Skylander Giants Dragonfire Cannon Battle Pack at Toys'R'Us

How about a little something for those of you that loyally or somewhat routinely check the blog?  I do appreciate it and hope you find information or videos that are helpful, enjoyable, or maybe both!

That said, if you recall GameStop allowed pre-orders of what was believe to be an exclusive Battle Pack earlier in the summer.  It was the "Golden Dragonfire Battle Pack" 
I jumped on it just to avoid any hassles or drama that comes with not doing so.

Just today, Toys'R'Us sprung a listing for a Dragonfire Battle Pack.  Yep, same thing, minus the "golden."  The price is the same ($24.99) and at this point in time it is hard to know if the "golden" version will be different in game, or have better magical properties etc.

That said, if you are not a fan of GameStop...don't have a branch nearby, or are simply a collector who must have one of everything...here you go:

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=15854536

There is currently not an image, but I would have to suspect it to feature Chop Chop and Shroomboom (non-Light Core) as well as a non-golden Dragonfire Cannon.

Again, I can not attest to what the exact differences will be (aside from gold and not gold), but if you are in the market for it, now is the time to act!

Blog Poll #35: Cats or Dogs?

Well, a few hours ago I opened up another poll.  It asks the age old question of which one you prefer: cats or dogs?

I set it up to run 1 month with voting winding down October 27th, 2012 at 11:59 PM CST.

Spread the word and let's see what happens.

My Nephew really wanted to see this poll come to life and how it might pan out with everyone.

It is a nice departure from gaming into the real world...several votes for having just opened it earlier tonight and not having really done anything to "promote it" just yet.

Nonetheless, as always thanks for voting and be sure to involve all your friends and family...this one should be close and I look forward to seeing the results!

The poll is located on the Right Hand side of the blog just below the Twitter feed.

Skylanders Giants Legendary Triple Pack: Toys'R'Us Reservation

Well, hopefully you aren't here to see the triple pack...not out yet!  (And since I am still getting asked this a lot...Yes, I will be doing the unboxing/review of all things Skylanders).

The Skylanders Giants Legendary Triple Pack will be a Toys'R'Us exclusive and feature Legendary Slam Bam, Legendary Ignitor, and Legendary Jet-Vac.  It is listed at $24.99 and you can reserve 2 of them through the TRU Hot Toy List.

That said, this post is going up for a reason...several of you have asked me how I pre-ordered (cough, reserved, cough) the triple pack at Toys'R'Us.

They have started a new deal for Christmas 2012 that is aimed at helping people avoid hassle and hopefully be able to afford the hottest toys for the holiday season...or in most of our cases, just ensure we actually get a triple pack of Legendary Skylanders without having to spend an extra 4 weeks and $150 in gas...

At this point no one really knows if this Triple Pack will come in and be like last year's Legendary Triple Pack where it comes in and is on the shelf through Black Friday and then disappeared for several months (prompting many to buy them at crazy prices online (again DO NOT DO THAT!)), or if it will be like Legendary Trigger Happy and flood the store spilling into the bike section, Babies'R'Us, and out the back to the alley.

That said, as most of you veteran Skylander fans should now know, it is best to act in advance.  It provides peace of mind and honestly saves a ton of time and money.  For you parents that follow along, I'd suggest you cash in on this set-up to avoid having to resort to the shady waters of ebay.

This Legendary Triple Pack will again be exclusive to Toys'R'Us and if you are a fan of Slam Bam, Ignitor, or Jet-Vac this is a hot ticket item.  Honestly, those are 2 of my current favorites and despite most people leaning elsewhere, I think Jet-Vac is on pace to be among my top Skylander Giant figures!

But now that you have read all that, I guess I should provide the link and helpful insights...

Here you go:

http://www.toysrus.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=10811023

That link SHOULD take you to the HOT TOY LIST on the TRU website.  Print it off and take it to your local store and present it to Guest Services.  You must put down 5% to reserve it, but you can also pay in full...take your pic.  There isn't really any benefit to shopping around since this is an exclusive and if you want a bargain on this pack you won't be getting it any time soon (try August 2013 perhaps, lol).

I was the first person at my local store not just to pre-order/reserve this Triple Pack, but to actually do anything with the Hot Toy List...I kind of had to explain it to the people...the asst. manager was clueless and so was the manager.  They were nice and took the time to figure it out...Apparently they will call me when the merchandise arrives.  For what it is worth, they did not take the 2 sheets I took in stapled...they just kept the stuff the register printed out...

Anyway, that is a lot to digest, but hopefully it helps you out and more importantly lands you, your kids, or a friend what is in my mind a pretty cool triple pack!  Good luck and I hope this helped you out!

Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition Unboxing and Overview

Kirby is 20 and Nintendo is commemorating the milestone...

Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition (Wii) was released Sunday, September 16th, 2012 and is a treat for any Kirby enthusiast.  Much like Mario's 25th, fans are treated to: special packaging, a game disc with multiple titles, a compilation soundtrack, and a full color booklet highlighting Kirby's 20 fun-filled years.

Here is a an unboxing and overview to really highlight the materials:

If you can't tell my allergies are pretty bad...I actually sound really good compared to the previous 2 weeks...Sorry about that, but I didn't want to keep waiting to do the video...

The Special Edition of Kirby's Dream Collection retails for $39.99 and as I mentioned in the video...I would get a copy sooner rather than later to ensure you don't miss out on this special offering form the big N.

If you don't have some of the included games this bundle is a steal.  If you are a hardcore Kirby fanatic it is a must have regardless.  And for those casual fans and collectors, this is truly a nice package and will provide quite a bit of fun and look great in any gaming shrine.

The booklet is packed with features and little tidbits of info...the game disc has some extra special bonus content, and as I type this I am rocking out to the sweet sounds of Dream Land.

The game disc includes these classic titles:

-Kirby's Dream Land (GameBoy, 1992-First Ever Kirby Game)
-Kirby's Adventure (NES, 1993)
-Kirby's Dream Land 2 (GameBoy, 1995)
-Kirby Super Star (SNES, 1996)
-Kirby's Dream Land 3 (SNES, 1997)
-Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (N64, 2000)

While the video uploads I think I will check out an episode of the animated series Kirby: Right Back at Ya!

As with any special edition offering from Nintendo, I suggest you move on it quick and take advantage of the anniversary celebration!

Legendary Skylanders Giants

Here are some screen grabs of the new Legendary Skylanders for Skylanders Giants.  

We will see a Toys'R'Us Exclusive Triple Pack featuring: Legendary Ignitor, Legendary Slam Bam, and Legendary Jet-Vac.  (I actually just reserved this pack today! Thursday, September 20th, 2012).

Legendary Bouncer seems to be the only Giant coming in Legendary forum and he is believed to be the "TBD Giant" you earn the right to purchase with a TRU Giants pre-order.  

I also believe that Chill and Stealth Elf will come along later on, much like we saw with Legendary Trigger Happy.  I could be wrong, but it makes sense. I'd expect them to come at the midway point and then after that respectively.  As of right now it looks like Toys'R'Us will remain the Legendary headquarters here in the USA, but with Chill and Stealth Elf in the mix there remains the possibility that they "could" go elsewhere....my money would still be on this remaining exclusive to TRU and other retailers getting special variants etc.

Legendary Chill

 Legendary Ignitor

Legendary Jet-Vac

 

 Legendary Slam Bam

Legendary Stealth Elf

 Legendary Bouncer

Note that I could not find a good picture of Legendary Ignitor, so I just have a place filler.

Skylanders Giants Characters Grouped by Element

Here is a quick rundown "photographically" of the line-up for Giants:

The Giants

Thumpback, Bouncer, Crusher, Ninjini, Hot Head, Eye-Brawl, Tree Rex, Swarm

LightCore 

Chill, Drobot, Prism Break, Pop-Fizz, Eruptor, Hex, ShroomBoom, Jet-Vac

Air Element

Swarm, LightCore Jet-Vac, Sonic Boom, Whirlwind, Lightning Rod, Jet-Vac

Earth Element

Crusher, LightCore Prism Break, Terrafin, Bash, Prism Break, Flashwing

Fire Element

Hot Head, LightCore Eruptor, Ignitor, Eruptor, Flameslinger, Hot Dog

Life Element

Tree Rex, LightCore ShroomBoom, Stealth Elf, Zook, Stump Smash, ShroomBoom

Magic Element

Ninjini, LightCore Pop-Fizz, Spyro, Wrecking Ball, Double Trouble, Pop-Fizz

Tech Element

Bouncer, LightCore Drobot, Drill Sergeant, Trigger Happy, Drobot, Sprocket

Undead Element

Eye-Brawl, LightCore Hex, Cynder, Chop Chop, Hex, Fright Rider

Water Element

Thumpback, LightCore Chill, Slam Bam, Zap, Gill Grunt, Chill

Skylanders Giants Collector's Poster

Here is a little something-something for everyone with just 1 month until the release of Skylanders Giants!

Nintendo Wii U Launch Titles

Here is a list of confirmed launch titles for the Nintendo Wii U!  There are some great games, both first and third party...something many of us Wii owners have not had to this extent in quite some time.

As you may know my only other modern console is the PS2, which hasn't really had any of the latest-and-greatest in quite some time.  I'm excited about the change of pace...I have starred games I would like to pick-up and added "!" by games I plan to pick up asap!

Nintendo : First Party

Game & Wario *
LEGO City: Undercover
New Super Mario Bros. Wii U *! 
NINJA GAIDEN 3: Razor’s Edge
Pikmin 3 (Nintendo) 
SiNG PARTY 
The Wonderful 101*
Wii Fit U *!
Wipeout 3 

Other Developers: Third Party

007 Legends (Activision)
Aliens: Colonial Marines (SEGA)
Assassin’s Creed III (Ubisoft) *!
Batman: Arkham City Armoured Edition (Warner Bros.) *
Ben 10 Omniverse (Namco/Bandai)
Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2013 (Activision)
Call of Duty: Black Ops II (Activision)
Darksiders 2 (THQ)
Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two (Disney Interactive)
Family Party: 30 Great Games Obstacle Arcade (Namco/Bandai)
Frozenbyte (Electronic Arts)
Game Party Champions (Warner Bros.)
JEOPARDY! (THQ) 
Jett Tailfin (Maximum Games) 
Just Dance 4 (Ubisoft)
Madden NFL 13 (Electronic Arts) *! (Finally, a solid Madden for Nintendo again!)
Marvel Avengers Battle for Earth (Ubisoft)
Mass Effect 3: Special Edition (Electronic Arts)
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (Capcom)
Nano Assault Neo (Shin’en)
NBA 2K13 (2K Sports) 
Rabbids Land (Ubisoft) *
Rapala Pro Bass Fishing (Activision) 
Rise of the Guardians (Namco/Bandai)
Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien (Gaijin Games)
Scribblenauts Unlimited (Warner Bros.)
Skylanders Giants (Activision) *!
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (SEGA) *
Sports Connection (Ubisoft)
TANK! TANK! TANK! (Namco/Bandai)
TEKKEN TAG TOURNAMENT 2 Wii U Edition (Namco/Bandai)
Toki Tori 2 (Two Tribes) *Actually looks good
TRANSFORMERS PRIME (Activision)
Trine 2: Director’s Cut (Electronic Arts)
Warriors Orochi 3 Hyper (Tecmo Koei)
Wheel of Fortune (THQ) 
Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2013 (Ubisoft)
Zumba Fitness Core (Majesco Entertainment) 

As you can see there are some great games slated for the launch and I can't wait to see what all else is in store.  There should be even more solid choices between launch and the end of the year.  And of course, the future is wide open!  I was very selective in this list.  There are a handful of other games I'd like to pick up, but the simple fact is money and free time only go so far.  I'd love to finally experience some of the games like Mass Effect and Darksiders I've heard so much about, but with limited free time I will probably hold out for some price drops and or time to investigate.

Blog Poll #34: Wii U Purchases

Blog Poll #34 is commemorating the launch announcement for the Wii U made on September 13th, 2012.

We learned that the Wii U will launch here in the US on Sunday, November 18th, 2012 and will retail for $299.99 (White-Basic 8 GB) and $349.99 (Black-Deluxe 32 GB with Nintendo Land).

I've made a few options for you to select:

-White 8 GB Basic
-Black 32 GB Deluxe
-Want it for Christmas/Bday
-Waiting for Price Drop
-Don't Plan to Purchase a Wii U

This should cover everyone.  No doubt this is going to be a hot gift item, hence why it is coming in right ahead of Black Friday and the holiday shopping season.

For those not young enough, or lucky enough to receive it as a gift you will either be faced with not buying a Wii U, waiting for a price drop (which will likely be quite a wait unless things tank, which I do not foresee), or simply picking how you want it optioned out.

My tentative plan is to pre-order a Deluxe bundle.  With Nintendo Land likely to retail for $59.99 it pays for itself and I suppose I might use the stands that come extra, lol...I suppose the big perk, aside from the software bundled, will be the 32 GB of storage.

I've read rumors we'll see more GameCube titles.  I'd love to get my hands on Super Mario Sunshine.  I have it on GC to play on the Wii and it just always freezes at random points and ruins things.  A download would be nice.

Plus, I have to say that Nintendo Land actually looks like it will be pretty enjoyable.  And I'm kind of a fan...I don't see the extra $50 as not being "worth it."  It seems like it is money well spent for the storage and game.  Granted, some will opt to go basic and use external HDs they already have and pick up Nintendo Land afterwards, if they are interested.

Cast your vote and if you feel like you need to explain it...by all means post away!

As of right now only GameStop.com and TRU.com are taking pre-orders here in the US.  I hit some stores tonight and they were oblivious to it...gotta love brick-and-mortar retail sometimes.

I'm pretty excited about it and can't wait to enjoy some new Nintendo and high-end third party titles in HD!

This poll will run until Saturday, November 17th, 2012 at 10 PM CST.

Blog Polls #31, 32, and 33: Skylanders Giants!

Top o' the mornin' to ya!  As I type this the Wii U Nintendo Direct shindig is going on in Japan...I have it on and have no clue what is going on...Anyway, here is something I do understand: Skylanders!

I have decided to open up 3 Skylanders Giants Polls!  Each of these polls will run right up until the day before release (10/21/2012 here in the US).  There should be plenty of time to vote and even change your vote if say a new trailer is released for a certain character that blows you away.

I will have my generic Giants Info post updated with pics and will then add trailers as they come available.  I might even make a video, although I know it will disappoint a lot of people with not having the figures/pictures etc.  I get a lot of questions on the character line-up and there is a large group of people that stick to YouTube and don't ever really skim the blog etc.

So all of that should be coming soon, but in the mean time you can cast your vote based on what you already know, what sounds cool, or what you know is going to be the hot ticket.

Blog Poll #31 asks, "What are You Buying for Giants?"

This is pretty straight forward as it is only applicable to the Starter/Portal Packs.  Here are your choices:

-Starter Pack: Game, Portal, Tree Rex, Jet-Vac, and Cynder S2
-Portal Owner's Pack: Tree Rex
-Both: You probably have multiple consoles, or are a certified Skylander nut
-Console and 3DS: You must have Punch Pop Fizz essentially

Blog Poll #32 is BIG and inquires, "Which Giant Do You Want the Most?"


-Swarm (Air)
-Crusher (Earth)
-Hot Head (Fire)
-Tree Rex (Life)
-Ninjini (Magic)
-Bouncer (Tech)
-Eye-Brawl (Undead)
-Thumpback (Water)


Similarly, Blog Poll #33 is scaled back, but asks, "Which New Skylander Do You Want the Most?"

-Jet-Vac (Air)
-Flashwing (Earth)
-Hot Dog (Fire)
-Shroomboom (Life)
-Pop Fizz (Magic)
-Sprocket (Tech)
-Fright Rider (Undead)
-Chill (Water)