Weekly Update 5/12/2012: Skylanders, Midnight Purple 3DS, Mario Tennis, and More!

Hey Everyone,

Busy week with a lot going on...let's get started.

YouTube

1,000 Subscribers!

That's right, 1,000 Subscribers!  Not bad for just deciding to start uploading about 15 months ago.  Many thanks to everyone who has subscribed and I hope you enjoy the videos.  I've got most of what I plan to record planned out ahead of time, and sometimes already recorded (crafty, eh?), but just like with the poll for the next playthrough, I may ask from time-to-time just to try and deliver what you'd like to see the most.

I would imagine I will be uploading Mario Kart Wii videos (as you voted) by the end of the month.

Thanks again for subscribing and I hope you enjoy the videos or get a little info/help out of them...maybe even both every once in awhile.

3DS

Mario Tennis Open and Midnight Purple 3DS

I suppose the biggest "upcoming" news is that Mario Tennis Open (I leave it short in the title for aesthetic reasons) will be here on Sunday, May 20th, 2012.  It looks like a great game and it is nice to see Waluigi back in the mix...

Speaking of Waluigi, if you are a fan, you'll also want to take note of the Midnight Purple 3DS that will be available that same day!

If you have held out on a 3DS for some reason, now is a great time to pick one up...Mario Tennis Open, Mario Kart 7, Super Mario 3D Land, Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure, the list just keeps growing.

StreetPassing

Another day of running around town with my trusty Aqua Blue 3DS and another day of being the only "cool" person travelling my route or parking in the same vicinity.  I am still awaiting the day of a "local" Street Pass tag...it will be quite memorable.

Find Mii

As you might have guessed, Find Mii and the Puzzle Swap games are a bit more tedious when you don't get Street Pass Tags with random super-Miis having all the hard to get panels etc.

I think I burned through roughly 30-40 Play Coins to finally land a light-blue shirted wandering hero.  One would think you would get them at worst once every other color cycle.  I know I bought 2 full rounds (I think that is 10 heroes) twice a few weeks ago with no luck...then this past week I did the same when I realized I wasn't seeing the Play Coin Count go up past 300 as I was running on Wii Fit Plus (yeah, that one is on me...it also explains why I was so livid when I thought I had spent 320 down to 290 over the course of a few very late nights, lol).

The good news is, when I got the light-blue shirted wandering hero, I had a white and yellow ahead of it...So needless to say I covered some ground.  I am not at the blue shielded ghost stale mate any longer...and if anyone cares I am not in the Mirage Tower 3F...

Skylanders Updates


Gameplay and Recordings

Well, this past weekend I got and unboxed Triple Pack H (Camo, Ignitor, and Warnado).  I then recorded and uploaded Camo and Warnado's Heroic Challenges.  I also tacked a few more on Warnado's tab as well as recording (but not uploading) the rest of the Heroic Challenges with him.

I had a lot of requests to take one Skylander through all 32, and I figured it just as well be Warnado.

The hold up of course is Wham-Shell, I do not have him and can not find him locally.  So, when I recorded the Heroic Challenges I stopped with 3 or 4 left (might have been 30, 31, and 32).  I figured once Wham-Shell arrives, I would just record his Heroic Challenge, #25, and then record #30-32 to have a nice, well rounded video and really finish things out.

The only downside to that strategy is the time-frame.  I can live without Wham-Shell and don't mind waiting on my Amazon Pre-order to come in, but I don't know if I want to wait on upgrading Warnado, the Skylander I have been looking forward to since October.  I might go ahead and record gameplay with Camo and Warnado, or hold out to upgrade them.

I took quite a few through the "hard" challenges this week...and when I do that, I usually just go ahead and do all the speed challenges.  I just lack 5 or 6 to get to a point where I can collect cash and record the big upgrade video without having much trouble.

I have also come to the conclusion that the only time you really have an issue is when you have Double Trouble's or Drobot's Heroic Challenge with select Skylanders.

Boomer and Eruptor with any upgrades are a pain to get through Double Trouble's.

Ghost Roaster is literally impossible to get thru Drobot's upgraded like mine is (Skull Master).  If I had a box-stock Ghost Roaster, this would be a cake walk.  The issue is just that the green chompies turn to ghosts and kill the purple chompies.  I don't really care to reset him and suppose I'll just get by with -8 Speed Overall.

I know some people say Zap's is a pain with upgraded Skylanders, but I haven't had that issue...sure you might loose time here and there, but you have 4 minutes and 30 seconds...a Skylander with max speed can make quick work of that...at least in my experience.

So that is where I am at.  I will edit and upload the rest of Warnado's Heroic Challenges soon.

After that it will either be "stock" gameplay with Camo and Warnado, or mass upgrades, which I may do by Elemental Class to keep the videos somewhat organized.  The only issue is I will want the cash to get most everything...that may take some more time.

Skylanders Hunt

Well, thanks to my phone's camera not working I don't have pics from tonight, but thanks to a photographic memory, here is what I can tell you.

Target

Nothing new...pretty much the same as last week.  Darklight Crypt, Stealth Elf Triple Pack, Drobot, Boomer, Eruptor, Wrecking Ball, Sonic Boom, and Hex.  I've decided there might be new stuff in the back that never comes out because this stuff doesn't sell.  They may have lost "hunters" given the fact that their shelves were bare for so long.

Toys'R'Us

Man, what a disappointment.  They have yet to get Wham-Shell, according to an associate, and aside from the debacle "Skylander Day" deals, they haven't had much in the way of Wave 4 or Wave 5.

They did have tons of Darklight Crypt, quite a few Empire of Ice, two Dragon's Peak, 5 rows of Legendary Triples, somewhere around 100 displayed Legendary Trigger Happy singles...the spawner crate needs to be taken out.  There are almost as many Drobots as LTH honestly.  Booomer, Stump Smash, Sonic Boom, Whirlwind, Wrecking Ball, and Eruptor are up next.  There is then  slight sprinkling of Hex, Chop Chop, and a  few others including Cynder.

GameStop

My local stores still haven't had Wham-Shell.  They had a few Double Trouble, Boomer, Wrecking Ball, and Sonic Boom...maybe 2 Eruptors and Stealth Elf.  I don't know why, but they always seem to have Stealth Elf singles.

Local Store

The only other place in town that carries Skylanders (remember, I avoid Walmart (scalper lady) and Best Buy (not a fan) most of the time) actually had a nice stock, for their store size anyway.  There were 2 stand-outs: Zook and Ignitor!  This marked the FIRST time I have ever seen an Ignitor Single Pack in person!!  They also had Whirlwind, Drill Sergeant, Cynder, Chop Chop, Double Trouble, Sonic Boom, Eruptor, Boomer, Wrecking Ball, and probably a Hex or Stump Smash.  I nearly bought the Ignitor for the collecting side of me, but having just gotten a 2nd last weekend decided not to do so...I'm not loaded and I'm sure they'll eventually be common place, maybe even half-off in a few months etc.

So overall, it wasn't a bad night.  You never know what you will find when you go...I assume that my local store would have had a Lightning Rod that sold from that shipment too...maybe even Camo and Warnado to go with the Ignitor.  I'll keep checking there for Wham-Shell.  I would like to remind you, if not for the scalper family of ebay here in town I'd likely have Wham-Shell, just like a lot of other Portal Masters in my area.

Amazon

It's a jungle out there...no really it is, especially with scalpers and low-life ebay scallywags trolling the stores looking to make a buck as opposed to getting a real job.  Then, working class folks like you and I are forced to resort to online retailers to find Skylanders at retail prices.  You already know my Wham-Shell pre-order isn't here, but the Camo and Warnado pre-order ARRIVED today!  Pretty sweet!  Obviously, I'm a bit farther from Lexington, Kentucky than most, but who cares...I got the extra Warnado for path 2 and then the Camo and other Warnado for a friend...the set-up makes for a nice picture:

Currently Playing

Skylanders (Wii) obviously.  I plan to take Bash, Double Trouble, and Voodood through the Speed Challenges tonight.

Professor Layton and the Last Spectre: I am in Chapter 9 right now...it has been a great game and a nice change of pace.  I am in the market for the first Layton game, "The Curious Village" if anyone has any leads, preferably new and $19.99, lol.

Gold's Gym Cardio Workout: The more I play this, the more I think it is worthy of an upload.  I might do this one totally different...I am thinking about recording it and adding post commentary.  It is really self-explanatory, and I get a lot of people who e-mail me about how much they enjoy the Wii Fit Plus playthrough and working out with it.  I know this woudn't be popular, but the truth is this game registers well (control wise), and is honestly probably the best pure workout game on the market.  The post commentary would make it easy to record as well.

Mario Kart Wii: I have spent a few nights going back and brushing up in preparation for the next playthrough. I still need to know if people want to see a full blown walkthru or just a casual gameplay of the cups etc.  I may have to make a poll for that.  I seem to be picking it back up pretty well.

Wii Fit Plus: Nothing new here, just play daily as usual, but not as much with the effort to get Skylanders wrapped up etc.

Currently Listening

The Eagles (Greatest Hits Volume 1), Taylor Swift (Home Audio-At Home)

Eve 6, Stone Sour, Gary Allan (Auto Audio-In the Car)

Conclusion

That pretty much wraps this up...I am going to post up on the Adventure Pack Blog Polls and will likely release a few more at some point this weekend.  I think I'll go ahead and work on the rest of the Heroic Challenges real quick.  Oh, also of note, I even responded to a few YouTube comments!  I will try and hit them after the Skylanders uploads are nearing completion.

Thanks again for the YouTube subs!  I'm also very proud of the 8 Followers here on the blog...I know it is a single digit, but I put a lot of time in on the blog and even though 8 is minuscule to most, I think it is pretty cool, lol...so thanks!

Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure Part 100: Warnado's Introduction and Heroic Challenge

Part 100 of our Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure Playthrough features the introduction and Heroic Challenge of Warnado, the final Air Element Skylander:

More to come shortly...

Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure Part 99: Camo's Introduction and Heroic Challenge

Part 99 of our Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure Playthrough covers the introduction of Camo:

More to come shortly....

Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure Unboxing Triple Pack H: Camo, Ignitor, Warnado

Having waited on the Amazon.com pre-order, I had a hard time passing up the instant gratitude of ordering the Camo, Ignitor, Warnado Triple Pack from GameStop.com I pulled the trigger and got it in Thursday, May 3rd, 2012.  Here is the unboxing:

I have to say, it is only fitting I got "notice of pending shipment" from Amazon the next day, but hey, what can you do?  Wham-Shell is all I lack at this point and I am hoping Amazon gets him out pretty soon.  In the mean time I will definitely enjoy having Camo and Warnado around.

As many of you know, I have been waiting for Warnado to come out since debut week.  I picked up those large posters they had at the game demo during launch week and nailed Warnado down as a potential favorite...I can finally see if he delivers.

This video will cover the background story on the Skylanders, their card stats, their in-game stats, and even their upgrade paths.

To recap the basics, and most asked parts, here you go:

Where Did You Get It?
-GameStop.com

How Much Did You Pay?
-$19.99

How Long Did It Take to Get It?
-3 Days

Which Shipping Method Did you Pick?
-Standard, I'm cheap.

Will you record gameplay of Camo and Warnado?
-Uh, yes.  I hope to have their Heroic Challenges up by early Monday morning.

Is Your Collection Complete?
-No, I still lack Wham-Shell.

Has Amaon Shipped Your Pre-Order Yet?
-No, I have a "soon to ship" notice on Camo and Warnado ( I wanted two Warnados, one for each path) and the other Camo and Warnado will be going to my friend.  I have no notice on Wham-Shell, but despite breaking the shipment up, both are slated for the sweet, "Super Saver Shipping" which is FREE.

All that aside, here is what you probably really want to see in text format if you are reading, the stats:

Camo "Fruit Punch"
#7 in Skylanders Overall Rankings

In-Game
-Health: 300/600
-Speed: 50/98
-Armor: 34/64
-Critical Hit: 30/80
-Elemental Power: 25/100

Card
-Strength: 70
-Agility: 45
-Defense: 70
-Luck: 70

Ignitor "Slash and Burn"
#30 in Skylanders Overall Rankings

In-Game
-Health: 240/480
-Speed: 43/91
-Armor: 12/82
-Critical Hit: 30/80
-Elemental Power: 25/100

Card
-Strength: 100
-Agility: 40
-Defense: 65
-Luck: 50

Warnado "For the Wind"
#5 in Skylanders Overall Rankings

In-Game
-Health: 310/620
-Speed: 35/83
-Armor: 30/100
-Critical Hit: 10/60
-Elemental Power: 25/100

Card
-Strenght: 50
-Agility: 70
-Defense: 90
-Luck: 45

Conclusion

It is now 4 AM.  The unboxing has just uploaded and is almost fully processed on YouTube.  I am going to get some sleep, but will try to try out Camo and Warnado tonight...if all goes well their Heroic Challenges should be up before sun rise on Monday, lol.

The "Skylanders Overall Rankings" are determined by in-game power stats and health totals.  You can find the complete breakdown by selecting the "Skylanders Overall Rankings" tab on the right hand side bar.

This brings the count to 31/32...all that is missing is Wham-Shell.

Keep in mind that Wave 5 consists of the following:

Triple Pack H
-Camo, Ignitor, and Warnado

Single Packs
-Camo
-Ignitor
-Warnado
-Wham-Shell

Good luck tracking them down!  Walmart is your best bet locally...they have the best price and seem to always have the most regular delivery.  If your store is raided by a scalper, you might have to resort to buying online.  I would suggest Amazon or GameStop.

Hope you enjoy the video and find it helpful!

-1ofWiisdom

Weekly Update Skylanders and Scalpers 5/4/2012

Hey, back on track like a runaway train!

Today was a good day.

#Streetpassing

Another day of running errands with my 3DS and another day of not getting any streetpass tags.  I'm not sure if I mentioned how long it took for me to get a wandering hero with a yellow shirt, but let's just say I've spent a small fortune in Play Coins here lately and can't get a light blue one to save my life, or in this case advance past the shielded ghost.

The puzzles are another deal...where most seem to just magically wander around town and complete a puzzle or two, I have to buy my pieces.  Sadly, you can get the same piece twice when you are forced to purchase, something a few people I've talked with were unaware of...mainly due to them living in a higher population density of 3DS people.

Some day, I hope I am amazed an make a "local" Street Pass tag.


Skylanders Update

Another week, another recap.

I checked in at 4 different stores and snapped pics at 2 of them.

Target

As I was about to go insert the picture, I realized I misspelled Target (but spelled misspelled correctly, go figure).

They had one Empire of Ice, three Darklight Crypts, a crud ton of Wrecking Ball, Boomer, and Eruptor, and a few Chop Chop and Hex singles.  Nothing ground breaking, but this is the first Empire of Ice I have ever seen at Target...more on that later.

Toys'R'Us

Quite a bit of stock:

If you look closely you will see the Lightning Rod/Cynder/Zook Triple Pack.  There were three of them, I was shocked.  There were 6 pegs of Legendary Triple Packs, meaning they either got more in from last week or simply pulled more from the back.  The little crate display was still fully stocked one one-side with Legendary Trigger Happy.

The had a few Empire of Ice sets, a ton of Darklight Crypt and the singles were as follows: Stump Smash, Drobot, Eruptor, Chop Chop, Wrecking Ball, Boomer, Eruptor, Hex, Whirlwind, Sonic Boom, and a stray Stealth Elf.  I asked and they have not had Camo, Warnado, or Wham-Shell.  They honestly seem to be the last to get anything new since the turn of the year.

GameStop

I just missed a round of Lightning Rod and Zook, but for the most part they have been dry.  They had a few Double Trouble, Wrecking Ball, and Stealth Elf singles.  They have had one round of Camo, Warnado, and Ignitor singles and have yet to see Wham-Shell.

Other Stores

The local store I hit up was well stocked (for their store).  They had Chop Chop, Hex, Wrecking Ball, Boomer, Drobot, Drill Sergeant, Whirlwind, Stump Smash, Flameslinger, and one Flameslinger Triple Pack.  Before you get excited, this is primarily just due to the fact they get a small fraction of the traffic of other stores, and I'm pretty sure not many people know or think they sell Skylanders...likely due to the fact they aren't prominently displayed and had consisted of as little as 2 pegs for most of the time since Ocober.

Walmart/Best Buy

I really don't like either of these places.  I almost think Walmart is less of an evil because they at least have low prices.  I'll get into why I skipped Walmart now...

The Scalper Returns

Well, as many of you know, about a month ago I put the pieces together and solved the local scalper case.  I linked "them" to ebay, and got confirmation from both TRU and GameStop.  In fact, last Friday night when I ran around I was glad to hear one of the managers at GameStop had flat turned the lady away.

Well, guess what...since she can't buy, and the stores have given her husband the same royal treatment I figured she would rest content pillaging the incoming stock at her safe haven of Walmart.

WRONG!  Never underestimate a low-life.

This odious couple has lowered the bar.  Since they have been squelched at these outlets, they are now sending their children in to buy the new stuff.  I wouldn't be surprised if they don't pull them from school should a shipment come in...

Luckily most employees know the family (parents and kids).  Sadly, it is hard to turn kids away.  I'd type what I was told by someone, but I don't want to give any leverage to these vermin should they, or similar scalawags read this.

So with that knowledge, I totally subverted the dreaded walk into hell...I mean Walmart, and just went about my business.  I know people have landed Wham-Shell at Best Buy, but in all honesty I despise that store and in all likelihood the first family of ebay had probably wiped them clean of anything but the usual Skylanders.

I am pretty sick about it...I mean if not for this one family, I and many others in this town would likely have had Camo and Warnado weeks ago and most of us diehards would have caught Wham-Shell.  As it is, we all go hungry while they hock the figures on ebay to fund whatever it is that they do for recreation...

The Silver Lining

All that negative stuff aside, I do have good news.  My Amazon pre-order is...

Still on pre-order with no confirmation.

BUT

If you saw some Tweets, you know that I caught the Triple Pack on GameStop.  I got it today!  Check it out:

I have to say, Warnado looks awesome....even better than I had hoped...his shell has a nice luster to it.

Like I said, I've got Ignitor from the 3DS Starter Pack, but this cost $19.99 and just ordering the Camo and Warnado singles from GameStop.com would have been $19.98.  Ignitor was worth the $0.01 in my opinion.

Just for the record, not only is this the first time I have seen the Triple Pack, but it is the first I know of it being in my area.  Walmart (I know thanks to the ebay scalper) and GameStop, thanks to employee info have only had the singles.

So, that part pretty much made my day...I am looking forward to unboxing and seeing how the new Skylanders perform, especially Warnado!

Skylanders Game Play Progress

Obviously, once I open the Triple Pack I will record the Heroic Challenges and then be able to work some Skylanders up to 31/32.  I am a Wham-Shell away from getting that 32/32 and obtaining all the accolades!

Aside from that on the horizon, I've just been working them thru the paces on Heroics.  I am thinking I might get an element group up to 32/32, and then record finishing out their upgrades.

I keep getting people that want to see me take 1 Skylander thru all 32 Heroic Challenges, and I guess if I do that I'd like it to be Warnado (mainly bc I'm not resetting other favorites from 29 just to do so, lol).  I may do that to see if he can hit Level 10 just from the 32 Heroic Challenges.

Other Gaming Notes

I have spent a bit more time on the Last Specter and it is really great.  I have been too busy to advance to another chapter, but took care of a few more Chapter 7 puzzles.

On tonight's Wii Fit Plus Body Test, I got a Perfect Score on the Walking Test, which is actually pretty hard to do, so that was a nice surprise.

-3DS

If you missed the news and your favorite color is purple, be sure to check out the Midnight Purple 3DS!

-Club Nintendo

There is a new line-up of games you can get with Club Nintendo points...check them out next time you are on...

-Nintendo Channel

Was once again dead...I'm pretty bummed.  The last "new" video was the Mario Tennis Open "Customizations" one...I was hoping they'd replace Nintendo Week, or do weekly updates.

That said, I checked last night too and watched another Xenoblade Chronicles vid...it looked pretty good.  Has anyone played it yet?

Currently Listening

Auto Audio (in the car): Staind
Home (in the house): Taylor Swift

Blog Polls

If you haven't voted for Your Favorite Skylander, Adventure Pack, or Adventure Pack Character please do so...the polls are just below the Twitter Feed.  Also, if you don't like the results spread the word to your friends and get a surge for your favorite!

Next Playthrough

-Mario Kart Wii

As you may remember, you voted that I do Mario Kart Wii for the next playthrough.  I have been thinking about it more as I prepare to record and would like to know what you want to see...

A). A Total Walkthru
--New Save File, 50, 100, and 150 CC, Mirror Mode, Unlock All Characters and Karts/Bikes

B). A Casual Playthru
--New Save File, Win Each Cup in each Class (50, 100, 150cc), Don't worry about unlocks, they either happen or they don't.

C). A Quick Playthru
--New Save File, 50, 100, or 150 cc in each cup...win and call it good.  Move on to the next game.

Let me know what you'd like.  If you just want to see a win in each cup in 150cc or if you'd like to see a run from a new license all the way to Mii Outfit B etc.  I will try to accommodate accordingly.

Conclusion

Well, got a lot covered...and most importantly Camo and Warnado are here!

I will unbox them tomorrow, well later today, and get the vid up.  If all goes well I will also record their introductions, heroic challenges, and have some gameplay footage for you that should be up later in the weekend.

Also, please be sure to vote in the polls and let me know what you'd like to see on Mario Kart Wii.

Last Week's Update 4/27/2012, Today!

3:40 AM on a Wednesday morning seems like a great time to post what was supposed to be done this past weekend right?

I thought so too...

Anyway, I have been insanely busy.  I still make it a point to respond to blog comments every night, and I believe I have been able to hit Twitter and Facebook comments as well.  YouTube comments are still backlogged...big time.  Like I've said, I'll get to them...eventually.

Skylanders Update

Camo, Warnado, and Wham-Shell

The biggest question I have been getting lately is: "Do you have Wave 5 yet?," or, "Is your collection complete?"

To answer that...it is pending

Yeah, I know, great answer right, but that is how it stands.

Amazon Pre-Order: Camo, Warnado, and Wham-Shell

I got in on the Amazon pre-order of Camo, Warnado, and Wham-Shell on April 18th, right as Wham-Shell was appearing in stores here in the US.

I figured to give it a week and they would ship.  I was right...about a week later, several folks started getting their Camo and Warnado.

I wasn't too worried as I figured they were just waiting on Wham-Shell before shipping my order (you bet I'm cheap and opted for FREE SUPER SAVER SHIPPING!).  In all honesty, Amazon is awesome.  I've never had an issue with them, their prices are lower than TRU and GameStop, and if you order $25 or more you get free shipping.

I have noticed the last few days (basically since Thursday of last week) folks have been getting shipping confirmation AND their Camo and Warnao figures.  Oddly enough, a few people have reported Amazon dividing their order and shipping Camo & Warnado while holding off on Wham-Shell...and yes, they also opted for free Super Saver Shipping.

So, all along the idea was to wait on Amazon unless I found the final three locally...and yeah, no dice there (which is why I pre-ordered in the first place, lol).

GameStop Triple Pack: Camo, Ignitor, and Warnado

The big news here went down about 24 hours ago.  For whatever reason, I got my work done and decided to LOG IN to GameStop.  I did that and via the Wishlist I had access to Ignitor, Camo, and Warnado singles...oh, and the Triple Pack.

I have Ignitor from the 3DS Starter Pack, but when I can pay $19.98 for Camo and Warnado, or $19.99 for Camo, Warnado, AND Ignitor I will take the Triple Pack.  Ignitor is certainly a character I won't mind having the option of upgrading down a second upgrade path, especially for a penny.

And as usual, GameStop got it processed overnight, and I should have it here on Thursday...pretty sweet imo!  As promised, as soon as I have it in hand I will unbox it, introduce Camo and Warnado, and then record their Heroic Challenges.

Gameplay Progress

This is the other big question.  As stated, I am simply taking Skylanders up through the Heroic Challenge ladder.  I have said that I will record a big upgrade video and that remains the plan...however, I want to see what the last three Heroic Challenges will be like (I hate spoilers, so I don't read or watch anything on them...it just takes away from the experience that you can only get the first time).

I should have Warnado and Camo to check out late this week so that will be a big plus.  If their Heroic Challenges are simple (ie having an upgraded Skylander is a benefit and doesn't make things a nightmare (cough, Double Trouble's challenge, cough), I can possibly record the mass upgrade video

The latest to hit the 29/32 mark (best I can do for now) is Dino-Rang, a very underappreciated Skylander in my opinion.

Next Video

Take all that stuff I just rambled off above and you can likely deduce the next video should be up somewhere between Thursday night and Saturday.  It will of course be the unboxing and Heroic Challenges.

Local Skylanders Stock

Target

For the first time in a long time, Target had a nice stock pile when I went in...I was all geared up to take the pic and then a lady invaded the frame.  I tried to wait her out, but she was diligently combing the entire section of Eruptor, Drobot, and Wrecking Ball likely hoping for a Wave 4 or Wave 5 score.  I started to stop her, but she didn't exactly have a friendly demeanor.  In fact, I think if I had Warnado in my hand she would have ripped it out...

Toys'R'Us

I have to say, my theory that old Skylanders aren't moving is definitely standing.  For the second time ever, I saw Empire of Ice at Toys'R'Us AND for the first time ,more than one of them!  They had tons of Darklight Crypt APs, and even a few Legendary Triple Packs, which I do believe had moved a bit.

As for the singles and triples, pretty much everything except for: Dino-Rang, Zap, and Voodood singles...I only think there was one Hex for what that is worth.

It was also the only picture I took, and once again my phone made things blurry, oh well....nothing you haven't seen before:

Oh, and those 8 pegs of Legendary Trigger Happy...Take that and multiply it by about 20 to get the grand total that was sitting in the big bin display that came in 4-6 weeks ago.  And to think I didn't unbox my LTH when I got it because I thought it might be hard to come by, lol.  Now that I think about it, I bet you 10:1 there are a lot of derogatory comments on that video.  Oh well, at the time LTH really was hard to come by...one shipment went out and no one had a clue they'd be overly mass produced like this 6-8 weeks later.

GameStop

Not much here, but my local store did get Dragon's Peak in Thursday (I was off schedule and had to run in Friday).  They also started keeping all the new stuff (Wave 3 and newer) behind the counter.  The "used" bags holding noble Skylanders hostages is also picking up, but it mainly tends to be Starter Pack characters, Boomer, and Eruptor.

I did get a great story that the local scalper lady came in and they wouldn't sell to her...at all.

Blog Updates


Skylander Polls

The polls are coming along great, I am glad I let them run so long for these three.  I don't really like how the "current" or "hot" item gets a big boost, but it has been a marked issue since the first poll.  I will definitely re-issue the "favorite Skylander by element" poll series here in a few months when there won't be hype behind any one character.

I am really interested in the "Who is Your Favorite Skylander" poll which is the latest one.  It is currently headed up by Warnado, with Camo and Wham-Shell performing well.  I attribute this to the "new" and "hard to get" status of these figures.  I like seeing the votes for Voodood or Flameslinger as I know that the folks voting for them are not doing it based on what is currently a big deal.  That said, I think it will be up long enough to help balance things out.

The big shocker to me was the last Skylander to get a vote.

I'm sure everyone is thinking Boomer.

WRONG.

Dino-Rang, Hex, Stump Smash, and Boomer all held out with no votes for a few days, but the last to get a vote was Ghost Roaster.  I was shocked by that.

I might launch some other polls while these wind down, or  I might wait it out till they close...we'll see how it goes.

Currently Playing

Skylanders (Wii): Heroic Challenges and Cash Collecting

Wii Fit Plus (Wii): Pretty much a daily ritual, lol

Gold Gym's Cardio (Wii): I want to play every other day, but I've been too busy...it has basically been twice a week.  That said, I really enjoy it and aside from having a nightmare of a time getting the "weaves" to register with the Wiimote+Nunchuck combo things are great.  I'm really considering recording it, sans commentary (I'd need one heck of a USB extension for the headset)

Professor Layton and the Last Specter (DS): Great game.  Puzzles/logic/mystery doesn't float everyone's boat, but I enjoy them as a change of pace and challenge.  This game is really enjoyable.  I'm up to Chapter 7 at the Golden Garden dig site right now...I planned to play while going to bed, but my battery is down.

Currently Listening (New Section?  Perhaps!)

Taylor Swift-Right now as I type and no, I don't care what you think.

Stone Temple Pilots/Theory of a Deadman-Auto Audio (in the car)

Conclusion

So, if you skipped down only glancing at the picture (I know people that skip down look at pictures, lol) here is what you need to know:

Camo/Warnado/Wham-Shell are pre-ordered from Amazon.

Camo/Ignitor/Warnado are slated to be here Thursday in Triple Pack form from GameStop.

My local stores are still pretty much 95% not likely to have any new Skylanders when I'm there.

I will record the unboxing and Heroic Challenges as soon as possible; They should be up this weekend.

Vote for your favorite Skylander, Adventure Pack Chapter, and Adventure Pack Character now!!

And with that, I'm publishing and going to hit the hay.  Hope everyone is having good luck tracking down any Skylanders you are missing!

Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure: Adventure Pack Time Goals

Not much to see here...just Stealth Elf flying through the Adventure Pack Chapters.

I wanted to make the blog post for these four chapters just in case someone had questions...they  can post here as opposed to the more generic, "Ask 1ofWiisdom" post.

I have to say, none of these were particularly challenging...I think you get a break on the card games, lock puzzles, and maybe even some of the "boss fight" segments.  A leveled up Stealth Elf is all I need to complete the Time Goals and garner the 3 Star Ranking for each chapter.

Chapter 23 Empire of Ice Time Goal
-Clear in Under 10:10

Chapter 24 Pirate Seas Time Goal
-Clear in Under 5:35

Chapter 25 Darklight Crypt Time Goal
-Clear in Under 12:30

Chapter 26 Dragon's Peak Time Goal
-Clear in Under 10:35

Weekend Update: April 21st, 2012

Here is a weekend update for you...

Wave 5 Pre-Order

Well, good news and bad news...

The bad news first...I still don't have Warnado, who I have eagerly been awaiting since October, Camo, or Wham-Shell.  They are, however, becoming easier to find...just the last few days I've seen several folks finding 2-3 sets at their local Walmart or reporting that their GameStop has been getting them in regularly etc.

The good news is I have them on order!  Having missed out on the GameStop unveiling for Camo and Warnado I was a bit disappointed (I missed their Wham-Shell earlier this week as well).  When I found out that Walmart had the trio up I was miffed...mainly because I filled out their "email me when this items is in stock" form long, long ago.  I'm not sure, but it could be the system just can't get e-mails out before the stock dissipates, or perhaps they knew it wasn't enough to justify a full listing etc.  Still if you are someone who relies on "email me when this is in stock" you may want to be a bit more proactive...I'm pretty sure I did something similar with GameStop, but oh well.

The bad side of good aside, my order is coming from Amazon!  I have never had an issue with Amazon damaging anything, I get to pay retail, and I get free shipping.  This is a win-win-win.  First off I'm not having to (although I'm sure I'll continue to look locally) hunt for Wave 5 like a possessed lunatic.  Second, I am paying less than singles cost at TRU or GameStop.  Lastly, free freight!  GameStop ships quick, but that is another few bucks that could have been something else.  Toys'R'Us has the nuttiest freight charges and their penchant for using "Sure Post" basically costs me 3 days of transit time with every order.  Amazon will come free via UPS, not bent-up, and at $8.99 per Skylander!

The only downside here is they have yet to say when they will ship, but still, I can rest a little easier knowing that the final three will be on their way shortly.  Special thanks to Jon, octaneblue, for the heads-up on the pre-order!

Here is a shot from Target...well stocked, just nothing "new" (ie Wave 4 or Wave 5):

Recordings

Last night, well technically this morning, I recorded the time goals for Empire of Ice, Pirate Seas, Darklight Crypt, and Dragon's Peak. They are being edited and uploaded as we speak!


Progress

With the time goals done, I have 3-Stars on every chapter, except for Darklight Crypt.  Apparently I am not doing something right on the Enemy Goal.  I went thru it last night and literally decimated everything (made it a point to take out 5-6 of the Stump Demons around Occulous) and still came up empty...I'll work on that and getting Wrecking Ball up to Level 10 (he is at Level 8 and the only Skylander not currently at 10).

What I plan to do now is simply take the fleet thru Heroic Challenges.  Obviously I am going to do my favorite Skylanders first.  As of right now I feel like I've gotten the hard challenges taken care of (ie Boomer and Eruptor on Double Trouble etc).  I am a little leary of doing the mass upgrades until I know if Warnado, Wham-Shell, or Camo will have a similar challenge to Double Trouble or Drobot etc.

I will work on that and should I get it wrapped up to my liking I'll record mass upgrades and pick paths etc.

I will record the unboxings, introductions, and Heroic Challenges of our final three Skylanders as soon as they come in...

Currently Playing

I am currently playing Wii Fit Plus, Gold's Gym Cardio Workout Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure (Wii), and Professor Layton and the Last Specter (DS).

I am really enjoying Professor Layton and the Last Specter and will likely pick up the previous installments in the series.

For whatever reason I've been playing Gold's Gym Cardio Workout about 2-3 times a week.  I really enjoyed it when I picked it up, just haven't had much time to play after I was going at it daily.  That said, I'm a big believer in working out and it helps me sleep better...so with that said, I've picked it back up...Aced an exam tonight and then took on a new lesson, with very nice results:

*If I wrap up upgrades on Skylanders I will start recording Mario Kart Wii.

Blog

A couple of big additions to the blog will be:
-My Favorite Skylanders
-My Selected Upgrade Paths

Earlier today I was able to get the "Fire Element Upgrade Path" poll results blogged and I also added Blog Poll #26 "Who is Your Favorite Skylander?"  It is going to be a very nice poll in my opinion!

Blog Poll #26: Who Is Your Favorite Skylander

Blog Poll #26 is all about going big, or going home.  This poll asks, "Who is Your Favorite Skylander?"

You have 32 options and you can vote once.  I'm letting the poll run 40 days and 40 nights...you can cast your vote just below the Twitter Feed.  This poll should be EPIC.

I was originally going to launch a battle tournament, but I will hold off.  I really want Camo, Warnado, and Wham-Shell to be more readily owned before having something else that has a possible tinge of bias permeating.

That said, I have polled "What is Your Favorite _____ Element Skylander?" before and in some cases we didn't have all of the line-up out.  I might break that back down later this summer to see if things have changed and if so, how and why they changed.

But this...this is something entirely different.  You've got one vote.  Love Spyro and Sunburn, you've got to pick  one of them.  I know this could result in low vote totals and I encourage you to vote for your absolute favorite and not be swayed because your favorite, Wrecking Ball for example, is well down below say Spyro, and you don't want to "throw your vote away.  There will be no such thing.  If we have 200 votes and 100 are for Spyro, 50 for Trigger Happy, and you were the 1 of the remaining 50 votes and the only to vote for Gill Grunt, so be it.  I want a true sampling here.

I am very excited to see how this one pans out and I'll probably even include it in weekly updates to hopefully encourage more voters.  So spread the word and cast your vote now!

I will make a stand-alone blog post and add it to the sidebar with the final results.

*Please not I am not including any special (ie Gold, Silver, Clear, Glow in the Dark etc), nor will you see any Legendaries...Dark Spyro is also getting the boot on this poll...However, if your favorite is Dark Spyro, cast your vote for Spyro.  Similarly, if Legendary Chop Chop is your all time favorite, just vote for Chop Chop.

You are more than welcome to reply to this post with who is your favorite, why they are your favorite, and if you prefer another version (ie Dark Spyro, Legendary Bash etc).

Thanks in advance for voting and please spread the word...I'd like to get as high a vote count as possible to see how everyone ranks the Skylanders in terms of their absolute favorite.

Blog Poll #24 Results: Fire Element Upgrade Paths

Blog Poll #24 asked, "Which Upgrade Path Do You Prefer for Fire Element Skylanders?"  We had a ton of feedback on this one with a sum total of 639 Votes!  Many thanks to everyone who chimed in and cast their vote.  Also, it was unique in the fact that we had 3 Skylanders who were very close compared to most of these polls.  Let's take a look at the results:

What I liked best about this poll was the vote count.  Flameslinger and Eruptor,who have been available the longest and are thus the most likely to be owned, had the most votes.  Granted, Ignitor has been available since Day 1 in the 3DS Starter Pack, but a lot of folks didn't have him until recently, or are still looking for that illusive single pack.

Flameslinger netted the most votes and we saw a narrow 11% margin of victory for Marksman.  In all honesty, Flameslinger is one of the few Skylanders who has two upgrade paths that are both very solid.  In the end, more folks seem to select the option to upgrade his primary attack.  This is probably because it is quicker to deploy and offers more "instant" benefits than Pyromancer.  That said, Flameslinger can be devastating going down that path and either will serve you well.

Eruptor, who is slightly less popular than Flameslinger, netted an impressive 164 votes.  He also joins the ranks as one of the very few Skylanders who you have selected as having a better secondary upgrade path with a 15% margin of victory. I think the reason for this is twofold.  First, Eruptor's early upgrades make his primary attack, the lava balls, do a crud ton of damage as is.  The complaint about his secondary attack would have to be it is slow.  Well, Phase 1 of Magmantor takes care of that with "Quick Eruption."  Follow that up with more damage, and then the extra, small volcanoes and you have a totally unique upgrade path that compliments the already lethal base upgrades.

Fittingly, Ignitor came in 3rd with 154 votes...a likely reflection of his 3DS status and of course the fact he has just started to become attainable for retail prices in single pack form.  He follows the status quo with 63% of voters agreeing that his Blademaster path is the one to pick.  I think this is attributable to the fact having a flaming sword is pretty freaking awesome on its' own merits, but having the chance to upgrade that is probably a bit too tempting to resist...That said, I believe his secondary upgrade path, "Soul of the Flame" could be just as good, but isn't as flashy (see also, long, burning sword).  Again, I don't think you can regret either path here, and he might be worth getting a second figure of just to have both.

Sunburn, who is scorching the "Favorite Adventure Pack Character Poll" came in with 153 votes...a fitting spot given the fact not everyone has gotten to land Dragon's Peak.  His results were much more one sided with a whopping 7 in 10 voters selecting his "Blaze Dragon" path.  I will be honest here, Blaze Dragon just seems to be far better than Flame Lord.  With the base upgrades you get the "after fire" effects seen post teleportation.  Flame Lord just basically expands on that.  Oh, and the fact that you have INFINITE Flamebreath as your first upgrade on Blaze Dragon kind of says a lot too...That is limitless, never ending, etc.  Imagine just getting to hold the A-Button down with other Skylanders primary attacks and never having to wait for a reload etc.  Pretty hot...and most everyone agrees.

I was very pleased with the voting on this one not only for the great sampling, but also because it reflected the likely vote totals based on how long the Sklyanders have been out and their attainability.  That said, the Fire Element Upgrade Paths are very close as we have three characters with compelling cases for both...one that wound up "secondary" and the other two that are honestly great paths either way you go.

Thanks again to everyone for voting.  I'll get some new polls up soon...likely based on the "most popular" by element categories etc.  I may even deploy a Tournament Poll soon...more on that later.

Nintedo Wii Library

I have wanted to make this post for quite some time....Chances are, if you stumble across this blog, we probably have similar tastes in games.

I might have something you don't which sparks your interest, or your personal library might have a game you know I'd like etc.  Hopefully this will pay dividends for everyone.

There are some games I know I'll like (Mario anything), games I take a chance on (Mystery Case Files: The Malgrave Incident), and even a few gifts etc here and there.

I'll try to do these in chronological order (by purchase, not release...sometimes if I am busy, I'll let the brand new $49.99 pass by so I can land it cheaper later on, or catch a buy one, get one sale etc).  Anyway, here is my Wii Library:

1. Wario Land Shake It
2. Super Mario Galaxy
3. Wii Play
4. Wii Fit
5. Need for Speed Undercover
6. Super Smash Bros. Brawl
7. Wii Sports Resort
8. Mario Strikers Charged
9. Wii Fit Plus (October 4th, 2009)
10. New Super Mario Bros Wii
11. Mario Kart Wii
12. Need for Speed Nitro
13. Decca Sports 2
14. Family Fun Football
15. Super Paper Mario
16. Chrysler Classic Racing
17. Gold's Gym Cardio Workout (March 31st, 2009)
18. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (May 23, 2010)
19. Madden 2011 (August 10th, 2010)
20. Namco Museum Remix
21. Gold's Gym Dance Workout (August 17th, 2010)
22. Donkey Kong Country Returns (November 21st, 2010)
23. Kirby's Epic Yarn (October 17th, 2010)
24. Sonic Colors (November 11th, 2010)
25. Super Mario All Stars (December 12th, 2010)
26. Mario Sports Mix (February 7th, 2011)
27. Dodge Racing: Charger vs Challenger
28. NFL Training Camp 
29. Nerf-N-Strike/Nerf-N-Strike Elite
30. Mystery Case Files: The Malgrave Incident (June 27th, 2011)
31. Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure (October 16th, 2011)
32. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (November 20th, 2011)
33. NBA 2K12
34. Mario Party 9 (March 11th, 2012)
35. Mario Power Tennis
36. Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition (Release Date)
37. Skylanders Giants (Release Date)
38. Sonic and the Black Knight (Christmas 2012, Gift for My Nephew)
39. Sonic and the Secret Rings (Christmas 2012, Gift for My Nephew)
40. Sonic Riders Zero Gravity (January 2013 to get free shipping on Skylanders via Amazon)
41. Skylanders SuperChargers Racing (September 20th, 2015)
42. Animal Crossing City Folk (Late 2015)

Nintendo 3DS Library

It's 3 AM and this is something I've wanted to do for a while...

While this serves no immediate purpose, I think it is cool to have this stuff documented so folks that come across the blog can skim my library and see what we have in common.  You might find something I have that you don't that sparks your interest, or you might know from what I have and what I enjoy a game you've got that you think I would really enjoy.  It is a 2 way street and hopefully it'll pay dividends for everyone.

I don't really have rhyme or reason to some stuff...

There are certain titles I know I'll like and others I take a gamble on...

Anyway, here is my 3DS (DS) library in order of purchase:

1. Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)
2. Mario Kart 7 (3DS)
3. Madden Football (3DS)
4. Driver Renegade (3DS)
5. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (3DS)
6. Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure (3DS)
7. Pilotwings Resort (3DS)
8. Professor Layton and the Last Specter (DS)
9. Mario Tennis Open (3DS) 5/24/2012
10. Mario Kart DS (DS) 5/24/2012
11. Professor Layton and the Curious Village (DS) 5/31/2012
12. Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (DS)
13. Plants vs Zombies (DS)
14. New Super Mario Bros. 2 (3DS)
15. The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (DS)
16. Skylanders Giants (3DS) October, 21st, 2012
17. Professor Layton and the Unwound Future
18. Paper Mario Sticker Star (3DS) November 11th, 2012
19. Wario Ware DIY (DS) December 6th, 2012
20. Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask (3DS)
21. Animal Crossing: New Leaf
22. Skylanders SWAP Force
23. Pokemon Y
24. Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
25. Yoshi's New Island
26. Mario Party Island Tour
27. Brain Age Concentration Training
28. Skylanders Trap Team
29. Mario Golf World Tour
30. Pokemon Alpha Sapphire
31. Super Smash Bros.
32. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
33. Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
34. Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy
35. Skylanders SuperChargers Racing
36. New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
37. Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon
38. Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D

Weekly Skylanders Update: Found Something Local?!

Well, it is now 3:38  AM and I'm not really up for investing a lot of time into this post...right now anyway, lol.

I made the rounds tonight, except for Best Buy (have I mentioned here lately that I don't like that place?).  I bring them up not just to mention once more I am not a fan, but because I saw online where an employee reported getting a drop shipped box from UPS that consisted of 15 Wham-Shells...and yes, it was someone in the US.

Target was well stocked and I am finally getting the picture up, only 2 days late:

Enjoy the picture fuzz for no charge.  My phone camera has been doing that a lot lately...and oddly enough it isn't motion related.  If you move much at all you just see streaks, that is with me holding it still.  I'm not sure what the deal is...it seems to be certain lightning conditions.  I took two shots today (Sat) one was perfect, the other was fuzzy.

Walmart had a few more than usual...notably the likes of Hex, Drill Sergeant, and Wrecking Ball...apparently my local scalper is not making enough profit on these anymore...they were joined by the usual Boomer, Chop Chop, Drobot, and Prism Break.

Toys'R'Us still had a lot of stock...of everything but Wave 4 and Wave 5.  I do want to mention they have sold all (well the three they had last week) their second round of Dragon's Peak.  The Empire of Ice, Pirate Seas, and Darklight Crypt assembly  from last week was reduced to 3-4 Darklight Crypts.  I honestly think parents just seem to be more inclined to buy a shark and pirate ship, or yeti and ice fortress as opposed to a skulled guy that hunts ghosts and has a mace.  Shockingly, the Legendary Trigger Happy stock was probably down to 100 or so...only took about a month to put that dent in the collection.

On that note, I have heard that the Legendary Triple Pack is coming back.  I really wish it wouldn't.  I'm sure round 3 will be more on the scale of LTH where they are flooding the store (unlike Dragon's Peak).  That will basically mean that the only real collectibles will be the gold/silver/blue/crystal etc Skylanders.

My local brand-x store that carries Skylanders impressed me.  They have gone from two clips, to the overflowing two clips I showcased last week, and have now graduated to an end cap!  Sonic Boom, Whirlwind, Drill Sergeant, Double Trouble, Chop Chop, Boomer, Drobot, and a few others highlight the find.

Oh and that bit about finding something local....yep, it happened.  As you recall I just got my TRU.com Triple Pack of Lightning Rod, Cynder, and Zook in on Monday.  I had to run some work errands and took the time to run into Walmart...this store is not impacted by the psycho scalper and in addition to having a nice assortment of Wave 1-3 (none in mass quantity) I did land the only two Wave 4 they had: Lightning Rod and Zook in single packs!

I was pretty excited...these will likely wind up with my nephew, but if not I will use them for whatever upgrade path I didn't pick for the originals.  It bothers me that the Triple Packs don't feature slogans...singles do and I promised to relay to two folks what Zook's slogan is...

It is definitely "Bamboo-Yah!" not the originally planned, "Locked and Loaded" which I kind of like, although both work.

Anyway, I am beat...I'll add some headings and pictures tomorrow, cough, later today.

I will also mention, I asked an employee at every stop about Wave 5...none of them acted like they had even heard of or seen Warnado around, but most were familiar with Zook or Lightning Rod.

My immediate plans for Skylanders is two-fold:

1. I really want to upgrade my fleet...I've been playing with base powers, or basic upgrades to the point of picking a path for far too long on many champions.

2. BEFORE I run in and recklessly upgrade Skylanders I want to complete some of the harder Heroic Challenges...that is likely what I will be messing with this weekend.

ONCE I have everyone through at least the tough ones (when powered up) I will come in and record another mass upgrade video where I just stick Skylanders on the portal and see what we can do.

SHOULD I land Warnado or Camo before then you better believe they will be unboxed, introduced, and recorded in game play.

Well, hope everyone has a great weekend.  I will also get a few more posts and new features up on the blog soon...if time allows I'll start hitting some YouTube comments too.