The Zodiac encourages you not to take yoyos so seriously. YoYoFactory summer yoyos are designed to be fun, pocket friendly and be at their best outdoors with a little dirt or sand on the fingers.
Taking inspiration from the 2018 Confusion line, the Zodiac is comfy and built for fun relaxed throwing. It’s a v-shape mid-wall design with nice rounded rims. It comes unresponsive out of the box with a full C bearing and a recessed narrow gap for extra tight binds. Lube the bearing or swap it out with a lubed bearing for the perfect modern responsive setup. Responsive or unresponsive, it’s a blast to throw!
Pretty nice IMO. Obviously if you bind at full speed you’ll feel it in your hand, but I didn’t find myself throwing too hard with this one. The narrow gap and mid walls encourage a softer throw and more playful movements if that makes sense. You get some really consistent regens and it even stalls well as a fully unresponsive yo-yo. Fun to play around with.
Heavier GT with a narrower gap. Seems like the GT was the prototype, this one might be the winner. I’m tempted. I liked the GT I gave away, that shape…
It’s gone through three steps. Confusion gt which was small bearing and probably the best pure responsive Setup. 888gt was 888 wide gap unresponsive. This is kinda unique.
I didn’t design this one. Hans penned it. I was initially critical of the gap but I understand it’s something we have not offered previously.
Out of the box it plays unresponsive. I didn’t notice the gap. I put in the half spec. It’s painfully responsive. Beginner only level. I went back to the stock CT and thick lubed it. Here I found my setup <3 <3 <3. With all these yoyos it’s the catch and the feel as much as the play. It’s like a cloud. On play, it’s a bit full fat rim on a fast low wall profile. Total opposites. It works. Good balance. It’s not contest winner rim weight but we already make that yo-yo 10x over.
I got a chance to try it, light and nimble, but has some power to it. Comfortable, and nice tight binds. I find all sorts of air binds to be very easy on it, but the gap will still take multiple wraps. I’ve played the GT, the Zodiac is a different experience, first it’s more “full size.”
The engraving is cool to look at as well. If you really don’t like lighter feeling yo-yos, this one could possibly change your mind.
The Zodiac is different in feel and play to a lot of contemporary yo-yos, I like it a lot. Consider the above impressions, not a review.