by Robert Laws

Created on: September 30, 2009

Based on the lovable character from Sesame Street, T.M.X. Tickle Me Elmo is a robotic toy aimed primarily at young children.

At 14.5 tall and weighing in at 2lbs, this red, fur-clad robot looks cuddlier than he is. Once you have inserted the 6 AA batteries and turned him on, there are three tickle zones that will activate him; under his chin, on his belly and on his left foot.

When activated, Elmo will perform one of a cycle of three routines, which get increasingly manic. Initially he will laugh and wave his right arm, fall down and stand back up again. In the second stage he will also lie on his back kicking his legs in the air. The final stage has him additionally rolling onto his belly and pounding the floor, pleading with you that he can't take any more.

The animatronics are impressive and on first viewing, adults seem way more interested and impressed than the children, especially by the range of laughter-related motions and the way he always finishes back on his feet.

Between each laughter routine, Elmo will say 'again, again', encouraging you to tickle him into his next stage of hysterics. Usually, children are more than happy to comply.

This toy is really more of a spectator toy than an interactive one. It is heavy for a young child, not soft enough to really hug closely and, other than pressing his buttons (tickling), there is no way to participate in his routines. Most young children want to 'play' with their toy, not just press a button and watch it. Trying to hug Elmo in the middle of his routines is definitely not advisable unless you want your young child to get help loosening those baby teeth.

These days, when toys have to compete with TVs, hand-held computers and the many other modern distractions, more and more of them feature technology that involves movement, sound or some other form of interactivity. Like most, Elmo can quickly become repetitive and annoying to adults and I would not be surprised to find the batteries getting removed in many cases, just as drumsticks can mysteriously disappear when the parents need some quiet time!

Overall, this Elmo toy is a clever and humorous use of technology to bring some life to a well-known cuddly character, but the technology is still a little heavy and battery-intensive to make the experience very cuddly and the action is too pre-defined to fully engage and retain their target audience for very long.

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