[gregor7777]

That's odd... probably because the 360 portal is wired. I've been using my 3DS portal with the usb cable (PC-mode) for my PS3 since my PS3's portal's batteries died. If you want just the portal and game you're probably going to have to buy it used.

I believe it's simply because the 360 portal needs some kind of id chip to interface with the 360.

Apparently all the other versions are plug and play, with a few exceptions.

[eudaemonic]

Sweet, got an instant win after calling that first 800 #. btw, when it first asks for your street address, just give the street number and street name. It will ask for city, state and zip in the following question. That way you're not repeating yourself like I did without realizing it.

Haha... I did that too. :P

[ghostmind]

Dragon's Peak is available on Amazon for $20 right now. Not for much longer, i would imagine.

[eudaemonic]

A heads up... I went to the grocery store tonight and figured what the hell when it came to one of those Skylanders marked Frito sets.

Offer expires 5/5/12.

So yeah, looks like tomorrow/today is your last day if you're interested. I hope that phone call thing didn't screw me over cause this one told me I was a non-winner. :\

[n8NMONSTER]

Finally got my final three Skylanders. :D

[SaberVulcan]

Finally got my final three Skylanders. :D

Impressive sir. Every store here has nothing but stuff like Legendary Trigger and Hex.

Kind of stopped paying attention to this after initial release, but some of the newer releases are cool enough to make me look for them (like Warnado :3 )

[BooJoh]

Warnado is a lot of fun. One of my favorite characters already.

My set is complete for now. The only things I'm really concerned with between now and Giants are the sidekicks, Whisper Elf in particular, all if possible.

I have:
-PS3 game version
-3DS game version
-All 32 basic Skylanders
-All 4 Legendary Skylanders
-Dark Spyro
-All 4 Adventure Packs
-Blue Bash
-Doubles of Cynder, Ignitor, and Double Trouble

All of my figures are opened (including Blue Bash) with the exception of my extra Double Trouble, which is a single pack sent to me by Walmart as a consolation prize for my canceled Empire of Ice order.

I'd take a picture of my collection, but since my 3DS and DSi are the only readily available cameras I have atm it would just be a blurry mess.

My go-to characters for each element are:
Life - Stealth Elf
Air - Warnado/Sonic Boom
Tech - Drobot
Fire - Sunburn/Ignitor
Magic - Wrecking Ball
Undead - Hex
Water - Wham-Shell
Earth - Dino-Rang/Terrafin

[DiscoJason]

Only need Wham Shell to complete my collection, but having no luck finding him (without paying a stupid amount on eBay or Amazon).

[eudaemonic]

Awmg!

They... glow... *sobs*

Ebay auction for Wrecking Ball, Zap, and Warnado

Seriously, I wish I had more patience for hunting this stuff down. Or more cash. :(

Also saw there is at least a clear Stealth Elf and Cynder out there too.

[jkanownik]

[n8NMONSTER]

Lol. Just checked :D..... All of those sold out already. t_t /cry

[SaberVulcan]

Just need Dragon's Peak and Wham-Shell and I will have everything I want. Gonna be a pain to find them ><;.

[mediapulp_wes]

Nice close up of the two special edition Cynders for you all (not mine unfortunately).

On a completely unrelated note. I'll be recording a podcast with Jeff Gerstmann (Giant Bomb), John Davison (Gamespot) and Andy Robertson (Wired) at 8pm GMT, talking to Mike Stout (Activision) and Alex Ness (Toys For Bob). If you have any questions for them, drop them in this thread and I'll try and squeeze them in if I find a suitable moment.

[Double D]

I will listen to this podcast. Thanks for the heads up.

Also still need a Wham-Shell if anyone has any info.

[Zing]

I sold my extra Wham Shell to a local for $20. I would have offered it here, but I didn't think anyone would want to spend the ~$7-9 for shipping from Canada. I personally refuse to spend more than $10 for a figure. I wouldn't even order online unless it would be free shipping.

I still need Camo and Warnado, but I am holding out for the three-pack. I do have a single unopened Ignitor, but I am going to return it if I find the three-pack.

[GameMaster78]

I made lots of changes to the collection, including the order in which the pics come.

I wanted to put more emphasis on the actual collection itself. The variants are now the bottom set of pics.

About variants. I did add more variants to my collection. I now have the Nuremberg Toy Fair Hex, as well as the three glow-in-the-dark Skylanders. I am only missing the 3 crystal-clear ones.

Without further ado -

Left side of my Skylanders shrine -



Right side of my Skylanders shrine -



Main Skylanders display -



Here is a close-up of the sealed single packs -




Here is a close-up of the sealed triple packs -



Here is a close-up of the sealed adventure and legendary triple/single packs -



Here is a close-up of some of the silvers, golds, glow-in-the-darks, Toy Fair 2012 Cynder & Hex, Blue Bash, and store exclusive Whirlwind and Drill Sergeant variants -



Skylander game case display, which also houses the Skylanders Tower Case. The bottom shelf houses my strategy guide and free shirt from the Best Buy promotion -



Here is a group shot of the character cards -



Here are both sets of my personal Skylanders collection. One set is for the first upgrade path. The second set is for the second upgrade path -



Here is a group shot of my kids' collections, as well as my own, together. Top-left is my daughters. Top-right is my sons. Bottom two sets are mine, and the 17 Skylanders at the very bottom, are my two year olds -



Here is a pic of the extra sets of cards and stickers accumulated by buying multiple figures -



Here are the Toy Fair 2012: New York: Cynder and Toy Fair 2012: Nuremberg: Hex -



Here are the 3 silver Skylanders: Dino Rang, Boomer, and Eruptor -



Here are the 3 gold Skylanders: Chop Chop, Flameslinger, and Drill Sergeant -



Here are the 3 glow-in-the-dark Skylanders: Wrecking Ball, Warnado, and Zap -



Here is a group shot of the 3 silvers, 3 golds, and 3 glow-in-the-dark Skylanders -



Here are the three glow-in-the-dark Skylanders, glowing -



Here are my "ONLY AT" exclusive Skylanders. These are actually different than the mass retail versions. Whirlwind has a solid white base, while Drill Sergeant has a deeper metallic red and glossy base -



Here are the Volcanic Vaults I have accumulated from getting copies of the game or through various promotions -



Strategy Guide -



Here are three pics of ALL of the Skylanders toys and how they fit into three "Stanley Sortmaster Jr." cases. THIS is the best casing for Skylanders merchandise, as it can fit all 37 Skylanders, 8 magical items, and 4 expansion levels. Take note of how I place them, in order to place them in your Sortmaster Jr. cases, with little to no intrusion -

TOP CASE -



MIDDLE CASE -



BOTTOM CASE -



Here is a shot of my Starter Packs -




More to come, when I nab those crystal-clear Skylanders.

[Party Popper]

360 or 3DS version?

I dont know what to do!!! I just wanna play with those little plastic bastards! hahaha

[GameMaster78]

I'd go with both. However, if you can only choose 1 right now, I'd roll with the 360 version.

It seriously is the Gauntlet of this generation, made better, but only lacking in difficulty (I want to die more darnit). I can't wait for Giants. I bet Toys for Bob can't wait, either. :P

EDIT: I am editing my collection with this pic, but I will post it here.

Here is a pic of my three glows, doing their glow-thang (blatant slang) -

[Double D]

Wow, I didn't even know the glowing ones existed.

[GameMaster78]

They do. And, the more you look at glow-in-the-dark Wrecking Ball, the more he's telling you he wants to eat your brains while you sleep. MWAHAHAHAHAHA!

[nicoga3000]

Is Giants supposed to be harder??

[SaberVulcan]

Did you find all of them yourself GameMaster or did you resort to eBay and such to get such an awesome collection?

Im just curious how shitty my luck is compared to you :P

[GameMaster78]

I surely hope it is.

Toys for Bob will have to understand, that this game does have an adult audience. At the same time, kids will be getting older.

If they want this to be an annual franchise, they need to keep setting the bar higher.

I have so many ideas, that could make Skylanders rock, people would take notice and buy it due to the sheer amount of content alone.

I would give the players a reward for collecting all Skylanders for that particular game. It wouldn't be something like an XP boost. Let's say Skylanders 3 came out, and it had a further 24 Skylanders to collect (3 per element). I would give the incentive of getting all figures, not only because they unlock new Heroics, but there could be a super secret chapter at the end of each game, for registering all of that game's Skylanders.

I would make the Hub full of secrets itself, ala Super Mario games. That would be another idea.

I would add something called Elemental Challenges to the Hub. Scattered throughout the hub, is 8 elemental gates. They could also be paired together in some "Hallway of Elements." Each gate takes the player to a level tailored to a specific element. These would be super hard - harder than Dark Souls. Okay, I'm just kidding. It would be tough, however.

These Elemental Challenges could only be completed by having all Skylanders of that element. So, let's say they did this in the first game. Let's say the Air Challenge needed Whirlwind, Lightning Rod, Warnado, and Sonic Boom to finish. The level would make you think about neat ways to utilize each Air Elemental Skylanders moves. However, they wouldn't need to be upgraded past the 4 basic moves.

One part of the level, could be switches in a circle. No Skylander in the Air Element has the ability to hit all switches at once. BZZT! WRONG! One would need to use Lightning Rod's Zapper Field to hit all switches at once.

Whirlwind could need to have 3 clouds shot into some holes, all within the span of a few seconds, before the clouds disipate, to open a door. Those are just some ideas.

Another thing I would build up to, is a seamless (or semi-seamless) world. The game would still feature levels to go through, but they would be gotten to via traveling. Certain parts of the world would be empty until you bought an adventure pack. Buying those fills out an area with a new level, some challenges from nearby NPC's. Perhaps one of the challenges in the game, could be based on magical items.

I have so many ideas that would make Skylanders rock awesome.

It is still a mighty fine game, that invokes the feeling of Gauntlet, only more fun. However, there does need to be increased difficulty game after game. The games need to be longer, as well.

Bottom line, Giants needs to be tougher, because we have characters that are already level 10. I hope our Skylanders can go up higher in level, as well as learn some new moves.

[mediapulp_wes]

I hope our Skylanders can go up higher in level, as well as learn some new moves.

No comment.

[GameMaster78]

No comment.

Sheesh, Media. You should have just said, "we don't comment on rumors or speculation," lol. :P

[blizzardjesus]

I was wondering why all the stores were sold out of Skylanders... now we know. jk,
wish i could get my hands on a vault.

[Double D]

I sold my extra Wham Shell to a local for $20. I would have offered it here, but I didn't think anyone would want to spend the ~$7-9 for shipping from Canada. I personally refuse to spend more than $10 for a figure. I wouldn't even order online unless it would be free shipping. I still need Camo and Warnado, but I am holding out for the three-pack. I do have a single unopened Ignitor, but I am going to return it if I find the three-pack.

3 pack currently in stock at TRU.com

[mediapulp_wes]

Sheesh, Media. You should have just said, "we don't comment on rumors or speculation," lol. :P

I'm new to this game. Cut me some slack! ;)

You'll know more during E3. No megatons that I'm aware of, but definitely good stuff coming.

[GameMaster78]

Sorry, Saber. I didn't see your post. I only resorted to Ebay for the variants. Everything else was found in stores.

Media, I am dreading E3, because I bet there will be an exclusive figure there. :(

I would love to go to E3, but it would take me running a Skylanders dedicated website (which I plan on doing since I'm such a huge fan of the game), before I could even petition to the ESA to attend. It's my dream to go to E3.

[BooJoh]

I surely hope it is. Toys for Bob will have to understand, that this game does have an adult audience. At the same time, kids will be getting older. If they want this to be an annual franchise, they need to keep setting the bar higher. I have so many ideas, that could make Skylanders rock, people would take notice and buy it due to the sheer amount of content alone. I would give the players a reward for collecting all Skylanders for that particular game. It wouldn't be something like an XP boost. Let's say Skylanders 3 came out, and it had a further 24 Skylanders to collect (3 per element). I would give the incentive of getting all figures, not only because they unlock new Heroics, but there could be a super secret chapter at the end of each game, for registering all of that game's Skylanders. I would make the Hub full of secrets itself, ala Super Mario games. That would be another idea. I would add something called Elemental Challenges to the Hub. Scattered throughout the hub, is 8 elemental gates. They could also be paired together in some "Hallway of Elements." Each gate takes the player to a level tailored to a specific element. These would be super hard - harder than Dark Souls. Okay, I'm just kidding. It would be tough, however. These Elemental Challenges could only be completed by having all Skylanders of that element. So, let's say they did this in the first game. Let's say the Air Challenge needed Whirlwind, Lightning Rod, Warnado, and Sonic Boom to finish. The level would make you think about neat ways to utilize each Air Elemental Skylanders moves. However, they wouldn't need to be upgraded past the 4 basic moves. One part of the level, could be switches in a circle. No Skylander in the Air Element has the ability to hit all switches at once. BZZT! WRONG! One would need to use Lightning Rod's Zapper Field to hit all switches at once. Whirlwind could need to have 3 clouds shot into some holes, all within the span of a few seconds, before the clouds disipate, to open a door. Those are just some ideas. Another thing I would build up to, is a seamless (or semi-seamless) world. The game would still feature levels to go through, but they would be gotten to via traveling. Certain parts of the world would be empty until you bought an adventure pack. Buying those fills out an area with a new level, some challenges from nearby NPC's. Perhaps one of the challenges in the game, could be based on magical items. I have so many ideas that would make Skylanders rock awesome. It is still a mighty fine game, that invokes the feeling of Gauntlet, only more fun. However, there does need to be increased difficulty game after game. The games need to be longer, as well. Bottom line, Giants needs to be tougher, because we have characters that are already level 10. I hope our Skylanders can go up higher in level, as well as learn some new moves.

So basically you'd take a game that is already criticized for requiring extra purchases, even though they sort of made an effort to make it not require all the figures, and you would make it require all the figures.

I'm sure there are plenty of ways to improve the sequel without giving the middle finger to people who can't afford to spend over $200 on one game.

Personally what I'd like to see, though I'm not sure enough data can be stored in the RFID chips, is for the figures to have their textures stored on the figure so that variants could show as variants ingame. At the very least Giants could possibly have a single flag within the figure to make the character display ingame with a preset special effect such as silver, gold, glowing, etc. Though it would do nothing for the current variants assuming they have no data differentiating them from a standard version.

[GameMaster78]

Well, BooJoh, these Elemental Challenges, wouldn't be a game breaker. In other words, they wouldn't be needed for the 100%.

Think of it more as a thanks to the hardcore fans who bought all of the characters. Some are content with 8, but there should be a form of thank you - ingame - for those who have all of the Skylanders for each game.

It's a means to have an excuse to make more levels, while extending the longevity of the game itself. There would be a reward at the end of each level, but it wouldn't be anything that hinders a Skylander's progress, be it stats or level.

[BooJoh]

I suppose. I just think this technology needs to be approached cautiously.

I have a love-hate relationship with these toys. On one hand, I'd rather buy a figure that unlocks a character than to just buy a digital unlock. On the other hand, I've seen how ridiculous some companies have gotten with DLC and microtransactions, and with Skylanders being such a runaway success I can already envision execs at gaming companies twisting their mustaches as they set forth plans that will drive NFC toys into the ground at lightspeed, or at the very least make any game that uses it have a significantly higher average cost to end users.

I'll probably be drawing the line at Skylanders, only going for one of each new character in Giants and not new variants, and moving forward I'll try to restrain myself from being tempted by other NFC games unless they're from Nintendo themselves.

[GameMaster78]

I suppose. I just think this technology needs to be approached cautiously. I have a love-hate relationship with these toys. On one hand, I'd rather buy a figure that unlocks a character than to just buy a digital unlock. On the other hand, I've seen how ridiculous some companies have gotten with DLC and microtransactions, and with Skylanders being such a runaway success I can already envision execs at gaming companies twisting their mustaches as they set forth plans that will drive NFC toys into the ground at lightspeed, or at the very least make any game that uses it have a significantly higher average cost to end users. I'll probably be drawing the line at Skylanders, only going for one of each new character in Giants and not new variants, and moving forward I'll try to restrain myself from being tempted by other NFC games unless they're from Nintendo themselves.

Well, I will say this.

One of the main reasons I supported this game, is because of it having the first ever cross-platform physical DLC.

I too, hate DLC that isn't physical. One pays a certain amount of money for a mere liscense. That's something you never own, and one is tied down by the rules of DRM. DRM is basically the company of said DLC saying, "you play how we want you to play. If your system messes up, have fun going through all the hassle to get it working again."

I literally support two types of DLC. One is anything Halo related. The second is any games in the "Trials" series. The bike game, where you use physics to get through the levels. THAT'S IT!

I have saved a lot of money, not buying DLC, while I also save any future frustration due to DRM at the same time.

Let's put it this way. I wouldn't have touched Skylanders with a 10-foot pole, had this all been DLC only. NO WAY!

I have something to show for the money I spent. That's the way I like it, and I give mad props to Toys for Bob for making Skylanders the way they did, what with the physicality of it all.

If gaming EVER becomes digital download only, like these game companies like, other people can go ahead and support companies, by buying liscenses for 50+ bucks. I will just fill out my backlog with any games I may be missing and play those games until I die. In other words, I won't be supporting gaming anymore, when it comes to new systems and games.

Another way I look at these toys, and why I love them, is because I have spent 17.99 on NECA figures. They make toys like Gears of War, Soul Reaver, and other video game related toys. However, at 17.99, all they do is sit in the pose I posed them in, never to do anything but look cool.

Skylanders, on the other hand, not only look cool displayed in a gaming-dedicated room, but they also can play on a game, level to 10, go down 1 of 2 upgrade paths, unlock a Heroic Challenge (basically like a level in its own), and play on a web game, 3DS game, Wii/360/PS3/PC game, and now an iPhone/iPad game. That's a lot of stuff one little figure can do, for 9-10 bucks.

The Skylanders do all of that, for 7-8 dollars less than toys that just sit still forever.

[mclem]

Woo, just had the mail from Amazon UK that the Empire of Ice order I placed back in March has finally sourced stock!

I believe I'm just holding out for Dragon's peak, Camo/Warnado/Ignitor and Wham Shell, and I'll have the full basic set - for those, it's just a case of waiting for the UK release, I believe, and I've had orders ongoing for all of those for ages, too. I was worried for a bit I wouldn't be able to get a full set after starting so late, but Amazon have done me proud.

[angrybus]

I just got the game for PS3 and am stuck on the 'can't find wireless receiver' screen. I've got the USB plugged in, I turned the portal on and then pressed both the sync buttons on the portal and the USB..yet nothing?

[mclem]

Looks like the final wave has *finally* hit the UK; I have my Dragon's Peak now, with Camo/Warnado/Ignitor on the way, and Wham Shell up on Amazon.

[nicoga3000]

Blah, still need Pirate Sea's and Camo/Ignitor/Warnado pack + Wham Shell. My order didn't go through. :( These are getting harder and harder to find, too. Blah.

[n8NMONSTER]

Our Fry's just got a small stock of Pirate Seas. o-o

[nicoga3000]

Our Fry's just got a small stock of Pirate Seas. o-o

The nearest Fry's is like, an hour from me. And their website only sells "3-Packs" or whatever. Not sure what that even means...

[mediapulp_wes]

Looks like the final wave has *finally* hit the UK; I have my Dragon's Peak now, with Camo/Warnado/Ignitor on the way, and Wham Shell up on Amazon.

Struggling to find the Camo/Warnado/Ignitor triple, but I have a Wham Shell and Dragons Peak on the way. After that I think we still need Stump Smash and Sonic Boom singles. Would like to pick up a Legendary Trigger Happy too.

Also, I know some of you showed an interest in the podcast episode I was putting together with Alex Ness (Toys For Bob), Mike Stout (Activision), Jeff Gerstmann (Giant Bomb), John Davison (Gamespot) and Andy Robertson (Wired, Family Gamer TV), well I'm pleased to report it is now live. There are some hints in there to unreleased info about Skylanders Giants which will be revealed at E3, but feel free to speculate further.

http://bit.ly/LsYEr1

[GameMaster78]

Thanks for the kind words about my collection, Wes. It was nice to hear Toys for Bob mention that they have pics of my collection on their wall.

I know some of the TFB team is seeing this, so thanks to you as well.

That podcast confirmed I will be buying 3 of every repose, plus 3 of every new Skylander/Giant. I've already begun saving.

Thanks again, Wes and Toys for Bob.

[BooJoh]

I'm happy to hear that our current figures can be leveled up to 15. The new abilities and new poses (maybe even some detail variants like the visual upgrades seen ingame on some characters) will be enough to get me to buy reposes of a few favorites.

Can't wait to see new info during E3.

[Zing]

That podcast confirmed I will be buying 3 of every repose, plus 3 of every new Skylander/Giant. I've already begun saving.

Well, that didn't take long for you to turn 180 degrees from your previous stance.

[GameMaster78]

Well, that didn't take long for you to turn 180 degrees from your previous stance.

True. I was hoping they wouldn't have new moves, but they will. So, it's a must for me.

[Bumhead]

Think I'm going to jump in on the 3DS version of this. The whole thing sounds amazing and I hear positive things generally about the 3DS game.

How future proof do we think this whole concept is? I mean, if I'm going to be buying characters and investing in this rather expensive universe, I don't want to be doing it for just one game. Will existing characters and hardware work with future games in the Skylanders series? My ideal scenario right now is that I play the 3DS game now, enjoy the figures, then go and do the same again with the Wii U version/sequel this Christmas? I should be OK for that, right?

[BooJoh]

Think I'm going to jump in on the 3DS version of this. The whole thing sounds amazing and I hear positive things generally about the 3DS game. How future proof do we think this whole concept is? I mean, if I'm going to be buying characters and investing in this rather expensive universe, I don't want to be doing it for just one game. Will existing characters and hardware work with future games in the Skylanders series? My ideal scenario right now is that I play the 3DS game now, enjoy the figures, then go and do the same again with the Wii U version/sequel this Christmas? I should be OK for that, right?

Right now all the current figures work in two different games. The console versions, and the 3DS version, which are completely different games. Keep that in mind, as most people agree that the 3DS game is good but the console game is better.

Current figures are also confirmed to work in the upcoming sequel, including being able to level them up further. Presumably the sequel will again be two games, console and 3DS, but that's just speculation as we haven't heard anything about the 3DS version of Skylanders Giants yet.

They also work in the webgame on PC if you like that sort of thing.

So any figures you buy now can get plenty of use.

[mediapulp_wes]

Current figures are also confirmed to work in the upcoming sequel, including being able to level them up further. Presumably the sequel will again be two games, console and 3DS, but that's just speculation as we haven't heard anything about the 3DS version of Skylanders Giants yet. They also work in the webgame on PC if you like that sort of thing.

3DS for Giants is confirmed in the podcast. Also, don't forget the iOS game which also supports all your characters from the first game.

[Bumhead]

Excellent. So at this point, if im going to invest in the franchise, there are a minimum of at least 2 3DS games and 2 console games to be playing, plus future installments down the line. Sounds fair enough to me.

[mediapulp_wes]

Excellent. So at this point, if im going to invest in the franchise, there are a minimum of at least 2 3DS games and 2 console games to be playing, plus future installments down the line. Sounds fair enough to me.

Also, now might be a good time to get in on it as I would guess that prices for figures will drop over the summer. Especially for Wave 1 & 2, which were released around Christmas now. From what I've seen on store shelves, all characters are being restocked at the moment and some characters are being price reduced by online retailers.

[Bumhead]

Prices seem pretty static for us in the UK. The standard price seems to be £9.99 for single packs and £19.99 for triple/adventure. That said, I notice Amazon have reduced some figures, while others are slightly higher than on the high street.

Not sure how involved im going to be in collecting figures. I say this now but I guess I'll just get one of each class, or just the particularly good looking characters. Easy to say that now though, haha.