Each year I ask my kids “If you could have just one toy this Holiday, what would it be?” And this years answer…Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure. From the time I first saw the game at Toy Fair last year, I had a feeling this was something special. It’s like the old Saturday Night Live bit…”It’s a floor wax!...It’s a desert topping!” Except in this case, it’s a toy! It’s a game…in fact it’s both in one.
With the Starter Pack you get; Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure Software; the Portal of Power; 3 Skylanders figures; 3 trading cards; 1 Sticker sheet for each of the three characters; 3 Skylanders Spyro’s Universe codes (for online play); and a collector’s poster. I'm not sure why Activision planned on three characters, but it worked out perfectly...one for each of my two kids...and one for me.
What makes Skylander so special are the action figures. The figures contain computer chips in their base, and when set on the “Portal of Power” the figures come to life on the screen and inhabit their virtual world. But wait! There’s more! Not only do the figures determine the action on the screen, but if your child takes the figures to a friends house and uses a different “Portal of Power”, the figures will retain all the same attributes, weapons, points, etc. your child previous earned playing with them. This works even if you have a Wii and the friend has an Xbox.
In the game itself there’s fighting and battles, but not the serious and gory kind. More cartoonish and fun and no more violent than a typical Nintendo Mario game. The game is rated E10, but my 6 year-old daughter loves it (no doubt due to the influence of her ten year-old brother).
Skylanders is a leading candidate for Toy of the Year from the Toy Industry Association and is one of the “must have” toys of 2011. It’s a bit pricy compared to standard games, but considering it comes with the Portal, action figures and more, it’s a pretty good entertainment value.
Special Giveaway for Macaroni Kid Readers
One lucky Macaroni Kid reader will win a copy of Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure by Activision for the Wii. To enter, leave a comment below. One comment per family, no purchase necessary. Entries must be submitted by midnight 12/16/2011. Winner will be chosen via Random.org and be notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.
(Macaroni Kid was not compensated for this review but did receive free review & giveaway copies of the game)
