RELEASE INFORMATION
Release DATE 28 DECEMBER 2022
Sold direcT AND VIA YOYOEXPERT, YOYOSAM AND YOYOREWIND
Retail 339.99 USD
TITANIUM
59 MADE
SHIPPING WEIGHT OF 65.2g WITH ONE DROP BRASS ULTRALIGHT SIDE EFFECTS
Diameter 55.5mm, Width 42mm, Gap 4.4mm
YOYORECREATION NSK PLATINUM DOUBLE STRAIGHT C bearing
CLYW SLIM / G-GRIP SIZE TYPE 50 LANDING PADS RESPONSE
MARTIAN INVASION!
As we approach the end of 2022, I reflect on RSO's year which has been relatively uneventful, with only 6 releases compared to the 16 in 2021.
It has been slightly over 4 years since RSO’s first yo-yo, and manufacturing costs have increased tremendously. Although it no longer makes financial sense to continue operating RSO, my passion for yo-yo design has been crucial in keeping the company going. In addition, I still enjoy brainstorming the theme and artwork behind each model, particularly for models like Sushi and now The Martian!
The Martian has been a long time in the making. The prototypes were completed in January 2022, and the production batch shipped to me in June 2022. Unfortunately, the release was delayed indefinitely due to a critical manufacturing defect in the Side Effects (SE) hole. The SE could not fit, and the yo-yos had to be redone.
I am glad to finally show you my creation six long months later.
This is a special yo-yo. It is difficult to accurately describe the playfeel of Martian - it is neither floaty nor solid playing, but it has plenty of… soul. If you’ve thrown a Canvas, which the Martian is heavily based on, you’ll know how it feels. The Martian plays slightly heavier with more center weight compared to the Canvas, with a very peculiar bounce when it hits the string. Every now and then, an RSO yo-yo with a seemingly simple design blows me away, and the Martian is one of them. It is up there with derti, TiRAMiSU and Sushi as my favorite RSO releases.
It must be emphasized that the yo-yo is not wholly vibe-free. I attribute this to the relatively large, full-sized diameter of the yo-yo, which increases the risk of warping during the machining process. The yo-yo is smooth on the string and outer rims but has a slight unnoticeable vibe if you place two fingers in the catch zone near the response area. I applied the same quality control standard as Gravity - so you would be happy with Martian if you were satisfied with your Gravity.
THE BIG BANG
Martian is a fusion between the RSO x Atmos Projects Gravity and CLYW Canvas.
The initial Martian CAD resembled more the Gravity than Canvas. I wanted the caps made for Gravity and Sushi to be backwards compatible with Martian, but it was impossible. The diameters of Martian, Gravity and Sushi are 55.5 mm, 54 mm and 50.5 mm respectively - the larger diameter of Martian meant that more material had to be located at the rims to accommodate the comparatively small caps, which resulted in an unacceptable increase in the yo-yo’s weight.
I felt that fabricating new, larger caps for the Martian would not be wise as the groove for the caps would only be compatible with one yo-yo, lacking versatility. On the contrary, the cap grooves on the Gravity and Sushi are more universal as they can also accommodate Freehand Zero caps.
The production version of the Martian has a Gravity-like hub and a similar curvature to the inner rim.
Gravity (left) and Martian (right).
After I removed the cap grooves, the Martian CAD evolved into one looking more like the Canvas than Gravity. The response grooves, surrounded by deep Schmoove grooves, accommodate CLYW / G-grip sized type 50 Landing Pads, with which I have a love-hate relationship.
On the one hand, the pads have a larger diameter and give the yo-yo slightly more momentum and longer spin time. On the other hand, they are thicker than your regular 19mm pads, necessitating more material in the center of the yo-yo to accommodate them. The broad and deep Canvas-like Schmoove grooves negated this issue in the Martian.
Gravity (left) and Martian (right).
The Martian has Canvas-like walls, which are higher than Gravity's. The Martian is about 1 mm wider in diameter and width compared to the Canvas.
Gravity (left) and Martian (right).
The inner rims on the Martian also feature a triangular-shaped protrusion, similar to that of the Canvas. The outer rims, on the contrary, are slightly rounder than the Canvas. The Martian feels “fatter” in the hand.
Gravity (left) and Martian (right).
Canvas (left) and Martian (right).
The production version of the Martian is essentially a slightly wider, slightly larger diameter, plumper titanium SE Canvas with a Gravity hub.
UNPARALLELED IN THE GALAXY
As with all RSO SE models, Martian is powered by original One Drop SE and premium Yoyorecreation NSK platinum Double Straight bearings.
In addition to the brass ultralights SE installed, a pair of aluminium ultralights SE are included with every Martian. With aluminium ultralights SE installed, Martian weighs only 62.7g and handles fast trick combos better. However, I prefer the heavier playfeel with the brass ultralights SE installed.
I contemplated shipping Martian with Energy Dome SE, which resembles the muzzle of the Martian brain disintegrator from the film Mars Attacks!, but eventually decided against it as it didn’t fit the overall look.
MARS ATTACKS!
The artwork was drawn by ATILA, a long-time collaborator of ours. ATILA and I are big fans of the Mars Attacks! movie and felt that we could do a spin on the art for The Martian! Despite an ensemble cast of A-listers, the film did not perform at the box office but eventually became a cult classic. On the cover, we have RSO’s ambassador, Hachiko, trying to defend planet earth from the attacking Martians.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX
A PAIR OF ALUMINIUM ULTRALIGHT SE (IN ADDITION TO THE BRASS ULTRALIGHT SE INSTALLED)
MARTIAN INVADER ENAMEL PIN
Certificate of AUTHENTICITY
A PAIR OF CLYW SLIM / G-GRIP SIZE TYPE 50 RSO LANDING PADS
RED STRING
FEATURING SLIM WHITMAN AND THE CARPENTERS
I shot and edited two videos for The Martian! The first features “Indian Love Call” by Slim Whitman, a throwback to the epic scene when the Martians' weaknesses are finally exposed (no spoilers for those who want to watch the movie). The other features one of the most soothing voices in music, Karen Carpenter, covering the song “Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft”.