darkSpyro

The first stages of Wave 3 of the toys for Skylanders SWAP Force are starting to hit shops, the five new core Skylanders toys hit Toys R Us yesterday in the United States.



Here's what makes up the rest of Wave 3, they're not quite yet available in the US but are already available in some other countries like Germany and Italy.









The winners of the Frito-Lay sweepstakes for Quickdraw Rattle Shake are starting to report receiving their prizes so be on the lookout for it if you've won one (or more).



In other Wave 3 news, today saw the introduction of the five new Wave 3 characters in Skylanders Lost Islands, you can now get Rubble Rouser, Stink Bomb, Spy Rise, Dune Bug and Wind-Up in the game, which means that at long last it is possible to match the Earth element Sugarbats. Last Friday saw a specially squeezed in Christmas update for the game as well:

• Jolly Bumble Blast makes his festive debut. It'll be 250 Gems if you don't have the toy.
  
• A new SWAP Force House has been added, buy them for 350 Gems to put your SWAP Force characters in for the chance to earn Gold, Gems, Energy or Kingdom XP.
  
• Another new companion, Fiznik, he'll double the Kingdom XP you get for the rather pricey sum of 3000 Gems.
  

And earlier last week they posted the regular Monday update.

• New companion Diggs who you can use to trade in large amounts of Gold and Energy for Gems once a day. He'll cost you 2000 Gems but is said to be only available until January 1st.
  
• The Legendary Skylanders are here, all four of the new Legendaries from SWAP Force have been added. That's Legendary Night Shift, Legendary Free Ranger, Legendary Grim Creeper and Legendary Zoo Lou.
  
• A new system has been added so that Kingdom XP is still moderately useful after reaching the maximum kingdom level of 40. Your bar will again start to fill up as you gather it and will eventually give you some bonus gems and wish stones as a reward.
  

The Skylanders Collection Vault also recently saw an update which allows you to now add characters to your collection even if you don't have their webcode.

Skylanders: Lost Islands gets a wintry update this week.

• Softpaw, another character from Swap Force who's joined to become a Companion. He'll double the number of Sugarbats you get for just 50 Gems.
  
• Quickdraw Rattle Shake follows Jade Fire Kraken in being released before the toy. He'll cost you 300 Gems.
  
• Snowler Brawl's Hut gives this month's Alter Ego a place to stay for 350 Gems.
  
• The Snow Globe House has returned, it costs 500 Gems and houses 600 Mabu. Perhaps wait for another Premium House Sale.
  
• A timed quest gives away another new Alter Ego "Holiday Wash Buckler" if you own Skylanders: Battlegrounds.
  
• And your islands have been given a suitable new winter style.
  

Skylanders: Lost Islands kicks off December with a new companion, a new Skylander and a brand new Alter Ego.

• Tessa, another new companion from Skylanders: Swap Force, has joined and for the price of 3000 of your Gems she'll boost the Mabu population by 25%.
  
• Jade Fire Kraken has been added, despite the fact that he hasn't even been released as a real toy yet. It'll cost the usual 300 Gems or a spin to get him.
  
• Snowler Brawl was released yesterday as December's Alter Ego version of Roller Brawl, throw your Wishstones in the Wishin' Well to win her!
  

A brand new free official app has hit the iTunes Store, called Skylanders Collection Vault it allows you to catalog your collection by entering their webcodes.


The festive themed Jolly Bumble Blast has been given a release date, according to GameStop it's due out on the 7th of December in the US, Best Buy have it listed for the 8th.


The recently Androidified Skylanders: Lost Islands has seen another of its weekly updates, since Thanksgiving is this week in the US it's the Week of the Bird!

• A new Bird House for your "Bird" Skylanders, they'll cost you 200 Gems each. Only available until Sunday!
  
• During the Week of the Bird all of your Bird Skylanders will get double gold.
  
• On Friday morning all Skylanders will be 80% off, it runs from 4AM to 12PM so try to get on early if you want to buy one.
  
• December's new Alter Ego is going to appear in the Wishin' Well on Sunday so make sure to have won Birthday Bash by then!
  

Skylanders: Lost Islands has joined Cloud Patrol and Battlegrounds in finally launching on Android! They've also provided the usual weekly update:

• New companions Gorm and Tuk who double gold and hero points for Swap Force Skylanders, they cost 400 Gems.
  
• Enchanted Hoot Loop becomes available if you don't have the actual toy, it'll set you back either 300 Gems or the cost of a spin.
  
• And three new timed quests for shrines involving Avril, Nitro Magna Charge and Birthday Bash.
  

To celebrate a year since the launch of Skylanders: Lost Islands they're gearing up for even more birthday celebrations this week.

• Another character from Skylanders: Swap Force becomes a companion, for 400 Gems Avril will double the kudos awarded to you from gifts and visiting.
  
• November's Alter Ego now has Birthday Bash's Hut to use.
  
• Nitro Magna Charge is available to those without the toy, it'll cost the usual 300 Gems or a spin.
  
• A couple of timed quests, one for last week's companion, Wheellock, and one for last week's new Skylander, Volcanic Eruptor.
  
• The #1 Fans are returning for free at the weekend as part of the Birthday Celebration that'll also offer 50% off all companions and have past alter egos in the Wishin' Well as top prizes.
  

Some mobile Skylanders news again. After last week's update to the iOS version Skylanders: Battlegrounds has now also joined Cloud Patrol in becoming available on Android.

The Dark Days event in the still-iOS-exclusive Skylanders: Lost Islands has concluded and a new companion has arrived.

• New companion Marshal Wheellock from Skylanders: Swap Force has joined in, he doubles the Hero Points you get but'll cost 900 Gems.
  
• If you don't have the toy then fear not, Volcanic Eruptor can now be bought for 250 Gems.
  
• This week's Super Tuesday has brought back all of the Giant and Sidekick Houses for one day only.
  
• And last Friday saw the release of Birthday Bash, the new Alter Ego for November. Win him in the Wishin' Well all month.
  

And the Frito-Lay sweepstakes for Quickdraw Rattle Shake has officially begun, albeit with a bit of a rocky start.

Toys R Us are due to release their remaining Legendary Skylanders from Skylanders: Swap Force over the next few weeks. According to an advert Legendary Zoo Lou will be out first on the 3rd of November (this Sunday) followed by Legendary Night Shift a week after on the 10th.


Last week saw the long quiet Skylanders: Battlegrounds finally get an update, it added the third chapter at last as well as implementing the new Swap Force characters.

Just a small update to Skylanders: Lost Islands this week.

• Dark Stealth Elf and Dark Blast Zone are now purchasable in game. They cost 200 and 300 Gems.
  
• A new house, Dark House, houses any of the Dark Skylanders in the same way the Dragon Lair houses dragons. It'll cost you the same 1200 Gems though.
  

Remember that November's alter ego will be appearing on Friday but that also means that Thursday is your last chance to get Skeletal Cynder before she disappears from the Wishin' Well.

Darkness descends on Skylanders: Lost Islands as a new selection of Skylanders join the fun.

• The Wave 2 Skylanders are now all in the game. It's the usual 300 Gems for the swappers and 200 for the core.
  
• Dark Wash Buckler and Dark Slobber Tooth can now also be bought if you don't have the toy, 300 and 250 Gems respectively.
  
• A "Dark Days" event will be running for two weeks (ends November 3rd) where all your Dark Skylanders will have an extra 100% gold bonus.
  
• Skeletal Cynder's Hut has arrived for 350 Gems.
  
• A new companion called Ma-Boo has appeared, find him in your Kingdom once each day to receive a Wishstone. Costs 30 Gems.
  
• The disguised trolls are back, giving a Wishstone when you clear them.

According to an email alert from Toys R Us the second wave of toys for Skylanders Swap Force is officially due out in the US tomorrow. It will be made up of the following figures:


Some have reported finding them already at Toys R Us and Sam's Club and that quantities may initially be more limited than that of Wave 1.


The method to get the glow-in-the-dark Rattle Shake variant "Quickdraw Rattle Shake" has been revealed. The toy will be given away by Frito-Lay in much the same manner as their current Fright Rider sweepstakes. It starts at the beginning of November so look for the specially marked packs in US stores soon.

Skylanders Swap Force has launched in the US and Canada to positive reviews.

Quote: Joystiq - 4.5 Stars

It's easy to think of Skylanders' collectible figure component as a cynical cash-grab, but in practice it meshes well with the series' beat-'em-up gameplay.

Quote: Forbes - 9/10

In fact, at almost every turn Skylanders Swap Force seems intent on over-delivering both features and fun. Playing the game with (my) children who are more than a little Skylanders saturated there was still a sense of surprise and excitement. The Swap Force figures caused the biggest buzz, both in and out of the game.

Quote: Venture Beat - 90/100

While the inclusion of the jump button certainly makes for more varied gameplay, it also may add more challenge for the younger gamers in your household. Many of these leaps require good timing and placement (lining up at the very edge of a gap), and the bosses have some particularly damaging ground attacks that quickly exhaust the health of your Skylander if you don’t hop over them at just the right time.

Quote: Metro - 9/10

The game’s combat is still relatively simplistic, but the variety of abilities and attacks - and the ability to chop and change them at will - does encourage kids to think about what they’re doing a lot more than any combo system or other traditional contrivance would have. And you can now at least jump, which may sound like an odd thing to celebrate but it again shows the franchise stepping back from the enforced simplicity of the earlier games.

Quote: Game Informer - 8.50

No matter what bizarre creature you craft, Skylanders: Swap Force handles the empowerment of playing god convincingly. The amalgamated beasts that now roam Skylands open up new combat and traversal possibilities, and also add another much-needed wrinkle to this series’ well-worn gameplay formula.

Quote: Gaming Trend - 85

But what about the game? Yes, well, much like the toys, the game is aimed squarely at kids in Elementary school - that isn’t to say an adult can’t have fun with it, but expect it to be a kid’s ride. The game certainly contains mild cartoon violence, but it’s not something I would be uncomfortable in having a child play.

Quote: Destructoid - 8.5/10

Not only do the new Swap Force toys and in-game models have a ton of detail (Wash Buckler's squid legs are a highlight), but it also allows an unprecedented amount of customization as you search for your favorite playstyle.

Quote: IGN - 8.2

Skylanders Swap Force delivers almost everything fans could want. There are fantastic new characters, a funny story, and a complete disregard for the boring rules that say robots and wizards shouldn't be part of the same world.

Quote: Games Radar - 4 Stars

While the narrative sticks to a simplistic stop-the-bad-guy's-evil-plot theme, the cutscenes have gotten a noticeable upgrade in quality. The CGI scenes and voice acting on par some of the best computer animated cartoons you might see on a Saturday morning and the leading characters, like Flynn and Tessa, are charming and humorous.

Quote: Official Xbox Magazine - 7.5

Developer Vicarious Visions did a fantastic job crafting a tightly-knit, varied adventure in which you'll - just for starters - sneak past alarms disguised as a sheep, sniff out a full list of goofball collectibles, and take out a wide range of foes. With a seemingly endless number of things to see and do, this is no quick jaunt.

Quote: Kotaku - Yes

Each Swap Force character also has a travel power that unlocks mini-game challenges scattered through the story levels, and two of those are absent from the launch lineup. Puzzling.

The reviews for the 3DS version of the game were a little more mixed.

Quote: Gaming Trend - 82

My recommendation? If you’re into Skylanders, or your kids are, this one is a no-brainer. It’s a fantastic supplement to any existing Skylanders game as it adds value to your collection of toys.

Quote: IGN - 7.1

Skylanders Swap Force for the 3DS is a fun but short addition to the franchise. It's an acceptable substitute to the console experience, mostly on the strength of its interesting villain and original story.

Quote: Nintendo World Report - 6

While each level does consist of plenty of platforming and combat, nothing other than the variety of Skylander skills makes a remarkable impression. The platforming, while enough to not bore adult gamers, becomes rather repetitive as jumping is the only real mechanic.

Quote: Financial Post - 5.5/10

The missions are a lot shorter - around only 15 minutes each as opposed to the hour-long quests in the console versions - and Moneybone’s minions are even less cunning than those employed by Kaos, which is saying something (they basically just charge at you until destroyed).

To go with the launch of Swap Force, Skylanders: Lost Islands has an update on the App Store to bring in (nearly) all of the Wave 1 Swap Force Skylanders.

WARNING: Do not use the Bluetooth Portal to load any characters into Lost Islands, it will completely wipe the data on the toy and all their progress in the console games will be lost. This applies to the new toys from Swap Force and the old ones from Giants and Spyro's Adventure. The issue has since been corrected.

• The first wave of Swap Force characters has arrived. DO NOT USE THE PORTAL! The swappable characters cost 300 gems while the new cores cost 200 if you don't own the toys.
  
• You can now level your Skylanders up to 15. No new companion is required, they'll just start earning experience straight away.
  
• A new type of random enemy has appeared, the Evilized Sugarbats. They hover in the air between your islands and require use of a swappable Skylander to clear. You can swap the halves to try to match the two elements it asks for, each matching half gets you a bonus gem.
  
• Hyde has been updated to now also appear in other people's kingdoms.
  

In this week's Skylanders: Lost Islands update the last of the sidekicks squeezes in and the boys set up their own HQ.

• Just in the nick of time Barkley makes his debut and rounds out the Giants Sidekicks only days before Swap Force is due to be released. If you don't have the toy he'll cost you 300 Gems.
  
• The Scouts HQ provides a house for all of the boy Skylanders, complete with a 200 Gem price tag. The output is just like the Sky Cadettes HQ that the girl Skylanders got last week.
  

Last Friday the official Youtube channel posted the first in what looks to be the start of a series of weekly videos, the Skylanders Boomcast.


Quote:

Skylanders Boomcast brings you the latest in Skylanders SWAP Force news. Host Zachary Gordon reveals the story behind the SWAP Force team and shares his favorite new combination when he swaps WASH BUCKLER with STINK BOMB to form: STINK BUCKLER! And Fryno makes a special appearance.

New Skylanders VIDEOS EVERY FRIDAY featuring the latest NEWS, TIPS & FAN ART of your favorite characters in Skylanders SWAP Force.

Or SWAPtober if you prefer. There are a few things going on to mark the launch of Skylanders SWAP Force, first up is that during the whole of October the official Skylanders twitter account will be giving away a single SWAP Force Starter Pack each day.

Quote:

Fans can then tweet their favorite SWAP Force character combination along with a suggested catchphrase using the hashtags #SWAPtober and #Skylanders for the chance to win one of the daily Skylanders SWAP Force Starter Pack giveaways, which will be available after the game's launch.

On Thursday the 10th from 3-6 PM there will be "celebration" in Times Square dubbed SWAPtoberfest where "fans will have the chance to be among the very first to play the game before it's available at retail" (the game launches on the 13th).

Quote:

SWAPtoberfest will feature Skylanders SWAP Force-themed activities, photos with Skylanders costumed characters as well as chances to win a Skylanders SWAP Force Starter Pack and special Skylanders-themed merchandise from top companies like MEGA Brands, Rubie's Costume Company, Hybrid Apparel and Power A.

And on the 12th and 13th at the Toys R Us flagship store in New York City you'll find "one-of-a-kind in-store experiences, including game demos and giveaways" to celebrate the launch of the game.

Skylanders: Lost Islands gets its weekly update with a new house and a new companion.

• A new house just for the girls, the Sky Cadettes HQ which costs 200 Gems and can be used by any of the female Skylanders
  
• A new companion Batterson who ups the number of kudos invitations can send in another kingdom from 3 to 6, he costs 200 Gems
  
• Super Tuesday tomorrow will be to get a chest every time you clear a troll/sheep/chompy pod so try to save them up if you can!
  
• And October's Alter-Ego is Skeletal Cynder, you'll be able to win her in the Wishin' Well from the 1st all the way through to the end of the month
  

The official Skylanders website has been updated with all of the artwork, videos, back stories and a few screenshots of each of the new Skylanders SWAP Force characters like Punk Shock and Wind Up below.


Several new trailers for the game have also been posted on the official Youtube channel like this CGI trailer introducing us to a new villain.


A few new alternative decoration toys have been discovered recently including a new Enchanted Hoot Loop, the first visual of Nitro Magna Charge, and an odd looking Jolly Bumble Blast. The first two you can find on the official website but Jolly Bumble Blast remains elusive.


Frito-Lay have launched a new sweepstakes to win a special orange and black Fright Rider. You find a code inside the large packs and enter it online for a chance to win one of the Fright Riders. It runs until the middle of November but remember it's just a chance to win unlike with the Sidekicks.


A fairly large update has hit the Lost Islands this week, you'll need to go to the App Store to update the app this time.

• A brand new type of currency called Kudos that is earned from the social objectives and used to buy a few things.
  
• Admiral Thumpback is a new Alter Ego but not from the Wishin' Well, instead he'll cost you 2000 Kudos.
  
• A new companion, Capybara King, costs 150 Gems but then causes all of your chests to have a bonus gem inside.
  
• Gurglefin is another new companion, he costs 400 Kudos and adds the chance to get Wishstones from gifts.
  
• The penultimate Sidekick Thumpling also sneaks in, he'll cost you 300 Gems if you don't have the toy.
  
• You can get Thumpback's House for free until the 29th.
  
• It's also Water Week which means Water Skylanders get +25% gold just like the Dragon Skylanders did last week.
  
• And finally there's a new bunch of decorations as well as a house for you to spend Kudos on.
  

Super Tuesday is a free gem each hour that you have to collect from Orville and 33% off Shrines.

All this week is Dragon Week in Skylanders: Lost Islands.

• A new "Dragon Lair" house for all of the dragon Skylanders to use. It'll cost you 1200 Gems though.
  
• The Dragon Week event gives all of the dragon Skylanders 25% extra gold until Sunday.
  
• And level 40 has a new "Stage" community building.
  

Oddly no new sidekick this week.

Later this week will apparently see the release of a special variant of the giant Eye-Brawl, it's already been spotted in a few places in Canada.


The "Special Halloween 2013 Edition" Eye-Brawl, more commonly referred to as Pumpkin Eye-Brawl thanks to his distinctive orange pumpkin-like eye-ball, is not an in-game variant and will appear exactly the same as a regular Eye-Brawl when playing just like the Glow-in-the-Dark editions of characters like Cynder and Sonic Boom that you might already own. It does however have the same "Special" tag that makes it distinct in the collection screen even if it doesn't look or behave any differently.

A quiet one for Skylanders: Lost Islands this week, Eye-Small is more widely available and the month's Alter-Ego gets his Hut.

• Eye-Small joins Lost Islands properly, you can now buy him for 300 Gems.
  
• Autumn Stump Smash gets his own Hut for 350 Gems.
  
• A new Wood Stack House for level 39 that can house 3200 Mabu.
  

And in news for a related game, the previously exclusive to iOS Skylanders: Battlegrounds has been announced for the LG Smart TV platform and is due out "this holiday season". Here's hoping they remember to finish it off this time.

Whisper Elf gets her house and Mini-Jini turns up to play.

• Mini-Jini kicks off the Giant Sidekicks with her arrival. Use your toy or buy her for 300 Gems.
  
• Whisper Elf is the second Sidekick to get a house, as usual it'll cost you 350 Gems.
  
• Level 38 gets a new building, a Park.
  
• Eye-Small also makes an appearance but only if you buy the most expensive 7500 Gem Pack (for half price).
  
• All the Giant Houses are back for a very short time.
  
• And we bid farewell to Flynn as he's leaving this Sunday.
  

Don't forget the new Alter-Ego that arrived on Sunday, Autumn Stump Smash, who you can win in the Wishing Well all month long.

A poster containing almost the entire lineup of Skylanders: SWAP Force has been found by supernicmax. The poster finally gives us the pictures and elements of the last remaining new Skylanders "Dune Bug", "Scratch", "Wind-Up", and "Punk Shock" who had until now been known only by their names.


It also confirms the return of Camo in some capacity as well as showing the new looks for a few other returnees.

And in other news, Skylanders: Cloud Patrol hit the regular Android Google Play store today, so no longer is it exclusive to the Kindle Fire (and iOS).

Activision today revealed some new information and screenshots for the Nintendo 3DS version of the upcoming Skylanders SWAP Force.


It will be developed by n-Space, the same company that made the 3DS version last year's Skylanders Giants, and will again have a completely different storyline to that seen in its console counterpart.

Quote: Press Release

The story of Skylanders SWAP Force on Nintendo 3DS begins in Boomtown, home of Skylands' favorite pilot, Flynn. As the town is celebrating Flynn as their hometown hero, a new villain known as Count Moneybone sneaks his way into Boomtown to kidnap Cali, long-time friend to Flynn and the Skylanders. Now it's up to Portal Masters everywhere to assemble the Skylanders and SWAP Force to save Cali and defeat the evil Count Moneybone.

The game will be released alongside the console versions in October and comes with two swappable characters, Free Ranger and Rattle Shake, as well as the exclusive Volcanic Eruptor.

Also playable on the 2DS!


Infinity Guru: Disney adds a new selection of Toy Boxes to Infinity and an Incredibles Walkthrough posted.

Another new house for an old alter-ego, a new Sidekick and an upcoming event mark this week's Skylanders: Lost Islands update.

• Terrabite joins the other three Sidekicks to fill out the original set of four. 300 Gems to buy him if you don't have the toy.
  
• Buddy Wrecking Ball gets his own Hut for 350 of your Gems.
  
• This weekend will be a Wishing Weekend where you can win previous alter-egos as Top Prizes, the Wish Stones that you earn will be doubled and you'll be able to get the companion Ermit who reduces Sanctuary time by half.
  
• A new Boat House for your Mabu to live in too, if you can get to level 37 that is...
  

An update late last week upped the Kingdom's level cap from 35 to 40 so it's time to get collecting that Kingdom XP again!

And Super Tuesday is the forewarned Chompy Invasion as well as 25% off last week's new companion, Cape Girl.

At this year's gamescom in Germany Activision have shown off a few of the new characters for Swap Force that we've been getting glimpses of recently.

The four main Skylanders they've been focusing on are two swappers, Boom Jet and Grilla Drilla, as well as two core Skylanders, Slobber Tooth and Zoo Lou.


FamilyGamerTV were at gamescom and have been busy interviewing a few key people like Guha Bala from the developers Vicarious Visions in the video above.

You can check out some new screenshots, artwork and toy photos in the Swap Force Gallery here on darkSpyro.

This week's Skylanders: Lost Islands update sees the addition of a brand new companion, a new Sidekick and a new house.

• Cape Girl, a new companion who can instantly complete Sheep, Troll and Chompy Pod invasions. Costs 150 Gems.
  
• Gill Runt, the third of the Sidekicks is now available. Costs 300 Gems (or of course free if you have the toy).
  
• Trigger Snappy's House, a new house for Trigger Snappy. Costs 350 Gems.
  
• And the usual new timed quests for premium items, one of the quests involves both of the Sidekicks from last week.
  

Infinity Guru: Disney Infinity launches to positive reviews.

A special $100 edition of the Skylanders Swap Force Starter Pack has been announced, the Dark Edition Starter Pack will be exclusive to GameStop and feature five Dark versions of some Skylanders.


The main attraction is the five dark Skylanders: Dark Wash Buckler, Dark Blast Zone, Dark Ninja Stealth Elf, Dark Mega Ram Spyro, and Dark Slobber Tooth. And along with all the usual stickers and cards you'll get a special poster featuring all of the characters from all three games.


Lost Islands this week sees the introduction of the first two Sidekicks, Trigger Snappy and Whisper Elf. They behave just like the other Skylanders but they can tackle the new Chompy Pods when they're fresh, other Skylanders must wait for it to empty. The other six Sidekicks are likely to be rolled out slowly like they've been doing with the variants. Super Tuesday this week has a double gold bonus.

Today we get out very first glimpse of the new Core Fire Skylander "Smolderdash", the Toys R Us exclusive Legendary versions of a few of the other new characters and a closer look at even more new figures from Skylanders SWAP Force.



We've also got images of the packaging that a few of the single characters are going to come in for SWAP Force:

Thanks to FFM1994 Walmart have kindly provided us with the names for the remaining mystery Skylanders from Skylanders SWAP Force, unfortunately they don't have any new pictures so you'll have to use your imagination for the moment.

For the totally brand new SWAP Force Core Skylanders we have:

• Wind Up
  
• Scratch
  
• Punk Shock
  
• Dune Bug
  
• Smolderdash
  
• Scorp
  

In addition to the ones we've known about previously there will be LightCore versions of Countdown, Bumble Blast and Smolderdash.

The remaining Adventure Pack and Battle Pack were also named as "Sheep Wreck Island" and "Arkeyan Crossbow" respectively. No details were given so it is still guesswork as to which Skylanders will be included in those packs.

And finally they gave almost all of the missing names for the Skylanders returning from previous games:

• Heavy Duty Sprocket
  
• Bang Bang Big Bang Trigger Happy
  
• Anchors Away Gill Grunt
  
• Fire Bone Hot Dog
  
• Phantom Cynder
  
• Twin Blade Chop Chop
  
• Super Gulp Pop Fizz
  
• Turbo Jet-Vac
  
• Horn Blast Whirlwind
  
• Hyper Beam Prism Break
  
• LightCore Wham-Shell
  
• LightCore Warnado
  
• LightCore Flashwing
  

That does however still leave room for one more Life returnee...

This week's update to Skylanders Lost Islands sees a few new additions as well as a returning giant house.

• Gnarly Tree Rex is now available, you can unlock for free even without the toy.
  
• A new companion called Ol'Mac has arrived who can double the energy you get from crops, he costs a whopping 3500 gems.
  
• Grill Master Chop Chop's Hut has been added at the usual price of 350 gems.
  
• Tree Rex's House is back until the 14th of August in celebration of Gnarly Tree Rex's debut, again it's priced at 350 gems.
  
• An announcement that the Sidekicks will be coming to the Lost Islands next week but no indication of what they might do.
  
• And of course a few new timed quests to complete.
  

Update: And for Super Tuesday you'll be able to collect a free gem from Orville each hour and shrines are 33% off at 200 gems each.

The last few remaining swappable characters from the upcoming Skylanders SWAP Force have been revealed by way of a poster on Amazon.co.uk spotted by jckelsall. Those last four stragglers are Rubble Rouser, Trap Shadow, Doom Stone and the previously leaked Boom Jet.


Also revealed today on Amazon.com was the packaging for the first Adventure and Battle Packs of SWAP Force. First we have the Tower of Time Adventure Pack in better detail with confirmation of the item names "Battle Hammer" and "Sky Diamond" along with Pop Thorn's name "Pop Thorn".


Then we have the Fiery Forge Battle Pack (previously known as Mulcan Forge) with a clear shot of the Bumble Blast toy as well as Knockout Terrafin.


You can find screenshots from both packs in the gallery.

Previously only seen in special Wii and PS3 console bundles, a single pack of Gnarly Tree Rex is about to hit the stores.


A few have already been found in stores but it is not expected to be properly released until a little later in the month.

The first of the new Giants sidekicks from the Frito-Lay promotion have been arriving so be on the lookout if you've ordered some of those.


And Skylanders: Lost Islands updated again this week. First with a new companion, Ruggles, who increases the number of Skylanders you can send in a Sanctuary, and today with the month's brand new Alter-Ego called "Grill Master Chop Chop" that you can win in the Wishin' Well (or just buy for 1500 gems).

As part of the "Heat Wave" event that lasts until the 4th of August you can also win previous alter-egos in the Wishin' Well as Top Prizes and hero points from all sources have been doubled for the duration.


Infinity Guru: Series 1 Power Discs and their abilities revealed in video form.

Thanks to Aura24 for spotting some listings for a whole load of unannounced Skylanders, they've since been removed by the retailer.


Another new Skylander that did not have an image is a Lightcore Skylander called Smolderdash and along with the other new returnees there were also Lightcore versions of Flashwing and Warnado but there were no images of them.

The first thing to remember is that the images that were used were clearly not intended to be published as is so the Skylanders will no doubt look a little different in their final designs. Their names too may be placeholders that have yet to be fully finalised as a Skylander we already know the name of, Pop Thorn, is listed as Gasteroid (of course it could be that Pop Thorn is the older name).

Bumble Blast, a Skylander we have actually previously seen in promotional artwork, looks set to be a part of a Battle Pack called "Mulcan Forge" along with the Series 3 version of Terrafin, the battle item itself being a cauldron pouring molten metal called "Cauldron".

As well as all that there a couple of listings for Double Packs which include two of the swappable Swap Force characters, one pack has Free Ranger and a mysteriously named Nitro Magna Charge while the other has Rattle Shake but also has Nitro Magna Charge. Again there were no images of these packs so it is unclear exactly how Nitro Magna Charge will differ from the regular single pack Magna Charge.


Infinity Guru: The Incredibles get their own set of Disney Infinity trailers.

Senpai Gamer have news of the impending release of Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure in Japan. It will be released in just two weeks, on the 12th of July, for the PS3, Wii, 3DS, and, surprisingly enough, the Wii U as well.


You can check out the official website to read all about the game in Japanese.

Thanks to Nat Loh for the heads up.

In much the same manner as last year's promotion, Frito-Lay have begun the process of giving away the new set of sidekicks in the US, this time based on four of the Giants from Skylanders Giants.


You can get one of Thumpling, Barkley, Eye-Small or Mini-Jini by purchasing a promotional multipack and then entering your code on their website (once it goes live on June the 30th at least). There's a $2.50 shipping and handling fee however so it's not entirely free.

Also included is a coupon for $1 off a Skylanders Giants toy and a coupon which doubles up for either $5 off a Giants Starter Pack or $10 off a SWAP Force Starter Pack.

Another of those last few stragglers, Series 2 Drobot, has been spotted at several Walmarts across the US. With Polar Whirlwind about to be formally released on Saturday this means that only Lightcore Hex remains unreleased in the US - and you'll need to pre-order and then wait for SWAP Force to get her.


Further details about GameStop's event this Saturday, the "Ultimate Skylanders Festival", have been confirmed including free sidekicks with the purchase of any Skylanders Giants toy, a free SWAP Force poster for the first 25 customers, Giants Starter Packs for $39.99 and all Battle Packs for $9.99. Not to mention the release of Polar Whirlwind and the possibility of a few Scarlet Ninjinis turning up too.

Two stores will also apparently have a SWAP Force demo:

Quote: Swap Force Demo

Come to these Stores if you are in the area for a Skylanders Swap Force Demo!

Dallas Fort-Worth
Shops of Southlake
1251 E Southlake Blvd, SPC 351
Southlake TX 76092

New York City Broadway & 85th
2322 Broadway
New York, NY 10024

Remember the event only runs until 2PM so make sure to get there early!

This Saturday (the 22nd) folks in the US will be able to go down to their local GameStop and hopefully get their hands on the elusive Polar Whirlwind. In an event known as "Skylanders Day" Polar Whirlwind will see her US debut (although of course some places have accidentally put her out early) along with some other special items and discounts on things like the Giants Starter Pack.


To get Polar Whirlwind in Australia however you will need to pre-order Skylanders SWAP Force from EB Games, much in the same manner as the rest of the world is doing to get LightCore Hex.

Forum member Tigorus has spotted the first of the new Adventure Packs thanks to a flyer given out when pre-ordering SWAP Force. The round, spiky, winged, core Skylander named Pop Thorn will be part of an Adventure Pack called "Tower of Time". And it appears to come with two brand new magic items just like the original Adventure Packs did.

E3 2013 has brought with it many new character reveals, gameplay videos and interviews with an assortment of Activision and Vicarious Visions staff about the upcoming Skylanders SWAP Force.

To kick it off we've been introduced to several new characters, some brand new Swap Force type and some regular "core" Skylanders.


Another brand new Swap Force type character, so far seen only in the newly updated version of the part swapping trailer, is a Fire Skylander called Fire Kraken. And for the core Skylanders you've got newcomers like Grim Creeper and, as shown off in various hands on play sessions, Fryno, a fiery rhino that has upgrades to get his very own motorbike (just like Hot Head).

We've also seen various returning Series 3 characters confirmed through brand new artwork like Spyro, Trigger Happy, Eruptor and Terrafin along with a few other brand new characters whose names have yet to be revealed.


On the gameplay and interview side of things you've got fairly extensive coverage from FamilyGamerTV showing off each of the new characters, like Fryno, as well as an interview with David Nathanielsz from Vicarious Visions the developers of Swap Force.

Coin-op TV too have a few videos and an interview of their own and The Skylander Kids have some up close videos on some more unnamed brand new Skylanders that were seen in toy form at the Skylanders' booth. GameSpot ran a live showing of the game and you can see the 25 minute recording of that to watch them show off of a wide variety of the characters and their combinations as they advance through a brand new level.

Today's Nintendo Direct had a few very brief seconds of video from the Nintendo 3DS version of Swap Force, it's at about the 17 minute mark but blink and you'll miss it.


And of course our very own Skylanders SWAP Force gallery has been updated with all the new screenshots and pieces of artwork that have been released.

It looks like Skylanders fans in the UK will finally be able to have a chance to get a hold of some of the sidekicks from Skylanders Spyro's Adventure. On promotional packs of Chupa Chups and Fruittella you'll find a code that you can use on their website to see if you have won. Oddly though the article says that only two of the sidekicks are up for grabs: Gill Runt and Whisper Elf.


The promotion runs from the 15th of June until the end of August giving away ten each day.

Last year it was Chrome Spyro, this time around it's a Bronze Hot Dog for the exclusive E3 variant. FamilyGamerTV have gotten their hands on one a little early and you can see them unbox it in the video below:



Kotaku have also got one which they've taken some nice clear photos of.

Pre-orders for Skylanders SWAP Force at retailers like Toys R Us, Target, Walmart and Best Buy now come with a free Lightcore Hex. Unfortunately it appears you have to wait until you actually get the game in October before you receive the Hex (despite being released in Australia recently).

The game has also now had its release date confirmed by EuroGamer as coming out on the 13th of October in North America, the 18th of October in Europe and the 16th of October in Australia.

It has also been announced for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, but obviously with no release date for the consoles themselves there's also no release date for those versions.


Along with those preorders are some new images of the packs, confirming for the first time exactly which two SWAP Force characters are in the Starter Pack, it's Wash Buckler and Blast Zone along with the "Series 3" equivalent Ninja Stealth Elf.

The 3DS Starter Pack has a completely separate line-up of toys, instead you get a different two SWAP Force characters (currently no names known but they are Undead and Air elements) as well as Volcanic Eruptor. So no duplicates like last time with Cynder and Tree Rex.


And from the Toys R Us preorder pages there are a few new screenshots that are now in the gallery.

Customarily late as usual but I have finally posted my complete walkthrough to the 3DS version of Skylanders Giants.


And hey, look at that, darkSpyro is nine years old today!

The last few of the new Skylanders are finally starting to appear. Polar Whirlwind has just hit Canada at EB Games, Lightcore Chill and Lightcore Pop Fizz are appearing across the US, and Lightcore Hex and Series 2 Drobot have turned up in Australia.


And in other news, a new mini-game has been added to the official website. Called Dreadyacht Defenders it is essentially Plants vs Zombies using Skylanders, instead of plants, to fight against various enemies from the games that slowly advance towards you.

In talking to MCV Activision's VP of consumer marketing John Coyne stated that there are no plans for a movie or a TV show based on the Skylanders franchise.

Quote: John Coyne

In terms of a TV show or a movie, no there are not any plans. We believe the game is the entertainment. You talk to kids who are real fans of the franchise, and they will be able to tell you Gill Grunt’s powers, backstory, what his friends are and generally what’s going on in the world of Skylanders. The same sort of things that they are able to articulate around a TV show or a movie.

Kind of an odd reason really, especially when you consider the ongoing series of books that already provides new stories about the Skylanders and their adventures in Skylands.

Forum member xangor recently spotted this brand new Skylander in an image for a cap on Amazon.de (the image has since been removed).


Unfortunately no name for this new Magic character was revealed so you'll just have to come up with your own for the time being.

E3 2013 is now just over two weeks away so it's not long to wait until Activision finally release some official new information on Skylanders: Swap Force.

In the UK and Ireland Scarlet Ninjini will be exclusive to Smyths Toys, it's due to be released next Friday (the 3rd of May), so not very long to wait. Remember that stocks will be limited so try not to miss out!


And even if you can't manage to get your hands on the Scarlet edition, the regular version of Ninjini has begun appearing on UK shopping sites like GAME so you won't have to miss out on the character herself.

Thanks to NAYHA for the heads up on Scarlet Ninjini.

Earlier today it was announced on the Skylanders Universe Community Blog that the game will be closed down on the 29th of April. In the meantime they've boosted everyone's coins up to just shy of 10 million.

Quote: Community Blog

To commemorate the great times we've had, everyone has been given 9,999,999 coins to use between now and April 29th. Now you can customize your Skyland as you've always wanted! Or, unlock some new Skylanders in the Club House. Go check your account now!

They will however be leaving the mini-games up for people to play, and to kick off this new direction they've added a brand new mini-game called Block Fu.

According to MCV the exclusive destination for folk in the UK to get Molten Hot Dog will very soon be Asda.


It is set to go on sale there on Tuesday (the 2nd of April) but quantities will be limited so make sure not to miss out!

Not to be outdone, Target have started the release of their own brand new exclusive figure for Skylanders: Giants, Jade Flashwing.



Once again many members of the forum have reported finding her in a few Target stores across the US.

It is still unknown where the last two variants will be made available in the United States but elsewhere Polar Whirlwind has already been spotted in Norway and Scarlet Ninjini is available to pre-order in Germany (with a March 15th release date).

Despite the wording of a press release for the event in New York that took place earlier this month, it seems that Ninjini is about to hit retail already. Lots of forum members have been reporting getting confirmation from Toys R Us stores in the US that she will start to be released there as early as tomorrow.

The yellow version of Hot Dog appears to have begun hitting the shelves of Walmart according to reports from forum members of sightings of the exclusive Molten Hot Dog in a few stores.



Molten Hot Dog is much like the regular Hot Dog that you can already find in the Scorpion Striker Battle Pack, except his colours are switched around being red where he was yellow and yellow where he was red. He is an in-game variant much like Granite Crusher, Punch Pop Fizz and Gnarly Tree Rex so he will appear that way in-game. In the United States he will be exclusive to Walmart, exclusivity arrangements in other countries are unknown at this time.

And recently the Legendary LightCore Chill toy has begun showing up in Canadian Toys R Us stores, if it follows the pattern of the previous post-launch Legendaries it shouldn't be too much longer before she is available in further countries. Being a Legendary she is of course an exclusive to Toys R Us.

Introducing the third entry to the Skylanders series: Skylanders: Swap Force. The main new feature that Swap Force brings to the table is the 16 brand new characters that have swappable features.



Each of the sixteen "Swap Force" toys has two parts - the legs and the upper body. The legs control the movement, the upper body decides the attacks. You can take them apart and then mix-and-match the two halves with any of the other Swap Force toys, the game will recognise what you've put together to give you up to 256 different combinations (once you have all 16 of the Swap Force characters).



In terms of new toys, as well as the 16 swappable "Swap Force" characters there are 16 brand new "core" figures, these are new regular Skylanders without the ability to swap parts. There will also be eight LightCore characters and 16 returning "Series 3" characters with new Wow Pows.



Also coming with the game is a brand new, completely redesigned Portal of Power that you will need to get, the old ones will no longer work with Swap Force. But never fear, all of the old characters, both the Orange and Green base varieties, will still be fully functional in Swap Force.



On the developer side of things unlike the last two games Toys for Bob will not be developing Swap Force, instead Vicarious Visions will be taking the mantle (they previously made the 3DS version of Spyro's Adventure, the Wii U version of Giants and all of the iOS games) for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii U versions. The previous developer for the 3DS version, n-Space, will be resuming their development role on the 3DS version. And not forgetting the Wii, that's not being abandoned just yet and will be getting a version developed by Beenox.

The Starter Pack will come with two Swap Force characters (it'd not be much fun having only one) as well as a returning character and the brand new Portal of Power. No specific release date has been announced other than "this fall".

For further, more in-depth reading there are plenty of articles popping up all over the web following the press showing of the game, such as Wired, Engadget, Joystiq, Polygon, Giant Bomb, One of Swords, Metro.co.uk.

The folks over at Fusible.com have spotted several newly registered Skylanders domain names. Just registered on Wednesday one of these could possibly be the name of the third game:

Skylanders Kaos Alliance
Skylanders Nano Force
Skylanders Super Force
Skylanders Swap Force

Whatever the name turns out to be we won't have to wait too long to find out as it should hopefully be officially announced during either the Toys R Us New York event mentioned in the news post below (Feb 5) or during Toy Fair 2013 itself (Feb 10-13). But of course that still leaves plenty of time for speculation...

To help heighten the visible interest in Skylanders just before Toy Fair 2013 (and the likely reveal of the next game), Activision and Toys R Us are set to hold an event in Toys R Us Times Square where they will give an "opportunity to receive" a Ninjini figure to the "first fans to line up".


This is all happening next week, on Tuesday the 5th of February at 4PM (make sure to get there earlier). There are also other exclusive savings on offer just in case you don't happen to be lucky enough for the Ninjini.

And, more importantly to those of us who won't be able to make it, the press release says that it'll be "months" before Ninjini will hit retail shelves, so it looks like it's time to get waiting all over again.

Full details of the event are in the press release below:

Quote:

CALLING YOUNG PORTAL MASTERS:
CELEBRATE NEW YORK TOY FAIR WITH SKYLANDERS GIANTS™

TOYS"R"US TIMES SQUARE INVITES KIDS TO BE AMONG THE FIRST IN THE WORLD TO RECEIVE A COMPLIMENTARY, HOTLY ANTICIPATED SKYLANDERS GIANTS CHARACTER, NINJINI

WHAT: Months before the Skylanders Giants character, Ninjini, hits retail shelves, kids and their families are invited to The World's Greatest Toy Store™ to be among the first in the world to get their hands on the must-have Skylanders Giants character, while supplies last. To celebrate the annual International Toy Fair taking place in New York City this month, Activision Publishing Inc. and Toys"R"Us are partnering to host a special event at Toys"R"Us Times Square, the company's international flagship store. The first fans to line up along Broadway for the event will have an opportunity to receive a complimentary Ninjini figure before it is officially available for purchase in North America.

Consumers can take advantage of one-day exclusive, Toys"R"Us Times Square store offers: $25 off Skylanders Giants Starter Pack; "buy 2, get 1 free" Giant Skylanders figures until store closing.
Also at the event, kids will have the unique opportunity to meet their favorite Skylanders characters, experience the year's most popular game at in-store game kiosks and receive other fun Skylanders Giants giveaways.
WHEN: Tuesday, February 5
Activities and giveaways begin promptly 4pm
Toys"R"Us Times Square will be open during normal business hours (10am - 10pm)
WHERE: 1514 Broadway at 44th Street
New York, NY
(Media must enter through the 44th Street Associate Entrance)

ACTIVITIES: Gaming kiosks, displays and stations
Fun activities, games, giveaways and more!

MEDIA OPPORUNITIES:
• Visuals/interviews with excited kids and fans in line
• Costumed characters, fun activities and live giveaways
• Calendar and event listings as a fun activity for families
• Attend with your kids

Two brand new Giants are now in what is still being classed as Wave 3 of Skylanders: Giants, so in the United States you should soon be able to find Thumpback and Eye-Brawl.


There are also some brand new Triple Packs being released, however they're all Series 2 Skylanders that have already been available in singles. One pack has Eruptor, Stealth Elf, and Terrafin. The other has Prism Break, Lightning Rod, and Drill Sergeant.

The last of the Legendary Skylanders, Legendary LightCore Chill, is also apparently scheduled soon for release at Toys R Us but as of yet has not been spotted.

And finally, as well as the release of Hot Dog in the Battle Pack, for a short time at GameStop you will be able to get the Sidekicks from Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure (that's Whisper Elf, Terrabite, Gill Runt, and Trigger Snappy), supposedly through a spend $30 promotion but people have reported being able to just buy them outright. Stocks may not last long either way.