Bring In the Cavalry! Skylanders Character Breakdown

So, Sunday was the infamous release of the fourth game of the Skylanders series. Trap Team! We had so much fun running to the store before church to gather up all our new characters!

If you're unfamiliar with the Skylanders games, put simply they are a group of now four games from Activision where the player uses figurines on a portal to activate characters in a video game. Activision brings the world of gaming to life for gamers of all ages with unique ways of connecting to both parents and kids.

The game is comparable to Disney Infinity, which I reviewed here.  I'm well aware all my Portal Master friends will give me grief for saying so, but trust me. When I say they are similar, I use the term loosely. Skylanders is a much more intricate game with original characters who have original back stories all new to this game. There are a few familiar faces, like Spyro and Cynder, for those of us older gamers who remember the grand adventures of the dragons. Other than that, though, the characters are all new all the time.

Now, this isn't a review yet, since I can't justify reviewing the new game without having first completed it. However I would like to make a mention of the new pieces and characters for those of you thinking about playing for the first time.

So to start us off, the first guys we meet are the Core characters.

These little guys are your average, every day heroes. You've got your dragons, your elves, your robots, and an assortment of other odd and lovely little creatures. Each of these characters costs an average of $9.99 full price. But there are constantly sales, especially on older game characters. Walmart almost consistently has older game characters for $7.49 or BOGO bundles. It's worth keeping your eyes out for the price drops to snag the best deals.

With the release of the second game in 2012, players were introduced to a new type of character. The Giants. 

Giants are an orange bottomed character, meaning they work in their own game and beyond, but not in the games before. These super sized Skylanders are twice as big as core characters and are used in the games to unlock areas and prizes too big for just a regular hero. They usually weigh in at about $15 a piece. Because they're a couple years older, though, stores like Walmart and ToysRUs have started dropping the regular prices down to anywhere between $10 and $12 on top of constant BOGO sales. Stores need to move the old merch out to make room for the new. With new constantly pouring in, now is the perfect time to get your hands on a couple of these.

Last year, with the third game came a third time of character, the Swap Force.

Story behind these guys is pretty simple. Just your average magical volcanic eruption giving anything near it the ability to swtich tops and bottoms with each other. These characters are great, because for the first time, kids actually get to break their toys. On purpose!! Each piece has two little magnetic spaces at the breaking point, so they don't just fall apart while you're playing. When you switch and mix up the toys in real life, the characters in the game mix accordingly, and along with their new look comes all the abilities, quests, and upgrades. Swappers are usually $14.99 regular price. They aren't new anymore but they're still very easily found, and their "not new" status makes them a guaranteed sale item once the holidays hit. I'm hearing "Christmas presents!"

Now we have the new game. Which gave us a surprising and unexpected three new types of characters. Firstly, we have the new Skylanders addition themselves, carrying special weapons for tapping enemies. Therefore, these characters are appropriately called the Trap Team.

Larger than cores, and hefting translucent "traptanium" weapons, these villain snatchers sell for an average of $14.99 in most stores. ToysRUs has the price set a couple dollars higher, but during their sales weeks with BOGO 40% off sales and rewards points, they're cheaper than anyone else. Still, because this game is new, expect the sales to be fewer and the prices higher. At least for a while.

Second, we have a shrunk down version of core figures called Minis.

These may seem like they're not worth the $14.99 you pay, but each pack comes with two characters and both those characters are completely what they were in previous games. Only a thousand times more adorable. So with full powers and upgrade abilities, you're essentially paying $7.50 for a cuter version of a core that would cost you three bucks more! In my opinion? One of the best, and most adorable, deals the Skylanders game has put out yet!!

The third type of playable character in the fourth game are, believe it or not, the villains! But you'll need special traptanium crystal Traps to do so.

Traps are a little pricey. They're $5.99 a piece, and the variety is seemingly endless. But don't think they aren't worth it. Each trap can hold two villains and each villain is a fully playable character. Not only do they have their own powers and talents you can use to fight for good, they also talk to you through the portal when the trap crystals are in play.

A game like this can be expensive, and buying every character for a full collection could quite literally break the bank! But a game like this could also teach kids saving and money management. I love it, my family loves it. I'm sure you will too!

(More to come.)

To Infinity And Beyond! An In-Depth and Personal Disney Infinity Review

I realize this review is a little late to the table, but with the release of Disney's Infinity 2.0, I know there are a lot of new players hopping on board with us long time toy-boxers. My aunt and cousin are among the many buying the first game for the first time, and while trying to help them decide what to buy, we realized there is a serious lack of honest and informative reviews out there. So here's hoping to change that.

My experience. I've always been a big Disney fan. Ever since I was little, but surprisingly more so as an adult. I've also been a fan of video games since I was first allowed to use Dad's computer to play Freddie Fish. To top it all off, being the daughter and granddaughter of two avid collectors, I have a genetic tendency to want to collect things. Rocks, dolls, seashells. So it was only natural that when Disney produced a video game with collectible figures, I was all in!

Little by little, through savings and sales, I've collected all of the regular characters. Each character is regularly priced at $14.99 and comes with a trading card specific to the character. Stores like ToysRUs and GameStop regularly have reduced price sales. Pinching pennies and biding time can get you "3 for $30" at ToysRUs, a half off at Walmart, or even a rare but worth it BOGO. If you're not in it for collecting, keep an eye out for opened packages and missing cards. Some stores are willing to give discounts for open or damaged products, and a missing trading card won't hurt your ability to play! With a little more saving, I'll be able to add to that the seven crystal ToysRUs exclusive figures, then hopefully the remainder of the power discs, to my collection.

The more figures I collect, I have to admit, the more fun the game is. Though the toybox isn't my favorite aspect of the game, being able to play with a favorite like Jack Skelington or Ice Queen Elsa is pretty fantastic. The playsets are more my speed. The game comes with three to start. Monster U, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Incredibles. Monster U is great for little ones, with quests to play pranks and show your school pride. The Incredibles is perfect for the young kids who like the action and adventure of getting to be a super hero, with missions that aren't too difficult for younger ones and gore-free battles with robot bad guys. Lastly, of course, the pirates are perfect for older kids and adults who like to take the slow approach to the game, puzzle solving and treasure hunting galore!

To any new players looking for some extra adventure, I recommend the Toy Story playset. It's the right amount of action and quests to keep any age interested, and there are a lot of fun aspects to the game. Like getting to shrink Bullseye and supersize yourself. Giant Buzz on Mini Bullseye is hilarious! But if westerns are more your speed, the Lone Ranger Playset allows you to jump into the saddle of the Lone Ranger or Tonto and save the wild west from the money grubbing railway outlaws. For little racers, the Cars playset is all about the movie. Stunts and races and helping out your neighbor. It's a great time, especially playing with friends. Each playset costs $35.99 and comes with two characters, the crystal playset piece, and one card.

The game is good for any age. There are puzzles, mysteries, things to discover and explore. And if you're like me and can't build your way out of a cardboard box, there are pre-made downloadable Toyboxes so all your characters can fight bad guys, climb towers, and raise to the finish line!!

If you're not interested in buying every character out there (because let's face it, they're pretty pricey) focus on getting your faves! Armed with her epic frying pan, Rapunzel is the perfect pick for any princess loving player. Speed junkies will love the champion Lightening McQueen or the comedic Mater. Also, set aside a five here and there for those $4.99 power disks. They may seem like nothing special, but getting to motor over Omnidroids in Cinderella's pumpkin carriage with monster truck wheels is an experience you just can't top. Plus, having the extra power-ups in the playsets really helps defeat those tough boss bad guys.

Some things to look out for. Just a couple things we wish we'd known before hand. The Wii version of the game does not allow two player mode in the playsets worlds. There is a glitch in this version of the game only. On all other consoles, this isn't a problem. The Wii version does still allow two player mode in the toybox, but for a household with more than one gamer, this isn't a fair compromise.

As an added note, though not well advertised, there is in existence a 3DS version of the game. I wasn't able to find much information on the interwebs about this game before purchasing it. When we bought it, I realized why. It's nothing like the bigger console games at all. There are no playsets, no toybox. Instead, you get a series of arcade like games. The power disks still help out your characters, who still level up as they play, but don't expect a handheld mini world to build and create your own Never Never Land in.

Royal Rating. Over all, this game is family friendly fun for all ages. It has it's downsides, like anything, but the good outways the bad. I give this game a 4 out of 5 crowns!