Things I Learned @ Toy Fair 2014 #5: The Presidential Game Rules!

Posted on March 15, 2014 by geelw

Playing Politics CAN Indeed Be FUN! (Who knew?!) While it’s designed to teach kids about our rugged (but sometimes shaky) presidential election process, The Presidential Game makes for an excellent primer for those political junkies from the book-fed constant reader to the lazy cable news-head who believes every one-sided argument (and it’s ALWAYS an argument) that screeches from his or her speakers. Created by Regina Glocker, the game aims to teach kids and young adults about the electoral college and how it works while delivering a fast paced and fun experience in the process. The cool thing here is Glocker had no previous game creating experience at all, but you know what happens when an idea seed gets planted, nurtured by like-minded companions and grows into a healthy tree with useful fruit, right?

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Things I Learned @ Toy Fair 2014 (#2): It Takes A World Village…

Posted on February 26, 2014 by geelw

Share your travel experiences! Laura Barta travels a lot and wants you to do so too. Thanks to her company Whole Wide World Toys is set to make a splash with the first of a few World Village Playsets set in various countries that bring a bit of foreign fun home for the kids to play with and learn from. China is the first stop on Barta’s tour and the $59.99 set (set for a May 2014 launch) encourages not only play, but thanks to the included 32-page storybook, allows for children to get some reading time in to go with their play.

The colorful illustrated play mat (slightly reminiscent of the great Richard Scarry’s work sans the cute animal characters) is printed on a nice fabric, making it an interesting and arty shift away from a simpler cardboard game surface. A set of fourteen story cards are included to kick off imaginations about that faraway land (and perhaps some future travel plans?). The thirteen figures of people, animals, food and transportation are set in a puzzle frame that has the name of each piece in English and Mandarin Chinese (a nice touch), and if you’d like more elements for the set, an additional $39.99 gets you an extra three wooden pieces – a shop, house and boat, all of which add even more color and life to the set.

If you’re not ready to commit, or don’t quite have the space for the set if you live in a small space, you can (and should) at least snap up the wonderful My China Travel Journal (also available on Amazon in retail and Kindle versions). It’s 32 pages with some color illustrations and photos, telling the story of Emma and Joe, two American children as they explore parts of the country, meet people and enjoy the culture of that wonderful country. Barta’s writing is crisp and lays out some nice historical tidbits that keep the pages turning.

On a side note, I also have to thank Laura for introducing me to Palais des Thés and their very tasty Grand Yunnan Imperial Black Tea, as there was a bag included with info about the game. They have two retail shops here in NYC, but I’ve never been there all the time it’s been open. Well, that may change soon enough (either that, or I’ll be ordering some tea online very soon). It may not be the trip to China I’d prefer, but I think I’ll be happy nonetheless. That said, seeing this well-crafted playset and talking to Barta made for a great experience and she’s got plans for the next playset already. Ireland is the next stop for Whole Wide World Toys, so it’ll be interesting to see how that set looks once it’s ready.

I Went To Toy Fair And All I Got Was This Lousy Bad Back (Okay, Not Really)…

Posted on February 19, 2014 by geelw

Owch. *squeeeak!* Hear that sound? It’s me bending over to see how swelled up my feet are. Eh, it’s not that bad, but I do need to lie down. I’m NOT lying down though – I’m typing this at the library because I figure I needed to post at least ONE update today before I went home and keeled over. I was planning to go home first, drop of the bags of stuff I’m carrying and then pop on out to write this post, but I very wisely decided to go straight to the library because I’d have tripped on a stray hair and landed square on my bed, never to rise again (well, until sometime tomorrow).

Anyway, the show was interesting as always. Made some new contacts, ran into a few old ones (and man, have some of them grown since last year!) and I’ll have a bunch of articles to write up over the next week or so. Hmmm… can I survive for the next hour and nine minutes or so and not keel over before I get kicked out of here? We shall see. Someone is going to sleep like a dead log tonight, that’s for sure…

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Gives Me The Hots For The PS4…

Posted on January 7, 2014 by geelw

Ah, Diablo III. Other than the PC version, you haven’t failed me yet. Yeah, I’m an offline solo guy who had to deal with the original game being a total pain in the neck to get up and running, so I more than welcomed the PS3 version which I gladly paid for. Having blazed through two difficulty modes (so far), it pleases me to no end that the PS4 is getting this expansion and yes indeed, I can transfer my save files over when I finally get that PS4 in a bit. Hell may be other people (and how), but I like my personal hell packed with demons I can decimate on my own time and walk away happy and sane afterwards. Granted, Inferno mode awaits and I know I’ll be in for a fight against that lord of darkness and his many, many minions (and how, according to some folks who’ve survived the blitz of beefed up baddies raining hell down on them in solo play). But the game is supposed to be HARD. Hell, Normal mode is basically training for the others. You may not think so, you uber-core players who seem to LIKE your avatar dying endlessly until you get your skills together. Me, I prefer to have a fighting chance and enough room to run away when needed on those randomly generated maps.

Wise Alec & Wise Alec Junior: “Smart” Can’t Quite Compete With Wise

Posted on April 25, 2013 by geelw

No, I’m not slapping around the eggheads some too often disrespect out there for knowing so much, folks. We all kind of need those stupidly smart people who know more than we do, as left unchecked, we’d all be quite dead and still trying to sue someone who didn’t fix that badly-made or never repaired bridge that fell on our heads or can of beans that was a wee bit too spoiled when it was put on that rickety shop shelf. Thankfully, Canada still likes us, as Griddly Games’ Wise Alec and Wise Alec Junior will get brains knitting away with their mix of “Oooh, I HAD it!” trivia and random acts of oddball activities you’ll be tasked with completing. Hey, it’s better than camping out in front of the TV sucking in awful cable news for an evening…

What’s cool about both games are you’re getting a ton of fun at home that some schools won’t let kids have these days. Hey, someone might yell a bit too loudly when they get something right or get overly-excited enough after a win that the on-site security will need to pack them up and put them in a broom closet until you drive down to bail them out. Hmmm… I do recall that sort of giddy behavior USED to be called HAVING FUN back in the day (before the age of Ritalin and other kiddie meds)…

Despicable Me 2 Toy Profile of the Week (8): New, Yet Nostalgic…

Posted on April 12, 2013 by geelw

This week’s peek’s not plush or plastic,
But two board classics quite fantastic.
And one old viewer from the past
(like older models, built to last).

Hasbro’s grand Monopoly
goes DM2-themed, as you see
The rules, the same, the fun, so great
That special box, you just can’t hate!

And Operation! – another winner,
Make sure to play it after dinner
poking that Minion may gross you out
(But that’s subject to quite some doubt)

That Viewmaster, yes, it’s so cute
That Minion’s mug is such a hoot
From Fischer-Price and Basic Fun
they’re teaming up for everyone.

You’ll want to buy all of these things
(I hope your car’s got mighty wings)
Your home will be packed to the roof
Big DM2 Fan? You’re THE proof!

Shown above:

Hasbro’s MONOPOLY: Despicable Me 2 Edition Game – The MONOPOLY game has never been this mischievous! Assemble the Minions! Gru is back with a villainous plan to take over the MONOPOLY game. Spin the Minion to make your move, collect Banana Bucks fast, and own all your favorite Despicable Me properties. Suggested retail price: $19.99

Hasbro’s OPERATION: Despicable Me 2 Edition Game– Whaaa’?! Stuart’s having a bad, bad day. He accidentally swallowed some unicorn fluff, his noggin’s gone nutty, and his tongue is toxic! What’s a Minion to do?! Operate! It’s the same classic OPERATION game fun, plus the wacky humor of Minions! Suggested retail price: $19.99.

Despicable Me 2 View Master® – See your favorite Despicable Me characters like never before – in vivid View Master 3D! In partnership with Fisher-Price, Basic Fun has developed the Despicable Me 2 View Master including a new internal design that provides a 50% brighter and larger image with a smoother operation and a new focus on 3D adventures featuring 21 images (across three reels) to tell the Despicable Me story. Suggested retail price: $9.99 (viewer), $4.99 (reel pack), $14.99 (gift set including the viewer, three reels and a branded case)

Despicable Me 2 toys and other licensed products will be available at retailers nationwide beginning in May 2013. Despicable Me 2 hits theaters on July 3, 2013.

Toy Fair 2013: Despicable Me 2 Toy Lineup: Gru’s Grunts & Girls Get Great Gear!

Posted on February 16, 2013 by geelw

Despicable Me was quite a surprise for me, as I wasn’t expecting much before I saw it and ended up charmed by the animation and characters. Of course, so were a few many million other moviegoers, which means, yes indeed – it’s time for a sequel. If the teaser and trailers are any indication, you can expect Despicable Me 2 to be even funnier than the original, as Gru’s Minions seem to be the focus this time out. This also means in terms of licensed products, toy companies such as Hasbro, Thinkway Toys, Basic Fun and others are going all out to get fans of the film into stores and online shops to snap up some really cool new items. I got to see most of the upcoming lineup during Toy Fair off-site at a more relaxed downtown location and everything looks (and sounds, where applicable) great and is coming soon to a retailer near you.

Gallery below the jump along with some more scribblings on the collection from yours truly…

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Fallout: New Vegas Voice Cast Revealed

Posted on August 10, 2010 by geelw

Looks like Bethsoft and Obsidain are taking no chances here. The more loyal (or overly obsessive perfectionists who want every aspect preserved as close to the original games as humanly possible) fans of the Fallout series form the beginning should definitely be pleased now that New Vegas’ voice cast has been announced. Cue the press release:

“The Fallout franchise has taken narratives in interactive entertainment to the next level, and we could not be more excited about the all-new celebrity lineup for Fallout: New Vegas,” said Pete Hines, Vice President of PR and Marketing for Bethesda Softworks. “The voice acting provided by these actors helps drive the compelling and immersive story of Fallout and further adds to the overall gameplay experience.”

Ron Perlman returns to voice the narrator in Fallout: New Vegas, a role he has played in every major Fallout game to date. Matthew Perry plays Benny, a smooth-talking, two faced gangster, and Wayne Newton takes on the role as “Mr. New Vegas,” the radio DJ of the Mojave Wasteland.

Three celebrities take on roles as playable companions in Fallout: New Vegas: Danny Trejo is Raul the Ghoul, a mechanic and former gunslinger; Zach Levi is Arcade, a member of the Followers of the Apocalypse who hides a mysterious past, and Felicia Day is Veronica, a sarcastic Brotherhood of Steel scribe.

The epic cast continues with Kris Kristofferson as Chief Hanlon, a grizzled solider at the end of his career, and Rene Auberjonois as the enigmatic and reclusive Mr. House. Michael Dorn reprises his role as Marcus, an intelligent super mutant, who was last seen in 1998’s Fallout® 2; John Doman is Caesar, the charismatic and powerful dictator at the head of Caesar’s Legion. William Sadler plays Victor, a friendly robot with the personality of an old fashioned cowboy.

In addition to this star-studded cast, players can expect to hear even more celebrity cameos throughout the world of Fallout: New Vegas.