Toobers & Zots are creative construction toys which were invented in the 1990s by Boston-area based sculptor Arthur Ganson. They were manufactured by Hands- On Toys. Toobers & Zots consist of long flexible foam pieces called "toobers" and flat foam pieces called "zots." Toobers range in size from two to four feet long, so they are great for creating large-scale objects.
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This is quite easy at the start, but later the game becomes harder by placing more Zots on each level (up to a maximum of four). Above all this, the Zots get faster and faster up to a certain limit and at higher levels they can even pass through walls. This is not a glitch, the manual refers to this as "Zot magic". Because of the Atari's limitations, the game lacks a turning animation when changing directions, so it is easy to become disoriented; especially when the Zots are chasing the player.
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Viewing the map, however, may cause the player to be vulnerable as the player must stand still to view the map while the Zots can move freely during that time. Although not shown on the map, there are multiple types of doors in each maze. They can be easily found as the floor is colorfully vibrating in front of a door on a nearby wall. There are five types of doors which only the player can use; the Zots cannot.
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In addition to his artistic productions, Ganson is also the inventor of Toobers & Zots, a commercial toy-set consisting of bendable foam pieces in abstract shapes that can be assembled into almost anything. He has also been involved in other toy designs.
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Although the basic concept of open ended play is the same, they have refreshed the product and packaging to ensure that it is exciting for kids today. At the show, they previewed their 3 sets for 2011: Bend & Build Foamstruction Set, Bend & Pretend Foamstruction Set for Girls, Bend & Pretend Foamstruction Set for Boys. They decided to reintroduce Toobers & Zots exclusively into the specialty market where it was once so successful. Since February, Toobers & Zots have been seen in Parenting Magazine, on the set of ESPN's Pardon the Interruption, Time to Play Magazine, Toys & Family Entertainment Magazine, on tour with the Toy Guy Chris Byrne and Time to Play's Spring & Summer Showcase.
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The player will automatically stop running each time they reach one of these colorful sections, and the time will not decrease while standing on it. The player must take these into account when running away from Zots. Door with up arrow. The exit of the maze.
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The small arrow on the time indicator always pinpoints the direction the player is facing, and the player also has a map to help him out of each maze. The player may press the FIRE button to view a map of the current level in overhead form which shows the location of the player, the Zots, the key and the exit. As the levels progress the increasing difficulty also affects the map, such as making the map invisible (especially on black wall levels), making the Zots invisible or making the player or the key invisible. The map is never rendered to be completely useless, so "something" will always be shown regardless the current level state.
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At higher levels the available time decreases considerably. Apart from the time limit, there are many other obstacles in each level. Several creatures - called Zots - are scouting the tunnels, looking for the player. Unarmed, the player must avoid them at all costs in order to quickly find the key and exit to the next level.
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Zots come in various shapes and sizes and they are used to decorate the toobers. Although they have not experienced the critical or commercial success of such toys as the LEGO building blocks or Tinkertoys, they were highly successful in the specialty market and were very popular amongst educators and art communities. In February 2011, Little Kids Inc. relaunched the once popular toy at Toy Fair in New York City.
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Upon entering, they transfer the player to a random location of that particular maze. They can be extremely useful for escaping from the Zots and saving precious level time at higher stages. The random teleportation may also be valuable help in finding the key, as sometimes the player will spontaneously grab the key during the "teleportation". However, there is always a slight chance of being teleported right in front of a Zot.
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Once Davis was settled in Atlanta, he organized a rock and roll group called the Zots, and made two singles for OEK Records, managed and promoted by OEK owner Oscar Kilgo. Davis also worked for the Vee Jay record company (home to such R&B; stars as Gene Chandler, Jerry Butler, and Dee Clark) as a regional manager, and later became a regional manager for Liberty Records. Mac Davis Lane intersects Avenue Q (U.S. Highway 84) in Davis's hometown of Lubbock.
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The game was developed with the active involvement of the Albuquerque Independent School District. Through the district, American Laser Games' vice-president of marketing Patricia Flannigan distributed surveys, conducted interviews, and held play study groups in order to design a game that her daughters would play. The game included a music CD featuring several bands from New Mexico, such as Poet, Cool Notes, Tee Green from the UK, and the Strawberry Zots, whose music video "And You" was also included. Music tracks from composer Jean Rene De Rascon were also included.
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