Archive for category Micro Reviews

Over the last week, I have been trying out Shinwoo’s new plastic line. Truth be told, the new line is almost exactly like the old line, except a few adjustments that honestly make all the difference in the world. Since the primary difference in all these models is the response system, I am just going to touch of a few things on each model and then focus on the new Shinwoo response system.

Griffin Wing –

Honestly, I am the last person that should be reviewing an offstring yo-yo. I suck at Offstring. I can toss it up, catch it, whip catch, grind catch, and bind. That is about it. I think once, I was able to do leg hops but that is only because I can do that with a diabolo. What I can tell you is that for a low price, the Griffin Wing is very sturdy and with the exception of user error, the GW is free from tilts and wobble. It sits about midway between a Hayabusa from Duncan and a BigYo by YoYoJam. The outer rubber is durable and a cool translucent color. Shinwoo updated the response, and thickened the body for added support. All in all, a 20 foot toss that missed, bounced around the stage, and slammed into a wall was met with a “Give Me More” attitude. Durability is not a concern with the new Griffin Wing.

Phantom –

I remember the first Phantom I threw. I hated it. I could not get the response system to react constantly, and it just felt like a cheap FHZ knock-off. The new Phantom with the new Shinwoo response system is a different story. While the only visible change is the response system, the ability to change up your response with ease is a real nice feature that offers a lot of customability. More on that in a minute. With the removal of the plug in pad response, the Phantom can step out not as a FHZ knockoff, but as an affordable plastic alternative that learned a lesson from expensive metals and adapted accordingly. If the FHZ is just too big for you, this is a good alternative.

Zan Navi –

I had never owned a ZanNavi before this setup of micro-reviews. The rubber grip outer rims are not that dissimilar in feel to the Duncan Throw Monkey. In some of my most basic drop tests, the ZanNavi had about as much bounce. What really makes this throw unique is how far the rim rubber goes into the gap. I worry that over time as the yo-yo gets more and more 5a abuse, the rubber towards the inside of the gap will start to wear down and fray, causing sections that could lead to badly timed snags. While still considered full sized, the Zan Navi is smaller than the Throw Monkey and features the new Shinwoo response system.

New Response System –

This is what draws the line from other plastic lines. The response system that Shinwoo has adopted is just fantastic. The blue rings are flat on one side, and have a soft starburst on the other. This give you plenty of options on responsiveness to let you completely customize these throws to be exactly how you want them to be. Shinwoo also has started bundling red silicone rings that when installed; create a grippy response that takes the yo-yo to a completely oldschool responsive feeling. The groove is also deep enough to take flowable silicone. More than any other feature, the new response system in the Shinwoo line makes any yo-yo in this group a potentially awesome throw. When you consider all the response options that are available on the Shinwoo line- silicone, ring, flat, or soft starburst- I have no doubt that you will find the setting that makes the yo-yo perform the way you want them to. At such a low price, there is very little risk in trying them out and experimenting to bring them to the settings you want.

Written by Chris “Dr. Yo-Yo” Allen, who is still recovering from an exhausting but successful Cal States.

Edited by Dustin “Splugen” Gunter, who fights the urge to yell ZAN NAVI OVER AND OUT every time he picks up the ZN.