droolicious : pokemon

Get Your Mega-Tough Pokemon Regigigas This Sunday at Toys 'R' Us

Aaron Burgess — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Who's got Level 100 status and is coming to Toys "R" Us stores this Sunday? This guy.

More specifically, this character, Regigigas, will be made available exclusively, and wirelessly, starting Sunday, March 8, at Toys "R" Us stores nationwide. All kiddoes need to do is to bring their Nintendo DS, along with their Pokémon Diamond Version or Pokémon Pearl Version Game Card, to any Toys "R" Us store in the U.S. or Puerto Rico for a chance to add the ultra-powerful Regigigas to their Pokédex.

We know this sounds like gibberish to you, but trust us: Drop any of these names, along with the words "free" and "Toys 'R' Us," to the kids, and you've got an instant Sunday-afternoon outing. If you can't make it this weekend, fear not: The promotion extends to March 21 -- which also happens to be the day before the much-anticipated Pokémon Platinum Version hits stores for Nintendo DS.

For all the latest, check out Pokemon.com.

Bakugan Battle Brawlers Shaping Up As the Season's Hottest Boy Toy

Aaron Burgess — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:04:00 GMT

As late as October, Bakugan Battle Brawlers were flying off North American shelves at a rate of one every 2.5 seconds, so if your little one seems to have the anime-inspired, Pokemon-on-steroids line on the brain this season, it's not just coincidental.

Like Pokemon, Digimon and seemingly every other trading-card game originating in Japan, Bakugan emphasizes collecting, trading and battling, but the game's real hook for kids is the way it literally jumps off the playing surface. You roll the Bakugan marble toward a metal card, and the magnet inside the Bakugan causes it to open up, morphing your marble into a Bakugan warrior. That's the basic idea, at least: Kicking butt at Bakugan requires a bit more advanced strategy and spinning skills, as everything from the placement of your cards to the way you roll your morphing marble (hint: spin it like a top) affects the outcome of each battle.

Budget-minded parents (is there any other kind this year?) may also dig Bakugan, at least initially -- booster packs can run as low as $4.99, although since three Bakugan are required to have a game, your best bet is to hunt down the $12.99 starter pack (three marbles and three cards) pictured above.

Unfortunately, given the way the things are selling -- Amazon, Target.com, ToysRUs.com, and Wal-Mart.com, for instance, are fast running out of reasonably priced Bakugan -- your best bet is to hit stores in person or watch eBay to nab some of the better sets. Once your kids start hoarding, though, you can expect a bigger drain on your wallet -- or at least a lot of begging.

In the meantime, download the Bakugan rules (PDF) to brush up in time for the holidays, and you won't look quite so out of touch when the kids start dropping terms like "Gate cards," "G-Power" and "Field-Open!"

7 Days of Indoor Toys: Xeko, the Eco Trading-Card Game

Aaron Burgess — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 15:03:00 GMT

Even though it plays a lot like Pokemon and Magic: The Gathering, Xeko trumps other trading-card games by having a social conscience beneath its surface. That's not to say kids will be turned off by Xeko's attempts at turning its players into activists. One look at the packaging -- a (sustainably farmed!) wood shipping crate with a "secret mission" inside -- and they'll be too jazzed about breaking into Xeko to question its makers' m.o.

And that's where Xeko is really clever: It uses a style of gaming with which kids are already familiar to school them on serious environmental issues. The objective, in ultra-simplified terms, is to build the strongest "Xeko-system" in one of several real-world ecological hotspots. You face off against opponents in the standard draw-and-battle style of Pokemon (demo here) and win by amassing the most "Eco-points" in your environment. The beautifully illustrated cards also teach you about the rare and endangered species you're saving.

Priced at $30, with 4% of proceeds going to Conservation International, Xeko starter sets include 40 booster cards, a rulebook, larger learn-to-play cards, and an oversized play mat/map. Kids can also send back the cards' wrappers for recycling and in exchange earn "green points" redeemable for landfill-sparing junk like screensavers and wallpapers. And, not only is Xeko's packaging made from recycled/recyclable materials, but if you order online from the company, you're likely to receive your game packed in a box that's been reused from a previous order.

MapleStory iTCG Bridges Trading-Card Geeks' Digital Divide

Aaron Burgess — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 16:32:00 GMT

Your kids (or you, for that matter) may already be familiar with the massively multiplayer online game MapleStory, but if not, imagine Yu-Gi-Oh! with anime-style cuteness to match its deadly force, and you're halfway there.

Now, with the rollout of its MapleStory iTrading Card Game, Wizards of the Coast has introduced a line of Internet-linked trading cards to supplement the MapleStory universe -- and if you're thinking to yourself this is just way too much geekdom for one person to handle, your kids probably disagree. Integrating the game's online world with a new, offline one, MapleStory iTCG offers codes that players can redeem for online rewards and virtual game experiences (from new quests to virtual pets), as well as an expanded gaming experience. If that's too unwieldy for their age range, kids can also use the cards to play turn-based games much as they would with Pokemon or Yu-Gi-Oh! -- or, if they're like my brood, they can just collect 'em with no concept of either the offline or offline gaming complements.

The MapleStory iTCG Starter Set is available for $9.99 basically anywhere your kids can lure you away from the checkout counter, including Wal-Mart, Target and Meijer Foods, while booster packs are available for an additional $3.99 each.

Midair Ping-Pong Death Match: Verticon Air Battle Arena

Aaron Burgess — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 14:32:00 GMT

You got your Pokémon in my Magic: The Gathering -- and, hey, who invited the Busy Ball Popper? Aimed at ages 7 and up, Wild Planet's Verticon Air Battle Arena ($24.99) combines the combative fun of trading-card games with the arena-style gladiator action of Robot Wars, and sends it one more level over the top by having the battle take place in midair. Just activate the airstream and use the snap-on weapons to arm your ping-pong-ball-style warrior (from "Soroms" to "Brattezans," over 25 floating fighters in all are sold separately): Two orbs enter, one orb leaves.

Besides the warrior packs, Wild Planet makes a few add-ons that aren't necessary but definitely enhance play if you've got money to burn: The $19.95 Sound Battle Attachment locks onto the Arena and adds motion-activated sounds and three electronic games, while the $14.99 Team Combat Attachment includes two additional warriors, weapons and a strategy map, as well as the ability to kill your opponent's airstream in mid-combat. Play nice, kids.

Verticon Air Battle Arena and accessories are available at Amazon.com (use links above) and offline retailers everywhere, as well as through Wild Planet's online store.

Pokémon Global Trade Station Launches

Aaron Burgess — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 14:04:00 GMT

Having three young boys, I've learned more than I ever wanted about the complexities of Pokémon trading (and on many grocery trips have found myself empathizing with this poor mom). Now, with the launch of the Pokémon Global Trade Station, my junior Trainers can match wits (and collections) with potentially millions of others outside of our home base. Using Pokémon Diamond and Pearl software and a Nintendo Wi-Fi connection, players beam their info to the GTS (imagine E*TRADE, only with flashing colors and a hyperactive 8-bit soundtrack), where they can deposit their collections and trade/battle/compare with fellow Trainers around the world. (Mindful of global etiquette, the site even teaches vistors how to say "hello" and "thank you" in select languages, and also provides mini-lessons on countries visited.) And, parents, even if you don't have the gadgets needed to connect, it's also a fun primer on the ever-expanding world of Pokémon.