Dr. Krankcase's Lair Skylanders FunPlay HideAway from PowerA

What: Skylanders Trap Team FunPlay HideAway Dr. Krankcase's Lair from PowerA
Where Can I Get It: Toys'R'Us, Target, and select Walmarts
What Will It Cost: $99.99 plus tax
Would You Recommend It?  Absolutely!

Unboxing and Review of Dr. Krankcase's Lair

I was warned a day in advance to expect a "surprise" package that was simply worded to build excitement through concise vagueness.  That probably sounds complicated, but it did get me excited, and the PowerA FunPlay HideAway did not disappoint!

I'll be honest, I was thinking it would be the Trap Storage Case I spotted and made a spotlight video on last week...Made sense to me...help showcase the Trap Storage Case to highlight all the villains and give everyone a feel for what they can be utilizing to archive their favorite villains as we all progress through Trap Team.

Top and Front of Box

Dr. Krankcase's Lair showed up and it was indeed quite the surprise!  I will probably be the only person to mention this, and one of the few who cares and values this sort of a assessment, but the box is amazing.  I know, I know...you want to see the playset, know about the features, and have all the details.  I will get to that...after the box.

Side of Box: Cannon, Kaos, SeeSaw Catapult

Side of Box: Crane, Trap Door, and Chompy Surprise

The old adage goes, "Don't judge a book by its cover."  While I agree with that and the basic summation applies from everything ranging from album art to people, the cover does make the first impression.  Where it beings to really merit something is in products you want to buy.  Put Dr. Krankcase's Lair in a generic green box with a printed label and you have to sell on the inside without much pop, or visualization pre-crafted for the end consumer.  Put it in a box that is more like a work of art and it makes a lasting impression on the buyer and entices you to pull the trigger.  I always like to think "the box" and packaging in and of itself gives an idea of the quality of the product.  This one is over the top...

The box is a base blue with carefully placed Elemental Logos.  The top (lid) is very glossy and the playset seems to pop right off the cardboard.  To enhance this deep gloss effect you have metallic silver encircling the "15 Awesome Play Features" and emblazoning "Dr. Krankcase's Lair."  The background creates a general sense of the "Darkness" typically associated with Kaos and the glow from the playset is easy to pick up on without reading "Glows in the Dark!"  The back side uses similar metallics to showcase unique features and highlights the backside of the playset.  Bottom line, I don't think I can' throw the box away.

Back of Box

Now, on to the playset...

While last year's Flynn's Ship and Skylands were geared towards Display, Storage, and Play, I feel like this one is set up more for Play and Display.  There are so many features that beg you to explore the Lair and stage rescues (I was guilty of that in my pictures, haha) it will take a strong bit of self control to not do so.  While the Skylands and Flynn's Ship offered up lots of play options, I feel like this is the cream of the crop in terms of straight up "let's play with our Skylanders" action.

I also have to say that this one takes the cake solely for display.  You can't fit 15 Skylanders on the roof, but you don't need to.  If you have this in your game room, coffee table, entertainment center, etc.,it is going to be the center of attention...I guarantee it!

Dr. Krankcase's Lair, Front View

Oh No!  Sprocket has been Trapped!

The playset is just shy of 2 Feet Tall so we have a significant elevational dimension to captivate someone's attention.  The pedestals on the roof allow you to display 2 of your favorite Skylanders and the sidewalk around can fit a couple more.  The backside allows you to stage several more, but be weary of the trap door and cell!

Knockout Terrafin, Hot Dog, Sunburn and Ghost Roaster 

Storm in to Save Shroomboom

The front pillars, side lamps, and large headpiece all glow-in-the-dark!  My camera can't really pick it up, but trust me, it is a visually impressive sight to behold!  Kill the lights in your living room or game room, and make Dr. Krankcase's Lair your Skylanders centerpiece.  It is that awesome!

The details inside the Lair are impressive and hilarious.  My personal favorite is the villain group picture...can you find it?  There are a lot of little extras and clever details to appreciate it throughout the playset.

The clock, which also glows-in-the-dark, triggers the "Chompy Surprise" on the roof.  At the pinnacle of  Dr. Krankcase's Lair is none other than Skylands most brilliantly evil, doubly diabolical, mythically magical, terrifyingly tyrannical Kaos!  He is scaled to be the SAME SIZE as your core Skylanders (imagine the photo-ops)!  Plus, in this instance, he is at the helm of a crane, holding a steel cage, that can dangle trapped characters to lure in the Skylanders.

Luckily, the roof has a SeeSaw Catapult and Cannon to help take out Kaos (or is it to help Kaos and the Doom Raiders take out the Skylanders?!).

Reinforcements Arrive with Mystic Hex, Dino-Rang, 

and Granite Crusher

All-in-all Dr. Krankcase's Lair is one destination you need to acquire!  I will be utilizing the Lair as mentioned earlier, a Skylanders Centerpiece.  Granted, in my case, that means prominent display on the pool table and serving as the back drop for all the upcoming unboxing videos, but rest assured, coffee table, kitchen table, or game room floor, Krankcase's Lair will serve you and your family of Portal Masters as a nice hub for all things Skylanders.

Success!  Boomer Sneaks in to Defeat Kaos and 

Save Sprocket!

You can pick up Dr. Krankcase's Lair at Target, Toys'R'Us, and select Walmarts this October.  If you can resist gifting one, or opening it immediately it would be a great Halloween surprise, or Christmas gift for any Skylander aficionado.

A big thanks to PowerA and Activison for sending this out and allowing me to showcase it pre-release to all of you.  It will make an awesome backdrop for all of the unboxing videos!  We will likely never know who exactly pitched the idea, who designed and executed it, but kudos to whoever you are!  And on a more personal note, the folks behind the box truly did amazing work.

What do you think of Dr. Krankcase's Lair?  Is it a Day One Purchase, or gift?  Where do you rank it against last year's offerings of Flynn's Ship and the Skylands set?

Skylanders Trap Team Trap Storage Case from PowerA

What?  PowerA Trap Storage Case
Where Can I Get It?  Toys'R'Us Exclusive
What Does It Cost?  $19.99 plus tax
What Is Included?  Trap Case

First Look: PowerA Skylanders Trap Team Trap Storage Case

This was something I had wanted to see come to the market, but wasn't sure if it would make it.  PowerA looks to have recreated the Trap Box we saw in the original Trap Team Reveal Trailer.  Granted, this one probably won't be wood or made from the same prop-friendly design, but it will be functional, durable, and completely practical for Portal Masters looking for the best storage solution to Trap Team's unique Traps.

Toys'R'Us Listing

Zoom In on Trap Box

Zoom in on Bottom Portion of Trap Box

Zoom in on Top Portion of Trap Box

Skylanders Giants Stackable Tackle Box from PowerA

What?  Skylanders Giants themed Stackable Tackle Box from PowerA
Where Did You Get It?  Toys'R'Us
What Did It Cost?  $24.99 plus tax
What Was Stock Like?  Nabbed the last one (pretty regular restock on the SF Tackle Box)

Checking out PowerA's Skylanders Giants Stackable Tackle Box

One of the questions I get all the time, especially here as of late, is, "How do you store/organize your Skylanders Collection" or more bluntly, "What do you do with all your Skylanders?"

That is not a simple answer and requires a multifaceted answer:

1: A few Skylanders seem to permanently reside on the pool table
2: My desk, TV Stand, and old TV all display a few of my favorites
3: When I am working on upgrades/quests etc, heavily played characters stay right by the portal
4. Storage...the residence for the vast majority of the Skylanders

I stressed this earlier in the year when I picked up the SWAP Force (Green) Stackable Tackle Box...Veterans of the game are over run with Skylanders and it is going to be an issue by the end of SWAP Force.  In fact, even if you just get started with SWAP Force, by the time you land that last character, you have likely overwhelmed any areas near and around your TV/console of choice.  At this point in time a smart and efficient solution is needed.

The shining solution on the hill is the PowerA Stackable Tackle Box.  There are several other options from PowerA as well that might suit your needs better, but personally this one makes the best solution.  It looks great, houses lots of figures, is sealed with 3 latches, and most importantly it stacks.  Unless you store your collection in a container with a massive footprint, the Stackable Tackle Box remains your best solution for a small footprint with maximum capacity, and killer aesthetics.

I'll admit, some of my collection is in the small Sterlite cases intended for shoes...although I like to think of them as small sterlite cases made for Skylanders that folks erroneously put shoes in, but I digress...They are super cheap, roughly $1.50 each, have somewhat secure lids (as long as you lift from the bottom), and the clear sides work well for viewing.

The other big role the Sterlite cases play is with my "sealed" characters.  Any character I buy doubles of (Jolly Bumble Blast, Gnarly Tree Rex, etc.), and any Special or Chase Variants I land will stay in their packaging...Obviously, this makes them quite hard to "store" in my preferred manner.  So, I use either the same 6 Quart Sterlites, or buy bigger 41 Quart (big, but not too big imo) to easily store Core, Giants, and Swappers with no trouble what so ever.  They are reasonably priced, stack,, and will keep figures dust free and safe from moisture etc.

I like for the collection to stand upgright, PowerA's Stackable Tackle Box takes care of that for me...I use it for my "active" roster (ie the Skylanders I plan to use for the present and immediate future).  So, naturally, those noble warriors get the best residence.  Skylanders from SSA get bumped back to the other cases...

I've now got several of the Stackable Tackle Boxes and love them...The looks coupled with the capacity, dividers, and stackability seal the deal (just like the THREE latches (a big deal for those of you who aren't super graceful or have kids)).

I picked this one up to house my Series 2 Core Characters and eventually the S2 Newlanders (once Castaways vs Newlanders wraps up).  This color coordination (Green for SWAP Force, Orange for Giants..both complete with appropriate artwork) makes things very simple.

When TRU had their spend $40 save $10 last week I cashed in with the $10 Dragon's Peak, "correctly" printed Hoot Loop, re-released Dino-Rang, and of course, this Stackable Tackle Box.  My total savings was $24.99, which oh so ironically is the cost of the storage case...That is what I call WINNING!

That said, the video covers, albeit very quickly, the Giants themed Stackable Tackle Box and what my other storage solutions look like...they aren't near as cool, or precise, but get the job done for now...If you are on a budget I would go that route and pop for the PowerA case for your favorites, most frequently played, or simply to safely transport your select characters to a friend's house for Battle Mode, or Co-op etc.

The cases look really good side-by-side!

If you are in the market for the best and most visually satisfying Skylanders Storage Solution, I suggest you look no further than PowerA's Stackable Tackle Box!

For a look at the SWAP Force Stackable Tackle Box, check out this post:
http://www.1ofwiisdom.com/2013/10/review-of-poweras-skylanders-swap-force.html

PowerA's other offerings cover Over-the-Door, Soft Sided On-the-Go Cases, the stellar Fun Play HideAway Display Sets: Flynn's Ship and Skylands...In terms of tactical effectiveness and stellar good looks, the Stackable Tacke Box remains a personal favorite for doing the bulk of the work.

Unboxing PowerA's Skylanders SWAP Force Pro Pack Mini Controller Set for Nintendo WiiU

What: PowerA Pro Pack Mini Controller Set for Wii and WiiU
What Does It Cost?  $39.99 plus tax
What Was Stock Like?  Pretty easy to find

Unboxing PowerA's Skylanders SWAP Force Pro Pack Mini Controller Set 

(ie WiiMote and Nunchuck)

One thing you can never have enough of is game controllers.  Whether you have friends over all the time, or just go hot and heavy with your favorite games, they are much needed.  With the WiiU on the market, something a lot of folks (like myself) ran into is the inconvenience of having to pull a jacket/sleeve, pop a cover, hit the sync button, and reverse the process just to swap from Wii to Wii U.  This is something that haunts me all the time...I like to keep the two separate so if I want to use a save file on Super Smash Bros. Brawl, but my Nephew and I last played New Super Mario Bros. U we have to re-sync at least one of the Wiimotes...

If you are in that position, you at least want 4 WiiMotes on tap to keep 2 dedicated to each system and save you precious time.  If you are new to the Wii U, or replacing a worn out Wiimote, this is a hot ticket.  Clearly, as a Skylander fan this is a desirable item...

Back in June PowerA was nice enough to give out some controllers at E3...That light blue Skylanders Giants Wiimote has been my Nephew's staple since shortly after and it has served quite well.  With that background, you will get a feel for where the review is coming from...

The first thing to note is that these are "Mini."  If you have smaller hands, or are shopping for younger gamers, this is perfect.  I've seen a lot of kids struggle with the regular sized Wiimote, let alone when you'd strap on the Motion Plus Accessory.  This "Mini" controller downsizes things just slightly to make a difference, yet maintain functionality for those with big hands (like me).

There is no "jacket" but the WiiMote and Nunchuck both sport a Soft-touch finish that kind of takes its place.  This is a soft, smooth textured finish that kind of doubles as a slip resistant finish.  It is very nice and doesn't "sweat" as much as your typical sleeved WiiMote.

The other great thing for kids is the oversized buttons...Smaller dimensions on the controller with larger buttons makes for the perfect package.  For anyone else, the illuminated buttons are a very cool touch and look awesome with the lights out (just watch the video to see for yourself!).

The WiiMote includes a quick clasp strap and the Nunchuck sports a 3' cord which is plenty long for even the craziest Wii Fit activity.

If you are in the market for new, or additional controllers for your Wii or Wii U, this is perfect.  The price is right, the quality is great, and the added features and character artwork (Bouncer and MagnaCharge in this case) really stand out.

My Nephew actually likes this one so much he has already called dibs...guess I'll go back to the Giants Light Blue version!

You can find these pretty much anywhere games are sold as well as online at Amazon, who usually has the best price.

We've had close to 6 months of service out of the E3 Pro Pack Mini and it has yet to let us down...including the battery!

If you are in the market for new controllers, or need a good stocking stuffer be sure to check out PowerA's Pro Pack Mini Controller Set!  In addition to this Navy Blue, there is also a pretty sleek Sublime offering:

BONUS!  

As of making this post and video LIVE, Toys'R'Us still has their Black Friday/Cyber Monday pricing of 50% off on the PowerA line!  That means you can get either controller set for abou $17...Sweet!

Here are the links:

Blue Pro Pack Mini Controller Set:

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=24143136&cp=&parentPage=search

Green Pro Pack Mini Controller Set:

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=28345066&cp=&parentPage=search

Note that the production shots both feature Blast Zone on the WiiMote and Wash Buckler on the Nunchuck...The one we unboxed has Magna Charge on the Nunchuck.  I have not seen the Green Set, but will check out the Blue Set more closely at my local store and see if it is Magna Charge or Wash Buckler...If you have, or have seen the green set and can vouch for the character, let me know!

Unboxing PowerA's Skylanders SWAP Force Over-the-Door Storage

What: PowerA's Over-the-Door Storage
What Does It Cost?  $29.99 plus tax
What Is Included?  SWAP Force Door Mat with Zippered Pouch, (2) Door Hangers, (2) Adjustable Straps

Unboxing and Installing PowerA's Skylanders SWAP Force Over-the-Door Storage

The great accessory spree continues as we take a look at PowerA's Over-the-Door Storage.  I have never had experience with something like this, but I have to say it is pretty cool and I definitely would have enjoyed having this option back in the day with my Ninja Turtles and GI Joes.

The concept is pretty simple...PowerA took a nice backdrop of Skylands (literally, several different Skylands) and placed them across a durable, padded piece...They then added 7 Staggered Rows of 7 elastic bands to hold literally any Skylander in place...I know as  I tried Sidekicks, regular sized Skylanders, Giants, SWAP Force characters, and even Chase McCain.  It worked very well.

At the bottom there is an oversized zippered pouch that will house more characters, controllers, portals, pretty much anything game related.

Up top, the over-the-door pad has fixed straps that are fully adjustable up and down.  You can almost bottom the zippered pouch out on the floor surface.  Raised up all the way, it is very manageable as well.  The beauty here is the infinite adjustability to cater this from "adult" size on down to the smallest Portal Masters.

The other great thing is simply strength in numbers...The PowerA Over-the-Door Storage will hold 60 Figures!  Keep in mind that is "advertised" and I am confident you can actually fit more than that if you were so inclined.

I can see this product best serving families with younger kids...This adjustability allows for younger Portal Masters to have full access to not only the zippered pouch, but the entire spread.  This means, if you are trying to teach responsibility, you can turn the kids loose to pick out their desired Skylanders and then be responsible for putting them back in place.  Honestly, having something this cool to "put the toys up" might take care of that in and of itself!  As with Flynn's Ship and the Skylands displays, you can have a lot of fun with this while also having a practical, low-profile storage solution.

Top

Middle, Main Skyland

Bottom, with Zippered Pouch Open

You can find this anywhere Skylander accessories are sold for $29.99.  It is a few dollars more than the Stackable Tackle Box, but offers an entirely different option versus conventional storage.  I enjoyed staging the characters for photos (btw, Chase McCain is hidden in one of the photos as well!) and I'm sure anyone else would do the same...

This is yet another fun, practical, and very functional product from PowerA that even makes storing your Skylanders fun.

Unboxing Flynn's Ship a Skylanders SWAP Force FunPlay HIdeAway fromPowerA

What? PowerA's FunPlayHideAway Flynn's Ship
Where Can You Get It? Toys'R'Us
What Does It Cost? $49.99 plus tax
What is Included? Ship, Deck, Cannon, Control Room and Stickers, Sail, Spotlight, Oars, Back Room, Rudder, and Propeller,

Unboxing PowerA's FunPlayHideAway Flynn's Ship

Right on the heels of unboxing the FunPlayHideAway Skylands, here we are opening up Flynn's Ship.

Once again, I have to stress what  nice piece this is...It will make a great addition for any Portal Master.  Whether your goal is to have the most realistic display to show off your collection, or just something durable and practical for your kids to enjoy during playtime (that then doubles as storage), this is the ticket.

Just like the Skylands set, Flynn's Ship is going to be a Toys'R'Us Exclusive here in the US.  The price point of $49.99 is slight less than the companion Skylands, but lacks the secondary piece and about half the storage.

That said, for many the ship might be preferential, or at least the starting point.  There are a few reasons for this...The ship serves as more of a vehicle than the Skylands, but can handle that static end as well.  I honestly think that anyone that picks the ship, or Skylands set up, will ultimately wind up purchasing the other.  They work very well in conjunction together, give you maximum storage, maximum display space, and really tie a display together while offering the most play space.

Let's take a look at the ship itself.  It is pretty much just as if you were playing Skylanders and Flynn crashed thru your TV set.  It is the trademark green, just a little cleaner without the patchwork and rusted panels, haha.  The front features the balcony above a view port and the swiveling cannon. 

The stern is even adorned with the trademark tires/lifesavers around the perimeter.

The control room is pretty solid and has a few accessories to add-on for an even better end result.  You clip the spotlight into the circular slot up top and then snap the sail into place.

The rest of the control room gets full on graphics thanks in part to 6 Stickers!  Up front we get kind of the reflective glass that Flynn pilots the ship from...The sides each get a vertical and horizontal sticker to complete the look.

On the backside, we have a sticker that mirrors what you see from Flynn's perspective...You've got a lot of knobs, stickers, and the steering wheel.

It all combines for a very nice piece.

The deck of the ship is a smooth, slate gray, but features rises for the various patches and trap doors in the deck of the ship as seen on Giants.  There are even doors for the Cabin Rooms like Persephone and Cali reside within...

The Back Tower features the two iconic Red Doors...the back one even stair steps to the high point of the ship's deck. 

Down below we have an adjustable rudder with a very slick plastic insert that mimics a canvas.

At the back of the ship is a spinning propeller...

Up front you've got some oars to row thru Skylands should an engine fail.

Inside you have quite a bit of storage...I really think you can fit more than 10 inside, but it comfortably stands 6 in the main portion of the ship and 2 on the riser.  Then of course, you have the deck for display.

All-in-all Flynn's Ship makes a real BOOM!  for any Skylanders fan.  It isn't the playset aspect, the display aspect, or the intricate details, but rather a combination of those three (plus storage!), that make this item so versatile.

I had a lot of fun just staging it in the video and taking pics...No doubt as a kid I would have spent hours flying this thru the house and backyard taking my favorite Skylanders on adventures.

I have to say, once more, this is a very cool piece for Skylander fans...It and the Skylands set are really our first, real, "accessories" to the characters.  I know some parents have CNC machined displays, or have enough artsy in them to do some cool murals, but for the masses, this is the hot ticket.  You can expect to see Flynn's Ship as a staple on the pool table!

Definitely be on the lookout for this at your local TRU.  Flynn's Ship is really a great addition and will open up a world of "off screen" playtime for kids and open up infinite photo-ops for hard core collectors.  It is rare that a non-playable character takes on such a prominent roll in a game, but Flynn has been a staple since SSA and is now, fittingly, getting even more time in the limelight via SWAP Force 3DS and PowerA's Flynn's Ship.  I whole-heartedly recommend it for Portal Masters young and old...It will be a great addition to any collection!