There’s a lot of misconceptions that “higher price” means “higher quality” or “better performance”. With yoyo, preferences play a major factor that sometimes price becomes a secondary factor. There are amazing yoyos that sell for very little that perform very, very good, even up there with yoyos costing $70 or more. At the same time, there are metal yoyos in more of a budget price range that are for whatever reason, they are selling for very affordable rates. A few examples are the RecRev Facade and the C3YoYoDesign DiBase, which are under $60 and play really great. Wait, I think the Facade sells for just over $70, but either way it’s amazing.
Now, let’s look at your two choices.
You’re comparing the full sized plastic $30 Counter Attack against the undersized metal $45 dv888. Right there, we are comparing metal vs. plastic and “small vs. large”, along wiht different shapes. Other than the same brand, these share little in common, so it’s not really fair to compare them, at least not from a “which one is better”.
Now, my opinion on the Counter Attack is non-existant. I don’t have one and I’m not interested in getting one. At the same time, I have nothing to say negative against it. It sells good and may people like it, so it can’t be bad. However, for $5 more, you have your choice of the Protostar and/or Northstar. These two yoyos share the same shape but different weights, which alter playing performance. The Notherstar tends to be slower through the air and the Protostar is faster. Both regular compete against $100+ metal yoyos in competition. So, not to rule out the Counter Attack, but if you’re considering spending dv888 money, the Protostar and/or Northstar should be heavily considered.
The dv888 to me is a good quality yoyo. I won’t directly bash it. It’s decent, and it feels like a solid, dense $45 yoyo. In my opinion, and I’m not alone, it’s kind of boring. It’s good, it gets the job done. It is stable, smooth and comfortable. However, due to the shape and design, it can go off axis easily. It will force you to play cleaner and improve your technique.
I like my dv888, but it isn’t something I readily reach for. Other people absolutely love the dv888. As you can see, preferences are very critical.
It’s a lot to think about. Money isn’t a true determining factor of “better”. It’s all about preferences. In yoyo, you’ll find that “better” is a subjective thing. What may be better or best for me might not be an better or best for you.
Dark Magic 2.
If your are gonna spend the 45 USD on the DV888, and if you are comparing two yoyos, one plastic and one metal, that the dark magic is for you.
In my opinion, the Counter Attack is absolutely awful (had some friends own some, they all broke, all 3 of them) and the dv888 is too small for my preferences. I would either get a c3 dibase or capless, or a protostar.