There’s something cathartic about watching robots tear each other to scrap metal. But a tragic event happened during the summer of 2017. Someone forgot to air new episodes of BattleBots. I’ve been watching robots fight it out on television for almost 20 years (yes…Robot Wars started in 1998). But, for one reason or another, no one decided to pick up BattleBots for the 2017 television season.

Hexbug hopes to fill that BattleBot void in your soul with several new lines based on the series. For this review, we’ll be taking a look at the BattleBots Rivals line. Specifically, the Minotaur and Beta bot pack.

Even before taking on this review, I was very familiar with the line. My kids made me pick up the Hexbug BattleBots Arena, which includes Witch Doctor and Tombstone. Okay…I picked it up under the guise that it was for my kids.

The Rivals come packaged as a duo. Each bot includes a mini infrared remote control. The remote has five buttons: forward/backward; left/right; weapon. There’s also a switch that allows you to select one of the four different frequencies. This lets you battle with up to four BattleBots in the arena.

When the bots hit the arena, the goal is to knock the pieces off of your opponent. Each BattleBot has three pieces that are held on by magnets. They vary in placement. For example, Minotaur has a pair that cover the wheels and one of its’ back. Beta has pieces on three sides of the bot’s body.

The fighting is where the real fun is at. Out of the four available BattleBot Rivals, each one has strengths and weaknesses. It’s up to you to figure out and then attack those weaknesses.

As far as weapons, Minotaur features a spinner weapon on the front of the robot, while Beta has a hammer arm. We would usually turn on the spinner drum and let it go throughout the battle. But every press of Beta’s button either brings the hammer back or slams it down. In other words, they’re very different bot designs.

The one negative is that these things – both the bots and remotes - run through batteries pretty quickly. You’ll need to stock up on both AAA and button cell batteries if you’re going to be playing with the BattleBot Rivals.

These are probably some of the most playable toys I’ve reviewed on the site. And the fact that I had purchased some prior to this review shows you that I’m a fan. If you’re okay with investing in a cache of batteries, you’ll definitely have hours full of fun playing with the Hexbug BattleBots Rivals.

The Facts



BattleBots Rivals (Minotaur and Beta)
Series: BattleBots
Manufacturer: Hexbug
Material: Plastic
Dimensions: About 4 inches in length
Accessories: Two Infrared Remote Controls
Pricing: $49.99

You can pick one up at the following:

Hexbug.com: $49.99
Amazon.com: $49.99