Hexbugs - what do I need to know?

[Grockle]

DS(7) would like a Hexbug for christmas.

I've looked at them in the shops but I don't understand. What does he need? A starter pack? Anything else?

Are the original hexbugs compatible with the nano ones?

Our son, 9, wanted these too. He asked a relative for his birthday and got a starter set - a couple of bugs and a track for them to jitter around. Depending on budget you can get tracks on multiple levels (bit like a multi-storey car park) and also ones that glow in the dark (less useful in my opinion).

Here's the one he got and you'll see many more on amazon.

www.amazon.co.uk/Hexbug-Habitat-Playset-Electronic-Toys/dp/B003IT5NHK/ref=sr_1_6?s=kids&ie=UTF8&qid=1352633246&sr=1-6

Thank you, that's helpful. Do they get played with? I don't want to add to the pile of toys that are not used!

They do get played with, but not as often as they should as our children are spoilt by relatives (and us) and have too many toys.