Skylanders Giants Unboxing LightCore Hex

What: LightCore Hex,Undead Element, Skylanders Giants LC
Where Did You Get It? GameStop Pre-Order on Dark Edition Wii U and 3DS
What Did It Cost? Free with Pre-Order
What Was Stock Like?  I've seen her around, but in limited quantities.  Target has the most.
What is Included: LC Hex, Stat Card, and Sticker Sheet

Unboxing LightCore Hex...At Long Last

Hex
Undead Element, SSA Original, SG Repose with S2 and LC

Slogan: "Fear the Dark!"

Card Stats
Power: 100/200
Armor: 90/200
Agility: 50/200
Luck: 70/200
Totals: 310/800

Unboxing Pumpkin Eye Brawl

What? Pumpkin Eye Brawl, or Special Halloween 2013 Edition Eye Brawl
Where Did You Get Him?  GameStop Pre-Order and Activision (Thanks!)
How Much Did It Cost?  $15.99 plus tax,
What Was Stock Like? My local GameStop got a shipment of 6
What Lights Up?  Head/Eye, just like regular, but in Spooktacular Orange
Is This Timed, or Limited Quantity Etc.?  Right now that is unknown, my advice is to get him now if you want him.
How Does He Appear In-Game?  Title Screen indicates "Special Eye Brawl."  He shows up just the same as regular Eye Brawl and starts with no Level or Cash incentives.

If you've got your sights set on a spooktacular Halloween, look no farther than the latest Skylanders Giants offering, Special Halloween 2013 Edition Eye Brawl. SH2013 Eye Brawl, or as he is more commonly referenced, Pumpkin Eye Brawl, is sure to be a smashing success with kids of all ages and collectors alike.

Eye Brawl, Special Halloween 2013 Edition Eye Brawl in the Packaging, Pumpkin Eye Brawl (Loose):

Pumpkin Eye Brawl left the factory with a glossy, jet black cloak and his ever intent eye has taken more of a jack-o-lantern look. All of his copper piping and silver wings are jet black.

Pumpkin Eye Brawl and Eye Brawl, Side-by-Side, Front:

Pumpkin Eye Brawl and Eye Brawl, Side-by-Side, Back:

Pumpkin Eye Brawl and Eye Brawl, Side-by-Side, 3/4 View:

Pumpkin Eye Brawl, Eye Small, and Eye Brawl:

On the Portal of Power, Pumpkin Eye brawl radiates a warm, but sinister orange glow. With the lights out, he looks fantastic.  The color closely matches the #5 billiard ball and kind of spins out from a fiery yellow, to pumpkin orange, and ultimately scorches as a burnt orange before fading back thru the same spectrum on the back half of the eye.

The one I opened (GameStop Pre-Order) seemed to have the light source off-center.  The one sent from Activision (thanks again) was dead on...The other pre-order I got for my Nephew's Halloween present was also centered.  That said, with the lights out, the one I opened looked great with the orange glow.  I'm thinking it was just a rare one...nothing was loose, or rattled.  If you are concerned, just stick the one you intend to buy on the Portal of Power at the store display and see how it lights up.

                                  Pumpkin Eye Brawl & Eye Brawl Lit on the Portal, Lights On:

Pumpkin Eye Brawl & Eye Brawl Lit on the Portal, Lights Out:

Pumpkin Eye Brawl is the perfect pumpkin stuffer for this year's Halloween.  It is unknown how long he'll be spooking on shelves, so act fast if you don't want him haunting you.

Happy Halloween!!!

August 2013 Super Quick Update: What's Coming on the Blog and YouTube This Week

Hey Everyone!

It has been a long time since I've gotten to do my usual Thursday Night blog update...

That said, it is 5 AM Tuesday morning, so this doesn't really qualify.

I'm going to keep this short, at least by my standards...

Series 2 Skylander Upgrade Videos

You've likely seen me mention that that Series 2 Skylander Upgrade Videos are coming...While I had planned to start making them live (yes, they are already on YouTube, just private...all of them up to Part 150 something in the Life Element area), something came up...

Blind Draw Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure Battle Mode Tournament

My Nephew spent the night this weekend to wrap up Summer and we did a lot of recordings!  What I just blogged, and have the rest of the First Round uploading is a Blind Draw SSA Battle Tournament.  This has been the main hold up as the time involved in rendering has been nuts...

Before I go to bed the entire First Round will be live on YouTube and added to the blog post right below this one...I will try to add the pictures tomorrow.  The other goal is to get the rest of the tournament edited, rendered, and uploaded this week.

I want to get it done first before I get into everything else....

Beyblade Action and Shogun Steel Unboxings

I have a new Beyblade Tournament to upload, as well as 2 New Shogun Steel Unboxings.  I put them off due to putting a priority on New Super Luigi U and the Pokemon Rumble U NFC Figures we acquired Sunday.

I will work the Beyblade stuff in AFTER the Skylander stuff is up and going...

Brand NEW Skylanders SWAP Force Info

In addition to the S2 Upgrade vids, I have some really cool, new SWAP Force info to pass along...I've yet to see or hear anyone speak of some of it, so that will be cool...If I can get the rest of the tournament edited tomorrow night, I will start in on this ASAP.  It gets the priority after the SSA Tournament and before the S2 Upgrades.

Currently Recording:  S2 Skylander Upgrades

Speaking of S2 Upgrades, going alphabetically by Element and Name, I have them all up on YouTube thru Zook.  I have recently recorded Zook and Double Trouble.  Spyro and Wrecking Ball have the cash and are ready to go.  After that, I just need to get the cash for Tech, Undead, and Water.  I hope to work on that later this week and over Labor Day.

Wii U Surprise 2P Recording

Something else my Nephew and I recorded this weekend will remain a surprise...I will say it was on the Wii U.  It should be pretty easy to edit and upload...look for it shortly after the S2 Upgardes go live.

Upcoming Releases: Big Names, Great Games

We are coming up on the fall, which is when big name games start to drop...I have had a lot of questions on my purchase plans so I will make a stand alone post there.

Skylander Blog Posts...Look for Updates!

Similarly, I will be making a lot of updates to some key blog posts...more on that later.  You could see this as early as tomorrow :)

And just for good measure...

Currently Playing

-Skylanders Giants (Wii)
-Animal Crossing New Leaf (3DS-Super Addictive)
-Wii Fit Plus (Wii)

Currently Listening
-Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Theory of a Deadman, and vintage Toby Keith

Conclusion

Again, here in a few minutes I'll make all of the SSA Blind Draw Tournament's Round 1 Vids live on YouTube and the blog.  You'll see the rest of that tournament as soon as I can get it edited, rendered, and uploaded.  Next up will be some NEW SWAP Force Info.  We'll then see the "official" start of the S2 Upgrade vids (I will aim to have the entire set up before the end of the month...prob sooner).  Mixing in with those will be some Beyblade action and the Wii U surprise.  There will also be a lot of updating on the blog.

Stay tuned for some great things!

Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure vs Skylanders Giants...Which is the Better Game?

Blog Poll #47 is one I have wanted to get up for quite some time...

It simply asks, "Which Game Do You Like Better...SSA or Giants?"

This applies both to the Console and 3DS offerings..keep in mind that the 3DS games are entirely different from their console counterparts.

This poll will run until Thursday, September 26th, 2013 at 11:59 PM CST.

Cast your vote and spread the word!

Channel Update: July 2013

Here is the July 2013 Channel Update Video:

It covers a few things:

-Skylanders Swap Force Leaked Characters
--Where the video (and blog post) went and why

-Skylanders Giants GameStop.com Half Off Sale
--I ordered an extra Swarm, Eye-Brawl, and Thumpback to showcase their other paths

-Skylanders Giants Upgrade Paths
--Recorded Polar Whirlwind's Intro AND Upgrade Path
--Recorded S2 Drobot's Introduction
--Currently Recording Earth Element Upgrade Paths...Fire to come next

**While recording S2 Prism Break's Prismancer Upgrade Path last night, I was struck by lightning!  Not myself peresonally, but the house...and the TV...and the Wii...and the computer.  Luckily, nothing was damaged.  Sadly, I lost ALL OF THE RECORDING :(  Prism Break is fully upgraded after restarting, so I can't really redo the upgrade end of the video.  That said, I will walk you through the Upgrade Path, show the moves on the ship, and then take him through some Heroics to showcase it.  Ironically enough,  I was in Lightning Rod's when the power went out due to the lightning strike!**

-Beyblade Shogun Steel: Bought a few and hope to unbox them soon!  They look pretty cool!

-Minecraft: Nephew and I are still playing...alternating between creative coop in Survival Mode, and War.  I'll record and upoad as possible.

-New Polls: SSA vs Giants, Which Game Do You Like Better?

Blog Poll #45 Giant Upgrade Paths

Blog Poll #45 asks, "Which Upgrade Paths Do You Prefer for the Giants?"

The poll will run through April 11th, 2013 at 11:59 PM CST

The polls are on the Right Hand side of the blog, just below the Twitter feed.

Here is a video outlining the Poll:

And here are the potential paths:

Swarm: Barberous Avenger or Wasp Stormer

Crusher: Rock Grinder or Rubble Master

Hot Head: The Burninator or Oil Baron

Tree Rex: Treefolk Charger or Lumbering Laserer

Ninjini: Swords of Might or Ancient Djinn Magic

Bouncer: Robot Rocketeer or I-Beam Supreme

Eye-Brawl: Eye Brawler or Eye for an Eye

Thumpback: Anchors A-Yay or Up Close & Personal

Thanks in advance to everyone that votes!  I will likely upgrade my slew of Giants here in a few days and will hopefully have those vids up BEFORE the poll closes so those of you that have yet to upgrade will have a good look at the paths and can make the best decision to suit your play style.

Blog Poll #41 Results: How to Record Skylanders Giants Upgrades

Blog Poll #41 asked, "How Would You Like to See the Skylanders Giants Upgrades Recorded?"

Three options were given:

By Element (Giant, Newlander, S2)

Newlanders, Giants, Series 2

Random

We had 95 Total Votes...

Almost half of you (48%, 46 Votes) voted for the Elemental Route.  That is, you would prefer to see all the characters in the Air Element, followed by all the characters in the Earth Element, etc.

Surprising to me, 34 of you, or 35%, wanted to just see things at random.

15 Voters, conveniently 15%, wanted to see thing structured by character type...Newlanders, Giants, Series 2 etc.

In the Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure playthrough I just did things as they came available. Once the game was complete, I focused on recording the final upgrades, or paths, and Soul Gems for everyone.

This time, in Giants, I was playing it safe in the event of any hard Heroic Challenges (ie Ninjini having something along the lines of Drobot or Double Trouble etc).  That coupled with the fact I was enticed by completing the game with "box stock" Skylanders led me to doing NO UPGRADES in the main playthrough.

I have started to upgrade a few of the Legendaries and a few of the base upgrades on the Series 2 Skylanders.

Obviously, the Newlanders and Giants are of the most interest because everything is "new."  However, the Series 2 Skylanders not only have WowPows to showcase, but give me the chance to explore the "other path" compared to what I picked in SSA with the S1 figure etc.

I think what I am going to do is something along these lines:

Upgrade the Giants
Upgrade the Newlanders

Randomly upgrade the S2 and then highlight their Path and WowPow....likely by element.

I think that pretty well covers a little of everything, so hopefully it will pan out well.

The plan is to include these in the SG Blind Playthrough, although the S2 stuff will likely happen during Nightmare Mode.  I just prefer that Nightmare Mode is straight through...ie we go from Ch 1-16 with no introduction or upgrade vids mixed in...

Hope that works for everyone...Thanks for voting!

Blog Poll Results #37: Kaos Battle Dilemna

Blog Poll #37 asked, "Kaos Battle Dilemna?"  Which was of course expanded upon as whether you would prefer to see me take on Kaos with "Stock" or "Upgraded" Skylanders.  Here are the results:

As you can see, the consensus was to use upgraded Skylanders by a 50-16 (+34) margin.

However, I opted to do the opposite...but I am doing both!  Allow me to explain...

My thoughts were since we began on the Easy File, it made sense to make it as tough as possible against Kaos...The logic is that the more Skylanders we loose, the more we get to use in the battle.  Well, that is what I wound up doing.

The other, and more significant, reason is that going box-stock will allow me to upload the "upgrades" in a better structured set-up.

So, for those of you reading...I will be taking on Kaos with "box-stock" Newlanders in roughly Part 90-91 and then with the "box-stock" Giants around Part 93-94.

And, for everyone that wanted to see upgraded Skylanders take on the lord of darkness, fear not...I will do just that in the Nightmare Mode Playthough!

Thanks to all who voted!

Skylanders Swap Force Character List

Skylanders Swap Force Character List

16 NEW Swap Force Skylanders

-Wash Buckler

-Blast Zone

-Freeze Blade
-Night Shift
-Stink Bomb
-Magna Charge



2 Unknown in 3DS Starter Pack:

Swap Force Combos

Washcharge (Washbuckler Top + Magnacharge Bottom)

16 New Skylanders

-Countdown

-Roller Brawl

Unknown Magic Element (I'm Guessing Regular)

16 Series 3 Skylanders

-Series 3 Ninja Stealth Elf (name confirmed 6/7/13)

-Series 3 Volcanic Eruptor (name confirmed 6/7/13 via 3DS Starter Pack)


8 LightCore Skylanders

Weekly Update 11/18/2012 4:30 AM

Well, North America...today is the day.

Wii U Launch!!

Nintendo' Wii U launches today!  Many of you already have it thanks to midnight releases...and some of you like @Britt5091 have 3 (I guess because you're just awesome, lol).

I got confirmation Thursday afternoon that my Wii U was going to be ready to pick up at Toys'R'Us.

I pre-ordered it on Day 2.  I actually went in on Day 1 (Thurs.) and the store didn't have the cards or info to take any pre-orders.  Jut for the record of me being diehard Nintendo/Skylanders and/or annoying to my local TRU I was the first person to use the "Hot Toy Reservation List" to secure the Legendary Triple Pack, bahahaha.

The plot actually got thick there for awhile because I was leaving to go out-of-town on Friday...I knew they would sell out fast (and they did!), so I asked if I could call in...The lady I dealt with was great and told me she'd be in around 11 AM.  I called, she took my info and credit card info ($20 deposit), and thus secured my Wii U Deluxe.  I ran in next week and got my reservation card from her.

This past week I pulled it out and had a semi-panic as there was no receipt with it.  I've been picking up Christmas gifts for my nephew for several months and I save all the receipts...it was no where.  I still had the Hot Toy List print out, that series of receipts (overall I think there were like 8), and the GameStop paperwork for my Golden Dragonfire Cannon Battle Pack.

The Wii U receipt was no where :(

The ticket clearly read "Bring this reservation ticket and your receipt to pick up your Wii U."

Crimey!  Here I am thinking I'll not only miss out on the Wii U, but loose $20 in the process.

I was going to run in Thursday night and try to see if they had the receipt, or if I could bring in the reservation ticket and my charge card bill showing the $20 was charged....

As fate would have it around 3 PM break time I had a new e-mail from TRU and it said I could bring the reservation ticket and receipt OR "this e-mail" to pick up the Wii U...

Saved!!

That was a big weight off my shoulders...just for good measure I asked Thursday night and the associate said she thought she still had the receipt on her desk but not to worry because she knew I pre-ordered and they would hold it for me...Awesome!

Wii U Games

So I will be honest...I was actually debating NOT getting any games.  I know, sounds crazy right?!  But hear me out...I am in the middle of what will be an extensive Skylanders Giants Playthrough.  I then want to finish Mario Kart and Mario Party 9.  In the mean time I want to play and finish SSA 3DS, start and finish Giants 3DS, finish Professor Layton and the Curious Village DS, and I've got Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (got it locally late in the summer) AND Professor Layton and the Unwound Future (got it to get free shipping from Amazon and at a great price) that I kind of want to get started and wrapped up so I can feel good about progressing into the new 3DS Layton game.

Granted the 3DS stuff is kind of limited use, late night before bed, and travel situations, BUT it is pretty extensive.  Oh, and I got Super Paper Mario Sticker Star for the 3DS on the BOGO 40% off sale Thursday night...Yep, it is in the mix...Gotta have something to break up the puzzle/mystery that is Professor Layton!

So what I wanted to do was focus my main attention on the Giants playthrough...leisurely work on the 3DS list, and then get into Wii U games as I wrap up Mario Kart Wii and Mario Party 9.

That said, there are several I am very interested in, most notably New Super Mario Bros. Wii U, Assassin's Creed III, and Black Ops II.  There are a few other titles I'd like to try as I haven't had access to them with my Wii/PS2 set-up.

However, an e-mail from TRU changed my mind.  Tomorrow, yes launch day, TRU is having a Buy One, Get One 40% off sale on Wii U Games!  I did not expect that on launch day.  The sad fact of the matter is that NSMB will likely be perched at $60 for a LONG TIME.  If ACII or BOII come down in price it will likely only be $10 or so in the immediate future.  This changes my plans as that is a pretty solid deal AND I'd really like to play NSMB Wii U for a change of pace from Giants (or just when it is too late to record or the computer isn't wanting to cooperate etc).

I will probably head in tomorrow and see how it goes.  I really planned to just be content with Nintendo Land and fully explore it and enjoy it while I wrap up other things and hope to see prices come down etc...I still plan to stick to that, just maybe with 2 games thrown in the mix.

Speaking of Giants...

Skylanders Giants Playthrough

So, where are the videos?  Well, they are coming my friends...I should upload several of them tonight (Sunday).  I actually recorded last night (Friday) and did intros for all the recently unboxed characers (LC Drobot, LC Eruptor, Whirlwind, Trigger Happy, Slam Bam, Terrafin, and yes...Hot Head!).

Tonight I did something different and went ahead and edited all of last night's recordings.  That means I am fully caught up in that regard.  Yep...Part 41 is ready to go as is everything below it.

That should give me quite a bit of time to focus on the game play (beginning with Chapter 6) and make solid progress as I do not anticipate getting any new Skylanders, although I could be wrong.

I'm not sure if I will upload 2 each day, or just pile a ton of them on...I will be very busy around Thanksgiving and probably won't be doing anything in terms of uploads or recordings.

In all honesty I would really like to upload Chill, Sprocket, Flashwing, and Hot Head, but people would probably freak they were "out of order."  Who knows, I may do that as a Thanksgiving deal and then resume  uploading the rest...

Skylanders Giants Blog Posts

The other big accomplishment from Friday night was the fact that I spelled out all the HCs I have access to WITH descriptions and WITH power stats.  I will be posting it to the blog later and can then order it accordingly etc.

I may also work towards getting the character bio's typed out and posted...

I would already have done that stuff IF the playthrough were complete...I kind of want to keep the focus on that, finish it, and then get in to the extra stuff  and details etc.

Skylanders Battle Tournament

I won't go into many details, but I really want to get a new Battle Tournament set up BEFORE Thanksgiving...It will be the same set up as last time...Video intro, vote on the blog, winners advance, crown a champion!  Stay tuned for updates!

Currently Playing

Wii: Skylanders Giants, Wii Fit Plus
3DS: Skylanders Spyro's Adventure, Find Mii II, Professor Layton and the Curious Village

Currently Listening

Auto Audio (In the Car): Taylor Swift RED
Home Audio (At Home): Train, Live, and Soundgarden

Conclusion

First off, hopefully that post makes sense...I'm typing it at 430-5 AM and this is after I was up until 7 AM last night recording all the new character introductions.

My plan of action for today (Sunday) is to get a little sleep, take in the Cowboys game, and then head up to TRU to pick up the Wii U.  I will record an unboxing, hook it up, and kind of give you some first impressions on it and Nintendo Land etc.  As of right now I am not sure if I can record gameplay footage or not...I am not really set up for HDMI stuff.  In all honesty if not for getting a new computer last summer I wouldn't have an HDMI port anywhere in the house, lol.  My TV may be old school but the picture is great and I don't really like spending money on stuff like that when it works just fine as is...

Luckily, the new computer has the HDMI port and a very nice size screen so I can hook it up here (with the help of (yet) another outlet expander).  It will be far from ideal, but it will let me download the update (which is quite lengthy from what I have seen tonight...expect over an hour), and check things out.

I guess I'll probably unbox it, update it, and then play around with it while some vids upload :D

So the next question is who all else is getting a Wii U on launch day?  What games are you picking up?  If you aren't getting one do you want it for a gift, or hope to pick one up later as funds allow?

I feel lame for getting the console, not having a "modern" tv, and not really wanting to spring for all of the new titles, but I suppose I am a different sort.  My tv is staying put and I really do want to focus on Giants before diving into ACIII, Black Ops II, Darksiders II, Batman Arkham City, MEIII, or even ESPN Sports Connection (which I think will drop from $49 soon...hopefully).

I kind of want to take the Wii U on as a chance to buy 1 game and actually complete it  before getting backlogged like I have done with the Wii, lol.  I guess on the bright side I can play all these untouched and waiting Wii titles on the Wii U!

Anyway, I'm very tired and going to get some sleep...Post up what your plans are!  Hope you are all having a great weekend!

Skylanders Giants Launch Day Update: The Haul

Well, I have just wrapped up filming the first round of unboxings (ie I ran out-of-stuff), and have them editing and/or uploading.  Once again, please note that I am pretty tired when I do these...basically running off excitement.

Anyway, here is a run down on how things panned out for me today:

Nah, let's just get started with a picture:

Ok, now on to the details...

I left the house around 5 after watching the early football games.  I went straight to Target.  It looked like they had been picked over pretty well...there was actually a case of Skylanders on the shelf, sadly no variants just some singles.

Much to my surprise there was a Granite Crusher left!  I don't know if they had another 40 in the back, if this was 1 of 6 they had all day, or if it was really the last one in the store, but it was definitely the last one on the rack!  Needless to say, I deemed it fate and took off.

My next stop was Toys'R'Us.  I walked in and we began the "how does the Hot Toy Pick-up" thing go.  I was so intent on landing the Legendary Triple Pack I didn't even pay attention to the MASSIVE display of all things Skylanders right as you walk in...

The associate and myself were actually worried they were all sold and she couldn't figure out why it wasn't held in the back like it should be.

Well, as fate would have it there were plenty of L-Triple Packs on the main wall.  We grabbed my 2 pre-orders and I also picked up 2 Legendary Bouncers (really didn't think it would be available either).  In addition to the massive selection and the best promotion, the people at Toys'R'Us are far more likely to want to help you out and be nice.  A smile and pleasant disposition goes a long way, even if it is is a little fabricated, lol.  I have to say though, the folks at my TRU have always been super nice and helpful.

So, starting late and avoiding morning hassles was 2-for-2.

The next stop was the Walmart that had my 3DS Starter Pack.  Apparently they are the hardest to come by, likely due to (GITD Cynder+Punch Pop Fizz=Epic).  I found out where the "site-to-store" pick-up was and there it was waiting for me...pretty cool.

I then ran by GameStop and pulled in right at 6 PM.  The sign said open, but the bars in the windows said closed.  I went ahead and called and the guy was nice enough to unlock and give me the Golden Dragonfire Cannon Battle Pack.  Lucky for me I had pre-paid or that might not have happened.

Ecstatic about that and referencing that GameStop closes early Sundays (don't know why I never thought of that), I went out for the Wii Starter Pack.  Tracked down their "site-to-store" location and I was in and out in no time.

All-in-all I spent about 1.25 hours running around town and landing virtually everything I wanted with little to no difficulty...it was strange.

In retrospect, I would not have pre-ordered anything had I known TRU would have that much stock AND BOGO 40% off.  I also kind of regretted ordering the rest of the line-up "online" (LightCore and Giants), but the fact is I didn't know and played it safe.  I think I could have gotten everything at TRU with no issue.

Now with all that said and done Wave 2 hits tomorrow.  I know TRU is doing it and I have seen the stock on GameStop, Walmart, and even Target's website.  I will try my hand there and see what I can't turn up..some folks reported their stores having W2 out (Sprocket, Flashwing etc).

Skylanders Giants: Launch Day Madness

Well, here it is 4 AM and I am still Giant-less...technically speaking anyway.

Earlier in the day I made a run to Walmart just in case they broke street date...no such luck.

I had my plans to trek off at midnight and try to round up the GITD Starter Packs.  That completely got scrapped.

At this point in time, I can't believe all the 24 hour Walmarts have not burned to the ground...and I don't mean that in relation to Giants...Quite contrary this is in relation to the people manning the stores.

Not all my local WMs are 24 hour.  I asked one in the day and the manager was tracked down and she said, "Yes, Giants are coming out at midnight...or at least they should be."

Well, no biggie...I'll just call ahead and double check.

I began calling stores and the problems began.  Several just do not answer...ever.  And I know they are 24 hours because I have been in them.  And just fyi I started calling around 9:30 PM.

I finally got an answer at the store I believe the scalper still works at...The person who answered was very short with me and said she had no clue if it was going to be out at midnight and that everyone in electronics had left at 10 PM.  I'm pretty sure the scalper still works at this store and I am pretty sure that was her.  Here's why.

The only 2 other stores that answered were both clueless on Giants.  This lady acted like she knew just what I was talking about, was not receptive, and steered me away from coming.

To Walmart's credit one store was nice.  And frankly when compared to the ones that don't answer, the one that blesses you out for calling, and the other one that just can't seem to comprehend the scenario...they were great.  That said, they knew nothing.  The employee had to get their superior...they went for the manager...then the real kicker is the manager goes to the back to check stock (and this is the same store I was physically in by the way).  They finally got back to me and said they would be bringing them out, but weren't sure if it would be 12 or a few hours later...BUT that they would be out before 8 AM.

Well color me pink!  Why not drive half an hour, risk being out with drunks, and then plan on hanging out at WallyWorld for a few hours or longer.

I am not a fan of the unknown and the entire ordeal of simply calling around put such a bad tatse in my mouth  I just completely scrapped the plans.  I could see myself hitting up the 24 hour stores and either A-Finding out I was beaten by scalpers, B-Just missing what I hoped to get, or C-Coming across employees that don't plan to bring stuff out till morning.  Granted, I'm not that crazy...I know it would have been a COMBINATION of those thigns.  Gas isn't cheap, I'm backlogged on sleep, and the thought of dealing with the same people in person didn't inspire me to leave the house.

In retrospect that was probably a great decision.

By staying at home I monitored things online to see how stores were...They either seem to be complete chaos, desolate, or something in between.  Several have reported ebay scalpers clearing out virtually everything as they approach etc.

I knew I was taking a big gamble and in all honestly didn't want to get up and deal with more unknowns.  Will I be the only person at TRU when they open, or will I be among 45 enraged people looking to spend $12 to make $50 online?!  I have always been of the mindset there is nothing worth putting yourself thru that and I still am...

I took the necessary measures to get all I could pre-ordered ahead of time, but would really like Granite Crusher...That said, it simply isn't worth it to me to go out at a time I'm not usually running errands, with people hell bent on making money off of something they buy in a retail setting, and thinking I'll enjoy it.

So, what do you do?  How about the internet!

Yep, I had a great time tonight.  No crowd, no kids with flu like symptoms, no zombie-like employees, and no nutty people twice my age that make a living scalping stuff.

I had been skimming the sites all day and much to my surprise GameStop had pretty much everything up and ready to be ordered!  I checked out with what I knew I wanted (S2 Terrafin and Slam Bam, Triple Pack 2, and the 3 Giants.).  I opted for their 2 day shipping since it was only $0.50 more than 3 day and that was only a marginal amount more than standard...

As the night progressed I continued to check out other sites...

Currently the big ones have all added the current offerings.  Target is really dropping the ball not letting you order Granite Crusher imo, but then again they go to the trouble to show everything (including their spiffy LightCore 3 Pack), but won't allow you to order any of it online...not too bright imo.

Walmart finally got the charactes up and say you can have them as early as 10/26 via Site-to-Store.

The cool thing there is what went down when I just decided to pre-order the GITD Wii Starter Pack.  The link was still up and I figured by getting it shipped I'd for sure land it (several reported Starter Pack quantities were minimal).  However, upon clicking the item I had site-to-store pop-up.  Cha-ching!

I decided to simply go this route.  I still have to walk in the store for my stuff, but I can do it anytime, it should be held for me, and I eliminate the headache of going early and the stress of thinking you might miss out etc (right now it would all still be an unknown etc).

About the time I placed that order, I had my confirmation e-mail from TRU on the Lightcore figures I pre-ordered.  It looks like they are shipping Drobot, Eruptor, Hex, and Prism Break and they claim the other 4 are back-ordered.

I have yet to get word on my Legendary Triple Packs I reserved, but I was stoked to find it online (this is the most recent addition)...The only catch is that right now it AND L-Bouncer which surfaced around midnight can't be added to your cart...both have the order online and pick up in store option advertised.  I'll keep trying that.

I now basically have it set up as follows:

Sleep in...

Go to Walmart and pick up the held GITD Wii and 3DS Starter Packs (I may cancel the one I have shipping).

Wait 2-3 days for the GameStop stuff to ship direct to me.

Prepare for the TRU Lightcore stuff to trickle in...

Wait to hear on Legendary Triple Pack (which is not an "add to cart" item on TRU.com, just happened around 4:30 AM).

Continue to monitor for pre-order options on later characters and keep an eye on the status of L-Bouncer.

And that is it!

I feel like I got a lot done without the hassle.  Granted, GS or WM could cancel my orders and throw everything for a loop, but as of right now I am happy.

I have a ton of pics from earlier today and stuff I found tonight (including links to all the Giants, 9 Triple Packs, Lightcores, and more).

Earlier I also picked up two books and a Terrafin stylus!

I'll get the pics related to all of this up soon...

Hope everyone has good luck and gets what they are looking for!

Here are some shots from what I found the last few outings:

GameStop

Bonus:

I'm sure this will get corrected fast, but as of last night I found this listing for Hex, which was oddly not available (my TRU stuff is confirmed with LC Hex), but take a closer look...that is Jet-Vac!

Triple Packs

And Proof of what is to come...Triple Pack #9:

Target

Target Release Day Ad:

Target Lightcore Triple Pack:

Toys'R'Us

TRU L-Bouncer (Still won't let you add to cart):

TRU Release Day Ad

ToyWiz Character Pre-Order Preview (Timeframes etc):

Giants

Lightcore

Triple Packs

Walmart

Giants Portal Master Adventure/Photo-Op

In-Store Display

Hats, Shirts, and Posters:

Dog Tags (You Tell Me):

Umm, Misc. Stretchies?

Books (Best part of Display imo):

Giants Display Awaiting Stock:

Lightcore Tag:

Triple Pack Tag:

Battle Pack Tag: