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More Animal Crossing stuff to fill your house with
With all the stuff coming out based on the Animal Crossing movie in Japan, you can play Animal Crossing for real-- by buying a whole bunch of adorable items and displaying them in your house! NCSX is selling new playsets, each featuring an animal, two matching pieces of furniture, and a house. There are also two special sets containing characters like Wendell and Tom Nook, and, of course, some more furniture.NCSX is also stocking some Animal Crossing plush toys and coffee mugs. We are aware that Animal Crossing strongly promotes the collector mentality in-game, so we hope we haven't just emptied any fans' wallets by pointing this stuff out.
Pokemon Diamond and Pearl: Squeezable edition
If you're in a hurry to show your friends the new Pokemon from Diamond and Pearl, you can avoid the whole "waiting for the game to come out" thing and skip right to catching them all, in toy form! Well, not all of them, more like ... five of them.NCSX is selling adorable little plush versions of Cherrim, Turtwig, Pachirisu, Happiny, and Bonsly for $10.50 each. It's your choice if you want to make 'em fight or just hug them.
Mario Kart DS slot car set is designed to prevent snaking
"Sunday, SUNDAY, Sunday, come on down to the Mario Kart DS Slot Car Race Track for some wild, no-rules racing action! Bring the whole family for an afternoon of Mario Kart-style toy racing excitement! Watch some of the best drivers in the business, including YOU and YOUR FRIENDS, take on one of the toughest tracks there is! You'll see twists and turns, thrills and spills, only at the Mario Kart DS Slot Car Race Track! Pay for the whole seat, but you'll only use the edge."Wow, we didn't even buy one of these slot car sets and we're already having fun with it. Anyone up for simulating the Mario Kart experience in ... well, not real life, but miniature fake real life?[Via NeoGAF]
Wowwee Dragonfly chopped in half for your perusal
We've followed Wowwee's fluttering Dragonfly bot from FCC to hands-on to review and finally to the obligatory release, so it only seems fitting that we publish a photo of one whose owner sliced it in half. Not exactly your classic dissection -- we like lots of gory pics -- but it still gives you a good feel for what's going on inside your $50 toy. Big bonus points to the first commenter who posts the complete list of parts visible in the picture.[Thanks, Leif]
New Super Mario Brothers plush toys are new, super, and plush
We really weren't fans of Mario's blue shell ability in New Super Mario Bros., because it tended to steer us inexorably into a lava-filled grave. But we want to hug this plush Blue Shell Mario. And then maybe toss him into lava. Play-Asia is selling these adorable NSMB toys, produced by Banpresto, for about $11 each. You have your choice of the aforementioned Mario, a Mega Mushroom, Boo, Luigi (in casino minigame regalia) and Toad. Does anyone else find it odd that Luigi still wears his green hat, even when he's in formal attire? [Via Siliconera]
Rumor: Another stash of Wiis coming to Toys R Us
... and another Matthew Lesko picture to summarize our feelings. Tipster HexiJosh was spot on about the last TRU Wii hoard, so we have no reason to disbelieve him now when he tells us that Sunday, March 18 is the day to queue up. Still, we're marking this as a rumor just to be safe.He says that Toys R Us stores are getting even larger shipments this time than last time-- his store is getting a minimum of 12 systems-- and that TRU is planning to sell them bundled with Sonic and the Secret Rings. We hope these bundles don't cost full price-- bundling is only fun when there's a discount involved, and even then it's kind of annoying.But complaining about bundles misses the point, which is HEY THERE ARE PROBABLY GOING TO BE SOME WIIS FOR SALE. Plan your next weekend accordingly![Thanks, HexiJosh!]
Flying pigs, dancing daisies, robotic Barbies...and the iPod
When you think of the iPod, Apple's carefully managed marketing campaign of hip with-it 20-somethings springs to mind. But there's another side to the cult of iPod, that's growing as a "cultural phenomenon". iPods inspire silliness according to this article from the New York Times. The iPod attracts ever-growing numbers of third-party products grounded more in "cute" than function: dancing iPod daisies and other plush creations, sportscar iPod docks, pulsing music-triggered LED displays, and so forth. It's novelty over function, and it's creativity outgrowing its brand. There's a cool slideshow to watch along with the article.
Transformers Movie toys transform green paper into silver plastic
Like Howie Mandel, the Transformers have been given yet another shot at a career -- but unlike Howie, we are like, totally love the Transformers. We'll do our best not to wax on with all the Transformers lore and all, but we'll just say the death of Optimus Prime made some pre-pubescent Engadget editors reevaluate their young lives. So it's with no small amount of nostalgia that prior to the release of the Michael Bay Transformers live action movie later this year, Hasbro's launched a new line of change-'em-up-robots. The new Prime, which keeps kind of in line with his original old school truck body (we have mixed feelings about the painted flames) will drop for $40 on June 2nd; a cost-crazy 14-inch tall 1/14 scale $80 Ultimate Bumblebee comes out this fall; also look forward to the $30 Optimus Prime Battle Rig Blaster (hey, wasn't that Megatron's gimmick?), and the $30 Prime Voice Changer Helmet, which makes your tykes sound a little more like Peter Cullen than you might like. Oh, how joyful this resurrected 80s mania for robots makes us.[Via Autoblog]%Gallery-1627%
Peapod DAP can handle vicious babies, but Apple legal?
You'd think that Apple's, um, loving oversight of its trademarks and trademark applications would scare potential DAP manufacturers away from using any combination of the letters p, o, and d in their product name, so we assume that Calgary-based Peapod Toys hasn't been following the American legal scene all that closely. In any event, the small company has just announced its self-titled, baby-targeted MP3 player at the International Toy Fair, which allows the one-and-under crowd to rock out to up to two hours of their favorite Raffi tunes. But infants and electronics go together like elephants and antique shops, you say? Not to worry: the Peapod is wrapped in a soft rubber shell that promises to protect it from mushed carrots, multiple collisions with the wall, and even the occasional teething session. It also sports a built in speaker (babies + headphone wires = potential disaster), a claimed 40 hours of battery life from a single AA, and support for select educational content available on the Peapod website. No word so far on price or release, but we'll go out on a limb and assume that we're looking at "cheap" and "soon," respectively.[Via Gadget Lab]
Mattel at the International Toy Fair
Have no fear, worried parent, Mattel knows what's best for your kid. Riding high after a holiday season with T.M.X. Elmo and Barbie at the top of the most wanted list, Mattel is unveiling an incredible amount of toys at the American International Toy Fair 2007 in New York. Quite a few of those happen to be technology infused, which is only natural as your children attempt to keep up with the lil' Joneses. Notables include the Chat Divas Barbie Doll, which can plug into your iPod, bob to the music and talk on her fake cellphone; Pixel Chix Roomies, a sort of MTV's "The Real World" interactive game for dolls; Hot Wheels Maniacs vehicles with "a hilarious animated driver" stuck in an LCD windshield; Funkeys collectibles which unlock portions of a computer game which allows you earn coins and decorate your "crib" for friends to see; Easy Link Internet Launchpad, which plugs into your PC for internet and provides a safe and simple browsing experience for the kiddies; T.M.X. friends, with Ernie and Cookie Monster versions to keep Elmo company in the asylum; I Can Play Guitar System, a Guitar Hero-ish system designed to teach kids the guitar, not just make them think they can melt faces; and a Digital Arts & Crafts Studio which includes stylus for drawing on the computer. Other creations by Mattel include some Wii-esque one-off games designed to get your kids moving: Play TV MLB Baseball, Play TV Football 2, and the Smart Cycle stationary bike that lets pedal and steer through video games while burning those carbs.
Hasbro recalls almost 1 million Easy-Bake Ovens
Many of us have fond childhood memories of scarfing down delicious, undercooked treats courtesy of the old Easy-Bake Oven, but it looks like today's chefs-in-training have a little more to worry about than runny brownies: Hasbro is recalling almost a million of the toys because of a risk of burns and trapped extremities. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, about 985,000 Ovens sold between May 2006 and the beginning of this month contain a potentially dangerous defect, wherein children can receive a nasty burn on their chubby little fingers after getting them trapped in the oven's opening. So far there have been 29 reported incidents of stuck fingers and five reports of burns, prompting Hasbro to release a retrofit kit that apparently remedies the problem and sports a helpful warning label. Owners of the affected models should immediately pull their rugrat away from that soufflé he or she is baking and stick the Easy-Bake on a high shelf until the kit -- which is free by request -- arrives in the mail. In the meantime, this might be a good opportunity to review the whole "stop, drop, and roll" procedure and teach your tykes to apply burn cream, just in case another one of their toys (Flamosapien, perhaps?) gets a little hot under the collar.
Keepin' it real fake, part XLV: Wowwee's illegitimate children
Most times, the fakers seem to stick with items that are relatively easy to replicate, making everyone's lives a good bit easier when it comes to choosing between the authentic and the knockoff, but JaiQi Toys has upped the copycat ante a bit with its full-fledged lineup of Wowwee rips. Dubbed the "Bo Series," these four bots sport the ability to walk and turn, move and grip with their arms, dozens of pre-programmed functions such as picking up objects, dancing, burping, whistling, and a kicking out a fair selection of "Kung Fu moves," not to mention the ability to dictate your new friend with an IR remote. Moreover, the creature is powered by four D-cell batteries in the main compartment, plus a pair of cells in each foot to keep the jive alive. So if you've been yearning for your very own Wowwee companion, but just don't have the coinage required to own the real deal, feel free to click on over and bring home the Robone, X-Robot, Robosaur, or Robodog now for just... well, nothing, considering even the "add to cart" function of the sketched-out website doesn't always work. Still, if you dig incredibly cheap looking renditions of popular items, and just need something to mock in order to brighten your day, JaiQi's just the medicine you ordered.[Thanks, Mutammim]
Tiger Electronics' Power Tour guitar rocks out with lights and sensors
While your teenage daughter might prefer something a bit more sophisticated, and your male child is probably rippin' it up right now on Guitar Hero, Hasbro's Tiger Electronics is coming out with an axe designed to let little tykes learn their favorite tunes without all the complicated (and pricey) lessons. The Power Tour electric guitar will come with 12 pre-loaded songs, and the string-free instrument will rock a bevy of sensors on the fretboard and body, which will allow youngsters to play along as they follow the light patterns with the music. Additionally, it's slated to have an aux input, allowing users to plug in any song they choose and jam along, but there's no word on whether or not that sweet pictured amp comes along in the bundle. Nevertheless, this kid-friendly guitar could actually find its way into quite a few musically-challenged adult hands as well when it lands in August for a currently undisclosed price.[Via Yahoo, thanks Adam]
ET wearable RFID gear turns everything into toys
While the bandwagon approach would be to develop an anti-RFID device to eliminate RFID invasions from our lives altogether, a mysterious Japanese website spells out an interesting take on making wearable RFID, dare we say, enjoyable. The ET (Everything Is Toy) is a "wearable computing system designed to change our daily lives into play," basically transforming the RFID tags on everyday objects into random bits of fun. The video demonstration showcases the system determining that the user picked up an umbrella, but rather than sulking about how rainy it is outside, he proceeds to bust out a few ninja-like moves while the integrated speaker on his person translates the motions into sword clanging sounds. Other examples are a thrown orange becoming a whizzing fireball and your average desk chair revving up like a race car when wheeled around. Of course, the idea is still a prototype, and it won't do us much good without a whole lot of RFID-enabled goods at our disposal, but this looks like a surefire time waster when bored at the office at the very least. Click on through for the sound-filled demonstration.
WOW Action Figures marauding this fall
DC Direct, who rather surprisingly make action figures based on DC Comics characters, are set to release gorgeous World of Warcraft figures this fall. In addition to the above Draenei Paladin, prototypes for the Orc Shaman, Dwarf Warrior and Illidan can be seen on the Wizard Entertainment website. More information is expected in next month's issue of Toyfare magazine. Will the final products have color? Who cares, these prototypes are pretty freaking sweet already.See Also: Ocarina of Time adult Link collectible statue [Via Firing Squad]
Today's action figuriest video: GH2 Toys - Thunderhorse
Imagine, if you will, Toy Story meets Robot Chicken meets YouTube ... and you'd have nothing like this video. Still, it's funny and features some pretty well-done impressions and Guitar Hero gaming. Thunderhorse on expert is one bitch of a song, and if the combined likes of Darth Vader, Arnold Schwarzenegger and others can't help you through it, then nothing will.Although a four-armed character like Goro sure would help. While we're at it, we'd also like to be imbued with the power of Steve Vai and have the ability to slow down time. You know, just as an edge.
German robotics group crafts LEGO factory to build... LEGO cars
It's one thing to craft something remarkable all by your lonesome, but constructing an entire factory to handle all the dirty work for you is really doing something. A robotics group assembled (ahem) at a German "grammar school" (VHG) in lower Bavaria has fabricated a feat that even Toys R Us would marvel over, as the group's expansive LEGO Mindstorm factory was built entirely out of LEGO blocks, and moreover, programmed to assemble LEGO-based vehicles. Taking a note from every other major assembly plant in the world, this automated construction site feeds blocks from one end to the other, carefully pushing, pulling, and connecting pieces as necessary to completely assemble a LEGO car. While we've no idea how you'd even begin concocting this same masterpiece at your own domicile, nor how tough it is to be admitted into this apparently incredulous university, you'll reportedly need at least 2,000 man hours and €3,000 ($3,937) just to get started, but feel free to click on through for a lengthy video demonstration.[Via MetaFilter]
Patience key to beating arcade crane games
While the American arcade has been in a slow decline for years now, the allure of being able to some cheap knock-off stuffed animal for a mere 50 cents is still a reason to seek out the odd arcade prize grab machine. For those who want to up the odds in their favor a little bit, British science show Braniac (shown in the U.S. on G4) has the goods. The key to beating the game is careful study. Apparently, these crane games are set up to only grip hard enough to win every so often, and at regular intervals. By standing nearby and counting out the number of losses between each success, you can determine just when to step in and go for the kill. Of course, you still have to have good aim and a steady hand to pick up the plush, but playing at the right time will maximize your chances and your payoff. It's unclear whether this method will work on every variety crane game or if some with more randomized settings are impervious (any arcade insiders have the scoop? Leave a comment). Regardless, your father feels that if you spent less time watching crane games and more time going out and looking for a job instead, you wouldn't have to worry about saving a few dollars on a stupid plush toy. And call your mother! She worries about you!
Fuzzy-wuzzy Animal Crossing toys
Last night, we were rambling around in one another's towns and now look -- Animal Crossing toys. There are a lot of jokes that could be made about the placement of one's hand with a Tom Nook puppet -- and after all, he is a bell-hungry monster -- but we're gonna just grit our teeth and let those slide. We're guessing these are tie-ins for the Animal Crossing movie recently released in Japan. There are also clocks, if that's more your style.[Via GoNintendo]
Christmas toy noises are/aren't dangerous
Now that nearly all links between cellphones and cancer have been demolished, thanks to that pesky thing called "science," fear-mongers have been scrambling for another issue to sink their teeth into. But have no fear, we're sure they'll think of something. In fact, it looks like they already have: the hot new "OMG we're all going to die!" issue this holiday season is noisy Christmas toys. We're not even joshing. Apparently in a study done by the Deafness Research UK in conjunction with Dr. Brad Backus of University College London, 14 out of 15 toys tested produced noise levels above the recommended safety limit when held close to the ear. 8 of the 15 were just fine during normal use, but the three worst offenders -- a machine gun, a tommy gun and a cap gun -- are on the "avoid" list. So Bobby can't have a machine gun for Christmas, what else? Dr. Brad say: "Our advice is pretty simple: don't let your child hold noisy toys too close to their ear and don't let them play with them for more than an hour a day. Most parents probably don't want to listen to these toys for too long anyway!" Oh, is that all, we're sure Bobby will understand completely. After all, it's for the children!
