Wiisdom

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Blog Poll #31, 32, and 33 Results

Well, after a mysterious disappearance of poll results (current and closed) all has returned to normal and we can finally archive the most recent closed polls.

Here is a link to their original posting: http://www.1ofwiisdom.blogspot.com/2012/09/blog-polls-31-32-and-33-skylanders.html

Blog Poll #31 asked, "What Are You Buying for Giants?" and received 210 Votes. Here are the results:

Analysis

As you can see, the vast majority of voters are going for the Starter Pack with nearly 50% of the total vote (98 Votes, 46%). Testament to the loyalty of Skylanders fans we see 81 Voters (38%) going with the Portal Owner's Pack.

It looks like we have a few collectors as some are going with both the Starter Pack and Portal Owner's Pack (9 Votes, 4 %).

And lastly, with 10% of the total vote (22 Voters), we have the camp picking up both console versions of the game and the 3DS version of the game. Obviously, this output was limited to those with the 3DS. Spyro's Adventure was a nice platforming game and while many complain it isn't "just like the console version" I actually like the fact it is different...more for your money that way. There are very few games I would actually buy for a console and 3DS if they were exactly the same.

The other issues here are the values. The Starter Pack includes 2 extra characters and a new Portal of Power all for roughly $15-20. That is a great value and most people recognized that. Similarly, some who are getting the 3DS version may be doing so just to obtain Punch Pop Fizz.

My Take

Me personally...I got the Starter Pack for the Wii and the 3DS. Why? The value. I wanted Jet-Vac and at launch that was the only way to get him (console). While not a huge Cynder fan, I did like the Walmart Exclusive GITD Cynder included and considered that a bonus. The last factor for the Wii was the light-up portal and the fact it was wired...big savings on battery and a huge convenience perk.

On the 3DS front I could have gone with the Portal Owner's Pack, but the Starter Pack landed me a backup portal, another GITD Cynder, and most importantly...Punch Pop Fizz! Well worth the asking price.

I do think they could have set the Portal Owner's Pack up to better honor returning players. Just including Jet-Vac at the same price would have been nice. Similarly, the move to include Jet-Vac, or a character who will not be released for quite some time (Hot Dog for example (like Ignitor last year in the 3DS Pack)).

On the 3DS front, I think a different Giant should have come standard and that is something that has been overwhelming.

Maybe they just don't want to offer Tree Rex in single form, but it wouldn't have hurt to have done so and included Crusher, Bouncer, or Swarm etc.

Nonetheless, the Starter Packs were they way to go in my opinion.

Blog Poll #32 asked, "Which New Skylander Do You Want the Most?" Here are the results from the 250 of you who voted in the poll:

1. Pop Fizz 61 Votes, 24%
2. Fright Rider 46 Votes, 18%
3. Hot Dog 44 Votes, 17%
4. Flashwing 28 Votes, 11%
5. Chill 24 Votes, 9%
6. Shroomboom 22 Votes, 8%
7. Jet-Vac 20 Votes, 8%
8. Sprocket 5 Votes, 2%

As you can see, Pop Fizz was by a considerable margin the most wanted new Skylander. He nearly amassed 1/4 of the total vote and that is impressive given we had 8 options in this poll. I think he was pushed the heaviest prior to launch followed by Jet-Vac and Shroomboom.

This basically came down to who people like the look of, what powers seemed neat, or simply who they thought would be the best for their play style. In all honestly, the battle was close between Fright Rider and Hot Dog, just like we saw with Flashwing, Chill, Shroomboom, and Jet-Vac where only 8 votes decided the fate between 4th Place and 7th Place...that is tight!

Sprocket seems to be following along in Boomer's Tech path as the least desired Skylander. I think people's opinions may change if they give her a chance, but that was seldom the case with Boomer haters. He is actually quite good when upgraded (either path) and despite that, he never really got over the preconceived notion he wasn't a good Skylander.

I think with Sprocket it is just her aesthetics that have given her the bad rep. She looks like a wrench-wielding lego to put it mildly. I'll be honest, that kind of has me intrigued, but I am also a big fan of the underdog. I will give her a chance and reserve judgment. Maybe she can reverse course with the masses.

My New Skylander List

That said, here is my order of What New Skylanders I would Want the Most. I am basing this almost entirely on looks as I have refrained from watching anything other than the official game trailers released by Activision. Gameplay will no doubt have an impact on this list for me later on down the road. That said, here is how I rank them:

1. Jet-Vac
2. Fright Rider
3. Pop Fizz
4. Chill
5. Shroomboom
6. Sprocket
7. Hot Dog
8. Flashwing

Again, keep in mind this is looks and my blind expectations ONLY. Gameplay will no doubt change things...I am also not just going on aesthetics here but rather looks and what I expect they might play like based solely on that and my imagination.

Jet-Vac was my Warnado...the "new" Skylander I was most looking forward to. Fright Rider looks cool and I hope for great upgrades. Pop Fizz seems like a chemist version of Trigger Happy and that should be fun regardless of anything else. Chill seems like she might have unique upgrades. Shroomboom seems like another "fun" character and I'm hoping for Zook/Camo like upgrades. Sprocket I have no clue on, but I am hoping she plays as unique as she looks. Hot Dog I don't have high hopes for, but I could be surprised. Flashwing is hard for me to imagine...That said, the Earth Element is my personal favorite so I hope she can step up and climb the gameplay list for me.

Blog Poll #33 asked, "Which Giant Do You Want the Most?" and collected an impressive 262 Votes! Here are the results:

1. Thumbpack 69 Votes, 26%
2. Eye-Brawl 47 Votes, 17%
3. Ninjini 36 Votes, 13%
4. Crusher 33 Votes, 12%
5. Swarm 29 Votes, 11%
6. Bouncer 24 Votes, 9%
7. Hot Head 15 Votes, 5%
8. Tree Rex 9 Votes, 3%

So, this was another tight race among most of the spots. The clear winner was Thumpback with 69 Votes and over 1/4 of the total vote count. That is a big win...He was also 22 Votes AHEAD OF 2nd Place!

Eye-Brawl really held his own at 2nd Place. I attribute this to his unique look, Halloween coming up, and the lofty expectations most have for him.

Things get much tighter for 3rd-6th with only 12 Votes separating them all.

Ninjini, who I had thought would finish at the top, came in 3rd with 36 Votes. Just 3 Votes behind her was Crusher with 33 Votes. Swarm was just 4 back of Crusher with 29 total Votes. Bouncer rounded the pairing out with 24 Votes and just shy of 10% overall.

Hot Head came in with 15 Votes (5%) and was 9 back of Bouncer. I think this is largely aesthetics...his head just seems too small.

Tree Rex, the giant included with all the Portal Owner's Packs and Starter Packs came in last with only 9 Votes and a measely 3% of the collective vote.

What surprised me was not that Ninjini wasn't your most anticipated, but that Thumpback was and that he did so in such a significant margin of victory...I expected him to be midpack...

My Giant List

As for myself, here is the order I would want them in...Keep in mind this is me ranking them on how I think they will play based off their looks. So the list isn't sorted by gameplay, is isn't sorted by aesthetics, it is basically a hypothetical conjecture of what I think they will play like and thus how I would rank them at this point in time:

1. Crusher
2. Eye-Brawl
3. Tree Rex
4. Ninjini
5. Swarm
6. Hot Head
7. Thumpback
8. Bouncer

I love the look of Crusher...I love the Earth Element, and I think he will be great! Eye-Brawl looks totally unique and I have high hopes his upgrades will be wicked!

Tree Rex, despite showing up last in what readers want, is someone I think will be very solid. I've had good luck with the Life Element thus far...he has a great look, and I think his upgrades will be hard to beat overall.

Ninjini...I don't know much about her, but I figure Magic + Giant = Good chance for success. She reminds me of a Hex/Stealth Elf hybrid and I am hoping she delivers.

Swarm actually looks great and I think has a lot of potential...He will likely move up an aesthetics list and gameplay list unless his upgrades are horrible.

Hot Head really needs a bigger head imo. I haven't seen his actual figure yet (and yes, it is out), but it just looks tiny compared to his body. If not for that glaring issue, I would have him head and shoulders up on the list...likely in 4th Place.

Thumpback is someone I don't know anything about (I don't watch trailers...), but with that said, I assume he must have some awesome upgrades or people wouldn't have voted him #1 by such a huge margin. I will hope he delivers and it isn't that I don't like his look, the others just stand out more to me. I'm also weary of the Water Element as I tend to either love them (Slam Bam and Zap), or find them somewhat mediocre, or just downright disappointing (Wham-Shell).

Bouncer...I think this guy has potential. Tech rarely disappoints if you give them full upgrades, but the look just doesn't do much for me. I think any significant upgrade will vault him from the bottom, but as of now he just lacks the impact or cool factor with the other Giants. For what it is worth, I do feel a bit nostalgic for him as he reminds me of a robot from an old Win95 game I used to play, "Super Solvers Midnight Rescue" lol. Big bonus points to anyone who knows what I'm talking about.

Anyway, there you have it. The Poll Results from Giants Blog Polls #31, 32, and 33. My apologies on their delay, but since they polls went down I couldn't get them up when I had planned initially. Thanks again to everyone who voted. As you can see, every vote matters...several Skylanders were just a vote or two away from moving up a spot!

Friday, October 26, 2012

Weekly Update 10/26/2012

Hey Everyone,

I have been insanely busy...How busy you ask? Well, would you believe that I have yet to play Giants on the Wii or 3DS yet?! Yep, it is true. Not exactly my ideal set-up or planned scenario either, but that is how things go.

That said, I am hopeful that I'll get to start the blind playthrough this weekend. I would imagine by Tuesday you should start seeing the first few videos trickle out.

That said, I still have a lot of unboxing to do.

For a quick run down on that...I have yet to see Hot Head, Sprocket, Flashwing, or LightCore Jet-Vac. I saw pretty much all the rest of Wave 2, but I prefer to hold out for Triples to get Flashwing and Sprocket. I have LC Jet-Vac on pre-order, but TRU.com doesn't exactly have my confidence at the moment.

They shipped my 4 early LightCore figures mid-week, despite me being able to have already picked them up locally on a sale price. But the kicker is they show they are shipping LightCore Hex! I have yet to see anyone with her or mention finding her...The sad news is that someone already got their LC pre-orders from TRU and instead of Hex they had an extra Eruptor. I really hope that isn't the case. I will keep you posted.

For future unboxings of LightCore and Giants I will demo the light-up features. I was unsure how they would look on camera in the Crusher and LC Prism Break vids, but I was pretty happy with it.

It was also requested I do a comparison between 3DS Portals...I will get this done as soon as possible.

One other thing that delayed the start of the playthrough was me needing more space on the computer. I have a lot of raw recordings (huge files) that had yet to be processed. Some of the stuff I wanted up first included Battle Mode vids form SSA. Most of these are simple and don't have commentary...one even has really bad audio skip...but, I had wanted them up, there were lots of requests for them, and now they are up...and more importantly off my hard drive allowing plenty of space for the Giants files.

The first few videos will be the intro to the game, me figuring stuff out, and then as soon as possible I'll go thru and kind of showcase what characters work in the two games (SSA and Giants), what they do where, etc.

After that it will basically be time for the blind playthrough and unboxings as stuff comes in...I still have a few nights worth of unboxings to do, lol.

It is 4 AM and I am very tired...I just posted all the links from recent uploads (minus the Battle Mode stuff) to Google + and Facebook...sorry for the delay, but as always, the blog will be your best source for instant info and updates!

For those of you that have read along, or follow the bog I have something for you...particularly those of you without Granite Crusher or without a Target...He is now ONLINE! I don't know the stock or how long it will last, but it is up now for the first time that I am aware, check it out;

http://www.target.com/p/skylander-giants-character-pack-granite-crusher-target-exclusive/-/A-14308026#prodSlot=dlp_medium_3_1&term=Skylanders Giants

And lastly, if you noticed the current polls are reset, the ones that just closed on the 20th (Giants, favorite new Skylander, favorite new Giant, what are you getting etc) are all "0"s. Same goes for the old poll results I left up. Somehow Blogger has lost all poll data. This isn't just on my site, but all across the platform. Everyone is pretty bummed about it, but I am hopeful a resolution will be found...that is why you have yet to see the results from the last few polls...More on this as time allows.

Well, I hope you are all enjoying Giants, tracking down the characters you want, or are eagerly awaiting a Birthday or Christmas!

Skylanders Giants Unboxing Crusher

Unboxing Crusher

What? Crusher, Earth Element Giant

Where Did You Get It? GameStop.com

What Did it Cost? $14.99 plus tax and shipping

What is Included? Crusher, Stat Card, Sticker, and Webcode

What Lights Up? Eyes and 3 Crystals at top of Armor Band

What Was the Stock Like? I was so burned out calling local Walmarts to check midnight release status, I surfed over to GameStop.com and found that Wave 1 was up for order! Not knowing what to expect in terms of stock or turnout I decided to take advantage of things and order in a few characters. That said, I have yet to walk into a store without the current slate of Giants (aside from Granite Crusher and Hot Head). I have noticed that online several retailers have lost stock of the Giants...And I did notice they were selling down quick. I imagine they are the items most people will target. That said, I don't think you'll really have trouble landing a run-of-the-mill Crusher if you act before Black Friday.

Quick Character Info:

Crusher Earth Element Giant

Slogan: "It's Crush Hour!"

Card Stats:

-Strenght: 140/150
-Defense: 140/150
-Agility: 50/150
-Luck: 60/150

Conclusion

I also spent a little extra time in this unboxing as I had a lot of people asking about what lights up, how loose the hammer is, and if their figure is broken etc. I can say once again that both Crusher and Granite Crusher lit up great on my battery-powered, wirless Wii Portal from SSA.

The only thing that lights up is the eyes (blue on both) and the top three crystals over the shoulder (blue on Granite Crusher and Green on Crusher).

This one, just like LC Prism Break, was a bit long, but mainly due to the unknowns and so much info needing to be covered. I also recorded it right after LCPB and didn't know how the camera would pick up the lighting etc. It seems to do a good job so future unboxings will include the light show, but much quicker and without sticking 4+ Characters on the portal, lol...that was very bright in person btw.

And once more, the hammer on Crusher seems lower and tighter (ie better secured) than the hammer on Granite Crusher. I don't think either is a big deal unless your kids (or you, haha) use the toys "actively" in battle...I'd just try and pick them up by the base to prevent any issue...I'm sure a little glue can help out if things happen to break.

Skylanders Giants Unboxing LightCore Prism Break

Unboxing LightCore Prism Break

What? LightCore Prism Break

Where Did You Get It? Toys'R'Us

What Did It Cost? $11.99 plus tax

What is Included? LC Prism Break, Stat Card, Sticker, and Web Code

What Lights Up? On my LC Prism Break it is both arms.

What Was the Stock Like? Plentiful. It seems most people go for Giants, new Skylanders, and Series 2 Skylanders over the LightCore. I think this is in part to a lot of people simply not knowing what they are just yet. I'll keep my eyes on things.

Quick Character Info: LightCore Prism Break

Slogan: "The Beam is Supreme!"

Card Stats:
-Strength: 95/150
-Defense: 100/150
-Agility: 10/150
-Luck: 75/150

And just fyi for those wondering, Granite Crusher has the EXACT SAME card stats...I'll compare their in-game stats once I've gotten to play.

Conclusion

This video was a little long, but it is only because it is the first LightCore I have unboxed and I wanted to cover a few extra things...I plan to fully explain the difference in a gameplay video to help folks out.

Basically, what I have found is that my wireless Wii portal from Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure is plenty strong to fully light up the figures.

At the time of recording I didn't know what the camera would see, but I was pleasantly surprised at how well it showed the light-up features. In future unboxings (past Crusher), I will just quickly show it with the lights on and off.

More Information:

LightCore figures work in both games...however, that needs to be clarified. LightCore Prism Break will only have his "Flash Bomb Effect" in Giants. That said, he will serve as a playable character in Spyro's Adventure, but will lack the aforementioned "Flash Bomb." While that may not suit some, it can help you save by not having to buy a Series 1 if you are content with that.

The other thing to note is that LightCore figures DO NOT have the "Wow Pow" powers like their Series 2 counterparts.

If all of that is confusing, don't worry...I'll reiterate it in the gameplay vids.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Terrafin Stylus from Power A

Unboxing and Review of Power A's Terrafin Stylus

What? Terrafin Stylus

Where Did You Get It? Walmart

What Did It Cost? $9.96

Quality? It is pretty solid and my Chop Chop stylus from this Spring has held up very well.

Other Characters? I'm honestly not 100% on this, but I'll just make the list as follows based on what I've seen and when I saw it.

Wave 1: Spyro, Gill Grunt, Chop Chop

Wave 2: Cynder, Eruptor, Terrafin

Monday, October 22, 2012

Skylanders Giants Legendary Triple Pack (Ignitor, Slam Bam, Shroomboom)

Unboxing Skylanders Giants Legendary Triple Pack (Toys'R'Us Exclusive)

What Is It? Toys'R'Us Exclusive Legendary Triple Pack

Where Did You Get It? Toys'R'Us In-store

How Did You Get It? Toys'R'Us Hot Toy List Reservation

What Did It Cost? $24.99 plus tax

Did It Cost Extra? Nope, same as any triple pack.

What Is Included? L-Ignitor, L-Slam Bam, and L-Jet-Vac. You also get their Stat Cards, Stickers, and Web Codes for Spyro's Universe.

What Was The Stock Like? Plentiful. This isn't on the level of L-Trigger Happy, but they had a lot of stock out, and probably a similar number in the back.

Will This Be Rare? I would just think of it along the lines of the original Legendary Triple Pack. Not super rare, but there could be times they might be hard to come by.

Conclusion

You probably recall me posting on the blog about how you could reserve the L-Triple Pack via the Hot Toy List. Well, I did just that...it is kind of an ordeal as the employees learn how to process it, but it will work and now that most stores have done it, you can act quick and do the same.

That said, my local TRU had a TON of these. That may all change by Black Friday, but as of now, pre-ordering was totally not necssary, something I did not know and if you did SSA, you likely err on the safe side of the equation and pre-order whenever possible!

That aside, this is an awesome Triple Pack! Some don't like the colors as well, and I agree it is tough to beat the originals, but look at what you get: Jet-Vac, Slam Bam, and Ignitor!

Those are three very impressive characters. If I had gotten the portal owner's pack and was on a budget, I'd pick this up and call it good. Fire, Water, Air...and three very cool characters.

I was very pleased to see Ignitor and Slam Bam both make Legendary status this time around. All-in-all this is great for collectors and those on budgets given what you get for the money. I highly recommend this one!

Skylanders Giants Unboxing Golden Dragonfire Cannon Battle Pack

Skylanders Giants Golden Dragonfire Cannon Battle Pack (GameStop Exclusive)

What Is It? Golden Dragonfire Cannon Battle Pack (GameStop Exclusive)

Where Did You Get It? GameStop

How Did You Get It? GameStop In-store Pre-Order

What Did It Cost? $24.99 plus tax

Did It Cost Extra? Nope.

What Is Included? Chop Chop S2, Shroomboom, Golden Dragonfire Cannon, 3 Stat Cards, 3 Stickers, 3 Web Codes

What Was The Stock Like? Plentiful. They had a ton in store, all the pre-orders, and I have yet to see the item come down from the website either now or for pre-order.

Will This Be Rare? Possibly. It won't be near as common as the regular Dragonfire Cannon Battle Pack. That said, it certainly won't be along the lines of a rare variant etc...Just something different, a little special, and readily available to the average fan.

Conclusion

GameStop's Golden Dragonfire Cannon Battle Pack is a nice set-up. I pre-ordered it long ago (still thinking along the lines of Wave 4 and 5). At the time I ordered, no one really knew that there was going to be a regular Dragonfir Cannon Battle Pack. Had I, and many others know, we might have held off.

Personally, I kept the pre-order just because it will be a little more distinct than the standard issue Battle Pack.

The only real difference between the two is that this battle pack features the Golden Dragonfire Cannon. From what I know it unlocks an extra Battle Arena and a few have told me the magic effect is stronger, but doesn't last as long as the regular. Once I've played I will know the full run-down via first hand findings.

This is the first Battle Pack and they kind of take the place of the old Adventure Packs...However, I want to stress this unlocks Battle Arenas for Battle Mode, not new chapters (that said, your old APs will work in Giants and unlock new levels).

This currently the only way to get Shroomboom, but he will later be out in LightCore form, and I'm sure he'll wind up in a single pack and likely a triple pack.

Overall, it is the same price as the standard battle pack and just offers a little bit more and a different colored cannon and lens.

Skylanders Giants Unboxing Legendary Bouncer

Unboxing Legendary Bouncer (Toys'R'Us Exclusive)

What Is It? Legendary Bouncer, or L-Bouncer for short.

Where Did You Get It? Toys'R'Us in store.

How Did You Get It? In person, in store.

What Did It Cost? $14.99 plus tax.

Did It Cost Extra? Nope, same price as any other Giant.

What Is Included? L-Bouncer, Stat Card, Sticker, Web Code

What Was The Stock Like? Plentiful. TRU had a ton of both L-Bouncer and the L-Triple Pack.

Will This Be Rare? I wouldn't say rare, but not near as common place...primarily due to being a TRU Exclusive and the fact that will drive demand. Right now I would just look at this as the Legendary stuff we saw from SSA.

Conclusion

Legendary Bouncer is a Toys'R'Us Exclusive and gives folks the option to bypass regular Bouncer for his Legendary form. The price is the same, so it comes down to preference. For everyone else, L-Bouncer will be slightly upgraded from the get-go and will be needed to fully complete your base collection.

Skylanders Giants Unboxing Granite Crusher

Skylanders Giants: Unboxing Granite Crusher (Target Exclusive)

What Is It? Granite Crusher (Target Exclusive)

Where Did You Get It? Target-Exclusive to Target in the US

How Did You Get It? In store. Currently no online ordering options outside of ebay sellers.

What Did It Cost? $14.99 plus tax

Does It Cost Extra? No, despite being an exclusive and more rare, this costs the same as a regular Crusher from any other retailer.

What Is Included? Granite Crusher, Stat Card, Sticker, and Web Code.

What Was the Stock Like? I got the last one. It looked like there were several pegs for Granite Crusher though. That said, it seemed to be the hot seller on Day 1. My reports across the net either indicate that stores didn't have him, had a ton of them (ie I would have walked in and seen 20 still out), or had a small number, but not a lot of buyers.

For what it is worth, I had an appointment and ran by Target on Day 2 and there were no Granite Crushers and everything was very picked over.

Will This Be Rare? I wouldn't put this on line with a Gold or Silver from last time around, or even the new variants. That said, the Target exclusive Whirlwind ran out around Christmas and then she was everywhere. I don't really see Granite Crusher going to all retailers just as I don't see the Golden Dragonfire Cannon or GITD Starer Pack migrating. That said, will this stay in production, be cut of after a set date, or simply produced to a certain quantity is beyond me.

Out of all the Giants, I liked Crusher the most aesthetically (Eye Brawl is right up there). The Granite Crusher look is very cool and it was on my short list of things to try and pick-up.

Conclusion

Right now, I don't think you'll have too much trouble trying to get a Granite Crusher. If your store didn't have them, they likely will be getting them in soon. If not, try another Target. If you want it, I would advise picking him up BEFORE Black Friday just to be safe. For those not wanting everything, adding Granite Crusher over Crusher is a nice fit, gives you something a little extra, and is all done for the same price.

Skylanders Giants Unboxing GITD 3DS Starter Pack

Nintendo 3DS Starter Pack with GITD Cynder and GITD Portal of Power (Walmart Exclusive)

Just as with the Wii Starter Pack, let's just get down to the basics:

What Is It? Nintendo 3DS Giants Starter pack

Where Did You Get It? Walmart. It is exclusive to Walmart/Sam's Club in the US.

How Did You Get It? Walmart.com's Site-to-Store

What Did It Cost? $74.99 plus tax (site to store doesn't charge shipping)

Does It Cost Extra? No, despite the GITD features it is the same price as a basic Starter Pack.

What Is Included? Nintendo 3DS Game, GITD Portal of Power, GITD Cynder, Punch Pop Fizz, and Tree Rex. Also included is a character poster, stat cards, stickers, and web codes for Spyro's Universe.

What Was The Stock Like? This is definitely the toughest Starter Pack to track down, not just because of the GITD stuff. Since this Starter Pack in base form features the 3DS Exclusive Punch Pop Fizz it is moving fast. This is the only way to get Punch Pop Fizz. Think of him as the Dark Spyro of Skylanders Giants. A lot of people (scalpers included) will purchase this pack just to mark up Punch Pop Fizz and then make eve more selling the other items solo. I had my first order cancelled and then upon visiting several stores the 3DS Starter Pack was by far the least common. I have first hand accounts from others documenting this across the nation.

Will This Be Rare? Again, I can't say. Activision could have "x" rounds of production, a pre-determined number, a set cut-off date...it is all unknown to me. That said, this is a heck of a deal as you not only get Punch Pop Fizz but also GITD Cynder and a GITD Portal of Power. If you are going to get a 3DS Starter Pack this is the route to go imo.

Why Did You Get the GITD Version? Unlike the Wii version, I had planned to get the Starter Pack for 3DS months ago. I did hold off for special sales or promotions, but when the news of Walmart's Exclusive GITD version hit I pre-ordred as soon as possible. This one also comes down to value and uniqueness.

This is the same price as a run-of-the-mill 3DS Starter Pack, but you get a GITD Portal and GITD Cynder. With the Portal Owner's Pack running $59.99 coupled with the fact Punch Pop Fizz is exclusive to this Starter Pack, the $15 price difference is more than justified. Tacking on a GITD Portal and GITD Cynder (which you can use for trade fodder...ie a friend finds Rock Zook, Polar Whirlwind, or has an old GITD you like better etc).

Conclusion

The 3DS Starter Pack in the Walmart Exclusive GITD form is a tough deal to beat. In fact, I would rank it the #1 value overall. I know I am a big Jet-Vac fan, but his LightCore is now out and his standard figure will be making the round eventually. Punch Pop Fizz will be just like Dark Spyro.

When you can land a truly exclusive character and score a GITD Variant you are doing well. The GITD Potrtal is a nice touch and allows SSA 3DS owners the option of having one at home and one in the car or for travel etc.

I haven't even mentioned that the 3DS game is once again entirely different from the console versions...take that into consideration and it is a no brainer.

If you do not have a 3DS I would suggest you pick one up. Between Giants and Spyro's Adventure you've got 2 solid games I know you will like. Toss in Nintendo exclusives and it is truly an incredible system (not to mention you can have all the old DS games on tap too).

I do want to mention you still need to be careful with Tree Rex when getting him out of the packaging.

The other item of note is that this portal does not have a USB Port or USB Cable. That means you can not use it to load up Skylanders into the Spyro's Universe online game. A minor deal, but worth noting.

Similarly, what shocked me is that Giants 3DS qualifies for Club Nintendo!! The console version did not...I was totally unaware of this and have already registered for 60 coins!

Overall this is a great value as you get a totally new game different from the console versions, the GITD Portal, GITD Cynder, and of course the 3DS Exclusive Punch Pop Fizz! Plus you've now got another way to take Skylanders on-the-go!

Skylanders Giants: Unboxing GITD Wii Starter Pack

Nintendo Wii Starter Pack with GITD Cynder and Portal of Power (Walmart Exclusive)

Alright, let's just get started with a quick run down for those looking for the basics.

What is it? Skylanders Giants Starter Pack for Nintendo Wii

Where Did You Get It? Walmart. In the US, this is a Walmart/Sam's Club Exclusive

How Did You Get It? Walmart.com's Site-to-Store

What Did It Cost? $74.99 plus tax (Site-to-Store doesn't charge shipping)

Does It Cost Extra? No, that is the real perk...Special, but at regular price!

What is included? Game Disc, Wired Glow-in-the-Dark Portal of Power, Glow in the Dark Series 2 Cynder, Jet-Vac, Tree-Rex.

What Was the Stock Like? In my hunts it has varied store-to-store. If you want it, I think you can get it.

Will This Be Rare? Honestly don't know. It is obviously special, whether it is a timed offering (thru Dec 31st), a set quantity (10,000) etc is beyond me. All I know is that if you really want a GITD Starter Pack you should be able to get it. That said, I would advise picking it up BEFORE Black Friday.

Why Did You Pick the GITD Version? Long story. I originally planned to get only the Portal Owner's Pack. Why? I wanted to record it via Wii, but was going to pick up the Wii U version on launch day. As pricing came out, I (and virtually everyone else) realized that the Starter Pack is a better deal...especially for Wii Owners. It only costs an extra $15 and you are basically getting 2 Skylanders and the wired Portal for that price. That is money well spent...and efficient. I don't know how many times in the playthrough last year I had the portal die...And it died a lot more than that, just wasn't always "during recording." The wired portal will take care of that! No more batteries!

Furthermore, I had read online that some Aussies (they got the game before us), complained of their "old" portals on the Wii not powering up the Giants and LightCore Skylanders. That kind of kills the cool features if they are dim.

The real clincher, however, was when Walmart announced their GITD Starter Pack. I'm not a huge Cynder fan, but she is GITD. I'll take what I can get. Plus the Portal is GITD...sweet. The biggest swaying factors remained the wired portal and better value. Just purely from a personal perspective, Jet-Vac is who I looked forward to the most (like Warnado last time). His LightCore should be in stores now (Wave 2), but this and L-Jet-Vac are the only ways to get him in regular form.

Overall, the GITD Portal was cool, didn't cost more than a Starter Pack that was "basic," and there honestly wasn't a good promotion going on for buying the Starter Pack elsewhere (ie 50% off another game, or free Battle Pack/Triple Pack etc).

Conclusion

The Starter Pack is a better value than the Portal Owner's Pack. For Wii Owner's of SSA the wired Portal is a NICE addition. I am a big Jet-Vac fan (hoping he is good in the game) and wanted his figure. Toss in the Walmart Exclusive GITD Cynder and GITD Portal of Power all for the same price as a regular Starter Pack and you've got me ready to purchase. This one just makes too much sense. Value, special, variant included, and all at the same price as its' basic counterparts.

On a side note, since I am likely the only person to care about this stuff....The packaging is vastly improved across the product line. This one is by far the least friendly, but it is better than last year. The only real complaint is the tape and plastic pouches with the fold-over adhesion strips.

My only caution remains being careful getting Tree Rex out. The packaging is tight and cumbersome, but it needs to be for shipping. Just take your time and try to stay away from the light up portions.

Skylanders Giants Launch Day Update: The Haul

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

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

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

Ok, now on to the details...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Skylanders Giants: Launch Day Madness

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In retrospect that was probably a great decision.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I now basically have it set up as follows:

Sleep in...

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

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

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

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

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

And that is it!

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

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

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

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

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

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

GameStop

Bonus:

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

Triple Packs