Introducing Skylanders Boomcast: Weekly Webisodes with Skylanders Info

THE MAGIC OF SKYLANDERS® LIGHTS UP YOUTUBE

WITH NEW SKYLANDERS BOOMCAST

WEBISODES

Weekly Skylanders Webisodes, hosted by Diary of a Wimpy Kid's Zachary Gordon, Delivers Everything Fans Want to Know about one of the World's Most Successful Video Game Franchises¹ 

Santa Monica, Calif. - Oct. 4, 2013 - Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI) today announced Skylanders Boomcast -a series of online webisodes for the best-selling kids game of the year² - which debuts Friday, "SWAPtober" 4 on the Skylanders YouTube channel. Offering a weekly glimpse into the magical world of Skylands, Skylanders Boomcast will be hosted by actor Zachary Gordon (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) as he brings fans the latestSkylanders franchise news, gameplay tips and tricks, fan art, character spotlights, exclusive interviews with the Skylanders team and more, straight from the source.

"Our young fans have a tremendous appetite for all things Skylanders. Skylanders Boomcast is an innovative way to turn marketing content into entertainment content," said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. "This will be the destination where our fans can dive deeper into the world of Skylanders than ever before."

The show's launch kicks-off SWAPtober, a month of activities celebrating the newestSkylanders game - Skylanders SWAP Force^tm, which will hit stores on October 13 in North America, October 16 in Australia and October 18 in Europe.

 "I'm so honored and excited to be a part of Skylanders Boomcast! The fact that I get to bring Skylanders news to Portal Masters around the world is a dream job, and I can't wait to see what amazing things fans will bring to the table," said Zachary Gordon, host of Skylanders Boomcast. "It's been really great working with Activision on this project, and I just know that fans will love what the team has in store for them."

Skylanders Boomcast was created by Activision Publishing, Inc. and is a MATTER/Edelman Production in association with RadNerd Productions.

About the Skylanders Franchise: 

The award-winning, billion dollar Skylanders franchise pioneered the toys-to-life category in 2011 with the debut of Skylanders Spyro's Adventure®. The game originated a new play pattern that seamlessly bridged physical and virtual worlds across multiple platforms and became the top-selling kids' videogame of the year. In October 2012, Skylanders Giants™ further evolved the genre and added the mega-sized Giant Skylanders and LightCore™ characters to the collection of interaction figures. Skylanders Giants was awarded the "e-Connected Toy of the Year" at the 13th Annual Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards. The next innovation in the franchiseSkylanders SWAP Force is being developed by Vicarious Visions, an Activision studio. The game is rated E10+ by the ESRB. For more information, visitwww.skylanders.com.

About Activision Publishing, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Wii Fit Plus Aerobics Basic Run Short Routes

Alright, I am going to have to take on the Basic Run in installments.  The good news is all the Short Routes fit easily into one video...let's take a look:

Basic Run Short Route

Let me start by saying that I really enjoy the Basic Run...just not as much on the short course.  Due to having to slow down so often and the lack of distance to improve your score it is not the most condusive to a high-score.  I tried several times after with various strategies to land a 4 Star Rank and came up empty.

Anyway, what you will do is select to hold the Wiimote, or place it in a pocket...I prefer to hold it, whether I have pockets or not...it just seems more natural and I personally think that it registers better.  You will be tasked with following your guide around a predetermined course across Wuhu Island.  Each route will offer something different and exciting, which is why I like it so well.  The other cool feature is the interaction.  You will see birds, dogs, cats, random island Miis, and other Miis you have created...it makes a big improvement in the enjoyment factor.  It is always interesting to see which Miis will wave, holler, or ignore you, lol.  It really makes for a unique experience.

Another thing I love about the Basic Run is the sound.  If you changes from dirt to pavement to grass you will hear a noticeable difference in your foot steps.  Similarly when you pass certain regions (Falls for example) you are greeted with the appropriate sound effects.

This applies to all the "Runs" on Wii Fit Plus. 

I want to outline all the routes for this complete walkthru, so here they are:

-Route 1: Following the Mii:: Make a short circle back to stone circle in town.
-Route 2: Follow the gray cat with the blue collar up to rooftops and then onto the ship to finish.
-Route 3: Follow the white cat with the red collar across the downed tree back to falls (8 Bit Circuit).
-Route 4: Follow the white dog with the red collar up to the cabins and up the hill to finish.
I then made 3 more runs trying to land the 4 Star Rating for the playthrough...I only quit trying because the video was close to 30 minutes, lol.
-5: Normal Speed to the boat.
-6: Fast speed to the boat.
-7: Mix up, makign sure we didn't miss a route...still no 4 star.

So there you have it my fellow Wii Fit Plus Junkies...a complete walkthru on the Basic Run Short Routes...and yes, I will be doing the same for all the routes in the other distances of the Basic Run...so stay tuned!

And just fyi, my personal favorite short route is the first cat which scales the rooftops and takes you to the ship to finish.

Wii Fit Plus Aerobics: Hula Hoop, Basic Step, and Advanced Step

Hey Everyone,

The goal now is simply to play, upload to YouTube, and blog here in small installments.  This will not only be easier for me to manage, but I think you will enjoy it better as well.  (And no, I have not forgotten about uploading the Challenges...that will be done soon and posted asap!).

So in my Wii Fit Plus Complete Playthrough I went from Yoga to Strength Training and am now taking on the Aerobics portion.  It is very enjoyable and concise.  Do not let the 9 exercises fool you though, you will spend a lot of time here, and I do mean a lot!

The first installment isn't too bad....let's take a look:

Wii Fit Plus Aerobics Playthrough Part 1:

Hula Hoop

This is our first exercise in the Aerobics arena; it is straight forward and fun.  You can swing to the left or right, the board will register it the same either way.  I do want to again stress I am not a Hula Hooper and I know I don't use proper form...if I stand upright and don't bend my knees excessively or rock my feet the hoops litearlly slow to a stand still and fall...so I do what works for the game.  The result?  How about a 4 Star Ranking right off the bat despite not playing in a LONG time!  Awesome!

Super Hula Hoop: 3 Minutes

With the success we had in Hula Hoop I figured why not try out Super Hula Hoop.  I have played this one more, but again, not in quite some time.  For the 3 Minute round you do 90 seconds to the Right and then 90 seconds to the Left.  This does get tiring, especially when you Hula Hoop my way, lol, but it is effective...definitely not a bad exercise for getting the heart rate pumping.  We once more got lucky right off the bat and achieved a 4 Star Ranking!  There are also 6 and 10 minute versions of Super Hula Hoop, but I'd had my fill of Hula Hooping for the night.  I''ll tackle those very soon...wish me luck.

Basic Step

This one doesn't take long and I do actually enjoy it...not as much as Advanced Step, but it is fun none-the-less.  True story...first round was horrible.  I had to move the board towards the desk and computer to have any slack to step right...that put the board out-of-center with the tv, which actually does impact my performance, I could adjust over time, but I like to be square and centered for most WFP exercises.  I went ahead and played it thru, we did not do well.  I wanted to havea  "good" score for the playthrough so I went at it again, this time sans the headset...much better.  However, I still wasn't content...we can score better and the fact the whole first session was basically "ok" I knew there were points on the table.

So we went back for a third attempt and it paid off big time.  We not only got a personal best, we also 4 Starred the exercise...very nice!  This just goes to show you that practice and set-up are key variables in determining success on Wii Fit Plus!

Wii Fit Plus Aerobics Playthrough Part 3: Advanced Step

Advanced Step

I have to say, this is one of my favorites in the Aerobics regimen (behind the Basic Run and Boxing).  I really prefer this over Basic Step.  Advanced Step has a quicker pattern that suits me very well; Basic Step is a little slow for my liking.  The added challenges of the "side step" and "kick" are very fun as well...they really spice things up.

My advice here, and for Basic Step, is to follow the Red Box and scrolling steps rather than the Miis around you.  It works well for me, try both and see what works for you.  I also go in sets of 4.  Meaning "Up, Back, Up, Back" or "Up, Kick, Down, Back" etc.  This allows me to stay focused...if I miss the kick, I simply don't fret about step 3 and 4 and focus on "five" or the start of th next 1-4.  This lets me achieve a higher overall score by getting back on track quicker.

These strategies coupled with the faster pace and knowing to pull the headset and keep the board centered helped me 4 Star Advanced Step the first time in our playthrough...at least you know I'm not joking when I say I like it better than Basic Step!

You really look silly to onlookers, but it is a lot of fun and a good challenge.  My improvement from when I first played to now is remarkable...shame it doesn't archive the low scores for comparison, lol.  Remember, if you struggle, just play it again...and then repeat 1-2 times a night.  You too will be amazed with how quickly you can improve.

Conclusion

These first few exercises are fun and very laid back.  Hula Hoop and Basic Step really provide the skill set necessary to move on to the more advanced versions of the exercises.  They are great  for quickly getting the heart rate up, relieving some stress, or just having a little fun.