Skylanders Trap Team Unboxing Love Potion Pop Fizz

What: Love Potion Pop Fizz
Where Did You Get It: GameStop
What Did It Cost: $9.99 plus tax
What Was Stock Like: 2 at the store
What is Included: Love Potion Pop Fizz, Stat Card, and Sticker Sheet

Unboxing Love Potion Pop Fizz

Love Potion Pop Fizz
Magic Element, Alt-Deco for Valentine's Day

Slogan: "The Motion of the Potion!"

Card Stats
Power: 100/250
Armor: 90/250
Agility: 60/250
Luck: 200/250
Totals: 450/1000

Unboxing Punk Shock (Spring Edition)

What? Punk Shock, Water Element, SWAP Force Newlander
Where Did You Get It? GameStop
What Did It Cost? $9.99 plus tax
What Was Stock Like? Nice Stock, Probably 6-10 of each
What is Included? Punk Shock, Stat Card, and Sticker Sheet

Unboxing Skylanders SWAP Force Spring Edition Punk Shock

Punk Shock
Water Element, SF Newlander

Slogan: "Amp it Up!"

Card Stats
Power: 100/200
Armor: 100/200
Agility: 80/200
Luck: 70/200
Totals: 350/800

Base Stats:

SWAP Force Water Element Newlanders

SWAP Force Water Element Skylanders

Well, as fate would have it I was able to locate all 3 of the Spring Edition Skylanders at my local GameStop!  I haven't heard of anyone else nabbing them from GameStop just yet, so I suppose that is a worthwhile notation.  If I had to guess I would say there were 6-10 of each figure on the pegs...The pegs were full, so there could have been more in the back.  I believe the employee said they had just put them out either yesterday or today, so they probably hit the distribution center late last week and shipped out Monday.

I don't think it'll be too terribly hard to land these Spring Editions, but the hot commodity will likely be Punk Shock.  I say that because she is the last of the Newlanders if you will (not counting swapper Doom Stone) and she currently lacks a standard packed counterpart (still kind of weird she doesn't mirror what we see with Fryno, or Fryno mirror her).

Outside of the "eggcellent" packaging, there is no difference between what you'll find inside.  Given how well stocked Pumpkin Eye Brawl and Jolly Bumble Blast were I would think we should see similar attempts with these Spring Edition Skylanders.

If you can get a TRU that has them out, or will sell them, their 3 for $20 is a great way to land Spring Edition Fryno, Spring Edition Punk Shock, and Springtime Trigger Happy for a great price.

There were no signs of any Spring Edition Skylanders at my local Wal-Marts or Target.

Good luck and "hoppy" hunting!

SWAP Force Water Element Skylanders with In Game Variants

Skylanders SWAP Force Happy Meal Toys Preview

Hey Everyone,

Just one of those videos where I talk fast and try to showcase you what to expect...In this case, it is a preview of the upcoming Skylanders featured in the SWAP Force Happy Meals!

Starting this Friday, March 28th, 2014 you can get these awesome Skylanders in your McDonald's Happy Meals!  The promo will run thru April 24th, 2014 and in addition to the toys you can expect coupons like last time.  One will be for $10 off a SWAP Force Starter Pack and the other was simply stated as "$1 Off a Skylanders Character."  I assume this will work not only with SWAP Force core characters, but LightCore and swappers too.  Similarly, I have no reason to think it wouldn't work with SSA or Giants Skylanders, but we will have to wait and see.

That said, I will get stand alone pics up soon...It is currently 4:30 AM and I am dead tired...the pics will be the same as in the video fyi.

Here is the character rundown for the 8 featured:

Eruptor: Looks to be a light up effect

Prism Break: Also looks to be a light up effect (modeled after Hyper Beam Prism Break)

Free Ranger: Looks to be a top

Freeze Blade: Looks to shoot the chakram

Magna Charge: Looks to be a projectile attack from the Magnet Cannon

Rattle Shake: Looks to be a projectile with Snake's Venom (prob just the snake here)

Wash Buckler: Looks to be one of those quick action turns with the cutlass

Chompy: No clue what he will do, but it'll be nice for displays!

Skylanders SWAP Force Unboxing Legendary Free Ranger

What: Toys'R'Us Exclusive Legendary Free Ranger, Air Element, SWAP Force, Spin
Where Did You Get It: Toys'R'Us
What Did It Cost: $16.99 plus tax
What Was Stock Like: Very well stocked!

Unboxing TRU Exclusive Legendary Free Ranger

Legendary Free Ranger
Air Element, SWAP Force, Spin

Slogan: "Whip Up a Storm!"

Card Stats:
Power: 115/200
Armor:150/200
Agility: 110/200
Luck: 100/200
Totals: 475/800

Card Stats vs Free Ranger

Agility: 105:110, +5 Legendary
Luck: 90:100, +10 Legendary
Overall: 460:475, +15 Legendary

Skylanders SWAP Force Launch Day Haul Collection Overview

These type of videos are always popular requests, and since Launch Day is only once a year and the Skylanders are only "boxed" once, I figured I would film this to showcase to everyone what I picked up on Launch Day and give some insights as to where I went for what and share some sweet deals you can take advantage of to save a little cash and enhance your personal collection!

What was your strategy for Launch Day?  Any good finds, or problems?  Notice any characters or items being low stock, or hard to find?  Post up your experience!

I will update this and add pics as time allows.

PowerA's Skylanders SWAP Force Display at PAX

This weekend PAX Prime took place in Seattle.  It is a HUGE gaming convention that really caters to the core players.  PowerA was on site with even MORE in way of their product offerings for Skylanders SWAP Force.

Here is the video to recap their display:

PowerA at PAX Prime 2013

If you want a closer look at the products, check the pictures out below.  If some look familiar it is likely because we got a first look at E3.  Here is the previous blog post and video:

http://www.1ofwiisdom.com/2013/06/e3-2013-power-as-skylander-displays-box.html

I can't stress enough that PowerA truly puts out a quality product.  That is why I buy their cases!  My 3DS case has been with me pretty much EVERYWHERE I've been and has yet to fail...it still looks brand new.

The issue with SWAP Force is that we are going to have a TON of Skylanders.  Just starting with SWAP Force might be overwhelming to many bedrooms, living rooms, and homes...Toss in complete collections from SSA and Giants and you have a real mess.

You only have so much display space...that means you have to carefully select who gets displayed.  Is it the latest and greatest, your personal favorites, variants, special editions, or some combination of those entities?  The bottom line remains the same...something's got to give.

Luckily, PowerA has us covered with innovative storage solutions to fit pretty much any requirement.
-Kid Friendly and Accessible?  Show & Go Case

-Soft, Durable, Easy to Travel?  Adventure Case

-Quality, Durable, Stacking Storage: Stack & Snap or Tackle Box

-Something Easy to Access and Out of the Way?  Over the Door Storage

Plus, they are continuing to innovate and develop new products.  If you, or your kids, have an iPad or iPhone there are soft, squishy cases, hard shell cases, and tablet sleeves to protect your investment while making it unique.

This year there is a new Light Up Game Bag that actually has LED piping and a ton of storage.

We are at a point where no one can deny or debate the success of Skylanders.  You could literally put a Spyro sticker on an off-brand cereal and watch it fly off the shelves.  The great thing here is that PowerA isn't just cashing in on what is hot...They have been making video game accessories for a long time now and work with other franchises like Nintendo, Pokemon, Star Wars, Star Trek and more.  They crank out quality products.

There is so much that goes into making a good accessory: aesthetics, initial appeal, initial quality, and ultimately generating the desire to acquire by a fan, or player looking to step up to something better.  That first purchase will be the most heavily critiqued.  If you are not satisfied, you will tell people...much more so than if you like what you've got.  However, when and if the consumer is satisfied, they come back...when friends need to replace their broken PS3 controller, they ask around.  PowerA is still here, still innovating, and still cranking out products because of the reputation for quality.

Their recent venture into the mobile side of the market is testament to that.  They continue to build quality and innovation into practical pieces for gamers.

One other showcase comes not in a controller, or stereotypical storage tote, but in a display.  Two of the products I was most intrigued by at E3 were not cases (although those are no doubt gaining functionality given the sheer number of Skylanders), but rather displays.  Flynn's Ship and the Fun Play Hideaway don't just store Skylanders, they put them on prominent display in something that otherwise would only be dreamed of by the most hardcore Skylander fans.

As Skylander fans we should be glad that Activision and PowerA teamed up...we get great storage and display solutions, with unique qualities, that are delivered at economical prices.  The quality covers the cost.  When you buy the cases, displays, or controllers you know that you aren't just getting a temporary fix, but rather something that will be with you for the long haul.  As fans, it doesn't get much better than that.  Form and function working in conjunction to truly amplify our experience with the game.

What PowerA product are you looking most forward to this fall?  What are you currently using to store your Skylanders...Which ones do you display?

As always stay tuned for the latest!

Skylanders Sidekicks: The Complete Collection

I had debated making this, but it already hit well beyond the "frequent" request among viewers...so, here it is:

Skylanders Sidekicks: The Complete Set of Eight

Barkley, Eye-Small, Gill Runt, Mini Jini, 

Terrabite, Trigger Snappy, Thumpling, and Whisper Elf

There is nothing groundbreaking here, but it is a nice, thorough look at the current Complete Set of Skylanders Sidekicks.  This, of course, entails both the new Skylanders Giants Sidekicks and the Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure Sidekicks.

Just to recap, from Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure we have:

Gill Runt, Sidekick to Gill Grunt

Terrabite, Sidekick to Terrafin

Trigger Snappy, Sidekick to Trigger Happy

Whisper Elf, Sidekick to Stealth Elf

And from Skylanders Giants, we have:

Barkley, Sidekick to Tree Rex

Eye Small, Sidekick to Eye-Brawl

Mini Jini, Sidekick to Ninjini

Thumpling, Sidekick to Thumpback

On an interesting note, despite having 8 Sidekicks, we see two Elements untouched in Air and Fire.  That said, Life and Water both claim two Sidekicks.

As popular as these have been, I would venture to guess we should see them return in Skylanders SWAP Force.  However, for the time being, this stands as the complete set.

If you need more info on how to obtain any of the Sidekicks, be sure to check the blog. You can also find detailed unboxings for each of the eight Sidekicks here on the blog, or my YouTube Channel.

Good luck completing your set!

Skylanders E3 2013 Exclusive Copper Metallic Hot Dog

For avid collectors and rabid fans of the Skylanders franchise, you all know of the in-game variants, chase variants, and some insanely hard to find variants...variants like this year's E3 Exclusive Hot Dog!

 There hasn't really been an official name given to this rendition of Hot Dog as best I know...Take a look at the video and tell me what you think:

I have seen bronze, copper, color change, color shift, etc.  In addition to gaming and Skylanders, my other big hobby is cars.  With that in mind I would deem this T5 Hot Dog.  Since virtually no one would understand that designation I went with Copper Metallic Hot Dog...it just looks like the old Copper Metallic paint to me, which you can see on this 69 A12 Superbee:

I would love to unbox this figure and see what it looks like and if it does in fact shift colors...for now, I am content with Copper Metallic.  The figure looks great.  I do not know who selects the figure and paint scheme, but this (just like Chrome Spyro from 2012) just works.  While the thought of a copper colored Hot Dog may not appeal to most, once you see it, particularly in person, you will change your tone.

Here are a few comparison shots:

I love what they did this year...In the past it was my understanding that folks could show up and play the demo and get a figure...many of which probably came back to a different attendant and racked up their ebay stock.  It is still possible this year, but not likely...

In order to win E3 Hot Dog you simply have to spin a SwapForce wheel with "Wash" that you obviously have to land with "Buckler."  If so a bell sounds and you are presented your Hot Dog.

The line was INSANE.  This alone means that if anyone was going just to scalp they are probably missing out on making money elsewhere due to the lost time simply standing in line...No leads or shelf raiding applies here!  Everyone plays be the same rules...Furthermore, the staff is well versed in policing things...The line begins back on the side of Activision's big presentation theater.  Once you hit Check Point 1, you have to wait until you and a few more can advance to Check Point 2.  At CP2 you will be canned if you are a recognized winner.

If you continue you'll be greeted by the nice staff inside, who are very good at identifying repeat winners etc.

I'm sure some will get into the hands of scalpers and a few are probably still working the system around all the increased obstacles, but the added obstructions to someone  pillaging 5-10 figures to sell online is a nice nod to everyone else!

I spun the wheel twice and never won...I did get close though...I spent some time I could have been outside the booth, waiting in line to try again, getting info on the 3DS game!

Nonetheless, I feel very  fortunate to have walked off with such a rare Skylander from such a prestigious event!  The color really does fit accent Hot Dog's personality!

Skylanders Giants featured in McDonald's Happy Meal

Tomorrow, Friday, April 12th, 2013 marks the "official" date that you should start finding Skylanders Giants toys in Happy Meals.  I have a feeling there will be a lot of adults purchasing Happy Meals for themselves this time around.

Here is the group shot from HappyMeal.com:

As best I can tell, the "boys" will get Giants while girls will get Fijits Shimmies.  So, if your daughter wants that new Jet-Vac, make sure to denote you want a "boys" Happy Meal.

That said, your other option...should you not have kids, grandkids, nieces, or nephews and don't much care for the food...you can usually walk in and purchase the set.

I went out with my family Friday night and we got 4 Happy Meals.  The end result?  3 Drobots and 1 Crusher.  Not exactly what we had hoped for...That made me realize how important it would be to land the set by just purchasing it.  That McDonald's refused to sell me any (ie employee doesn't know, doesn't care, or doesn't want to do it).

I got pretty lucky Saturday and found a store willing to sell me the set (or in my case, all but Drobot).  They brought out 2 new boxes (one was white and blue, the other white and black).  It took a few minutes for 2 employees to find all 8...I noticed Kaos and Chop Chop were the last two to be fished out.  Meanwhile, they accumulated a stack of Drobots and Tree-Rexs on the counter.

As soon as I heard the price was $1.69 per toy, I knew I made the right call.  With tax, I walked out the door with all 8 that I needed for around $14.  When we got 4 Happy Meals Friday night, we were out $15 or $16.  Plus, I had some bad nuggets, lol.  That said, this worked out quite well as I now don't have to buy more Happy Meals, beg to exchange duplicates, or worry that between kids, collectors, and scalpers I might miss out on Kaos (the one I really wanted the most).

Here are a few videos highlighting the complete set and individual openings for more detail:

COMPLETE COLLECTION VIDEO

1.  Tree Rex

2. Spyro

3.  Gill Grunt

4. Jet-Vac

5. Crusher

6. Drobot

7. Chop Chop

8. Ignitor

9. Kaos

Note that I ordered them by their toy number which you can find on the bag (1-9).  You might also find this interesting:

All 8 Elements are covered with 1 Skylander.  Kaos makes up the 9th.

Series 2 Skylanders: 5 (Spyro, Gill Grunt, Drobot, Chop Chop, Ignitor)

Newlanders: 1 (Jet-Vac)

Giants: 2 (Tree Rex and Crusher)

Light-up Effect: 1 (Tree Rex)

Projectile Effect: 3 (Spyro, Gill Grunt, Jet-Vac)

Inertial Move: 1 (Crusher)

90 Degree Move: 2 (Chop Chop, Ignitor)

Wing Flap: 1 (Drobot)

Face Switch: 1 (Kaos)

Projectile Strength (Farthest to Shortest): Spyro, Gill Grunt, Jet-Vac

The best news is that the toys all look much better than you would think based on the online appearance at happymeal.com.

They lack the secondary colors and detail you are used to with regular Skylanders, but for $1.69 they are pretty nice.

Overall, this is a nice, affordable set for collectors and something kids will really enjoy and look forward to...

The real draw for me still remains KAOS.  He is a nice size and I am fine with the limited action due to just finally having a Kaos figure to include with the rest of the collection...I think he will easily be the most sought after....

Good luck landing your favorites, or completing a set!

Weekly Update 2/22/2013: Skylander Hunting and Blog Info

Hey Everyone,

It is a little late, but I figure I just as well get the Weekly Update cranked out...

Skylanders Hunting

Well, we will get started with Skylanders Hunting.  Why?

Here is why...very soon we should see Molten Hot Dog, Legendary LightCore Chill, and even Wave 4...As of right now, nothing it set in stone, but we should know more very soon.

Molten Hot Dog

I can say that Molten Hot Dog IS HERE though.  Wednesday he started showing up in California Walmarts.  As of writing this (3 AM 2/22/13) I've tracked him via ebay all the way to eastern Arizona...It is just a matter of time for him to show up across the US.  I still, adamantly predict that he will be just as easy to obtain as all Walmart Exclusives...So, just be patient and buy him for $9.99.

Legendary Light Core Chill

Is still in Canada at TRU...I've yet to hear word of her crossing the border just yet.

Wave 4: Spyro, Wrecking Ball, and Ninjini

Are still overseas...we should know more on them soon.  With employees seizing virtually all variants and "hot" figures, once the boxes filter in there will be ebay listings.  I haven't skimmed things close enough to monitor whether or not our friends across the pond are seeing the remaining LightCore as well...Stay tuned for updates!

That said, I am happy to report a few firsts tonight.  Every store I went in (and I hit them all minus best buy) had traces of a recent stock of Wave 3.  Target and Walmart also had evidence that Wave 1 had been somewhat restocked...most notably, Terrafin.  Nonetheless, here are the highlights:

Target:

Toys'R'Us:

Walmart:

So, what did you see?  

Target had traces of a W1 restock...Plus, this is the first time in forever I have seen any Giants at this store.  No Hot Head, EB, or TB, BUT they did have pretty much all of W3 minus Prism Break.

Toys'R'Us: Holy cow (haven't said that in a decade or so, lol).  This was the first time I have seen Eye Brawl and Thumpback in mass quantities...I'd say there were 13 Eye-Brawls and 14 Thumpbacks.  They had quite a few Hot Heads and few W3 remnants, most notably Cynder.

Walmart: Man do I regret even entering that place.  My only motivation was of course, Molten Hot Dog.  Everyhwere I went tonight was dead...we had rain, sleet, and snow over night and it was freaking cold all day.  Naturally, that means some people are pre-destined to wander aimlessly through the aisles of Walmart.  It has to be the most crowded I've had to deal with since the holiday season...Granted, I rarely set foot in the place, but geez...this almost makes me want to forego Molten Hot Dog.  This was also about the smallest selection I've seen at this particular store.  They did have some W3 singles as well as Hot Head and Thumpback, but no Eye-Brawl.  This particular store didn't have any sign of a special display either.  If not for the picture it would have been wasted time.  Other big highlight was 2 Lightning Rod singles.

GameStop: Although not pictured, they did have the best stock, albeit in the smallest quantities, of Wave 3.

Just for the record, the Triple Packs I first reported back in January (5 & 6)...I have NEVER seen them anywhere since.  I'm sure they are shipping, but they must be going FAST.

Skylanders Giants Blind Playthrough

Blog Link: http://1ofwiisdom.blogspot.com/2012/10/skylanders-giants-playthrough.html

As of starting this blog post, Part 83 went LIVE on YouTube.  The uploads tonight were 81-83 which cover Intros, Stats, Upgrades, and Heroics for Cynder, Stealth Elf, and Eruptor respectively.

If you take the above link you can see what Parts 84 and beyond will be...I'll continue that trend to encourage people to actually use the link!

I will tell you this: Parts 89-91 will cover Chapter 16 and the final battle with Kaos...I only used Newlanders.

Part 92 just does random stuff like check accolades, but the real draw will be showcasing Hatterson...who has become a popular point of discussion here lately.  Currently it is the last video to be edited and ready to upload.

Part 93-94 will feature Giants ONLY taking on Kaos.

Parts 95-100 will highlight the Adventure Packs...And yes, I do think it is cool we finished on Part 100 :D

The plan now is to continue working on my "Hard File" to help the Legendaries level up etc.

The next round of recordings will likely be upgrades and/or more intros if I land W4 characters etc.  Following the upgrades I will try to 3 Star each Chapter by getting the Time Goals taken care of!

After the upgrades and Time Goals, I will begin Nightmare Mode.  I am unsure if I will 3 Star Nightmare Mode, or just do a quick playthrough to move on to another title.  The Nightmare Mode poll has a day left to vote, but it is overwhelmingly in favor of me recording Nightmare Mode...I wasn't sure if people would want to see it...clearly it is still of interest.

Skylanders Poll Battles: Castaways vs Newlanders

Check it out: http://www.1ofwiisdom.blogspot.com/2013/02/blog-poll-42-castaways-vs-newlanders.html

Man, this has turned out to be pretty popular yet again!  As of writing this, most polls were getting close to 100 Votes!  I think we have some killer matches in this one, and a few are within 10 votes...Boomer and Sprocket continue to remain 50/50.

I will likely stretch this one into Round 2 etc, but I also plan to launch some new Poll Battles, complete with supporting vids...so stay tuned.  

If you've got ideas, feel free to post up!

Blog Poll Archive

Speaking of Polls, earlier this week I created the Blog Poll Archive to make an easy way to track and revisit your favorite polls...I added it to the "1ofWiisdom Specials" on the Right Hand Side of the Blog...Here is the direct link: http://www.1ofwiisdom.blogspot.com/2013/02/blog-poll-archive.html

Skylanders Trading Cards

This one had become a hot topic the last few days...namely, "Why don't you open any more Skylander Cards?"  Well, the answer was simple...I couldn't find any!  Note that past tense in that previous sentence.  After posting to both Twitter and Google + about it, guess what I found at Target tonight?  Yep...Skylander cards!  Granted, someone had stashed the Jumbo Packs behind Garbage Pail kids, but I took the time to salvage them...You should see 2 new "opening" vids either this weekend, or early next week.

Movie Review: Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva

Yep...expect one.  If you follow on Twitter, you likely saw me mention I watched my first movie in forever last night...Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva...I will do a combo unboxing and review of the movie...I'll keep it fairly basic...stay tuned!  It should be up over the weekend or early next week as well.

Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure 3DS UPDATE

If you recall, I was working hot and heavy on this one up until getting on a Layton kick...Last night, after the Layton movie, I picked it back up...

For the first time ever, I pulled one of my 2 "Starters" and put someone else on...That was really my hold up...I have rescued 4 of the 5 seekers and just have a little left in the last area, but was really hurting from all the missed "Elemental Challenges" since I had ONLY used Dark Spyro and Ignitor the ENTIRE TIME.  Well, I am happy to say Warnado entered the picture and cleaned house on the Air Element stuff...I got the Portal out and will be working towards wrapping it up and checking out the Adventure Packs.

And just for the record, I have still yet to play Sklanders Giants 3DS, lol.  One SSA is taken care of, I will plug it on the 3DS and go to town.

Currently Playing

Wii: Skylanders Giants

Wii: Wii Fit Plus

Wii U: Darksiders II (although it has been 2 + weeks)

Wii U: Madden 2013: My Nephew has been enjoying us playing on the same team

3DS: Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box

3DS: Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure

3DS: Mario Tennis (Nephew got back into it...I'm working towards 20+ Street Pass Matches)

3DS: Find Mii II (Still vs Dark Lord for 3rd Time)

Currently Listening

Auto Audio (In the Car/Truck): Gary Allan "Set You Free" and "Get Off On the Pain"

Home Audio (At Home): Anna Nalick's 2 AM and Audioslave's "Audioslave"

--Actually, the track right now is "Shadow on the Sun," a track I really like...especially the intro.

Conclusion

Well, it is now really late...but hey, I got the Weekly Blog Update done on time...just like old times!

I hope to edit Parts 93-100 this weekend and have them ready to upload...I will also be uploading Parts 94-86  and beyond etc.

If I get the time you should see new Skylanders Giants Card Opening vids as well as the Professor Layton movie review.

Don't forget you can still vote for how you'd like me to record upgrades AND of course, the Castaways vs Newlanders polls are going strong if you've yet to vote.

Hope everyone is ready for the weekend! Good luck Giant hunting and if you come across any finds, let me know!  I will keep monitoring for Molten Hot Dog and check the ads for L-LC Chill etc.  Anything I find out, I'll post up...

I'm off to Skylands...if my mattress is Skylands anyway...

 

Skylanders Giants 2013 Calendar

Review of Skylanders Giants 2013 Calendar

What?  Skylanders Giants 2013 Calendar

Where Did You Get It?  Christmas Gift, likely Walmart

What Did it Cost?  $9.88 plus tax

What was Stock Like?  Should be easy to obtain early on...I personally have always had trouble getting calendars if I don't do it in the first 2 weeks of the New Year, but that might just be me, lol.  If it is in print long enough past that the price should drop at most outlets.

Overview

The calendar is a nice size and will look great hanging in your bedroom, the cubicle at work, or your Skylanders shrine.  It measures a conventional 12" Wide and 11" Tall unopened.  When you pin it to the wall you are looking at a 12" Wide x 22" Tall piece of wall getting covered up...

This is a 16 month calendar, which honestly doesn't mean a whole lot if  you are getting it now, lol.  That said, for those that plan ahead and bought it early you got to get a little more of your hard earned cash out of the product.

I like that each month features the previous and coming month in the event you need to glance back or look ahead without turning the page.  The artwork is very nice and each element (8) is represented in the calendar.  The remaining months (4) are covered by the Adventure Packs and their respective characters and magic items.  Here is a run down on the featured characters:

*Note: "Featured" refers to stand alone, top page art and "Secondary" refers to a cameo in the bottom right hand corner.

September-December 2012: Faithful Trio of Spyro, Trigger Happy, and Gill Grunt

January 2013: Feature Gill Grunt (Water Element), Secondary Feature Slam Bam

February 2013 Feature: Trigger Happy (Tech Element), Secondary Feature Drill Sergeant

March 2013: Darklight Crypt and Ghost Roaster, Secondary Feature Twisted Hourglass

April 2013 Feature: Zook (Life Element), Secondary Feature Stump Smash

May 2013 Feature: Prism Break (Earth Element), Secondary Feature Bash

June 2013 Feature: Terrafin and Pirate Seas, Secondary Feature Treasure Chest

July 2013 Feature: Sonic Boom (Air Element), Secondary Feature Whirlwind

August 2013 Feature: Eruptor (Fire Element), Secondary Feature Ignitor

September 2013 Feature: Sunburn and Dragon's Peak, Secondary Feature Winged Boot

October 2013 Feature: Cynder (Undead Element), Secondary Feature Hex

November 2013 Feature: Spyro (Magic Element), Secondary Feature Double Trouble

December 2013 Feature: Slam Bam and Empire of Ice, Secondary Feature Sky Iron Shield

Conclusion

This is a pretty cool calendar for any Skylander fan.  The price is right at under $10 as well.

My biggest gripe comes in the title.  The calendar is dubbed "Skylanders Giants" an dthe cover features Tree Rex's ominous gaze.  However, there are NO GIANTS and NO NEW  SKYLANDERS featured in the calendar, or even highlighted!  This is a bit misleading if you are buying it as a gift and are not "in the know" on all thing Skylanders.  I don't think anyone would be too disappointed, but it certainly doesn't match what you would think having Tree Rex on the cover.

An interesting note is that each featured character and secondary featured character appears in the game as a repose.  The only two featured characters that do not appear as a repose are Ghost Roaster and Sunburn, both from Adventure Packs.

My personal gripe, and a minor one at that, is that Darklight Crypt does not seem like it should be January.  I would have put it with October for Halloween.  To the designer's credit the Undead Element does occupy that turf, but Ghost Roaster just screams Halloween more to me than Cynder and Hex.  I think that duo would have worked fine pretty much anywhere else, even in February as they are both girls.  Again, minor complaint, but valid.  I did like Empire of Ice getting December.  Only other issue is that Slam Bam was with Gill Grunt in January...I personally like that, but since Slam Bam was already featured we could have had Zap in his place at the bottom...Terrafin was not featured at the bottom of Prism Break's month, but rather it was Bash.

Anyway, all-in-all, this is a nice calendar that any fan will love.  If you are buying it as a gift you might want to make sure the recipient isn't expect 12 pages of Tree Rex, Crusher, and Thumpback etc.

Have fun counting down the days of 2013 with your Skylanders Giants Calendar!

Eye Brawl and Thumpback in the Near Future!

Hey Everybody!

How about some REALLY awesome news to start 2013?  Well, this should suffice.

While skimming the net today I found 2 very good leads on the potential release of both Thumpback, the Water Element Giant, and Eye Brawl, the Undead Element Giant.

Before calling my local GameStop I checked online to make sure the release date on the Scorpion Striker Battle Pack with Hot Dog and Zap was in fact pushed back to 1/9/2013.  That sadly turned out to be the case and I got confirmation when I called in...

However, when on GameStop.com I found the packaging proof had been added for BOTH Thumpback and Eye Brawl!!

This is a big deal because that is what GameStop has done in the past before a new character was up for sale...You can also note that they have  yet to add the Wave 3 Single Packs to that coveted list, so I am thinking it is imminent that we will see both Giants very soon.

Checking around elsewhere, I turned up on Amazon link to Thumpback...with the packaging proof, yet another encouraging sign!

As of right now I do not know solid dates, but I will update this post as the info trickles in...

Here are some helpful links:

Eye Brawl at GameStop:
http://www.gamestop.com/toys/skylanders-giants-eye-brawl-individual-character-pack/105996

Thumpback at GameStop:
http://www.gamestop.com/toys/skylanders-giants-thumpback-individual-character-pack/106002

Thumpback on Amazon:

Thumpback Amazon

Eye Brawl at Walmart:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Skylanders-Giants-Giants-Eye-Brawl-Universal/21309831

Thumpback at Walmart:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Skylanders-Giants-Giants-Thumpback-Universal/21309832

Personally I am more excited for Eye Brawl, but I know the vast majority seems to want Thumpback.

Stay tuned for updates and good luck landing the new Giants!

*Update 1/2/13 5 AM (so much for getting to bed earlier in 2013): It looks like several sources are saying we will see Thumpback and Eye Brawl hit on the 9th and that we can expect Ninjini mid-to-late January.  I obviously can not confirm this and would still call it speculation, but they have to come out some time, right?!

I also want to point out that there remains a good chance we could see some straggling characters like Wrecking Ball or Spyro in their S2 repose hit the shelves.

I'm still waiting on the assignment of any Triple Packs, although at this point it is likely I'd only be up for the tail end of them (could see all S2 in a few)...

I will update again as new or confirmed info arrives.

Updated 1/4/2013 to add Walmart Links.

Skylanders Topps Trading Cards

Well here we are on the eve of New Year's Day and I figure I'd tidy up the blog a bit...

I really enjoy collecting the Skylanders trading cards and I will probably continue to pick up a few packs here and there to see if I get anything cool...Not sure I'll go for the complete set, but there is a chance.

Anyway, I want to basically just post any and all "Opening" or "Review" vids related directly to the Topps Skylanders Giants Trading Cards here.  I'll get started with the TRU Exclusive Collector Card Starter Sets and then go chronologically.

Note that for more info on the Collector Card Starter Sets you can simply click the blog link for a detailed run down...

TRU Collector Card Starter Set (Legendary Jet-Vac)

Blog Link: Blog Link for More Info, The Original Post

TRU Collector Card Starter Set (Legendary Bouncer)

Blog Link: Blog Link for More Info, The Original Post

Topps Fat Pack, Topps Jumbo Pack

Blog Link: Blog Link for More Info, The Original Post

(4) Topps Single Packs (Opened 12-23-12)

(3) Topps Single Packs (Opened 1-1-13)

(5) Topps Single Packs (Opened 1-8-2013)

(6) Topps Single Packs (Opened 1-12-2013)

(2) Topps Jumbo Packs (Opened 1-19-2013, Round 1)

(2) Topps Jumbo Packs (Opened 1-19-2013, Round 2)

(3) Topps Single Packs (Opened 1-29-2013)

(2) Topps Jumbo Packs (Opened 2-22-2013, Round 1)

(2) Topps Jumbo Packs (Opened 2-22-2013, Round 2)

(2) Topps Jumbo Packs (Opened 3-5-2013)

(2) Topps Jumbo Packs (Opened 4-9-2013)--Base Set Complete!!

(3) Topps Jumbo Packs (Opened 4-9-2013)--Because I Had Them Already, lol!