Unboxing Rocksmith 2014 Xbox One

What: Rocksmith 2014 Edition for Xbox One
Where Did You Get It: Amazon.com
What Did It Cost: $39.99 plus tax

Unboxing Rocksmith 2014

Well, I had been interested in Rocksmith for awhile, and with a 50% sale spotted on Amazon around Cyber Monday I went for it...

I figure $39.99 (vs $79.99) was a pretty legit value given the cable was included and most people I know shell out more than that for lessons.

After unboxing I immediately loaded the disc and started playing.

I obviously haven't played enough to tell you "Yes, it works" or, "Do NOT buy this!" but I did have fun and managed to get the guitar tuned, strum along to the Stones and Tom Petty AND try out a few mini games all in about an hour of play time.

I think if you are really wanting to learn guitar, this would be a decent place to start.  It should teach you the basics and the lessons (at least that I did, roughly 5-6) REALLY DO make you get things right, at your own pace, and then a real world pace before you can advance.

Like most things, repetition is key.

I'm not sure I'll do any gameplay of this, but I will try to keep you updated as I progress.  I'm not sure I'd want to gamble the $80 if I was just on the fence...However, $40 and I was willing to roll the dice, and glad I did.

And, just for the record, the game seemed to have very little trouble picking up the notes with my setup.  I had a few instances where I was hitting the notes and it would tell me to move a fret etc, but it was thankfully not the norm.

Overall, for $40 I am fairly happy.

Skylanders Trap Team E3 Exclusive Life Trap with Riot Shield Shredder

As you should know, this year at E3 the giveaway was not a special character, but rather a special trap containing a villain.  Riot Shield Shredder will be in an game variant of Shield Shredder who will be standard and trappable in the game.  So in terms of you seeing Riot Shield Shredder, we will all have to wait for the release on October 5th.  That said, there was plenty to talk about here including the Trap Designs (Sculpts), number of traps, and most important and solid at this point in time: the packaging!

I had a 0% success rate asking about if the trap given out was reflective of the final packaging we can expect to see on retailers shelves this fall.  Finally, at dinner,  I had confirmation that this was in fact the final design for the packaging.  Given no one else would commit, it is hard to know if that is a definitive yes, or not.  I will say this, the packaging is super nice, well designed, sleek, and catches your eye.  I spent a lot of time covering all the clues that would lead me to believe this was in fact the final packaging, regardless of what people will or will not reveal.

But with that said, if this is not the final packaging I would think it is super close.  Any significant changes might be a downgrade in my opinion.  I truly believe, based on what I see, that this is the final packaging and I did have one "Yes" from the evening dinner.

Sadly, we can't see Riot Shield Shredder or play as him for a few months, but the insights gained from the packaging are of great interest to myself and many of you hardcore fans.  As soon as Trap Team is released I will get some gameplay of Riot Shield Shredder.

Unboxing Microsoft Xbox One

Blog post coming soon!

Unboxing LightCore Pop Fizz

What?  LightCore Pop Fizz
Where Did You Find Him?  Local Toys'R'Us
What Did It Cost?  $12.99 plus tax
What Was Stock Like?  4 Others were on the Pegs
What Lights Up?  The Bottle in His Hand
Special Notes?  The pose is actually different than his concept design and that seen on the poster.

Unboxing LightCore Pop Fizz

LightCore Pop Fizz has a really cool pose...I actually like it a little better than his regular pose as you see with Pop Fizz and Punch Pop Fizz.  The light-up effect is very intense.  It is kind of the nuclear/acid green we see with LC Shroomboom and on the intensity of Prism Break's crystals.  I do have to say, his original design would have been awesome...and if both bottles were to light up it would have been one of this round's best LightCore figures in my opinion.

That said, nice pose, intense light, good coloring equates to a winning combination for LC Pop Fizz.

Slogan: "The Motion of the Potion!"

Card Stats:

Power/Strength: 70/150
Defense/Armor: 60/150
Speed/Agility: 50/150
Luck: 120/150
Totals: 300/600

Conclusion

If you have followed along here on the blog, Twitter, Google +, or Facebook you know that LC PF and LC Chill have both been up on Amazon recently.  I fought the "in-stock...add to cart...gone at purchase" thing for a few days and then finally got them on their big stock day of the 30th.

As fate would have it, when making the rounds at my local TRU there they were...I was pretty shocked honestly.  No one had reported seeing them at brick-and-mortar stores yet, AND they weren't in any ads etc. with a set release date.  I had no issue checking out with either, so if you have trouble, or can't order from Amazon be sure to check your local TRU (and other stores) this weekend.

There were roughly 4 more LC Pop Fizz figs and I think I saw only 2 more LC Chill (which is weird, bc I would think they'd ship in the same quantity (likely 6), and with this being TRU L-LC Chill should be top dog.

Anyway, I'm not going to complain...BUT you should know this is one of those very few times that Amazon has actually gotten my "super saver shipping" stuff sent out the next day (I ordered them late in the night).  The last time it happened was with Hot Head...go figure.

Skylanders Giants: Unboxing and Overview of Series 2 Flameslinger

Skylanders Giants: Unboxing Flameslinger

What?  Series 2 Flameslinger, Fire Element Repose

Where Did You Get It?  Santa!  Not really, but it was a Christmas present from my sister.

What Did It Cost?  $9.99 plus tax

What is Included?  Flameslinger figure, Stat Card, Sticker Sheet with Web Code

What Was Stock Like?  I have never had trouble finding S2 Flameslinger around my local stores.

Quick Character Info

Slogan: "Let the Flames Begin!"

Stats:

Power/Strength: 60/150
Defense/Armor: 40/150
Agility/Speed: 100/150
Luck: 80/150
Totals: 280/600

Conclusion

Flameslinger is back with a very nice repose and ready to battle Kaos yet again.  This repose is nice, but isn't much of a departure from his original SSA pose.  The most obvioius addition is the crouch for the three-arrow volley shot.  Nonetheless it is a good repose.  In my dreams I would like to see a blaze behind him, but that probably wouldn't be durable.

Anyway, Flameslinger is a nice addition to the arsenal thanks to his long range attacks and the incredible FlameDash based Supernova!  The other big perk to Flameslinger is his speed...I recall him being much more agile than his Fire Element brethren.

Skylanders Giants: GITD Sonic Boom Overview

Skylanders Giants: Overview of Walmart Exclusive GITD Sonic Boom

What?  Sonic Boom, Air Element Series 2 Repose, Glow-in-the-Dark (GITD) Walmart Exclusive

Where Did You Get It?  Walmart

What Did It Cost?  $9.96

What is Included?  GITD Sonic Boom, Stat Card, and Sticker Sheet with Web Code

What Was Stock Like?  Plentiful!  In store or online, you should be able to find GITD Sonic Boom very easily.

Quick Character Info

Slogan: "Full Scream Ahead!"

Stats:

Power/Strength: 65/150
Defense/Armor: 85/150
Speed/Agility: 60/150
Luck: 70/150
Totals: 280/600

Conclusion

While I am not a fan of Sonic Boom's Series 2 repose, I am a fan of GITD figures and the fact they are easily attained doesn't hurt.

I knew this could have been hard to come by, but it just wasn't worth it to me to walk into Walmart on Thanksgiving or Black Friday.

Luckily, as I predicted, GITD Sonic Boom was just as easy to find as the GITD Starter Packs.  Walmart, unlike most retailers, wants quantity.  If something sells, they want it on their shelves.  That works great for you and I.  While the easily attained GITD Sonic Boom may not fetch the same price as say a GITD Warnado or Stone Zook, it does give the average, every day, non-employee, non-scalper, a chance to pick up a real, in-game variant.

When you register Sonic Boom into Giants she should show up as a "Series 2 Special" and come with 2,000 Coins while beginning the campaign at Level 5.  Very cool!

Hats of to Toys for Bob, Activision, and select retailers for realizing that the every day enthusiast wants in on the variant rush...They still have the hard to obtain variants, but these "easier to find and cheaper to buy" variants are very nice.

I also want to stress that Sonic Boom's GITD paint job looks much better than Cynder's.  I know several people complained about how spotty Cynder was.  Whatever the issue was, it seems to have been resolved.   Sonic Boom looks great in the packaging and glows incredibly bright!

If you want GITD Sonic Boom I suggest you pick her up just in case production slows down or becomes spotty later on...As of right now she should be very easy to find and take home...Good luck!

Skylanders Giants: Unboxing Bash

Skylanders Giants: Unboxing Bash

What?  Bash, Earth Element, Series 2 Repose

Where Did You Get It?  Toys'R'Us

What Did It Cost?  $4.99 (BOGO 50% Sale),
-Regular Retail: $9.99

What is Included?  Bash, Stat Card, and Sticker Sheet with Web Code

What Was Stock Like?  Bash is a little harder to come by, but if you skim the racks or check multiple stores you should be able to find him locally...same applies online.

Quick Character Info

Slogan: "Rock and Roll!"

Stats:

Power/Strength: 90/150
Defense/Armor: 100/150
Speed/Agility: 40/150
Luck: 45/150
Totals: 275/600

Conclusion

Bash is back and looks every bit the beast we all came to know and love in SSA.  This repose fitting features the Triceratops Honorguard, Bash's Soul Gem from SSA.  I think it is a nice repose and the Soul Gem being highlighted was a great choice for this Earth Element brute.

I have had some trouble locating Bash, but usually if you dig around the racks, or just check multiple stores you can find him.

Skylanders Giants: Unboxing Drill Sergeant

Skylanders Giants: Unboxing Drill Sergeant

What?  Drill Sergeant, Tech Element, Series 2 Repose

Where Did You Get It?  Toys'R'Us

What Did It Cost?  $4.99 (BOGO 50% Sale),
-Regular Retail: $9.99

What is Included?  Drill Sergeant, Stat Card, and Sticker Sheet with Web Code

What Was Stock Like?  Haven't had trouble finding DS anywhere.

Quick Character Info

Slogan: "Licensed to Drill!"

Stats:

Power/Strength: 100/150
Defense/Armor: 80/150
Speed/Agility: 60/150
Luck: 40/150
Totals: 280/600

Conclusion

I had planned to wait to pick up Triple Packs to save money, but since I had all the new characters except Hot Dog and many of the S2 reposes already in the arsenal, it just made sense to pick Drill Sergeant up with the BOGO Sale...I think I got him with LC Jet-Vac if I remember correctly.

I've done the math and in the end I will come out a little better with what I've done thus far.

Drill Sergeant was very tough for me to find last time, and I'm glad to have not faced that issue this time around.

Unboxing Assassin's Creed III (Wii U)

Unboxing Assassin's Creed III for the Nintendo Wii U

What?  Assassin's Creed III, Wii U

Where Did You Get It?  Toys'R'Us

How Much Was It?  $59.99 plus tax

What Was Stock Like?  Picked over pretty good, but I think you won't have any trouble finding it.

Conclusion

Again, these unboxings were done by viewer request to get a feel for the Wii U packaging and disc art etc.  Assassin's Creed III has nice cover art and disc art, but the black and white manual fails in comparison to the full color units we saw in Nintendo Land and NSMBU.

That said, I am very excited about this game...I had held out on getting a different console all this time, and this game might have made me justify picking up a PS3 or 360 (probably would have been a 360 for other Microsft exclusive titles)...I've had no issues with my PS2, but still...

When the Wii U was announced and I saw all the great third party games were back (N64, GameCube) it really got me excited.  The Wii U not only lets us enjoy the Nintendo staples that are always high quality and endearing, but also pick up some of the 3rd Party Gems that for so long evaded the Nintendo segment.

I will probably get started on this game shortly after the initial blind run on Giants...I doubt I record it, but I do plan to enjoy ACIII :)

The fact that I got this for 40% off via the TRU sale on Wii U Games (11/18-11/21) just makes it that much more of a great deal.  As mentioned in the NSMBU post, that is a great sale and I suggest you take advantage of it if you are able!

Unboxing New Super Mario Bros. U

Unboxing New Super Mario Bros. U

What?  New Super Mario Bros. U

Where Did You Get It?  Toys'R'Us

How Much Was It?  $59.99 plus tax

What Was Stock Like?  Most stocked Wii U game...shouldn't be hard to find.

Conclusion

New Super Mario Bros. U screams fun...and that is just from the packaging.  Nintendo really nailed the bold, grab-your-attention blue and coupled it with colorful, deep cover art that just draws you in to wanting to experience the game IMMEDIATELY.

I was very impressed with the packaging overall including the manual and game disc.  What I liked best about the NSMBU packaging was the very nice World Map inside...I honestly hope to see that show up in Club Nintendo!

Speaking of that, NSMBU is of course a Club Nintendo title and you can currently redeem it for 70 Points...a very nice treat for the Nintendo faithful!

Also, I can't stress enough that TRU has a BOGO 40% Off Sale on Wii U games running from 11/18-11/21!  This is a huge savings on what should be top-tier games...I am still shocked that they chose to do this on launch day...Take advantage of it and score yourself another launch title at nearly 1/2 price!

Blog Poll #29 Results: What Do You Do with Your Skylanders Packaging?

Blog Poll #29 "What Do You Do with Your Skylander Packaging" wrapped up this past weekend and the results were about what I expected.  This was mainly just an item of curiosity for myself and I figured a few others were likely interested.  We had 130 Votes and the results broke down as follows:

The Poll wouldn't fit in the screen grab, so I just mixed it...Here is the exact outcome:

-Open Them All, Throw It Away 87 Votes (66%)
-Open Them All, Keep Packaging 26 Votes (20%)
-Open and Discard all but Variants 13 Votes (10%)
-Don't Open Any 3 Votes (2%)
-One Open, One Sealed 1 Vote (0%)

So to put this one to rest amongst viewers and readers...The overwhelming majority of you open all your Skylanders and toss the packaging never to see it again and you do so without hesitation.  You bought it, plan to use it, and have no need for the extra rubbish in your life.

1/5th of you open them as above, but hang on to the packaging...I figure this is the practical collectors amongst us.  You bought it, want to enjoy it and use it, but you realize that years from now, when reunited with the original blister pack, it will likely have more value (assuming they have any value).  I currently fall in this boat, but have seriously considered tossing the packaging.  I have several sacks full of them at this point and I have never opened one up to enjoy the packaging...The sad thing is they really take up a lot of room by the time you accumulate the base 32 and Legendaries.  I'm still debating but odds are they will get trashed.

A dead-even 10% of you open everything but the variants...I also fall into this mix, but mainly just put this up to give the option to voters.  I have no plans of opening any of the variants I have been lucky enough to find...I figure having the regular version open is good enough, AND if I do decide to toss the regular packaging, it helps me feel better about keeping these around sealed.

3 of you simply don't open any...You are probably the thrifty diehard...Rather than buy 2 (one open, one sealed) you simply take advantage of the portal reading thru the plastic and have the best of both worlds...minus the web code cards etc.  Not at all a bad strategy if these ever have value, or you need to sell in the near future.

And 1 of us actually takes it to the extreme of having one open and one sealed.  This is probably a fantasy for most of us with a collector's tinge, but the cost and or space is likely prohibitive.  Fun and well prepared for years down the road...not bad if you can finance it.

Thanks to everyone who voted...I think stuff like this is interesting and hope you do too.

I will have a "big" poll coming soon...You do not want to miss it...Stay tuned!

Blog Poll #29: What Do You Do with Your Skylander Packaging?

Blog Poll #29 asks, "What Do You Do with Your Skylander Packaging?"

This one is really just for the sake of being curious and to gauge how this game has hit between the play it and save it camps.

So, what do you do:

-Don't Open Any (Thrifty Collector)
-Open Them All, Throw the Packaging Away (It Is a Game, I'm not Investing in the Future)
-Open Them All, Except for Variants which stay Sealed (Nothing Special vs Special)
-One Open, One Sealed (Best of Both Worlds, Despite Being Broke)

The poll will close June 22nd, 2012 at 11:59 PM CST.

I think it is pretty self-explanatory.  I just was curious how people treated their Skylanders.  There are those noted collectors who have multiples, new-in-the-box, and then there are people who have all of them parading around in the grass for staged pictures.

I want to know where you fall on that spectrum.

Personally, I open mine...with the exception of the variants.  I do have some sealed duplicates, but it wasn't really by choice.  For what it is worth I "still" have the packaging from them all...I have been debating tossing it, but who knows.

I've been in collecting for quite some time and often you will find something "open" can still hold great value if it is in good shape and you have the original packaging to go with it.  That kind of helps explain why I was so interested in finding the "new" 2007 copy of the "The Last Village" lol.  Plus, the "just game cards" from GameStop etc bother me...The case, instructions, Club Nintendo Points, and ads that come for the extra $15 is well worth it imo...plus I'm usually the person that gets the "used" stuff that works for a level or two and then freezes.

So cast your vote and get a feel for what your fellow Portal Masters are doing with their collections.