31. October 2020 - Anika Semmer
Gravitrax Pro Vertical: Is the Vertical Marble Run Set Worth It? | Review
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About 3 years ago, Ravensburger brought out the successful GraviTrax marble run system. Now there is a much-awaited further development: GraviTrax Pro vertical. What’s new? Is the purchase worthwhile as a supplement to the previous GraviTrax starter set and the available extensions?
Build, push, catapult: With the GraviTrax marble run system, you don’t build a simple track that leisurely runs the marbles from top to bottom. There are trampolines, catapults, loops, hammers and the fabulous Gauss cannon that makes the ball race off at increased speed. In this way, kids (and their parents) playfully learn how the laws of nature work during construction. Because the explanations for the sudden bursts of power and speed boosts are: Magnetism, gravitation, gravity, kinetics!
The ingenious thing about the marble run is the many different components, extensions and action pieces that have been continuously developed by Ravensburger over the past two years and continuously feed the fun for the fans. Now a new starter set is coming onto the market, along with two action bricks and an extension, which is supposed to bring a real innovation: GraviTrax Pro vertical. And it already looks quite different from the outside: Larger box for larger components and all in black instead of white as before.
On Abenteuer Freundschaft you can find our review of the previous GraviTrax marble track with lots more information about the construction toy. Because this article is mainly about the update GraviTrax Pro vertical.
Note: The game manufacturer Ravensburger has sent us a starter set and the two new action bricks as review copies. However, this review is unpaid and reflects our honest opinion. I purchased many more action bricks and a second starter set for more components myself out of enthusiasm.
The Gravitrax Pro Vertical Marble Run at a Glance
- Game type: Construction game, family game
- Age: 8-99 years
- Players: 1 player or more.
- Duration: any
- Publisher: Ravensburger
- Development / Editing: Ravensburger InnoLab
- Publication year: 2020
- Game objective: Construct a marble run from various components that one or more metal balls pass through.
Gravitrax Pro Vertical: Everything You Need to Know for Fans and Newcomers
There are also two new action bricks: mixers and splitters
One little word reveals the biggest innovation in the new GraviTrax Pro Vertical Starter Set (as well as the “slimmed-down” expansion): vertical. It goes high up! While the construction of the previous marble run was mainly horizontal due to the limited number of components, now it’s vertical construction!
First things first: Pro is fully compatible with the previous GraviTrax system. It is therefore a very comprehensive extension, so to speak, and can be installed together with all the old parts!
What’s New With the Gravitrax Pro Vertical Starter Set?
Two columns are plugged on top of each other to be as high as a wall
There are three major basic innovations that the GraviTrax starter set includes: new large height blocks, vertical walls to connect them and free-floating balconies on which the marble run can be further built. The starter set also includes a new type of track that was not included in the old GraviTrax starter set and was previously only available in the tunnel extension. The 4 innovations in total are:
- New height stones: A height stone is as high as 7 grey previous height stones. With them you can build vertically very quickly. A total of 12 are included in the starter set. Of these, 8 are compact columns and 4 height stones are hollow inside so that, for example, rails can be built through them. Before playing for the first time, you should allow a little time, because the height stones have to be built together first.
- Vertical transparent walls: You can always clamp 14 grey transparent walls between the height stones (corresponds to the height of 2 columns). There are a total of 5 vertical walls of different lengths in the starter set. There are also holes in the walls so that you can build the rails through them. You hang the balconies in the angular holes at the desired position.
- Two kinds of balconies: There are 16 individual balconies that you can click into the small square holes on the vertical walls. They are sturdy enough to build action bricks or rails on. There are also 4 double balconies that you can use to build on the height stones.
The balconies simply click into the walls
- New type of rail: The new starter set includes a type of rail that was previously only available in the tunnel expansion: the Bernoulli rails. In the tunnel expansion, these rails are available in a long version, but in the new starter set, a total of 8 short straight and curved Bernoulli rails are included as a novelty. They drop down at a steep angle and are ideal for when the ball needs to pick up speed quickly on a short way down.
Also included in the new Pro starter set are familiar components such as baseplates, a transparent plane, curves, switches, crossings, a gauss cannon, freefall and splash, tracks of various lengths, height stones and more.
What’s New With the Two New Extentions Pro and the Expansion?
The Extention Mixer sends the ball down one of 3 tracks
- GraviTrax Pro Extension Vertical: This extension is, so to speak, a slimmed-down version of the new starter set and includes the new height stones or “columns”, walls and balconies.
- GraviTrax Pro Splitter: The splitter has four openings that the balls can roll towards. Depending on how fast the ball is travelling and how the splitter flap is aligned, the ball will either roll over the splitter or fall through and take a different course.
- GraviTrax Pro Mixer: The mixer works randomly with a tilting element and has three inputs and outputs. This way, each ball rolls on in a different direction in turn.
All Previous Starter Sets, Expansions and Action Pieces in the Gravitrax Universe
The GraviTrax universe now consists of many extensions and action bricks. It is not necessary to own as many as possible to enjoy the game. My tip: It is definitely worth buying two starter sets (or even better a GraviTrax Pro Starter Set to be able to build well upwards) as well as some action bricks, which help to speed up the ball and provide variation when building the marble run.
- GraviTrax Starter Set:
- GraviTrax Starter Set XXL:
- GraviTrax Pro Starter Set:
- PRO Starter-Set Extreme:
- GraviTrax Power Starter Set Launch:
- Power Starter Set XXL:
- Speed Starter Set:
![Ravensburger 27412 GraviTrax Starterset Speed mit 185 Teilen, Kugelbahn für Kinder, Interaktive Murmelbahn, Konstruktionsspielzeug für Jungen und Mädchen ab 8 Jahren,[Exklusiv bei Amazon]](https://www.abenteuerfreundschaft.de/relaunch/wp-content/plugins/aawp/public/image.php?url=YUhSMGNITTZMeTl0TG0xbFpHbGhMV0Z0WVhwdmJpNWpiMjB2YVcxaFoyVnpMMGt2TlRFMVMyWjZSVzFGYjB3dVgxTk1NVFl3WHk1cWNHYz18MTY5NTc1MTI1Mg=)
Extensions and Action Bricks for More Play and Building Fun
- Trax
- Building
- Tunnels
- Bridges
- POWER Interaction
- FlexTube:
- Gauss canon
- Catapult
- Hammer
- Looping
- Lift
- Caskade
- Trampoline
- Jumper
- Balls & Spinner:
- Transfer
- Flip
- Dipper:
- Volcano
- TipTube
- Ropeway
- Spiral
- Color Swap:
- PRO Splitter:
- PRO Mixer:
- PRO Turntable:
- PRO Carousel:
- PRO Helix:
- POWER Lever
- POWER Elevator
Rating and Conclusion
Course for three marbles running simultaneously on different tracks
Build an attractive course high up and horizontally at the same time: This is made possible for the first time by the GraviTrax Pro vertical update of the marble run system. With the new starter set, you can now build complex marble runs vertically, with tracks that loop around balconies, snake through columns and make completely new constructions possible. The starter set also includes a basic set of basic components for newcomers. As an extension, GraviTrax Pro vertical (whether the starter set or the cheaper extension) offers even more variety and variance and for real fans, there is really no way around the starter set.
Rating
excellent
Pro and Con
All parts of the new Gravitrax update are fully compatible with all previously released parts. For the first time, the new columns, walls, balconies and short Bernoulli rails make it possible to quickly build attractive marble tracks vertically. Because with the previous parts you had to use practically all the height bricks for such a project and could not build so well horizontally. In this case, the transparent walls and some columns can be built through with rails or snake downwards through the balconies. The new rails ensure that the ball picks up more speed. In addition, however, the new GraviTrax Pro vertical starter set also includes old familiar components and, all in all, more complex ball tracks are possible with this “professional” starter set than with the previous starter set.
What is still great is that all the extensions and action pieces can be colourfully combined with each other. The new possibilities to build vertically add even more excitement, variety and action to the construction toy. GraviTrax still thrives on the fact that you don’t just build with a starter set, but that the many extensions and action bricks also bring variation to the play experience. Without these, even with the new Pro starter set, the marble run variants would soon be exhausted and the game would lose its appeal for children in the long term.
As usual, the quality of the components makes a very good impression. They are made of sturdy plastic, the balls are made of metal. The columns and walls are compact and stable and the balconies hold the weight of the components without wobbling once they are firmly clicked into place.
The new action pieces are, for my taste, very dependent on chance and on having multiple tracks leading to them. They are not easy to install like the hammer, but their use has to be planned.
At launch, the GraviTrax Pro vertical starter set costs a whopping €79.00, a hefty price. However, it contains so many parts and attractive new components that it is well worth buying.
Is It Worth Buying the Gravitrax Pro Vertical Starter Set as a Supplement to the Previous Starter Set?
Finally build vertically quickly without using up all the height bricks and attractive new construction possibilities. For GraviTrax fans, the new starter set is a must-have, as it enables far more complex marble tracks. Seen in this light, the new Starter Set is itself an extension of the system and fills a gap.
It is also attractive for newcomers, here the choice of the right starter set depends more on whether you are more interested in building high up.
As usual, the starter set comes with construction plans to build on, and children and adults can also get started quickly with the help of an app.
Conclusion
More complex tracks and finally attractive vertical building. The new Gravitrax Pro vertical update is a successful expansion of the action-packed marble run system and a real must-have for all true GraviTrax enthusiasts!
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