The Tyco Zig Zag is a remote controlled toy manufactured by Asahi (Japan), and released into the US, UK, and other markets worldwide in 1996.
Sticking with the mid-90s tradition of eye catching cover art, with a flip-top reveal window, the Tyco R/C Zig Zag is super appealing visually on shelf, though they are extremely rare to find today.
One of the few Tyco cars not made by Taiyo, it was instead manufactured by Tyco competitor Asahi who also gained its start in the Tin Toy business before moving over to plastic-based toy radio control, though was never as successful internationally as Taiyo.
Features and Performance
It’s tough to judge the performance of this vehicle as there’s not many videos around (update! See below) however it’s technical specifications do tell us some of the story.
- 9.6v Turbo (8xAA) using Tyco Battery Pack
- Dual Mabuchi Motors (likely RS260 or equivalent)
- Dual Drive Treads* and 90 Degree Sideways Wheels
- Sold in Black (27Mhz) and Purple (49Mhz) versions
As this YouTube video demonstrates, it’s got plenty of pep, and is able to dart to the left and right quite quickly, though the tank tracks don’t drive like a regular Fast Traxx, but in their own unique way.
Unusual Control System
It does not drive how you might expect, and has more in common with the Micro ‘Reverse-Turn’ cars than a regular Tyco.
- LEFT STICK: Forward and 360 Degree Turns
- RIGHT RIGHT: Zig Left / Zag Right
Recommendation
Despite the unusual design and control system, there appears to be much love out there for this vehicle. That said, there aren’t many around and so getting your hands on one may be tough. As usual, we’d recommend checking our special eBay Tyco / Taiyo finder often, and creating a Saved Search.
Update: Thank you to Yissuz who has uploaded this video to Facebook for us.
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