It wasn't hard to get up and going or to figure out the controls. This does some of the craziest things and is just a fun item to have, although the dogs weren't crazy about it. The extra rechargeable battery is nice and extends the run time, but you will need regular batteries for the remote. Since the battery for the toy is rechargeable, there will be hours and hours of entertainment. It says ages eight and up, but my little six-year-old grandson had a ball using it, filling the room with wonderful giggles and squeals of delight. I don't know if the rechargeable battery was fully charged; we didn't time it, but it lasted an extended time....