Free Ranger Upgrade Paths with Damage Numbers

Free Ranger was the 2nd SWAP Force Upgrade I initially recorded, and subsequently we have his Base Upgrades packaged with Storm Focus and Lightning Linguist.  Luckily, I had left Legendary Free Ranger box stock and he will appear in the correct format.

Legendary Free Ranger Base Upgrades

Free Ranger Damage Numbers

Legendary Free Ranger Wind Slasher Path

Legendary Free Ranger Tornado Thrower Path

Free Ranger Base Upgrades+ Storm Focus Path + Lightning Linguist Path

Up top, I don't think you can go wrong with either path.  His Stormblades are so powerful with just the base upgrades, no one could fault you for enhancing his tertiary attack with Storm Focus.  Going that route will gie you a great range to soften up enemies before heading in with Ride the Wind, or Stormblade attacks.

Wind Slasher basically just adds a combo to the base upgrades on the Stormblades...that said, it is an insane combo that deals tons of damage.

Ultimately, I would suggest Wind Slasher for rookie players and those looking for an easy and effective way to upgrade Free Ranger.  If you are more of a defensive player and value range, go with Storm Focus.

For the bottom end you kind of have to pick your poison.  Lightning Linguist offers a single lightning bolt at the START of Ride the Wind.  Tornado Thrower shoots out a tornado AFTER Ride the Wind.  Overall, the Twisters to more damage, but they are limited to a straight line...So if you don't anticipate the move finishing, or have it lined up right ,you could blow your chance...literally.  Lightning Linguist is probably most helpful to beginners while Tornado Thrower will yield greater benefits to experienced players.  That said, either path is cool and you wouldn't have me object if you picked one because you like the looks of it...

Unboxing McDonald's Skylanders SWAP Force Happy Meal Toys, The CompleteSet

Unboxing the Complete Set of Skylanders SWAP Force Happy Meal Toys

Here is a run down on the figures for you:

#1 Wash Buckler
#2 Eruptor
#3 Free Ranger
#4 Rattle Shake
#5 Magna Charge
#6 Prism Break
#7 Freeze Blade
#8 Chompy

Which one is your favorite?  Cast your vote in the newest poll!  You can find it just under the Twitter Feed on the Right Hand Side of the Blog.

You can check out the original preview video here:

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

Nitro Magna Charge Double Packs Exclusive to Target for Skylanders SWAP Force

I had speculated on this some time back, and now the answers have emerged...

While we had GameStop boasting the Dark Edition Starter Pack, we recently saw Walmart land Enchanted Hoot Loop.  We already know Toys'R'Us is getting the Legendaries once more, so that left Target...

The cycle did not disappoint as BOTH SWAP Force Double Packs featuring Nitro Magna Charge will appear at the retailer!  It remains to be seen if these will be as limited as Granite Crusher, a bit more lenient like Jade Flashwing, or easy picking like most Walmart specials...My advice, as usual, is get it while you can and avoid being caught an issue where you can't obtain it for retail.

The Nitro Magna Charge Double Pack Retails for $29.99 and comes in two flavors:

Nitro Magna Charge and Rattle Shake

Nitro Magna Charge and Free Ranger

Note the placement of the "Only at Target" designation...This follows suit with what we have seen recently where labels have been printed with the packaging.

The cool thing here is that Nitro Magna Charge remains the same...So, you can simply pick which character you want.

This was obviously set up for those that buy a console starter pack.  Why?  The console starter packs include Wash Buckler and Magna Charge...That means you can literally add this Double Pack and be in business.

However, if you plan to pick up the 3DS Version, you will likely be disappointed as it features none other than Free Ranger and Rattle Shake.  

But, remaining optimistic, those of us getting the console and 3DS versions, can take solstice in this...

Free Ranger has a Legendary form coming at some point, and with Rattle Shake's potential alter ego, or variant form unknown (or simply not happening), we can use this Double Pack to land a 2nd Rattle Shake, as opposed to winding up with 3 Free Rangers...That is my plan anyway.

The price of $29.99 doesn't do a lot given SWAP Force Skylanders will retail for $14.99, but it is hard to complain with a special figure included.

I am left wondering if Amazon will have anything "special" here right off the bat...I guess we will have to wait and see.

Brand New Skylanders SWAP Force Gameplay Footage

The epic overflow continues!  While at work today I got an e-mail with brand new Skylanders SWAP Force Gameplay!  The good folks that are Activision's PR sent over about 4 minutes of footage and some new screen shots!

The gameplay clip is awesome, super fast paced, and you can catch something you missed every time you watch it.  That said, it had over 40 small, short clips in it...My initial plan was to break them down with title slides, introduce the clips, commentate them, and call it good.  The short length of each individual clip made that tough, but I ultimately felt it would have taken away from the action and excitement.  As deliver, you have 4 minutes of non-stop action that keeps you glued to the screen...I didn't want to take away from that, so I opted for something different:



I took screen caps from each of the 42 (by my count) scenes and spanned them for 10 seconds...This allowed me to highlight the character, scene, more, enemy, or item etc and prepare you for the frenzy that is the 4 minute highlight reel...I think it turned out pretty well given the options.  This lets you take in the still shot from the clip, learn what to look for, and then see the action just like I saw it as a straight, continuous clip.  With that said, let's take a look:

We've got tons of SWAP Force combinations on hand, some SF Newlanders, and an incredible amount of detail to take in...

That said, I did mention we had some Official Screen Shots as well...let's check them out:

Skylanders SWAP Force Starter Packs: Final Renderings:

Nintendo 3DS Screen Shots

Grilla Drilla and Inventory 

Grilla Bomb (Grilla Drilla + Stink Bomb)

Night Shift

Zoo Lou

Free Ranger's Vortex Move + Rattle Jet

Grilla Shift (Grilla Drilla + Night Shift)

Night Loop (Night Shift + Hoot Loop)

Stink Charge (Stink Bomb + Magna Charge)

Hoot Bomb (Hoot Loop + Stink Bomb) and Stink Loop (Stink Bomb + Hoot Loop)

in Survival Mode

Roller Brawl and Zoo Lou in Survival Mode

Skylanders Swap Force New Character Art and Gameplay: Fryno, Rattle Shake, Night Shift, Magna Charge, Free Ranger

Late last week I got access to some BRAND NEW, NEVER BEFORE SEEN Skylanders Swap Force content!  This ranged from a quick Swap Force Fact Sheet (copied at the bottom), to brand new screen shots, all the way up to a 4 minute or so clip of never before seen gameplay!

As of Noon CST Monday, July 29th, 2013, you should be seeing this!  We got some great shots of Free Ranger, Magna Charge, Night Shift, and Rattle Shake (in various different formats).

Then, the folks at Activision treated us to some brand new gameplay footage.  If you scroll down below you can see the stand alone pictures as well as some of my thoughts on things...I'll end off with the attached Skylander Swap Force fact sheet straight from Activison.  Here is the video:

Leave a comment to let me know what you thought about this reveal.  What character looked the best?  Which powers caught your eye?  How do you feel about the voice acting, characters in general, and enemies?  How about the graphics....can you tell how much better they are?

We start off with Fryno ("Crash and Burn") a brand new, Fire Element Skylander.  He is shown taking down a few enemies with bralwer punches (36) and a hot rod dash (40).

Free Ranger ("Whip up a Storm") an Air Element Swap Force character then came into view and took out several enemies with some powers ranging from punches (45), some sort of finishing move (78), a projectile lightning bolt (13), and then some sort of a tornado like move that not only damaged the enemy (20), but disoriented AND moved him!

Hoot Loop ("Let's Ruffle Some Feathers") a Magic Element Swap Force Skylander then appeared (briefly) and cast some attack that dealt damage (24) and then seemed to chain off into three separate and smaller attacks (8).  The main feature shown was his teleport ability...It served very well to help eliminate the enemies.  If you look close, you will see a Gillman right as Hoot Loop appears and walks forward.  You will also notice that the area is called "Gobblepod Sanctuary."

The next feature went to Rattle Shake ("Go Ahead, Snake My Day") one of the Undead Element Swap Force Skylanders.  He is shown winning a Swap Force Zone challenge that had him use the bouncing ability to pop 3 Kaos Balloons.  This kind of reminded me of the structure of "elemental zones" found in the 3DS version of SSA.

We then saw a combo of Free Ranger and Rattle Shake in the form of...Free Shake!  This is, of course, Free Ranger's top end with Rattle Shake's bottom.  The voice and powers (ie base, secondary, tertiary, and upgraded attacks) all remain Free Ranger...What changes is the bottom half and the subsequent ability.  With "Shake" down below, Free Ranger transforms into Free Shake and can utilize the bouncing ability of Rattle Shake to gather some loot and clear an area.  We also hear one of his lines "For my nest egg!"

The next feature went back to a new, non-Swap Force Skylander in the Undead Element's Roller Brawl.  She looked pretty impressive!  She was against a tough enemy and used her roller skating to circle and speed around an enemy (think Ghost Roaster's Skull Master, or Cynder's Dash).  Once the enemy dropped his guard, she unloaded with a melee of hits, the first dealing 51 damage and subsequent blows landing 34-44.  We then saw her seemingly roll her roller skates, which are a lot like blade gears, toward the enemy...after taking care of all the enemies she used the line "Down and Derby."

Our last highlight came in the form of Swap Force Skylander Freeze Blade.  Actually, the first we saw of him he was Freeze Zone.  Freeze utilized Blast Zone's lower half to blast quickly down a path and to an enemey platform.  It was soon after used to blast thru an enemy on the platform, lol.

The next cut scene brought us to full on Freeze Blade and another Swap Force Zone...This time, it was the speed (?) zone and Freeze Blade was racing against the clock to get to the finish line.  This was eerily similar to what I remember as a kid with Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles as I attempted to attain Chaos Emeralds. 

And that was that...all too soon the video came to an end.  That said, we saw a lot of cool stuff, got a feel for some of the character's personalities and powers, and saw a few more enemies and game locations.  If you pay careful attention you will see some Elemental Gates and other Swap Force Zones around the areas in the clips.

Skylanders Swap Force: New Character Illustrations and Screen Shots from Activison

Free Ranger, Air Element Swap Force

Official Character Illustration

Free Ranger Screen Shot

Free Ranger vs Chompies

Magna Charge, Tech Element Swap Force

Official Character Illustration

Magna Charge vs Frigid Chompies

Night Shift, Undead Element Swap Force

Official Character Illustration

Rattle Shake, Undead Element Swap Force

Official Character Illustration

Rattle Shake Screen Shot

Rattle Charge (Rattle Shake + Magna Charge)

Rattle Shift (Rattle Shake + Night Shift)

Skylanders Swap Force Official Fact Sheet (Direct Copy)

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

Skylanders is “mixing it up” with the newest game in the award-winning, top-selling franchise.   Skylanders SWAP Force builds upon the success of the franchise’s signature gameplay and collectible toy experience, adding an all-new dimension to the “toys to life” innovation.  The game introduces a compelling play pattern -- dynamic swapability -- that lets gamers transform 16 SWAP Force inter-action figures into more than 250 unique characters by swapping the top and bottom halves of the toys.  Now, Portal Masters can mix and match characters’ powers and moves and experience an unprecedented level of choice than ever before seen in a Skylanders game.   Fans also can play Skylanders SWAP Force with their entire collection of 100+ characters from Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure^® and Skylanders Giants^TM.

Skylanders SWAP Force features new abilities – such as flying, climbing, digging, bouncing, or teleporting – which can be used in previously unexplored areas of Skylands centered on these play mechanics.  Additionally, the game features 16 new core characters, eight new LightCore™ characters and 16 new versions of fan favorite Skylanders from previous games.  Now kids will have more than 100 characters from which to choose. The game’s high-resolution graphics brings detailed characters and richer environments to life, immersing players in the game like never before.

In Skylanders SWAP Force, Portal Masters embark on an all new adventure in the mysterious Cloudbreak Islands, home to a mystical volcano that erupts every hundred years to replenish the magic in Skylands.  During an epic battle, a brave group of Skylanders were caught in the volcano’s eruption, which blasted them apart and sent them to earth.  But, the magic of the volcano gave these heroes a remarkable new power -- the ability to swap halves – turning them into a special team known as the SWAP Force.  Meanwhile, Kaos is back with a new evil plan.  And now, Portal Masters everywhere must reassemble the SWAP Force -- in their original form or in new combinations -- and send them back to Cloudbreak to save Skylands!

KEY FEATURES:

o   Vast Possibilities for Play – Skylanders SWAP Force features 16 new SWAP Force inter-action figures with new powers and a fresh play pattern – dynamic swapability – that lets kids create more than 250 unique character combinations, giving them more choice than ever before over how they fight and move in the game.  With each new addition to their Skylanders SWAP Force collection, Portal Masters unlock an exciting world of possibilities.  

o   More Play Options – Skylanders SWAP Force delivers a diverse and dynamic, story-driven gameplay experience, filled with adventure, combat, puzzles, mini games, and drop-in/drop-out co-op play -- all set within compelling environments.  With each new addition to their Skylanders SWAP Force collection, Portal Masters unlock exciting new possibilities.  Seasoned fans can play Skylanders SWAP Force with their entire collection of 100+ forward compatible characters from Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure and Skylanders Giants.  Plus, the level cap has been raised to 20 for all Skylanders characters, including legacy characters.  Additionally, based on fan demand, all Skylanders now have the ability to jump.

o   All-New Characters – More than 50 collectible characters including 32 never-before-seen Skylanders heroes each with unique powers and personalities::

•       16 new SWAP Force characters

•       16 new Core Skylanders characters

•       8 LightCore™ Skylanders characters

•       16 new versions of fan-favorite Skylanders from the previous games, each featuring an all new “Wow Pow” upgrade power

o   Exciting Adventure – Portal Masters will embark on a brand new adventure, encountering never-before-seen enemies and challenges, as well as meeting memorable non-playable characters who can help the Skylanders defeat Kaos and his minions in the Cloudbreak Islands.

o   Unique Swap Force Zones – Skylanders SWAP Force characters feature new abilities – such as flying, climbing, digging, bouncing, or teleporting – each of which can be explored in new areas of Skylands.

o   Enhanced Graphics Quality – Skylanders SWAP Force high-resolution graphics bring to life amazingly detailed characters and richer environments to deliver a high level of visual fidelity that immerse players in the game like never before.

Publisher:                  Activision Publishing, Inc.

Developers:               Vicarious Visions (Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4)

                                    Beenox (Wii)

                                    n-Space (3DS)

Platforms:                  Nintendo Wii™, Wii U™, 3DS™

Xbox 360™ and Xbox One™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft

PlayStation®3 and PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system

SRP:                            $74.99 - Skylanders SWAP Force starter pack

                                    $14.99 - individual Skylanders SWAP Force action figure

                                    $9.99 - individual core Skylanders action figure

Release Date:                        Oct. 13, 2013 - North America; Oct.16, 2013 - Australia; Oct. 18 - Europe

ESRB Rating:             Rating Pending

E3 Skylanders Swap Force: Notes from the Backroom and Private Game Play Screening Session!

This is just a record of what I wrote shorthand from our ultra cool trip backstage with Activision!

If you prefer video formats, here you go...be warned, it is long:

Going Backstage

We were taken from the E3 floor of the Swap Force booth to a hallway that led to a backroom filled with an assortment of media insiders, high profile figures, Activision staff, and more...It was absolutely bustling and just as crowded as the main floor.  The only difference was the area was like a large oasis (see lounge setup) and had food and water on hand.

Entering the Private Screening Room: No Cameras!

All along the back hall of this room were separate, smaller rooms.  These rooms are the private screening rooms.  Close doors, seats 10-12 comfortably (stadium style for optimal viewing) and no cameras or recording.  Lucky for you, I took short hand notes of the entire thing!

Why so tight?  Quite simply put it is because they are gracious enough to show us (myself and some other Skylander fans) never before seen gameplay elements that are still in what they called an "alpha build."  To put that in laymen's terms, the game will look great, but it could have a few issues etc.

Potential Level Settings and Environments

They covered a few basics and actually began with Crusher.  Giants work just fine in Swap Force.  They mentioned a few locations like the Old West, a snowland, and Lush Jungles (which you will see some gameplay of from others).

Legacy Skylanders: Activision is Honoring Your Past Collection

One of the first things mentioned was how they plan to honor existing collections.  Every Skylander you currently own will work in Swap Force.  It is that simple.  Nothing to argue, no ifs, ands, or butts...they will just work.  Take it for what it is, don't argue with common sense, and accept it.  This is great for fans and collectors of the series and Activision is 100% committed to maintaining this attribute.  They realize we have put in a lot of time and money into acquiring the different characters and upgrading them and they appreciate that.  To prove it, they refer to all returning characters as "Legacy Skylanders."  This is not to be confused with Legendary Skylanders, but is a stand alone term.  If the character has previously existed it has a legacy they are going to preserve.  I know a lot of people will aruge this and mention Activision is a huge company, and makes tons of money.  I will counter that is true, and they have the business sense to know it is smart to keep previous figures active.

Vicarious Visions: New Graphics Engine and Game Play Elements

The next topic was Vicarous Visions and how they created a brand new graphics engine...It truly looks amazing.  If you have followed along on the blog or my YouTube Channel, you know I play games for the gameplay itself, not the graphics.  Great graphics are a bonus to me...Swap Force looked incredible...I've said it many times and I can not stress it enough...I may finally buy an HD TV just to fully enjoy the depth of the scenes.

New Game Element: Jumping--Hey, It Solved a Glitch in the Alpha Build!

What was hilarious and awesome at the same time was a glitch that popped up...keep in mind this is the alpha build.  I've actually had it happen in SSA and Giants.  It is basically where a move (Crusher's Rock Slide in this case) netted the player outside a fence at the edge.  They tried pulling him and placing him back on (ha, same things we do!), but it worked to no avail.  As a last ditch attempt to keep from resetting, they jumped...It worked.  I don't know if they planned this (I truly believe it just happened), but the biggest and most flaunted core improvement (Jumping) saved the day!  After this the Alpha Build performed flawless.

Why Are We Just Now Jumping?

As far as why jumping wasn't included in the first few titles there response was they "wanted each character to feel different."  I assume this means they wanted players to use other moves to get to bounce pads.  For example all characters can walk to the bounce pad, but they each have unique abilities.  Terrafin can burrow, Warnado has the tornado to get around, Stelth Elf has her tertiary move...Zap can slide, Thumpback can slide, Sunburn can teleport etc...You get the general idea.  They really wanted players to USE THE ABILITIES to navigate Skylands, not just walk.

Swap Force Alert!  Undead Element Night Shift: The Vampire Boxer

After this, they pulled Crusher and put on a new Undead Element Swap Force Character named Night Shift.  He was acclaimed as a Vampire Boxer with a killer upper cut (I saw it...I think it must have been fully upgraded..it was along the lines of a Soul Gem to me...just like a charged up attack that released a giant glove cutting up through the screen...very cool!).  I believe it was also mentioned he could teleport, which makes sense given the "Shift" part of his name.

New In-Game Character: Willowbark

We then saw a nice, vivid cut scene where a guy I dubbed Tree Ranger, although I think his name was Willowbark, (just an in-game character, think Arbo) approached and mentioned some crystals had been stolen.  He had  great personality....He is like a Stump Smash looking guy with facial hair and what I equate to a Canadian Royal Mounted Police Officer...very official and a distinct voice.  He has the prototypical army/cop vibe going on...

Drop-In, Drop-Out Coop Game Play

They then highlighted the Drop-In, Drop-Out Gameplay Mechanic...It worked flawlessly and the two helped clear the area...Naturally, to finish the demo the main speaker dropped out.  While in he used the new Air Element Swap Force Skylander Free Ranger...he kind of had lasers that he shot out and got around by way of tornado...looked really good.

Swap Force Alert!  Air Element Free Ranger: Jet-Vac Meet Warnado

Shortly after, Freeze Blade, the new Water Element Swap Force Skylander was introduced.  He has great projectile attacks.

Swap Force Alert!  Water Element: Freeze Blade

To highlight to us the "Swapability" we saw them mention a scenario where you would want Freeze Blade ranged attack coupled with the speed and mobility of Free Ranger's tornado lower half...So, a quick press and the figures are apart....We now were introduced to Freeze Ranger.  They used this swap combo to make quick work of the enemy at hand.

We were then reminded that 16x16=256...As the slogan goes, our new power is choice definitely rings true!

Dual Element Zones: Twice as Nice

The next portion of the level highlighted a brand new game component: Dual Element Zones.  This is NOT YOUR SWAP FORCE AREA.  The Dual Element Zone is basically your garden variety Elemental Gate, but with two elements.  The one we saw was Fire and Magic.

So how do you get in this Dual Element Zone?  There are two ways...First, if you have a SwapForce Character say like Hoot Loop (Magic) and Blast Zone (Fire) you can option them out together and the gate will open.  If you are playing coop you could enter in as one player being Ignitor and the other being Spyro.

The coolest thing to me is not the method of opening the gate, but the look inside.  It is a very visually stimulating look that equally divides the path through conceivably the entire area.  One half looks like your Fire Zone and the other looks like the Magic Zone...just in stunning HD thanks to Vicarious Visions' new graphics engine.

Character Brief

We then got briefed on the 16 Core Characters and 32 New Characters (no names or details, just the numbers).  They again stressed how the 100+ Legacy Toys would all work.

Magic Element LightCore Star Strike: LightCore AND Regular Pose?

We had all seen Star Strike, the highly questioned mystery Magic Element character.  The packaging at the Power A booth indicated her as LightCore.  Someone asked if she would have a regular pose and the answer was something along the lines of "I believe so."  Assuming that is correct, we will likely see the same set up as Giants where the 8 LightCore are reposed characters with light up effects.  I also heard Star Strike will be very cool (more on that later).

The Fate of the 8 Castaways from Spyro's Adventure

While we had some down time, we got to ask some very quick questions.  I jumped at the chance and asked, "Will any of the 8 original Castaways (Warndo, Boomer, Camo, etc) be back for Swap Force.  The answer was YES!!  I didn't get details on which ones, all, 1, 2, 4, 6, etc, but at least "some" should be back...This is big news for a lot of folks, myself included...Many of my favorite characters are amongst the 8 Castaways!!

Swap Force Alert!  Life Element Stink Bomb, The Ninja Skunk

They then got back into the demo and talked about Stink Bomb.  He is basically a Ninja Skunk who will use his musk to hide himself (think along the lines of Steath Elf's Scarecrows).  They said his bottom half combines very well with some of the other characters!

Willowbark and Evilized Sugarbats: New Enemies, New Kaos Plot

The next portion saw Willowbark (think that is his name...the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Stump Smash like character) introduce us to Sugarbats and Evilized Sugarbats...a product of Kaos Magic and attempts to take over the Cloud Break Islands.  You basically have to battle them to break the spell and return them to normal.  The character who took on this task was Stink Shift...and yes, it made for interesting gameplay!

Swap Force Introduces New Game Play Mechanics

We then caught the drill of the 8 New Gameplay Mechanics via the Swap Force bottom ends.  This led us to a very cool demo with Wash Buckler.  His bottom half has the Ladder Image to indicate he can climb.  This opened up the Swap Force area and what we saw was a long, chaotic wall you had to ascend...It reminded me a lot of some of the Super Mario Galaxy upward areas...You climb up while dodging obstacles, navigating blocked paths, and of course dealing with enemy items etc.

Puzzles, Mini Games, Bonus Missons, and More Platforming!

This led into the mention of new Puzzles and Mini Games and the chance to use the jumping ability to make use of more platforming.  They also mentioned the 20 Bonus Missions you can unlock.  They also verified there will be the Individual Screen for objectives to clear and review etc...basically the same thing you are used to seeing after clearing a level.

Battle Packs and Adventure Packs

As we got a little downtime before leaving, I was able to inquire about Battle Packs and Adventure Packs.  There will be two of each.  One is said to involve Cali if I understood correctly.

The End of Our Private Demo: The Fun Was Over All to Soon

This was pretty much it for the "behind closed doors, private screening of gameplay" end of things.  It was a blast and with the low number of people we had a great setting to see and experience the new mechanics and visuals from the team at Vicarious Visions!

E3 Exclusive Copper Metallic Hot Dog

Last but not least, before exiting we were all given the E3 Exclusive Copper Metallic Hot Dog!

Exiting the Screening Room and Private Back Room

I actually got to stay in the doorway a little while longer for my Portal question you wanted to be asked...They made every effort to find out, and they just couldn't confirm anything...Luckily, I got answers later in the evening...And yes, it should work with Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure and Skylanders Giants.

Private Viewing of the E3 Exclusive Swap Force Trailer

At that point I exited the screening room after chatting with the game player a bit, left the backroom, and returned to the main floor for our private screening of the E3 trailer, which you can watch here: http://www.1ofwiisdom.blogspot.com/2013/06/skylanders-swap-force-exclusive-e3.html

Conclusion

It was a killer experience and as much as I wish we could have filmed, all you really need to know is things looked great and there is going to be a lot to like about Swap Force!

More Swap Force Info to Come

Stay tuned for the next post as I'll highlight your questions and their respective answers in greater detail!