SKYLANDERS SENSEI TIDEPOOL & BLASTER-TRON

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

Two new toys-to-life Sensei for the Skylanders Imaginators video game have just arrived on store shelves.  Sensei figures when placed upon a portal pad are incorporated into the game as playable characters.  Each Sensei is a master of one of 10 powerful Battle Classes (e.g., Knight, Sorcerer, Brawler and more). Being the "master" of these Battle Classes, only Senseis have the ability to unleash Sky-Chi – the ultimate Battle Class super move. Skylanders Senseis have a master-to-apprentice relationship with build-it-yourself customizable digital Imaginator Skylanders characters that are stored on Creation Crystals. This is supported in-game through the Sensei unlocking of unique Imaginator weapons, the increase of Imaginator level caps, providing access to special areas in the game, as well as the unlocking of new Secret Techniques for Imaginators of the same class.  The newest Sensei to join the game are Master Tidepool and Master Blaster-Tron. They're both very AWESOME in my opinion!

I really like the classic sci-fi look of Blaster-Tron who has the appearance of a futuristic robot or alien pulled from the movie screen of  a cult film.  Blaster-Tron isn’t just state-of-the-art technology; he literally is from the future.  When the Skylanders traveled forward in time to stop Wolfgang, they ended up bringing back the renegade robot with hopes that they could learn from his advanced circuitry.  Eon immediately noticed that he had an actual “Good/Evil” switch that had been set to Evil.  After flipping it to Good, Blaster-Tron was completely transformed.  Besides going from bad robot to good robot, he ditched his blaster gun in exchange for a laser sword.  No one knew exactly why, but as long as he was helping out the cause of justice, the Skylanders were happy.  As a bonus, Master Eon noticed that his skill with the blade was second to none, and so he made Blaster-Tron a Sensei for the Knight Class, where he now gives 110% to training his students - which is technically possible because in the future, we figure out how to give more than 100%.

Tidepool has a fishy vibe to her looking as she could be an inhabitant of the undersea kingdom of Atlantis or a relative of the Monster from the Black Lagoon.   Long before she became a Sensei, Tidepool was an undercover agent for a top secret organization known as the Aqua Marines.  However, one day she was betrayed by her superiors, who were part of an even more top secret organization intent on destroying Skylands.  Using her spy training, Tidepool made it her personal mission to seek out every member of this evil shadow group and bring them to justice.  This did not go unnoticed by Master Eon, who felt that someone of her caliber would be perfect to train new Skylanders as a Sensei of the Gunslinger class.  However, Tidepool was not easily convinced that she could even trust Eon and the Skylanders after being deceived by her last organization.  To earn her trust, she requested that everyone pass a truth test that she would conduct.  Thankfully, all of the members of the Skylanders Academy passed with flying colors… except for Flynn, who insisted that he was 50% Mabu and 50% enchilada sauce.  Tidepool felt that he was 100% meathead.

Keep an eye out for these great new additions to any Skylanders collection.  They're sure to be a blast to play with!  For more information about the video game, please visit skylanders.com

Pastel Colored Skylander Sensie Toy-to-Life Figures

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

There are some new Skylanders toy-to-life figures available for the IMAGINATORS edition of the popular video game franchise this Spring.  Pain-Yatta and Hard Boiled Flare Wolf have a pastel theme to their coloring providing these Skylanders figures with an Easter vibe.  In fact, Hard Boiled Flare Wolf is a limited production Spring edition of the figure that will be hard to find after the Easter season has passed by.  Both of these toy-to-life figures are sure to put a smile on the face of anyone who loves to play Skylanders IMAGINATORS and finds them in their Easter basket.  Find out more about the mythology of the two newest Skylanders IMAGINATORS Sensie.

Pain-Yatta

Growing up, Pain-Yatta’s best friend was the legendary Unocorn, a unicorn with a churro-horn that sprinkles magical cinnamon from time to time. While the cinnamon donuts for breakfast were incredible, being so sweet and delicious made them both easy targets for those looking for yummy treats. But Pain-Yatta had no problem protecting the both of them with his giant sucker! One day, however, the Unocorn went missing, and Pain-Yatta was beside himself. He tried desperately to find his buddy, but to no avail. That’s when the Doom Raiders tricked him into thinking that the Skylanders were behind it all, and Pain-Yatta fell for it hook, line, and sinker. He joined up with the band of villains and ventured out to get revenge on the Skylanders, but was eventually captured by the Trap Masters. Master Eon explained that the Skylanders had nothing to do with the Unocorn’s disappearance and said he would help Pain-Yatta find his friend, if he became a Skylander Sensei and trained new Imaginators in the ways of smashing! Pain-Yatta agreed and the search for the missing Unocorn continues.

Hard Boiled Flare Wolf

When Flare Wolf was young, he worked all summer to earn the coveted Fireworks Badge from the Wolf Scouts. In doing so, he had earned the right to light the fireworks in the annual St. Wigglewort’s Day celebration – an honor of which Flare Wolf was extremely proud. But on the day of the celebration, a band of evil Ice Ogres attacked his village and took the entire community hostage! The only weapons at his disposal were the town’s supply of fireworks they were saving for the evening festivities. One by one, Flare Wolf lit them in the center of the Ogre camp, launching a dazzling display of pyrotechnics that sent the Ogres running. Not only had Flare Wolf saved his village, he had also given its residents the most spectacular fireworks show they had seen in over 100 years! Even Master Eon was impressed, and offered Flare Wolf a position at the Academy as the Official Fireworks Launcher. But after seeing him in action, he quickly realized that Flare Wolf had much more to offer as a Sensei! Always enjoying a celebration, this Flare Wolf figure shows off his enthusiasm for Easter festivities with a special pastel outfit.



Skylanders IMAGINATORS allows players to unleash their imaginations like never before by for the first time giving them the power to customize and create their very own digital Skylander that can be played as a primary character within this edition of the video game franchise.  Portal Masters, as SKYLANDERS players are known as, can utilize the game's Skylander Creator option to design their own personalized characters with an  extraordinary amount of options for available powers, abilities, catchphrases, appearances, and much more. Not abandoning the toys-to-life concept though, Portal Masters can still purchase toys-to-life figures called Senseis whose characters when purchased can be uploaded to play within the game as well.  In addition to being able to play the game using one of these toys-to-life figures as a primary character, Senseis will also help Portal Masters maximize the abilities and game play of player's digitally created characters by unlocking unique weapons, increasing an Imaginator's level caps, providing access to special areas in the game, as well as unlocking new secret techniques.



Visit skylanders.com for more information about the IMAGINATORS video game and its accompanying Seneis toy-to-life figures.  If your family hasn't experienced playing a Skylanders game yet give it a try, my kids always have a blast playing these video games.  In fact they even often ask good ole dad to join in the fun playing with them which makes for some nice family time together.  These Sensei figures are just the right size to fit into an Easter basket and are sure to delight any fan of the video game.

Make 2017 the Year of SKYLANDERS IMAGINATORS

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

Ever since  SKYLANDERS® debuted incorporating physical toys into virtual play for the first time it has continued to introduce new fun and innovative features each time a new edition of the popular video game franchise has been released.  Past updates have included allowing players to swap the special abilities of multiple characters, trap villains then play the game as them, and race incredible air, land and sea vehicles through some spectacular courses versus either AI (artificial intelligence) opponents or real life friends.  Now Toys for Bob, the company that develops SKYLANDERS games for distribution by Activision Publishing Inc., has introduced an enhancement that will allow players to unleash their imaginations like never before! In the newest SKYLANDERS installment, IMAGINATORS, players can design and create their very own Skylander that can be played as a primary character in an all-new adventure that features compelling storylines, puzzles, battles, and a new lineup of heroes and villains.

Portal Masters, as SKYLANDERS players are known as, can utilize the game's Skylander Creator option to design their own personalized characters with an  extraordinary amount of options for available powers, abilities, catchphrases, appearances, and much more.  The make your own Skylander characters, which are called Imaginators, can be saved on Creation Crystals.  A Creation Crystal comes with the SKYLANDERS IMAGINATORS starter pack and additional ones can be purchased separately.  Players can create one Imaginator character per Creation Crystal.

SKYLANDERS hasn't abandoned its Toys-to-Life figures, that have always been a sensation with fans of the video game franchise, for Creation Crystals though.  The game will also feature a variety of toy-to-life figures for a new character class called Senseis, that like the Creation Crystals, can be purchased separately from the SKYLANDERS IMAGINATORS starter pack and incorporated into game play as primary characters.  Each Sensei is a master of one of 10 powerful Battle Classes (e.g., Knight, Sorcerer, Brawler and more). Being the master of these Battle Classes, only Senseis have the ability to unleash Sky-Chi – the ultimate Battle Class super move. Skylanders Senseis have a master-to-apprentice relationship with newly created Imaginator Skylanders. This is supported in-game through the Sensei unlocking of unique Imaginator weapons, the increase of Imaginator level caps, providing access to special areas in the game, as well as the unlocking of new Secret Techniques for Imaginators of the same class.

Skylanders Senseis include 20 new characters and 11 former villains, including Kaos and the return of Crash Bandicoot and Dr. Neo Cortex.  SKYLANDERS IMAGINATORS also has an all-new Crash Bandicoot-inspired level -- Thumpin’ Wumpa Islands -- which is steeped in nostalgic gameplay that will be appealing, especially to moms and dads who many were probably kids themselves when Badicoot first appeared in a video game, for getting the whole family interested in playing together.  Thumpin’ Wumpa Islands is packed with TNT boxes, crabs, hazards, temple ruins, Wumpa Fruit, exploding crates and more. It also includes special Crash Zones that bring back the classic massive boulder chases from the original Crash games. The Thumpin’ Wumpa Islands level will be available to players who purchase the SKYLANDERS IMAGINATORS Starter Pack featuring Crash Bandicoot for PlayStation consoles and is available as an add-on adventure pack for other game consoles.

SKYLANDERS IMAGINATORS is compatible with PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Nintendo Wii U. Parents who have purchased toys-to-life figures for previous editions of the game will also be pleased to know SKYLANDERS IMAGINATORS supports the 300+ character toys from all previous Skylanders games -- including Skylanders SuperChargers, Skylanders Trap Team, Skylanders SWAP Force, Skylanders Giants and Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure -- that kids can enjoy both as toys to play with in the real-world as well as characters they can use in the virtual game world.

My kids have been enthralled with crafting their own Skylander characters within the game and have had a blast controlling them as they battle monsters and solve puzzles making their way through the levels of IMAGINATORS.  Combining your own characters with the vibrant graphics and stellar game play that SKYLANDERS know is an exceptional experience making IMAGINATORS one of the best installments in this video game franchise yet! With all the fun my kids have had playing this game, 2017 appears to be the year of SKYLANDERS IMAGINATORS when it comes to activities our family will be engaged in.

For more information, please visit skylanders.com

'tis the season for Skylanders

Thanksgiving Weekend is often considered the start of the holiday shopping season so of course Skylanders wants to be a part of your plans with fun promotions and some great deals.  It all starts off with the popular video game franchise for kids hosting a giant character balloon in the 90th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!  Tune in to NBC on November 24th at 9AM (all time zones) to view Eruptor flying over the streets of New York City flashing his 25-foot smile.

After your Thanksgiving meal there are some great Skylanders discounts and deals going on over the weekend. Starting on Black Friday, parents will be able to get their hands on Skylanders Imaginators Starter Packs for the suggested price of $39.99 each and Skylanders Sensei toys for the suggested price of $9.99 each, for a limited time at major retailers nationwide.  Activision Publishing, Inc. is also releasing a special holiday Skylander Sensei toy -- Jingle Bell Chompy Mage. Available at participating retailers starting November 25, 2016, Jingle Bell Chompy Mage is a specially designed toy that appears in the game outfitted in a holiday-inspired wardrobe.  He joins the new lineup of Sensei Skylanders new to  teach the Skylanders fighting techniques and a classic Chompy holiday tradition – the White Chompy gift exchange!  After all, ‘tis the season to be Chompy!

Believe it or not, the Chompy Mage actually hatched from inside a Chompy Pod!  At least that is how his Chompy hand puppet tells the story. Having been raised by Chompies, it is no surprise that the old magician is a little strange.  He simply grew up embracing the Chompy way – believing that Skylands would be a better place if everyone was a Chompy – an illegal enchantment which he has actually tried to perform on several occasions. It was this kind of magic that led to him to be locked up inside Cloudcracker Prison. After breaking out and joining the other Doomlanders, Chompy Mage was once again captured by the Skylanders, Eon gave these Villains a choice – either go back to jail or become Skylander Senseis, teaching a new generation of Imaginators their formidable battle skills as well as how to stay clear of a life of crime. They accepted the deal but first had to prove themselves by re-arranging all the books in the Academy’s library, a task which took almost two years, testing every ounce of will they had. This also gave Chompy Mage time to take up the bazooka, which he was naturally so good at that he now trains Imaginators of the Bazooka Class as a Sensei master.

Existing Skylanders fans will want to pick up The Portal Owners Pack which will be available exclusively to Wal-Mart shoppers for a limited time during the retailer’s Black Friday event which starts at 6 p.m. local time on Thanksgiving, November 24 (price valid through Friday). At the suggested retail price of $25 it is a great value and the perfect gift idea for players who already have portals from previous Skylanders games -- Skylanders® SuperChargers, Skylanders® Trap Team, Skylanders® SWAP Force™ or Skylanders® Giants. The Portal Owners Pack provides fans the opportunity to play Skylanders Imaginators without purchasing a more expensive Starter Pack. The Portal Owners Pack includes:

•        Skylanders Imaginators Video Game

•        1 Imaginite Creation Crystal – Fire Creation Crystal

•        1 Sticker Sheet

•        Collection Poster featuring all of the Skylanders Imaginators Figures

Once you've had your fill of Thanksgiving dinner and shopping, have some fun by downloading the new   Skylanders^TM Creator FREE mobile app that offers Portal Masters a one-of-a-kind experience to create Imaginator characters on-the-go! Skylanders Creator lets users design Imaginators from scratch directly from the app. Skylanders Imaginators players also can magically transfer their created characters from the console game to the app using innovate audio technology.

The app also provides a variety of ways for parents to find the ultimate gift for the Portal Master in their life with the purchase of a fully-playable 3D printed figure for the suggested price of $49.99, an Imaginator T-shirt for the suggested retail price of $24.99 or an Imaginator Card which act similar to a Creation Crystal in allowing players to access a character made via the app on a game console for the suggested retail price of $14.99 – all items are customized to match the Skylanders Imaginator characters created by players on Skylanders Creator. Quantities for the 3D printed characters will be limited, making them true collectors’ items.

Portal Masters are encouraged to get into the creation spirit now by participating in the Skylanders #CreatorContest. Fans who share their Skylanders Imaginator creations on social media using the dedicated hashtag and provide a link on skylanders.com/creatorcontest have a chance to win a 3D printed Skylander Imaginator. November 21-27 marks the last week to enter the contest. Check out official rules here: skylanders.com/creatorcontest

Skylanders Imaginators is available on all major gaming consoles including Xbox 360^™ and Xbox One^™ video game and entertainment systems from Microsoft, PlayStation^® 3 and PlayStation^® 4 computer entertainment systems and Nintendo’s Wii U^™ system. The game supports all 300+ Skylanders from previous games. For more information, visit Skylanders.com.

Sensei Master King Pen's Ultimate Tips For Skylanders IMAGINATORS Video Game

The newest edition of the SKYLANDERS video game franchise recently arrived on store shelves.  This new installment called IMAGINATORS allows players to unleash their imaginations like never before by for the first time giving them the power to customize and create their very own Skylander that can be played as a primary character in an all-new adventure that features compelling storylines, puzzles, battles, and a new lineup of heroes and villains.  Portal Masters, as SKYLANDERS players are known as, can utilize the game's Skylander Creator option to design their own personalized characters with an  extraordinary amount of options for available powers, abilities, catchphrases, appearances, and much more. New Toy-to-Life figures called Senseis will help Portal Masters maximize the abilities and game play of player created characters by unlocking unique weapons, increasing an Imaginator's level caps, providing access to special areas in the game, as well as unlocking new secret techniques.



One of these new Senseis reached out to A Geek Daddy to share his tips on how you can maximize the awesomeness when playing SKYLANDERS IMAGINATORS.  Heed the words of Master King Pen my friends as they will lead to fun and victory in the Realm of Skylands:

Listen up everyone! Ever wonder what it is like to fully use the power of your Imagination?  Well, my heroic friends, wonder no more.  Because with Skylanders Imaginators, all you Portal Masters out there will have the power to create your very own Skylanders -- known as Imaginators -- using the vast stretches of your imagination.  With ten new Battle Classes combined with the ten Elemental Classes and over a thousand creation pieces, there is virtually an unlimited number of ways to create an Imaginator!  Oh, and did I mention the Senseis?  These amazing heroes, which include yours truly, are among the mightiest Skylanders in the history of Skylands.  We'll help your Imaginators evolve their abilities to become even more powerful as they battle against Kaos.  Impressive, right?  But that's not all!  There's a whole lot more to see and experience in Skylanders Imaginators, so here's my special VIP list of tips for playing -- just for you.  Enjoy the awesomeness!!!

EXPLORE THE M.A.P.

Skylanders Imaginators features the Mysterious Ancient Place -- or M.A.P. for short.  A brand new overworld never before seen with lots of areas for you to explore, there is plenty to experience and many rewards to find!  Play through the Sensei Realms, visit Skylander Academy, and find hidden treasures!

SENSEI REALMS

Always wanted to see what it takes to master the ten elements of Skylands?  Then head on over to each of the mystical Sensei Realms -- which can only be opened by Senseis of the matching element.  Create giant toys in the Tech Sensei Realm or overcome the eerie crypts of the Undead Sensei Realm or even figure out the crazy puzzles of the Water Sensei Realm.  Complete each one of these areas to earn amazing new items for your Imaginators! You can find these challenging yet awesome realms hidden all throughout the M.A.P.

BATTLE GONGS

Fell like putting Sensei abilities to the ultimate test? Well. that's what the new Battle Gongs are for!  Once a Battle Gong has been rung, your Sensei must fend off waves of powerful bad guys in order to earn some hefty rewards.  And I do mean hefty!  You can find Battle Gongs scattered throughout the levels.

SENSEI SHRINES

Although Senseis are the most powerful Skylanders to have ever faces Kaos, they still have the potential to grow even stronger.  Unlock their awesome Ski-Chi powers by activating their battle class Sensei Shrine and watch as your Sensei blows enemies away with devastating attacks.  Sensei Shrines can be found in each of the levels.

BATTLE CLASS

The combination of ten battle classes and ten elements allows you to create any type of Imaginator you want.  So why not make them all! Maybe you'll need a Fire Ninja in one area, but a Dark Ninja in another.  Maybe you'll fight Doomlanders with a Light Swashbuckler supported by an Earth Knight.  Try limitless combinations as you choose the abilities and upgrades that best fit your fighting style!

COLLECTIBLES

With well over 1,000 creation pieces to outfit your Imaginator, why not collect as many Imaginite Chests as you can to fuel your creative needs?  Chests are readily earned and available throughout each level.  There are other ways to earn creation pieces as well.  Want more voice options? Then locate the hidden Troll Radios featuring DJ Chill Bill and try to win some.  Want unique weapons and catchphrases? Then defeat Doomlanders and collect them all!

CREATION CLASH

If you thought that hidden areas are all that is new ... it's not! Skylands now features a new board game called Creation Clash -- based on all time favorite Skystones!  Battle opponents all over Skylands to become a legendary clasher.  Get started by visiting Madame Weebleton in the Card Shack on the M.A.P.

ARENA BATTLES

Skylands would not be complete without a battle arena to test your combat skills.  Chill Bill and Broccoli Guy welcome you to the new Arena Battles, where they will provide play-by-play commentary during your epic battles.  Take on a wide variety of enemies in three round matches and earn awards for winning!  Go to the Arena on the M.A.P. and speak to Buzz to get the brawl rolling!

SKYLANDERS RACEWAY

Miss being the best racer in all of Skylands? And racing your friends online?  Well say no more!  Racing Mode including all of the tracks and game options from SKYLANDERS SUPERCHARGERS make a return in SKYLANDERS IMAGINATORS!  Land, Sea or Sky -- we have it all! And all of your new Imaginators and Sensei can compete along with all legacy Skylanders.  Visit the Skylanders Raceway on the M.A.P. in order to get back behind the wheel.

SKYLANDERS ACADEMY

Sometimes you'll want to break away from all the action, so what better a place to visit than the Skylanders Academy.  Here you can check out the Hall of Selfies.  That's right -- selfies!  You can immortalize your Skylanders practically anywhere in the game including finding Selfie Spots to earn gold.  You can even collect Legendary Frames to place in the Hall of Selfies to make all Skylanders of that class even stronger!  But that's not all.  There are lots of other activities in the Skylanders Academy as well.  Find it on the M.A.P. and take that break anytime!

 Master King Pen is the leader of the Skylanders Senseis and is included in the IMAGINATORS Starter Pack that is needed to play this installment of the video game.  King Pen hails from a militaristic unit of penguins who protect the Cloudmelt Glaciers. During an epic battle, King Pen was trapped in an avalanche and had to take refuge in a nearby cave for the remainder of the winter season. During his solitude, he was visited by a mysterious Yeti Master, named Snow Wah, who began teaching him an ancient combat style known as “Flipper-Fu”. King Pen was already a skilled fighter, but the wise teacher helped him to understand the spiritual and philosophical nature of warfare, turning the penguin into an unstoppable force. When he finally emerged from the cave, tales of his newfound abilities spread far and wide. When Master Eon caught wind, he recruited King Pen into his top secret training program, where he quickly rose up the ranks to become the leader of the Skylander Sensei. Years later, King Pen returned to the site of the avalanche to thank his teacher, but no evidence of Snow Wah or the cave was ever found – leaving many to wonder if the Yeti had ever existed at all.

Portal Masters will delight in Skylanders Halloween costumes

Just in case you are still looking for that perfect Halloween costume for a young Portal Master, Skylanders costumes are still readily available with fan-favorite characters like Spyro, Jet-Vac, Snapshot, Wallop, Chop Chop, and the most evilest, evildoer of all, Kaos. You can pick up your favorites at Party City and Walmart retail locations nationwide or have one sent to you via expedited shipping from Amazon or BuyCostumes.com:

KAOS

Available -- Amazon & Walmart

SPYRO

Available -- Amazon & Party City

CRUSHER

Available -- Amazon & Party City

 

JETVAC

Available -- Amazon & Party City

SNAPSHOT

Available -- Amazon, Party City & Walmart

WALLOP

Available Amazon & Walmart

CHOP CHOP

Available -- Amazon & BuyCostumes.com

 

The newest edition of the Skylanders video game franchise just arrived on store shelves on October 16, 2016.  CLICK HERE to check out A Geek Daddy's overview of all the fun new additions players can enjoy with IMAGINATORS.

Skylanders Halloween Themed Limited Edition Toy To Life Figure -- Candy Coated Chopscotch

Spook up your Skylanders gameplay with the limited edition Candy Coated Chopscotch Halloween themed character that is on store shelves now for the new Imaginators edition of the popular video game franchise.

 Candy Coated Chopscotch
 The only thing that ever mattered to Chopscotch was mastering her weapon of choice, the giant axe, while rocking out to her favorite musical idol, Wolfgang. It never bothered her that she was short in stature or that all of the other ghouls in the Underworld laughed at the way she spoke in rhymes as she made up her own lyrics to Wolfgang’s guitar jams. So when Wolfgang joined the villainous Doom Raiders, she was devastated. But instead of letting it destroy her, she chose to put her axe skills to good use, and fought Wolfgang and his Moon Goons when they attempted to curse her entire town during an evil concert. Her willingness to stand up to her long time hero came as a surprise to everyone, and soon all of the villagers were speaking in rhymes in her honor. Soon after, she met Master Eon, who was so impressed at her fighting abilities and positive outlook that he recruited her as a Sensei for the Smasher Class. Now she teaches new Skylanders how to fight… and how to rhyme!

Candy Coated Chopscotch is a playable character on Skylanders IMAGINATORS which was released on October 16, 2016 in the United States. CLICK HERE to check out A Geek Daddy's overview of all the fun new additions players can enjoy with the new Skylanders IMAGINATORS video game.

SKYLANDERS IMAGINATORS

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

The newest installment of the popular children's video game franchise SKYLANDERS® arrived on store shelves this week!  Toys for Bob, the company that develops SKYLANDERS for distribution by Activision Publishing Inc., annually introduces new characters and elements to expand upon the game play continuously making it bigger and better than the previous installments. SKYLANDERS IMAGINATORS allows players to unleash their imaginations like never before by for the first time giving them the power to customize and create their very own Skylander that can be played as a primary character in an all-new adventure that features compelling storylines, puzzles, battles, and a new lineup of heroes and villains.

Portal Masters, as SKYLANDERS players are known as, can utilize the game's Skylander Creator option to design their own personalized characters with an  extraordinary amount of options for available powers, abilities, catchphrases, appearances, and much more.  The make your own Skylander characters, which are called Imaginators, can be saved on Creation Crystals.  A Creation Crystal comes with the SKYLANDERS IMAGINATORS starter pack and additional ones can be purchased separately.  Players can create one Imaginator character per Creation Crystal.

SKYLANDERS hasn't abandoned its Toys-to-Life figures, that have always been a sensation with fans of the video game franchise, for Creation Crystals though.  The game will also feature a variety of toy-to-life figures for a new character class called Senseis, that like the Creation Crystals, can be purchased separately from the SKYLANDERS IMAGINATORS starter pack and incorporated into game play as primary characters.  Each Sensei is a master of one of 10 powerful Battle Classes (e.g., Knight, Sorcerer, Brawler and more). Being the master of these Battle Classes, only Senseis have the ability to unleash Sky-Chi – the ultimate Battle Class super move. Skylanders Senseis have a master-to-apprentice relationship with newly created Imaginator Skylanders. This is supported in-game through the Sensei unlocking of unique Imaginator weapons, the increase of Imaginator level caps, providing access to special areas in the game, as well as the unlocking of new Secret Techniques for Imaginators of the same class.



Skylanders Senseis include 20 new characters and 11 former villains, including Kaos and the return of Crash Bandicoot and Dr. Neo Cortex.  SKYLANDERS IMAGINATORS also has an all-new Crash Bandicoot-inspired level -- Thumpin’ Wumpa Islands -- which is steeped in nostalgic gameplay that will be appealing, especially to moms and dads who many were probably kids themselves when Badicoot first appeared in a video game, for getting the whole family interested in playing together.  Thumpin’ Wumpa Islands is packed with TNT boxes, crabs, hazards, temple ruins, Wumpa Fruit, exploding crates and more. It also includes special Crash Zones that bring back the classic massive boulder chases from the original Crash games. The Thumpin’ Wumpa Islands level will be available to players who purchase the SKYLANDERS IMAGINATORS Starter Pack featuring Crash Bandicoot for PlayStation consoles at launch and will be available as an add-on adventure pack for everyone else available during the holiday shopping season.

 This incredible box just arrived at our house! Activision generously sent A Geek Daddy a SKYLANDERS IMAGINATORS starter pack along with a great selection of Senseis and Creation Crystals for my kids to have fun playing with. To say my kids are enthusiastic to start playing the new SKYLANDERS IMAGINATORS video game would be an understatement!

SKYLANDERS IMAGINATORS is compatible with PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Nintendo Wii U. Parents who have purchased toys-to-life figures for previous editions of the game will also be pleased to know SKYLANDERS IMAGINATORS supports the 300+ character toys from all previous Skylanders games -- including Skylanders SuperChargers, Skylanders Trap Team, Skylanders SWAP Force, Skylanders Giants and Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure -- that kids can enjoy both as toys to play with in the real-world as well as characters they can use in the virtual game world.



For more information, please visit skylanders.com

SKYLANDERS IMAGINATORS CELEBRATES CRASH BANDICOOT'S 20TH ANNIVERSARY

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Sony PlayStation's popular CRASH BANDICOOT® video game franchise, SKYLANDER IMAGINATORS Starter Packs for PS3 and PS4 consoles will feature a special Thumpin' Wumpa Islands level that is steeped in nostalgic gameplay. The level includes special Crash Zones that bring back the classic massive boulder chases from the original games. Plus in paying homage to this iconic character on his 20th anniversary, the level is packed with TNT boxes, crabs, hazards, temple ruins, Wumpa Fruit, exploding crates and many more elements from the original Crash Bandicoot video game. All the action in this new level though takes place in the Skylands -- which means a new twist of Skylanders combat and action in a Wumpa Islands setting.

The Thumpin’ Wumpa Islands level will be available to players who purchase the Skylanders Imaginators Starter Pack featuring Crash Bandicoot for PlayStation consoles at launch. The level will also be available to all platforms via purchase of the Skylanders Imaginators Thumpin’ Wumpa Islands Adventure Pack this holiday for the suggested retail price of $29.99. The Skylanders Imaginators Thumpin’ Wumpa Islands Adventure pack also will include Crash Bandicoot and Dr. Neo Cortex as fully playable toys.

In Skylanders Imaginators, a “Synchronization Celebration” has aligned the world of Skylands with the Wumpa Islands. Upon arriving, Spyro and Mags discover that Dr. Neo Cortex (voiced by Lex Lang) has created a terrible machine to harness the rhythmic power of the island’s celebration for his newest evil scheme! When the machine goes awry, something occurs that throws the whole party out of sync. Crash (voiced by Jess Harnell) must team up with the Skylanders and his old enemy Neo Cortex to restore the celebration before the Wumpa Islands are syncopated right out of existence!

Skylanders Imaginators immense possibilities empowers players to unleash their imaginations by giving them the freedom to create their own Skylander. Portal Masters will enjoy the available in the game -- including appearance, powers, abilities, names, catchphrases, musical themes and much more -- to create the wildest Skylanders imaginable. Developed by Toys For Bob, Skylanders Imaginators supports all 300+ Skylanders from previous games and will launch on October 16, 2016 in North America. The Skylanders Imaginators Starter Pack will be available for the suggested retail price of $74.99. For more information, visit
skylanders.com/Imaginators

Summer Games with the Skylanders

As the Summer Games in Rio move into their final week add some Skylander fun into the mix as your family cheers on its favorite athletes.  Just as you can customize your characters in the upcoming Skylanders Imaginator video game, personalize these Skylanders printouts and their accessories in the colors of the teams you are rooting for to add some Skylander spirit to the Summer Games.






As the events in Rio wrap up it is time to start think about training for the 2020 games!  How can use a kid's passion for Skylanders video games to get them outside getting exercise and inspiring them to want to be healthy like an athlete #trainingfor2020?  We used our family's Skylander figures in a weight lifting challenge and as a baton for a backyard relay race.

What creative ways can you utilize Skylander toys-to-life figures to inspire your kids to pretend they are training to be an athlete for the 2020 Summer Games?  Share your pictures and videos with the Skylanders team on Instagram and Twitter using the hashtags #Skylanders and #Trainingfor2020 and they'll share some of their favorites with the world.

For more information about the newest installment of the Skylanders video game franchise Imaginators, visit www.skylanders.com/Imaginators‎