I am convinced that the hype surrounding this yoyo is not much overstated. $30 certainly seems to be the sweet spot for budget performance, as I have two yoyos more expensive and two cheaper, and this one might just take the cake with overall performance.

Now the reason I bought it is because I wanted something that played differently than anything I already own, and this fit the bill. Despite being my lightest throw by far you can very much feel it on the string, but because of its weight it doesn’t jerk around or resist. You can play it at any speed you want and it will gladly oblige.
The fact that the polycarbonate is machined is a huge bonus. I’m comparing it to my 1UP, and it one-ups it in every respect: power, stability and trick application. Because of where the material is placed it can still get through most of your combos and back to your hand without much difficulty, defying the fact that plastic has less inertia than metal.

However because it’s plastic it does come with that aspect of not being as stable as most metal yoyos; however I see this as a good thing. It is stable enough that it won’t punish your slight errors, another win over my 1UP, but still encourages you to polish up your string and hand placement.

I especially like the profile. Because the finish is smooth it literally cradles your finger during grinds, making those kinds of tricks a lot easier to learn and master. I was struggling with learning Calypso but after giving it a shot on the Shooting Star I landed it after a couple attempts.

Are there yo-yos that perform way better? Absolutely, but you will have to shell out more cash for them. When designing a budget yoyo, companies will always claim that even though it is beginner-friendly, it can take you all the way to the most advanced tricks. However, I think the Shooting Star is one that actually lives up to that claim. Yes, $30 certainly is the sweet spot for budget performance.

Great! Durable, smooth, and even comes with an unresponsive bearing to replace the responsive one once you learn the basics!

This might be the best plastic yoyo on the market. It plays amazing. It is great for the DNA and the slim responsive bearing really helps you learn it. I have this yoyo for a little while now and it is just always fun to play with. The translucent yellow colorway is so cool in blacklight!

When I started last year I couldn't decide what to get as my first yoyo. I am super glad I picked the Shooting Star. The fact that it includes a responsive bearing is awesome. I learned to DNA with this yoyo and it is a beast of a fingerspin yoyo. The finish is great for grinds. Finally, it plays amazing! It has plenty of power. It holds up to any tricks I throw at still to this day, even getting through a Gentry Stein rail combo. If I couldn't have any metal yoyos and had to choose a plastic yoyo this would be the one without a doubt.

Many people saw me struggling to learn the DNA trick at National's in Mesa. I found the shooting star as easy or easier than Cheat Code to do this trick. Absolutely loving this yo-yo. Really well balanced with a lot of power for an all plastic throw.