THE GOONIES ARE COMING TO LEGO DIMENSIONS

Hey, you guuuys! The Goonies are coming to the LEGO Dimensions video game!  One of my favorite aspects of LEGO Dimensions is how it incorporates things that were popular from my youth which I can share now with my children as we play the game together.  The A Team, Back to the Future, Ghostbusters, Gremlins and Scooby Doo provide a nostalgic touch to this game for parents like me yet the game play is still appealing for today's generation of kids because of its LEGO theme, impressive graphic displays, and challenging puzzles and challenges which provide fun interactive adventures the whole family can enjoy together.

Now one of the favorite movies from my childhood is coming to LEGO Dimensions in The Goonies Level Pack which is being released on May 9, 2017.  Parents who grew up in the '80s are going to be exuberant and kids may be scratching their heads wondering why mom and dad are so excited about this new addition to the video game until they join in on the wacky adventure helping The Goonies search for One Eyed Willy's legendary treasure.  LEGO Dimensions is including a lot of elements from the 1985 movie that has become a cult classic but also allows players to create all new adventures for the lovable misfits from the film to take part in.

The Goonies Level Pack adds a complete level to the LEGO Dimensions game where players help Chunk and Sloth escape the Fratelli hideout to join the rest of the Goonies in searching for One Eyed Willy's treasure.  Reenact the infamous Truffle Shuffle playing as a digital LEGO version of Chunk or smash through walls with the super strength of Sloth who included with the Level Pack as a LEGO minifigure.  The Goonies Level Pack also comes with a buildable One-Eyed Willy's Pirate Ship that can be transformed into the Fanged Fortune and an Inferno Cannon and a Skeleton Organ with sonar smash abilities that can be rebuilt into a Skeleton Jukebox or Skele-Turkey for added in game capabilities.

The Sloth minifigure also provides access to a new The Goonies Battle Arena and a new Adventure World section where players can explore Mikey's House, Inferno Cove and the Goon Docks.  As an additional bonus, once you've completed the level players will be able to replay it, as well as other LEGO Dimensions multiverse levels, using your choice of seven Goonies characters from the movie.  Which character from The Goonies do you most want to use to tackle the challenges of the LEGO Dimensions multiverse? Andy, Brand, Chunk, Data, Mikey, Mouth, Stef or Sloth?

Developed by TT Games and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, LEGO Dimensions is now available for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 computer entertainment systems, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and the Wii U system. Also being released in May and hitting store shelves along with The Goonies Level Pack will be a Harry Potter Fun Pack and LEGO City Fun Pack.

Players can extend their wizarding adventures in LEGO Harry Potter Fun Pack which includes a Hermione Granger LEGO minifigure. She can cast magical spells such as Wingardium Leviosa to levitate objects and Lumos to light up dark places. She also allows players to unlock the Battle Arena for a competitive match, along with the Adventure World where they can explore locations in Hogwarts, Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. Players can build the 3-in-1 rideable Buckbeak the Hippogriff and use its Stomp Attack to smash Silver LEGO bricks, then rebuild it into the Giant Owl and the Fierce Falcon for additional in-game abilities.

Players can help stop crime in the LEGO City Fun Pack featuring a Chase McCain LEGO minifigure.  Chase can become a Miner to break Silver LEGO bricks or a Fireman to use his Water Beam to put out fires. Gamers can use his LEGO City Detective Scanner to track down bad guys and change his disguise to unlock more abilities.  In the LEGO City Adventure World, there are new areas to explore like Blackwell’s moon base and the LEGO City Police Department.  Players can also compete with up to three of their friends in the LEGO Battle Arena. Additionally, Chase’s 3-in-1 Police Helicopter can be built to fire off bolts, then rebuild it into the Police Hovercraft and Police Plane for additional in-game abilities.

Lots of fun stuff coming to LEGO Dimensions in May! For more information about the game, visit www.lego.com/en-us/dimensions

Our LEGO KIDS FEST Experience

Every time we go to a store that sells toys my son drags me down the toy aisle so he can gaze at the display for the Chima LEGO building block sets.  These toys are based around eight character tribes that have animal characteristics (Lions, Eagles, Ravens, Wolves, Gorillas, Rhinos, Bears & Crocodiles) that battle against one another in the mystical land of Chima.  The combination of animals battling each other with techie scifi inspired vehicles made out of LEGO building blocks bring together three of my son's favorite things.  Unfortunately, he's just 5 years old and the recommended age range for Chima toys is 8 to 14 so I've held off letting him get any.  So he was in heaven when we went to the LEGO KIDS FEST when it stopped in Michigan for its national tour and he had the chance to play with all of the Chima toys for an evening.

The LEGO KIDS FEST is a fun 3 day weekend event that travels across the country each year.  After its stop at the Suburban Collection Showcase in Novi, Michigan, the LEGO KIDS FEST will be making stops in Atlanta, Dallas, Richmond and Indianapolis during its 2014 tour.  The show is filled with themed areas (Chima, Disney Princesses, LEGO City, LEGO Friends, Star Wars) where children can build with LEGO building blocks and participate an interactive activities.  It also has large construction zones where children can free style build (one area with LEGO building blocks for older kids and a DUPLO area for younger ones).  The event also showcases life-size models built out of LEGO building blocks of animals, cartoon characters, and super heroes.  My kids were very excited when they found out we were going to the LEGO KIDS FEST when it made a stop in Metro Detroit.

While my son enjoyed the Chima themed area, his favorite part of the night was the LEGO racers area where he was able to build his own car and race it against other kids on ramps that had been set up for competitions.

On your mark, get set....GO!!!!

He was thrilled that his car beat those of some kids that were older than him.

My daughter had her own favorite things to do at LEGO KIDS FEST.  She enjoyed a ride in Cinderella's coach.

Playing in the LEGO Friends area was where she spent most of the evening.

...and when it came to the end of the night we had to drag her away from the Disney Princess zone where she was playing in a miniature world of castles.

I had a great time too that evening watching my children have lots of fun, getting a family photo with Spider-Man, and checking out some great life-size models made out of Lego building blocks.

To find information of when the LEGO KIDS FEST may be visiting your area and about ticket prices, visit: www.legokidsfest.com.  Be aware that to provide everyone an equal chance to enjoy their experience, the weekends are broken up into sessions you have to sign up for that give you a designated time to attend the event.  It is recommended that you pick the session that works best for your schedule (Friday Night, Saturday Morning, Saturday Afternoon, Saturday Evening, Sunday Morning, Sunday Afternoon, Sunday Evening) and buy your tickets in advance online rather than try to purchase them on site when you arrive.  The Saturday and Sunday sessions for the Metro Detroit LEGO KIDS FEST that we attended ALL sold out before the event opened on Saturday morning.  Be prepared because the last thing you want to do is drive out to the event location and drive back home with a disappointed child because it was sold out.

We had a SUPER time at the LEGO KIDS FEST and if it is coming to your town I recommend you make it a family outing for you and your kids.

DISCLAIMER:   I was provided complimentary passes to the Friday session of LEGO KIDS FEST during its stop in Metro Detroit to review the event for this blog.  I was not obligated to post a positive review.  The views expressed in this post are my own.