Well, I have had this YoYo for a while, and I have been putting off making a review for it for a while, so here it is: (NOTE: I am most likely going to make modifications later to this post.)
Description: (Provided by YoYoNation):
The Dark Magic yoyo is André Boulay’s signature YoYoJam yoyo. Not only has he used it well in many competitions, André has innovated a whole new style of tricks with the distinct shape of this yoyo. The yoyo is extremely wide so it makes string tricks a breeze. More importantly, removing one of the caps reveals the inner rim enabling you to perform André’s style of thumb grinds. Uses the Hybrid response system (one yo-ring half, one starburst half).
This yoyo is so great out of the package that even André plays with the yoyo stock!
Specifications: (Provided by YoYoNation):
Manufacturer YoYoJam
Shape Butterfly / Wing
Weight (g) 70.60
Width (mm) 41.31
Diameter (mm) 56.34
Gap Width (mm) 3.40
Bearing Size (Inside x Outside x Width) .250 x .500 x .187 in
Gap Type Adjustable
Stock Response System YYJ Hybrid
Out Of the Box: Looked really good. When I got it, I took out the caps, and did nothing else. At first, it was too responsive, but after an hour, it became unresponsive enough to do grinds which are very good with this yoyo, but I’ll get to that later., and other things, but it was still really responsive. It slept for about 2 minutes too, and was wide, so it was easy to preform tricks.
Playability: One word: Amazing! Unless your throw is funky, the yoyo doesn’t vibrate, or wobble, at all. Most likely, it will not die during tricks. Because of its width, it is really easy to do a lot of tricks. In fact, the day I got it, I learned Kamikaze! The weight is really focused to the rims, resulting in long spin time, and the shape is unique, yet comfortable in the hand. Also, the hybrid response is really great; it can be responsive and unresponsive too. In addition, the Hybrid Response is great for suicides, and lacerations.
Size: This was one of the things about the Dark Magic that surprised me. Not in a bad way, because its size is one of its attributes that contributes to the success of it. However, compared to other Ia yoyos, it is noticeably large, but the weight wasnt an issue with me. You will get used to the size eventually. It is slightly wider and larger then the kickside, but smaller then the Journey.
Grinds: When grinding, it feels like a cool gentle breeze on my arm. Honestly. It will spin on my arm, then, it will have more spin left afterward. I was never good at grinding, but now i can manipulate grinds as I wish, and pull of stunning grinds! The flat rims dont only prove good for snap starts, but also add greatness to grinding,
Thumb Grinds: I was also never good at these, but the Dark Magic took this to a whole new level. It was made for them, and the way Andre designed it, was with 2 grooves, inner, and outer. The inner was made for more control, and progressed slower as it rotated. The outer ridge, progressed faster, however, took less spin time, whereas, the inner takes a lot of spin time.
Overall:
9.5/10
Really great yoyo! Thx YoYoJam, and Andre!!!
All finished! Once again, a must have yoyo!!!
