God Tricks Bounty Hunter Review by NJStringer
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God Tricks, a company based in China, began with the desire of one man - Jeyo - to offer quality yoyos to the community that would offer superior craftsmanship without pushing the limits on price. Since its founding in 2010 God Tricks has crafted 7 yoyos thus far and continues to grow as both a designer of quality throws but also a supporter of the yoyo community.
Bounty Hunter Specs:
Modified Butterfly Shape
67.4 grams
57.97 mm diameter
43.84 mm width
4.45mm gap
Stock Bearing: C Size 8 ball bearing
Stock Response System: 19mm slim pads [/b][/size]
Material: aluminum
Price at time of review: $49.99
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In the Box:
God Tricks Bounty Hunter
1 string
The review Bounty Hunter I received was purple; not a boring, sickly purple reminiscent of Barney in all his bloated, smiling dinosaur scariness but a shiny, smooth purple that caught the light both in hand and on a throw. The Bounty Hunter is offered in solid ano jobs which include gold, purple, teal, silver and green. Each ano job is incredibly flawless and when one considers how often solid anodizing yields blemishes this is nothing short of amazing…especially for a throw this affordable! Each Bounty Hunter, in addition to the solid ano, also comes with the Bounty Hunter stylized logo within each bowl to finish off a beautiful design.
Build:
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The very first thing I noticed about the Bounty Hunter is the unique shape that it sports in a slightly oversized body. I’m not saying that God Tricks is the first company to produce a butterfly yoyo with a modified shape that sports a v-shaped catch zone. But, the catch zone of the Bounty Hunter is different in that it is broken down to three, progressively smaller steps that lead to the wall which makes for a very unique shape that you can’t help but notice. The catch zone leads outwards to gently rounded rims that make for a very comfortable feel in hand. When you couple this subtle rim shape with the wide, v-shaped catch zone you will find that this throw hugs your throwhand as if specifically designed for comfort. The rounded rims lead to a single, flat step before the transition to the bowl which is separated into multiple steps before reaching the flat, hubless, spikeless bowl that lacks an IGR. The absence of a hub or spike is a beautifully simplistic design.
Despite being more of a budget throw the Bounty Hunter sports subtle design choices that make it standout among throws in the same price range such as the bowl section having a slightly raised plateau as well as a minor ridge that serve no functionality other than to catch the eye and show that a budget throw in this price range doesn’t have to be boring and plain and featureless in terms of aesthetics. The finish of the Bounty Hunter is completely smooth and seems quite durable. The 67.4 grams distributes across the body of the throw and feels light in hand. Build-wise, the Bounty Hunter is well made, well designed and quite pleasing to the eye.
On a Throw:
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Yoyos with similar shapes play well…VERY well. Like others with a similarly shaped catch zone the generous v-shape channels the string well on mounts and creates a large target which is extremely helpful for increased success when learning or perfecting new maneuvers. The weight distribution of the Bounty Hunter creates a stable and long spin that is free of vibe even on some less than perfect throws. The rims are weighted well and maintain some great spin time that when mated with the 4.45mm gap create a forgiving throw when learning slack tricks.
I found suicides and whips to be a bit easier with the Bounty Hunter at the end of the string. While more of a floaty throw it did hold up well to faster play and thanks to the wide catch zone precision is not an issue. But still, this is overall a floaty throw which is great for those with a similar style or again for beginners or intermediate players where floaty play can help land new tricks. The finish of the Bounty Hunter does not appear to be blasted and seems more machined. While some may feel that this in itself will kill any potential for grinds the spin time and stability the Bounty Hunter can offer are enough to make up for the smooth finish and grinds are possible with some minor tuning to your throw and some patience. One thing that I simply cannot stress enough is how smooth the Bounty Hunter is on a throw.
I believe that one can always forgive a bit of vibe and even some throws I’ve played in the past go far beyond vibe, BUT, lets be honest for a moment and admit that we all hate vibe. Yes, we can see past such a production or design flaw but with the average metal costing upwards of $100 who doesn’t feel a bit cheated when they receive a throw that can’t hold a steady spin. The Bounty Hunter again is smooth. The Bounty Hunter is not $100 dollars but half of that price. And, when you consider that some $100 throws vibe its amazing to find that for half of that price you can get a smooth capable throw like the Bounty Hunter. An interesting thing I would like to note is that v-shaped throws such as the Bounty Hunter, while forgiving on a bad throw, have a little less of that self-correcting tendency in terms of a throw that is off axis and veer from neutral. I’ve mentioned this before with other similar throws and I will say it again: I am more a “glass half full” type of guy and when it comes to v-shaped throws this is something to be considered a benefit. Different yoyo shapes all have benefits. V-shaped catch zones can really help a player zero in on that perfect throw which in the end is the foundation of our play.
Stock Bearing and Response:
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Slim pads and a C size 8 ball bearing ship as stock response and bearing with the Bounty Hunter. The overall shape and weight distribution play well with the flat, stock bearing and the Bounty Hunter maintains a stable, neutral spin. I played the Bounty Hunter with a CT, Trifecta and 10 ball and the play only improved. The overall design work well with any flat bearing and really do lend to string centering bearings. The stock, slim pad response system of the Bounty Hunter break in nicely and although a tad grippy initially play consistently. Slim pads are an excellent response system that last a long time, play well and are incredibly easy to replace. The flush design of the response groove and slim pad combination make for a reliable response system overall. I did play a second Bounty Hunter which was siliconed that was recessed and the unresponsive play increased but none of the overall play was sacrificed at all. So with the Bounty Hunter you have a great stock system that can be customized with different bearings or flowable to meet your needs, your style of play or your desire to experiment to find the best combination for you as the player.
In the End:
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God Tricks has created a budget throw in the Bounty Hunter without sacrificing style, quality or playability. Dead on smooth, light on the string and consistent during play the Bounty Hunter truly can perform as well as throws that cost twice as much. The price itself is appealing but when you consider the dynamics of this throw you can see that God Tricks values quality as well as affordability. If you’re a newbie to metals or looking for a throw that is consistent and plays well the Bounty Hunter really can meet your needs.
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