds.
YoYoFactory-Mutant DNA: Without a doubt, a quality yoyo, one of YYF's finest. I liked the regular DNA more, though.
YoYoFactory-Severe ('09): Fugly yoyo, but its actually incredibly fun. I love the sound it makes with caps.
YoYoFactory-888 ('07, '08, '09): Smooth, good weight, and quite fun.
YoYoFactory-Northstar: Haven't played one that didn't vibe, even out of the box. Still, they have a really good feel to them. Nice sound, good weight, tight binds.
yoyo(44:)recreation-Stardust (v1): Pretty much like the v2 with a bit more vibe, and different color offerings.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
...Meh3YO3-Bassline: In terms of smoothness, I don't really see what sets it apart form other yoyos in this regard, though, despite the many claims that this is one of the "smoothest yoyos ever". It's still quite smooth, but I can think of plenty of yoyos that are just as smooth, if not smoother, such as my Master Galaxy proto. That aside, this one is just too fugly for me to enjoy, and the shape is really boring as well.
Anti-Yo-Eetsit: I absolutely dig the look, but it still sucks. The only thing keeping this from being in the bottom category is that I had one that was not only mint but also tuned to perfection, and didn't have any slippage. The other 3 sucked completely, though.
CLYW-Wooly Marmot: Looks better than it plays. Newer runs are very smooth, but they just don't spin for nearly long enough.
Duncan-Freehand Zero (Silicone Recessed): A classic, but no more. Outdated shape, doesn't spin for nearly long enough. It's still something everyone should try, though.
ILYY-Wasabi ('08): Super shiny and awesome look, but both of mine had a vibe that I couldn't deal with. The weight was nice, though.
OneDrop-Project (OG): Great look, but an incredibly awkward weight that doesn't spin for long enough. Bad, outdated response as well.
OneDrop-Sovereign: Shape is waaay outdated. Started out dead smooth, but got less smooth each time I unscrewed it. Plus, when I put my thumbnail to it, black stuff rubbed off and left scratches on the TI.
OneDrop-CODE1: Awful shape.
OneDrop-Y-Factor: Ugly shape, incredibly boring play. Smooth and all though.
Oxygene-Oxy 4: This used to be THE yoyo. Not anymore. Outdated shape, and the worst axle system ever.
VSNYYC-Battosai: Hated the shape.
Werrd-Pacquiao: Waaaay too light, outdated shape and response.
YoYoFactory-Supernova Lite: Smooth, but waaaay too light. Get a Genesis instead.
YoYoFactory-Whip: It wasn't much, but then again it doesn't cost much. It looks cheap, but it plays well enough, especially considering the price tag.
YoYoFactory-G5++: Weird but functional shape. Solid play. Very rare and hard to come across. I hear this thing inspired the Superstar, but I could be wrong.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't Even Bother With This Crap...SeriouslyAnti-Yo-Bapezilla: Awful vibe, tiny gap, hyped trash.
Crucial-Jirorian: Way too big, way too thin, way too heavy, and vibes. The way the yoyo is designed makes the vibe feel even more prominent. Throwing this was not a good experience for me.
Oxygene-Oxy TI (Original): Overpriced piece of crap. If I'm going to drop $560 on a yoyo, I at least expect a butterfly shape. And it's not even that smooth, even when tuned. Even if you have it tuned, the nature Oxy axle system actually causes the yoyo to loosen when you play with it, so you'll lose that sweetspot (if you can even call it one) really easily.
Northern Spin Co.-Helix: It's not all that impressive looking, the rims on it don't sit flush with the body so it feels uncomfortable and scratches your nails, and it vibes. Seeing the $200 price tag on these, and the reviews that others gave it, I figured that the two I got were simply b-grade units. I sent them back to Mani and he replaced them with two that he hand-picked for smoothness. They still vibed just as much. No disrespect at all to Mani or his excellent customer service, but this was just not a good yoyo, especially not for $200.
Yomega-Maverick: It's ugly and it vibes like mad. Get a Starlite instead.
Want to see this list grow? Name a yoyo!
Logged
