Beetlejuice, The Powerpuff Girls and Teen Titans Go! join LEGO Dimensions video game in September

Five new expansion packs for LEGO Dimensions, the LEGO toy and video game hybrid, will be available beginning September 12, 2017.  One of the reasons playing LEGO Dimensions is so fun is because you can mix and match some of your favorite characters from a variety of television, movie, and video game properties within the video game. Soon characters and settings from Teen Titans Go! and The Powerpuff Girls, two popular Cartoon Network animated series, and the '80s era fantasy comedy Beetlejuice will be added into the mix.

The Teen Titans Go! Team Pack includes LEGO minifigures of the DC Super Hero team Raven and Beast Boy.  It also features the 3-in-1 T-Car which can also be rebuilt into a forklift and plane.  Players can also transform the Spellbook of Azarath into Raven Wings and the Giant Hand to either take flight or dig through the earth for adventures in the sky as well as under the ground.

 The Teen Titans Go! Fun Pack includes a Starfire LEGO minifigure.  Players can unleash her special abilities to battle enemies and solve puzzles.  Players can also build the 3-in-1 Titan Robot for a roller-coaster fun-filled adventure and then rebuild it into a rocket or robot retriever for more supercharged adventures with the rest of the Titans gang.

Raven, Beast Boy and Starfire each provide access to the Teen Titans Go! Adventure World in Jump City where players can explore several psychedelic areas from the Titans Tower to Wacka Doodles Amusement Park.  Purchasing either of the Teen Titans Go! expansion packs allows access to an exclusive original animated episode of the TV show where viewers discover how the vibrant team of teenage heroes stumbled upon the LEGO Dimensions multiverse.

The Powerpuffs Girls are also joining in the LEGO Dimensions fun with an upcoming Team Pack and Fun Pack coming to store shelves.  The Team Pack includes LEGO minifigures of the super-powered sisters, Blossom and Bubbles.  Players can access special abilities through the 3-in-1 Octi which can be rebuilt into a Super Skunk or Sonic Squid.  There is also the PPG Smartphone included in this expansion pack that can be rebuilt into a hotline or mag-net.

The Fun Pack includes a Buttercup LEGO minifigure.  Players can use this character to fight crime with cool superpowers.  She comes along with the 3-in-1 Mega Blast Bot which can be rebuilt into the Ka-Pow Cannon and Slammin' Guitar to rock extra-awesome combat abilities.

Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup each provide access to The Powerpuff Girls Adventure World where players can unlock iconic locations like Pokey Oaks elementary, Rainbow Land, and Professor Utonium's lab.  They also unlock a themed Battle Arena where up to 4 players can engage in head-to-head competition against one another in capture the flag style contests.

The Beetlejuice Fun Pack brings some spookiness to LEGO Dimensions with a Beetlejuice LEGO minifigure with supernatural powers.  The character also unlocks its own exclusive Adventure World and Battle Arena.  The minifigure is accompanied by a buildable Saturn's Sandworm which can also be transformed into a haunted vacuum and spooky spider.

Developed by TT Games and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, LEGO Dimensions is now available for PlayStation 4 / Playstation 3, Xbox One / Xbox 360 and Wii U.  For more information about the video game, please visit www.lego.com/en-us/dimensions

LEGO Dimensions: Hermione Granger Fun Pack

**A Geek Daddy received the featured product for free to review**

My daughter has been having a magical time playing as her favorite character from the HARRY POTTER novels and movies in the newly released Hermione Granger Fun Pack for the LEGO Dimensions video game.  Like many kids, and adults too, she loves J.K. Rowling's fantasy stories and is thrilled with this addition to LEGO Dimensions.  The Fun Pack comes with a LEGO mini-figure of the heroine from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry along with a buildable Buckbeak sidekick that can be created from LEGO bricks.  Place either toy figure on the video game's LEGO Toy Pad to incorporate the characters into your LEGO Dimensions experience.

The Hermione Granger LEGO mini-figure provides you the ability to use two two magic spells while playing the game.  Wingadium Leviosa allows players to levitate objects and Lumos can be used to light up dark places.  Buckbeak can be ridden by other characters in the game plus has a Stomp Attack for smashing LEGO bricks.  The griffin can also be rebuilt into either a Giant Owl or a Fierce Falcon which each also have unique in-game abilities.

Hermione can be incorporated into the game's master story or any of its story or level pack additions.  Plus her LEGO mini-figure can be used to unlock a Wizarding World of Harry Potter adventure area where players can explore locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and Diagon Alley.  There is also a Hogwarts' quidditch pitch themed Battle Arena that Hermione can access where you can compete with up the three other players in four different capture the flag type competitions.



Team up Hermione with Harry Potter and have them combat Lord Voldemort in the games adventure worlds and battle arenas when you also purchase the Harry Potter Team Pack.  This expansion pack to LEGO Dimensions includes mini-figures of Harry and Voldemort as well as buildable vehicles of the Enchanted Car and Hogwarts Express.   Or team up Hermione with the characters from J.K. Rowling's new wizarding adventure Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them when you purchase the LEGO Dimensions storypack based upon the movie.

Join Newt Scamander find his escaped magical creatures in New York City as you make your way through 6 action packed levels of gameplay.  This storypack also unlocks a Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Adventure World and Battle Arena as well.  How do you think Newt would fare teamed up with Hermione?  What is great about LEGO Dimensions is you can recreate your favorite scenes from these wizarding world movies or you can create brand new adventures to embark upon.

While my son and daughter get a lot of enjoyment from playing LEGO Dimensions, my wife and I really like playing it too.  The LEGO Dimensions video game provides is great for spending some family time together having fun.  Hey you guuuys if you're are a fan of HARRY POTTER you definitely aren't going to want to miss out on adding the fun, team and story expansion pack to your gaming experience.  Plus for those of you who grew up in the '80s and love The Goonies, LEGO Dimensions also has a storypack based upon that classic children's movie that is a great way to share its story and characters with your kids.

For more information about the video game and its expansion packs, please visit lego.com/en-us/dimensions

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

A New Wave of Characters, Levels & Vehicles Expanding LEGO Dimensions Has Arrived

** A Geek Daddy received the featured products for free to review**

A new wave of expansion packs for Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment's popular LEGO Dimensions video game are now on store shelves.  Players can now expand their game playing experience by incorporating new characters and vehicles from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Sonic the Hedgehog, Gremlins, E.T. -- The Extra-Terrestrial and Adventure Time into their LEGO Dimensions adventures.

In addition to adding new characters, vehicles and locals to LEGO Dimensions, all the expansion packs in this latest wave feature Battle Arenas with competitive split-screen local gameplay for up to four players. LEGO minifigures included in the expansion packs also come with special golden Toy Tags which unlock a free play Adventure World of the corresponding entertainment brand, as well as a battle arena that can be reached through Vorton. Players can explore Adventure Worlds for Gremlins, and also play four exciting gameplay modes within the battle arenas, including Capture the Flag, Objective, Base Bash, and Tick, Tag, Boom!. Each arena comes with its own traps, defenses, and special powers that make every Battle Arena unique. Battles can be played competitively or cooperatively in multiple player configurations including 2 vs 2, 3 vs 1, and individually against the system AI to create fun for the whole family.

The Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Story Pack provides a complete movie-based gameplay experience that is full of secrets and surprises. It includes six action-packed levels and new LEGO Gateway bricks to build atop the LEGO Toy Pad.  Players can build the Newt Scamander LEGO minifigure and help him find his escaped magical creatures in New York City using a variety of spells, including and The pack will also come with the Niffler, which can be rebuilt into the Sinister Scorpion and Vicious Vulture. The Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Story Pack will be the exclusive LEGO construction toy offering this holiday for the exciting expansion of J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World.

Fans of J.K. Rowling's wizarding world can also add the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Fun Pack with a Tina Goldstein LEGO minifigure to their LEGO Dimensions collection. She can cast to help solve puzzles and to keep her safe from enemies. Players in need of rescue can build the Swooping Evil which can be rebuilt into the Brutal Bloom and Crawling Creeper.

Additionally a Sonic the Hedgehog Level Pack is now available where players can join Sonic and his friends in an epic battle against Eggman and Chaos. Spin into action speeding through iconic locations including Green Hill, Emerald Coast, and Labyrinth to collect all the Chaos Emeralds. Players can have the Sonic the Hedgehog LEGO minifigure use his Acrobat ability to swing off poles and avoid the Badniks, then use his famous grind rails move to make a quick escape.  The pack also includes a 3-in-1 Sonic Speedster which can be rebuilt into Blue Typhoon and Motobug, and a 3-in-1 The Tornado which can be rebuilt into Crabmeat and Eggcatcher.



The Gremlins Team Pack includes popular rivals Gizmo and Stripe LEGO minifigures. Each will unlock the Adventure World, where players can explore the Cinema, Clamp Industries, the High School, and so much more. Gizmo’s Combat Roll and Dash Attack abilities can be used to get him out of sticky situations and Stripe uses his claws with his Vine Cut ability. Players can rebuild the 3-in-1 R.C. Racer vehicle into the Gadget-o-matic and Scarlet Scorpion and the 3-in-1 Flash ‘n’ Finish into a Rampage Record Player and Stripe's Throne.

Phone home with the E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial Fun Pack! It includes an E.T. LEGO minifigure with Illumination and Fix-It abilities, as well as special Stealth and Telekinesis skills to make his way around the LEGO multiverse.  Players can build E.T.’s iconic Phone Home device, then rebuild it into the Mobile Uplink and Super-Charged Satellite for additional in-game abilities. With the corresponding Adventure World, players can build new experiences at Elliot’s house and in the suburbs, throughout the park and the forest, on the BMX trail, and even in E.T.’s spaceship.

An additional Adventure Time Fun Pack is being added to LEGO Dimensions in this new wave of expansion packs as well featuring a Marceline the Vampire Queen LEGO minifigure. Players can activate her Sonar Smash and Bolt Deflector abilities using the Marceline Axe Guitar to solve puzzles and battle enemies. They can also build and use Marceline’s Lunatic Amp to make some noise, and then rebuild it into the Shadow Scorpion and Heavy Metal Monster for extra in-game powers. This fun pack is being released as a Toys R Us exclusive in North America.

These additions are the seventh wave of expansion pack to enhance the game play experience since the video game was introduced. LEGO Dimensions can be played on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 computer entertainment systems, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and the Wii U system.  For more information, please visit lego.com/en-us/dimensions

National Geographic Kids Summer Boredom Busters

** As part of the National Geographic Kids Insiders, A Geek Daddy blog was provided a complimentary Kids Summer Boredom Buster Book Kit plus one to giveaway**

Do the words "I'm bored" grate on your nerves like finger nails being scratched down a chalkboard when your children start whining on a rainy summer day or when it may be to hot to go out and play? Or even worse hearing the pestering of "are we there yet" during the drive for a summer vacation road trip.  Our friends at National Geographic Kids have a solution to these annoyances with their Summer Boredom Buster Kit.

National Geographic Kids provided A Geek Daddy with a FREE downloadable Summer Fun Pack filled with animal stories, fun facts, crazy quizzes. recipes, jokes, puzzles and games to share with our readers.  Please download and print out the following Summer Fun Pack activity sheets courtesy of National Geographic Kids:


That's not it though! We've also been provided with some Summer Boredom Buster Book Kits featuring 5 great National Geographic Kids selections for both my children to enjoy and to giveaway to one lucky A Geek Daddy blog reader.  For a chance to win you  must be a U.S. or Canadian resident over 18 years old and submit one or all of the following entry methods to earn up to 4 entries prior to 11:59 pm EST on Sunday August 16, 2015.  All valid entries will be assigned a number in the order they are received and one number will be  selected to determine the winner using random.org.  E-mails will only be used to contact the winner and deleted following the selection of a winner.

**UPDATE** Congrats to Jake from Toledo who won the National GEO Boredom Busters Prize Pack

EMAIL (1 Entry)  E-mail thegeekdaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com your name and mailing address.   Email subject line should be National GEO Boredom Busters. 

FACEBOOK COMMENT (3 Entries) Visit A GEEK DADDY on Facebook and leave a comment on our contest post sharing what your favorite family summer road trip is.

These 5 National Geographic Kids books are really great for summer because they are jam-packed with interesting activities, jokes, and trivia that will keep a child's attention occupied yet are relatively small in size making them easy to pack for a trip or store around the house.  They also meet A Geek Daddy's philosophy of combining entertaining and educational elements together to help kids learn.  "Learning" and "Fun" shouldn't be considered polar opposites by children so books and products that can combine the too in a meaningful way like these National Geographic Kids books get A Geek Daddy nod of approval.  Here are the five books included in the National Geographic Summer Boredom Buster Book Kit:

FUNNY FILL-IN: MY AMUSEMENT PARK ADVENTURE

Combining National Geographic Kids’ photography and illustrations in colorful laugh-out-loud pages, this engaging, entertaining, and educational book takes you on a fun-filled adventure through the amusement park and invites you to imaginatively enter a new world by writing your own wild and wacky story.

FUNNY FILL-IN: MY RAINFOREST ADVENTURE

Sort fact from fiction in this fun and informative adventure. Filled with excitement and hilarity, this compositional challenge lets you tell your very own story starring…YOU!

QUIZ WHIZ 5

Discover 1,000 more fun, fascinating, and funny quiz questions in the fifth installment in this popular series, with all-new content. Packed with fantastic photos and a dynamic design, kids will have a blast quizzing themselves, friends, and family members on tons of fun trivia!

JUST JOKING ANIMAL RIDDLES

Authored former U.S. Children's Poet Laureate, J. Patrick Lewis, this collection of animal-focused jokes and riddles will keep kids reading, rhyming, and laughing like a hyena.

SHARK STICKER ACTIVITY BOOK

This super engaging activity book is packed with mazes, spelling and pattern games, drawing activities, shark facts, and more. Shark-crazy kids are sure to love these pages loaded with fun, learning as the go!

We're taking a summer road trip to Toronto which will be a 5 hour drive each way and these National Geographic Kids books will definitely be along for the ride to help keep our kids amused while the miles go by.

DISCLAIMER:  A Geek Daddy Blog will be responsible for selecting the winner of this contest, but National Geographic is responsible for fulfillment and delivery of the prize.  By participating in this contest you waive any liability towards A Geek Daddy Blog or its publisher that may arise from your involvement with this promotion.  If you win this prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Prize will be delivered by UPS or FedEx so no P.O. Boxes are allowed as mailing addresses. A Geek Daddy Blog did not receive any financial compensation but did receive free products for the blog to review and the prize that is being awarded to one of our readers for this contest.  A Geek Daddy Blog is hosting this contest as a benefit to our readers. Any opinions in this post are my own.  #NGKINSIDER