Entries in toys (3)

4:54PM

QCF: Disney Infinity 2.0

t was only a matter of time before a publisher decided to get their own piece of the action off of the Skylander toy trend, at least while it was still hot, and what a publisher it was; Disney Interactive Studios. The mere notion of a collectible toy-hybrid video game that would cast a ton of well-established, beloved characters from all across the various Disney properties sounded like a guaranteed recipe for success, that would give Activision a run for their money in this niche little market they carved out for themselves, and then some.

The reality of the situation however, was much different; Disney Infinity was more of a whimper than a bang.

The game still gained enough ground to earn a somewhat of a sustainable ground with consumers, as it the supposed “sandbox” adventure game had a loyal following, and by that merit, Disney went to task at the Infinity endeavor once again.

Click to read more ...

5:01AM

QCF: Skylanders Swap Force

emember when you landed on those Card-playing mini-game spots that were scattered through various overworld maps in Super Mario Bros 3. that required you match three pieces of a Mushroom, Fire Flower, or Power Star? Yeah, and if you ever stopped the button press on the wrong piece to whatever you first choose, you would have this swapped abomination of Mario sin that awarded you nothing—Well, that’s the newest gimmick in the latest Skylanders entry.

A main entry into the franchise developed by Vicarious Visions entirely this time around, the Skylanders team is aware of Disney and Nintendo even are now dabbling in the toy craze that Activision and Toys for Bob have introduced to us back in 2011 and Skylanders has to do a little more than make them bigger. That’s where Swapforce comes in, the 2013 sequel encourages players to break the newest toys to join the line in half, and interchange them into different combinations.

While the notion of Portal Masters getting to play Frankenstein sounds like a promising one, the Pandora’s Box of seeking out and buying the new figures is starting to wear out its welcome, and it’s a shame too; considering all of the other improvements make it the best game yet otherwise.

Click to read more ...

6:50AM

QCF: Skylanders Giants

Skylanders Giants is a deceptive game; originally piloted by the notoriety of having Spyro’s name attached to the previous entry, this latest installment has made a name for itself within a little over 12 months. Say what you will, but Skylanders Giants is still a game and not just some commercial. To be fair, there’s no doubt that it cleverly implements an ulterior layer of marketing that would make most micro-transaction models found in any shameless MMO blush. Nevertheless what may be viewed as a string of money-hats is something that is, in reality, so much more. Underneath all the coy marketing lies a game that utilizes these initially unscrupulous concepts and turns them into one of the most charming pastimes in games today.

Click to read more ...