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Takara Tomy's Rhythmbits do a little dance
Takara Tomy's Walkiebits sure caused quite a stir when they first landed a few years back, and now the firm is cranking out another variation that's sure to be a holiday favorite. The slew of new Rhythmbits arrive in a variety of vivid colors, measure in at just 1.85-inches in length, sport interchangeable shells and bust a plethora of moves when they hear music. These little bundles of fun are set to take Japan by storm later this week for ¥1,575 ($14) apiece.[Via NewLaunches]
Hasbro serves up toys galore, aims for tweens
Gateway and Linksys aren't the only firms using Digital Life to showcase new wares, as Hasbro is making the most of its opportunity by inviting fun-lovin' tweens over to its booth to play with a number of new holiday must-haves. Aside from the familiar Power Tour guitar and NET JET game, the company is also showing off its Littlest Pet Shop VIPs (virtual interactive pets), which will launch next month for $14.99 apiece, and a few new critters in the Furreal Friends family, one of which is pictured above. Additionally, Tiger Electronics is introducing its October-bound I-Dog Amp'd ($34.99), which will "tap its paw to the tune, bob its head to the beat, swish its ears and wag its tail to the rhythm of your favorite songs." Lastly, the I-List Music Party game sounds like the perfect way to entertain guests at your next sleepover, and should be available soon to test your knowledge of music for $19.99. Click on through for a few more pics.
Gotta pack lunches for 'em all
Banpresto and pretty much every other Japanese toy company knows the importance of releasing a steady stream of Pokéstuff lest any of us fall out of the series' thrall and stop buying for a while. To keep us thinking about Pokémon all day, they've made a duo of new items designed to keep Pokémon mastery on your mind all day.First is a cute picnic set made up of two square containers, with a stylized Pokémon graphic on the lid. Hey, if every plant and animal in the Pokémon universe is a Pokémon, does that mean that, when Ash and company eat lunch ...Uh, on to the next item! It's totally cute and leads to no horrific revelations! The Pokémon Diamond & Pearl Super DX Onemuri Makura is just a cute pillow in the shape of either a sleepy Piplup or a sleepy Pikachu, wrapped up in a blanket thing.
Final Fantasy IV Trading Arts figurines are cute
We know that when most people think about Final Fantasy IV, they think about great music and an engaging, mature storyline and Active Time Battles and blah blah blah. The character designs, especially those in the new DS remake, completely short-circuit the storytelling with OMG CUTEness. Seriously, these lil' guys are just precious. Look at the adorable little paladin! How huggable. NCSX is taking preorders for these Trading Arts figurines for $39. They come semi-randomly packed in boxes of nine, but each box should contain one complete set of six, along with three duplicates that can be sent to your pals at DS Fanboy.
Caption Contest: does not compute
Evidently, even robots get bad assignments. Evan: "After their defeat at the hands of the Autobots, the Decepticons were forced to perform the most humiliating of jobs."Ryan: "Trust us, you really don't want to pull out Mini Killbot 3000 with the dangling claw. Might we suggest Snoopy?"Darren: "And to think, those Americans have to settle for a pathetic claw."Josh: "In retrospect, XL-250 probably had an unfair advantage, since he was made of high-test iron and programmed to kill, while his opponents were just fur stuffed with cotton, and programmed to hug."Paul: "We could live offa the fatta the lan'."Conrad: "These creatures are the only sentient race in this sector and they're made out of foam? This can't be right."
Imitate Mario without busting your head open
NCSX is selling these plush Mario toys with little sound chips that make item-appropriate noises. The question-mark block makes the familiar "coin" jingle and the mushroom noise, and the Koopa shell plays the 1up tune and the Super Mario Bros. death music.They're just about big enough that you can really feel like you're kicking a shell, or smashing a very soft block with your head. We can imagine these being great gifts for anyone, from an adult Mario fan to an infant you hope to indoctrinate.
Yoshi's Island flooded
These DS systems have been filled with water! And not because they fell out of someone's pocket into the toilet-- they're designed to be full of water. As you savvy readers have already figured out based on the still Yoshi's Island DS art on the top screens, and the two solid buttons (and possibly even the Japanese text), these aren't DS Lites at all, but water toys.You know, the kind in which you push the button and it shoots a little current of air into the water, guiding a ball into a goal? Yeah, those. We remember liking these kinds of things a lot, more for the whoosh that shakes the soft plastic button a bit when the air current gets going than for the actual game. Can't get that from the cell phone version!
Breakfast Topic: Toys
We play this game called World of Warcraft, and naturally it's about war, various sorts of fighting and skirmishing and so on. Most activities are involved in this fighting in one way or another, even if indirectly. But we also know that some things in the game have absolutely no effect on your fighting skills whatsoever, and yet these are some of the items in highest demand. Non-combat pets, unique mounts, cute outfits, and so on.So now imagine that you get hired for Blizzard just to design more of these non-combat items. What kinds of items would you create? What would you make players do in order to get them? What do you think they would add to the game that isn't already there?
A very different look at Wiis and projectors
This week's excellent Revolutionary explored the use of projection screens for playing Wii. This item from Yujin, on the other hand, uses a projector to allow you to look at pictures of characters who appear in Wii games. The advantages are obvious: this projector fits on a keychain and comes in packages of eight for only $23. The only setback is that it doesn't do anything but project a single image of a Super Paper Mario, Zelda, Fire Emblem, or Wario Ware character.Also in today's NCSX shop update: cheap ($25.90) copies of Escape from Bug Island and Alien Syndrome. For use with actual televisions only, of course.
Disney-themed USB keys lock kids into childish environments
While we've seen USB-based peripherals that aim to keep your youngsters in a safe and innocent PC environment, Bandai and Buffalo have teamed up to make kid-friendly computing a bit more bearable. The duo has crafted a unique USB key, which is slated to be available in Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh versions, that simultaneously locks the PC into "Kid Mode," password protects the parent's session in the background, and opens up a world of mom-approved fun for the little ones to enjoy. The software that resides on the key includes a dedicated browser for safe surfing, a time regulator to keep them from growing addicted, and options for parents to select precisely what apps their offspring can / can't access. Reportedly, the units are expected to land in mid-September over in Japan, and while pricing has yet to be confirmed, we're hearing it'll run you around ¥3,480 ($30).
Devil Kings 2 .s toys
We're glad Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes (Devil Kings 2) is on the way for the Wii, because it means we get to show you these adorable dot.s sets of the characters. On September 28, Capcom will release pixel-mosaic sets featuring cuuuuute versions of videogame versions of real-life Japanese historical figures Chousokabe Morichika, Sanada Yukimura, and the pictured Date Masamune.Each one will retail for 2,100 yen ($18.30). Given that we have no idea whether the game is headed for the US, we should look to importers like Play-Asia and NCSX for the vague possibility of acquiring these little guys.
Takara Tomy's Transformers MP3 player gets photographed
Yeah, we've got a soft spot for all things Transformers, and while Takara Tomy's Transformers MP3 player isn't the most advanced DAP on the block, the fun factor is undeniable. Thankfully, the folks over at PrimeDiary were able to wrangle one of these bad boys up for themselves and snap a few photographs. Needless to say, we're envious, but go on and click through for a couple more shots of the MP3 player fanboys just have to have.
Level up your wallet for its upcoming boss battle
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Level_up_your_wallet_for_its_upcoming_boss_battle'; Square Enix sent an email out today to let us know that their online merchandise store will be opening on the 20th at 6PM EST. It's a good thing, too, because we were really starting to get nervous about all this money and shelf space we have around here. They'll be carrying exclusive items like the Judge Magister Gabranth figure, and a pair of Cloud and Sephiroth Advent Children statuettes with glowing bases.We're looking forward to dropping way too much money on the inevitable Chocobo- and Moogle-themed memorabilia with which to fill our Materia slots airship inventory apartment. Well, maybe not way too much money, because we're total grownups and know how to restrain oursel- dude, maybe they have the cushions!
Animation studio Imagi inks distribution deal with Wowwee
Imagi, the animation studio behind the recent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film, and the upcoming Gatchaman and Astro Boy movies, has inked a deal with Wowwee Ltd., makers of the infamous Robosapien (amongst others), which will grant the toy-maker exclusive distribution rights for the studio's properties. According to the company press release, Wowwee will provide some of its proprietary technology for use in toys related to the upcoming pictures, which will closely replicate the look and story of the films in both design and "play patterns." As Imagi co-CEO Douglas Glen puts it "All too often, film-licensed toys fail to live up to kids' expectations, because they fall so far short of what the kids see on the movie screen," but Imagi and Wowwee will seek to avoid this by having toy designers and filmmakers work closely with one-another. Our personal hope is to see a life-size, fully functional Astro Boy... with feelings. Maybe we're expecting too much.
Bungie update: Covenant toys revealed
Hey, remember that nifty overheating plasma rifle replica we talked about last week? In Bungie's recent weekly update, we not only got new details on the wonderful device, but we also got the first images too. Jasman Toys had both the plasma rifle and pistol prototypes on display at Comic-Con last week. Speaking to Bungie, the toymaker noted that the replicas would feature accurate sound effects and recoil. While they didn't mention if the plasma pistol will also open its exhaust port when overheated, they did confirm that it will have a "super shot" mode that inflicts more damage. Speaking of the Laser Pursuit functionality, Jasman noted that it is more than just laser tag. The targets will behave like shields in the Halo games. Take too much damage, and the shields will die. Take cover for a few seconds, and they will recharge.We're slowly beginning to realize that we are much too old to be playing laser tag. We are also, however, coming to realize that we don't care. We're playing, damn it, and no one can stop us. Hit the "read" link for more details and a shot of the plasma pistol replica.
Castlevania figures- now in color!
NECA is showing off the final (?) painted versions of their Castlevania figures at Comic-Con, and, judging by these pictures, they will soon be stealing fans' souls and making them their slaves. Simon Belmont's face looks a little too tenderized, but we suppose he's a tough guy and has taken countless beatings from undead whatevers.Alucard and Dracula look just awesome. Think you we would buy such a thing? Yes! And they all seem to come with little monster accessories! As cool as the succubus figure is, however, we just ... don't have a place to display it. Oh, and for those of us waiting for the update: the exclusive pixel-Simon is as terrible in production as it was in the early picture.
Gears of War action figures announced
NECA has announced a new partnership with Epic Games, in which it will produce a new line of Gears of War collectibles. Said collectibles are set to include action figures, busts, dioramas, and even "prop" replicas (full size Lancer anyone?). The toys collectibles are expected to be available in 2008, just in time for a possible sequel to the 360's breakout hit. An interesting tidbit in the press release is that NECA has acquired the license for Gears of War and "any potential sequels" to the game, adding fuel to such speculations. For those who are interested, NECA has produced many video game related collectibles, including toys based on Resident Evil, Hitman, Tomb Raider, and an upcoming line of Castlevania toys. No further information, such as which specific Gears of War toys will be made or how much they will cost, has been revealed.
Replica H3 plasma rifles have overheat feature
Jasman Toys announced back in February that they were creating a line of Halo 3 toys -- with laser tag abilities -- based on the Covenant plasma rifle, plasma pistol, and energy sword. They have announced today that these new toys will be unveiled at the San Diego Comic which begins tomorrow. The company has also revealed that the replica weapons -- not to be confused with those weapons from Master Replicas -- will include several features in order to give them an authentic look and feel. For example, should you "overheat" the plasma rifle, the sides will open -- just as they do in the game -- in order to allow the excess "heat" to vent. We hope this functionality is applied to the plasma pistol as well. Jasman also revealed the expected prices for the plasma rifle and pistol. The rifle will retail for $119.99 (ouch) and the pistol will cost $79.99 (ouch again). Both will be available in October. The sword won't be available until 2008 and (thankfully) has yet to be priced. Hopefully, we'll get to see these in action as Microsoft brings Comic-Con home. [Thanks, Michael Valentine]
Mario Kart DS toys at Amazon
Want to take a break from playing Mario Kart DS online? Then play it offline, and on the floor. And by "play Mario Kart" we mean "run Mario into the wall over and over again until he gets lost under your dresser." Mario Kart rules are somewhat more lax in the amateur "not actually playing the real game" circuit, you see.Amazon seller Toyzz has a full set of Mario Kart DS pull-back race cars for $24.99. It includes Mario, Yoshi, Bowser, Wario, Luigi, and Donkey Kong. And you don't even have to go back in time to when these were commercially available, fly to Japan, and try your luck in UFO catchers.[Thanks, Zack!]
Darth Vader children's laptop for your little Sith Lord
If you're like us, you want to encourage your children to harness the power of the Dark side and use The Force for their twisted, megalomaniacal schemes, but you also want them to learn something while doing it. Luckily Oregon Scientific understands your plight, and has delivered the Darth Vader laptop to help. Of course, calling it a laptop is a little misleading -- it's more like a Speak & Spell with a glowing lightsaber stylus and accompanying sound effects, but with 50 games for training "reflexes, typing and rhythm," at least it will keep Palpatine Jr. out of your hair.[Via Tech Digest]
