Official Skylanders Trap Team: "The Discovery" Trailer l Skylanders Trap Team l Skylanders
This is a Great Game for Kids of all ages, and it makes a great Christmas Gift
Skylanders The Game
Download Mobile Game – Must Have Free Download Games
When you are looking for a mobile game download, you are going to find that for every true gem on the market, there will be a sea of titles that quickly end up erased off your device. While you sometimes get lucky and the mistake is only a free mobile game, there are some paid downloads that should have spent more time in the development stages. On this list, you will find the best mobile games that are currently available
Any best-of list is going to be subjective and you should take this into account. Additionally, gamers who are used to playing on powerful computers and consoles need to take into account that mobile devices are designed for small screens, on systems that have minimum resources and while a title might have been the best browser game of the year on numerous websites, the mobile browser game may have delivered a different experience. This list is presented in no particular order.
Angry Birds: Star Wars
While Rovio released their space browser game earlier in the year, the physics of that game combined with the Star Wars theme made this undeniably an exciting title.
Not only do you have the characters from the popular sci-fi franchise, but you add in the same birds from Rovio’s line of products. The difference is that each character, including the red bird, has been given unique moves that are in line with the characters from the films.
This helped to make this title, fresh and allows it to stand out in a sea of endless clones while fighting back against a franchise that was starting to become long in the tooth.
Angry Birds: Star Wars is available as a free mobile game or paid download.
Heroes of Order and Chaos
This real-time strategy game that is played over a network offers the unique RPG browser game experience players are looking for. With a selection of free and paid character so choose from, there will be plenty to keep you busy. Just plan on devoting quite a bit of time to the game as players find standard quests will require about an hour of playtime at a minimum to complete.
Heroes of Order and Chaos has successfully taken their traditional PC game and provided an authentic experience that allows those on the go to fully enjoy this new take as a handheld gaming venture.
Rayman Jungle Run
When you look at a list of free mobile game options, you will notice quite a few runner games in the list. But while there are hundreds of variations of these games to avoid, Rayman Jungle Run is different. While you still have the jumping, charging, sliding and side stepping of these games, you add in level progression and the ability to fly and punch in this game. As an added bonus, you do have the characters of the popular franchise to also enjoy. This allows for quite a bit of play and will be among the best options you will have for your mobile device.
While it doesn’t revolutionize the runner franchise and take it to new levels, it does add the familiar comfort of a popular gaming character to your devices on the go.
Arcane Legends
This is a game that you play with others in a mobile browser game style. Players will have the chance to complete coop tasks while having the chance to add in pets that are designed to further improve the overall experience. Of course, many of these additional features do come with a price tag attached to them.
While many mobile games are lacking in terms of graphics, Arcane Legends offers bold graphics and an interesting storyline that has helped it to become a popular mobile game download. Best of all, this is a free mobile game that provides hours of replay value, something that is uncommon in many of the different android and iOS games you can find.
Bastion
Chances are you’ve seen Bastion in a number of its different variations. It’s been on the Xbox, been a download on the PC and for the Mac. But this RPG browser game has only become available for download to your device.
What keeps it among the best mobile games is that it maintains the quality artwork and a superior soundtrack, even as a phone-based gaming option. In fact, users will find that the original narration and mood from the original version of this game can be found in the mobile version, which helps to make it one of the top choices you are going to find in a mobile title. If you need a solid and stunning gaming option for your device, you won’t want to miss out on Bastion.
Skylanders: Battlegrounds
If you have children around, then you have some idea what Skylanders are. These toys are a real-world action figure that includes codes for their digital world where children can play with a Bluetooth device if they have the mobile starter pack. However, this can be a really expensive route to go.
During the game, you play as two Skylanders and you can switch through the different Skylanders you purchase in the store or ones that can be won or bought within the game. Overall, the game isn’t a true challenge for adults, since it has mostly been designed to challenge children. Although, casual gamers should find that it still makes for an interesting gaming experience.
There is no denying that there is quite a list of options out there when you are looking at the various mobile game download options you have. No matter if the choices are free or paid, they will provide you with a gaming experience that you will be able to enjoy for quite a bit of time.
Jade Flashwing And Her Release Date
Jade Flashwing is a variant of the Earth Element Skylanders called Flashwing. There are a number of characters from the Giants video game that have special variant versions, and these figures have become quite collectible. Flashwing is a Gem Dragon, and her figure is quite ornate. Flashwing has purple crystal feathers on her wings and turquoise scales. Jade Flashwing, as you would expect from her name has green crystals decorating her wings, and golden scales. Only a couple of photos of Jade Flashwing have been seen, and we can not wait to see her on store shelves.
In recent days, a rumor has surfaced that Jade Flashwing will be a Target exclusive, but we can not confirm this. It would make sense, however, as only recently Walmart announced that Molten Hot Dog, a rare variant of the Skylander Hot Dog, would be sold only at their stores. Another variant that is a store exclusive is Granite Crusher. Granite Crusher is a Variant of the Earth Giant called Crusher and has been available exclusively from Target since the Skylanders Giants game launched in Fall 2012. The rumor is also stated that Jade Flashwing would be available on March 2013. Again we do not have any definite information on this.
We are still waiting on two other variant figures, and these are Scarlet Ninjini and Polar Whirlwind. Scarlet Ninjini is a different colored version on the Magic Giant Ninja. At present we are expecting Ninjini to reach stores anytime, as GameStop already has her on their website (although showing out of stock). We have no news about Scarlet Ninjini's release date. The same is true of Polar Whirlwind, a different version of the Air Skylander Whirlwind. Polar Whirlwind is a completely white version of the figure and looks pretty cool.
Other variants that we have not mentioned so far are Punch Pop Fizz, Royal Double Trouble, and Gnarly Tree Rex. Punch Pop Fizz is a red version of the Magic figure Pop Fizz and is sold exclusively with the 3DS Starter Pack. Royal Double Trouble is a special version of the Magic Skylander Double Trouble and is sold exclusively with the Skylanders Battle Grounds Pack, for iOS. Lastly, Gnarly Tree Rex is a blue version of the Life Giant Tree Rex and is sold bundled with either the Blue Wii Bundle Pack or the Super Slim Playstation 3 Pack.
We really hope that Jade Flashwing becomes available very soon, as we do think she looks awesome. Hopefully, those people who are wanting to complete their Skylanders collections, will not have to wait too long!
9 E-Commerce Tips for the Holiday Shopping Season
It hardly seems possible that we’re entering yet another holiday shopping season. Year after year, advertisers start campaigning to win over early-bird shoppers earlier and earlier. Christmas decorations emerge in retail stores before some families are even planning for Halloween. So in light of preparing well in advance, here are some tips to prepare your e-commerce site for the 2013 holiday shopping season.
Use Holiday Terms in Your Campaigns
You can capitalize on early-bird shoppers by using those keywords in some of your campaigns. Do your due diligence first to analyze the potential in your particular niche, but incorporating key phrases related to the holiday shopping season could tap into the early-shopper market. Terms such as “early holiday discounts,” “pre-holiday sale,” “Christmas shopping,” and similar terms combined with your niche keywords can be effective in the pre-season with early shoppers.
Promote Pre-Season Prices on Hot-Ticket Items
Some shoppers specifically seek out early deals on hot items. The Skylanders video game is popular among children and teens right now, for example, and parents may be looking to buy game systems and characters before the prices start creeping up in time for the busy shopping season. If you’re offering a hot seller at discounted prices, let shoppers know.
Analyze Last Year’s Performance
Now’s the time when you should be carefully analyzing last year’s performance. What marketing tactics did you use, and how well did they perform? Should you allocate more of your budget to PPC or organic SEO this year? If you’re using content marketing, start planning your efforts and getting the ball rolling.
Get your plans in place now. If you need to hire a copywriter to spice up your product descriptions or run a branding campaign, you have the time to do so. But if you wait until holiday shopping season is in full swing, you’ll be chasing your tail.
Ramp Up Your Product Descriptions
Your product descriptions are what will sell your inventory at the end of the day. You can get visitors to your site by optimizing and using PPC – but your product descriptions are what will drive conversions. Take a close look at your product copy and revitalize it. Run some A/B tests to drill down to the most effective headlines and descriptions. You can also start planning how you’ll incorporate holiday-relevant copy in your descriptions, such as “must-have 2013 Christmas item for teens,” or “on the 2013 holiday hotlist.”
Take Advantage of Google+
Google is really pushing Google+, so you should be using it to your advantage. Make sure your physical location information is up to date, and make sure you’re sharing your compelling content there. There’s a definite SEO benefit to Google+, not to mention you can drive additional traffic through your connections.
Fine-Tune Your Local Business Presence
If you also have a brick-and-mortar location, make sure your local business presence is solid. Local customers will find you online this holiday season. Update your hours, contact information, physical address, and description. Make sure your description is relevant and keyword-rich, including the main products you sell. Give directions if your location is tough to find.
Use Retargeting
Now is the perfect time to start using retargeting. Because shoppers are browsing the web for ideas, they may spend some time on your site and then leave without making a purchase. After all, they have plenty of time to place orders before the holidays.
But you can make sure you stay top-of-mind in consumers’ minds – and give them an incentive to buy – by using retargeting. Hit up visitors with special offers and deep discounts on items that are sure to be best-sellers, and offer some motivation by letting them know the items they looked at are in low supply at the current prices.
Be a Resource
Everyone has at least one difficult-to-buy-for person on their holiday gift-giving list, and shoppers are always looking for great gift ideas. Be a resource to your visitors by offering tips on finding the best deals, what’s hot on this year’s wish lists for different recipients, ages, and so on, and other fun and informative information. The more valuable content you provide, the better your organic rankings and the more likely visitors are to share your content.
Pay Attention to Mobile
More people are shopping via mobile devices than ever, so it’s critically important to ensure your site is mobile-optimized. This is particularly difficult with e-commerce, as the many product listings and the check-out process are often difficult to make mobile-friendly. But if you neglect the mobile audience, you’re going to lose valuable conversions. Your PPC ads are going to show up for mobile users, too, but they’ll bounce quickly when they realize how difficult it’s going to be to complete the checkout process from a smartphone.
It’s not too early to start thinking about the holiday shopping season. Retail stores already have holiday inventory on the shelves, and shoppers are going to be scouring the web for ideas and deals soon. Tap into the opportunity by heading into this year’s holiday season armed with your best marketing efforts.
Gold Skylanders The Rare Collectables
Gold Skylanders figures are some of the rarest Skylanders toys out there. Such is the demand for these metallic figures, that people have been paying vast amounts of money for them, in order to complete their collections. Gold Skylanders first appeared in the original Skylanders game, known as Spyro’s Adventure. There are three gold figures from this first game, and these are Chop Chop, Drill Sergeant and Flameslinger. These three figures are essentially the same as their regular versions, except that they are painted gold. Even the base of each figure is gold, the only colored part being the green plastic at the bottom of the base. It is important to understand that even though these gold toys look very different from the original versions, they look exactly the same as regular figures in the game. They play the same as the regular Skylanders and have the same stats.
Gold Chop Chop seems to be the most popular of these three Skylanders. I have seen Gold Chop Chop’s advertised on Amazon for more than $200. It does seem incredible to me that people are willing to pay that much money for a toy that originally cost less than $10. Both Gold Flameslinger and Drill Sergeant, also sell for large amounts of money. But exactly why are these gold Skylanders so expensive? Well, the main reason is that only a very limited number of these were ever produced. Gold Skylanders from Spyro’s Adventure appeared randomly on shelves next to their regular versions. Most of these rare toys were snapped up immediately, and very soon started appearing on eBay and Amazon for ten times their original price!
There is only one Gold Skylander that has been released for the Skylanders Giants game, the second in the franchise. This is a Series 2 version of Flameslinger. This figure is much more common, as it was distributed in a different way. This second Gold Flameslinger is an Amazon-only exclusive, and there are many more of them out there. Consequently, the price of this figure is much, much lower than the other gold figures. This gold Flameslinger can be identified as different, as his base is not gold. Instead, it is covered in orange flames.
There is one other Gold Skylander out there, but this one was never made for general release. The super-rare Gold Prism Break figure was created as a special holiday gift for Toys For Bob employees. This exclusive limited-edition figure looks awesome. It is a totally gold version of Lightcore Prism Break and is decorated with white flocked material, to look like snow. This particular figure sells for vasts amounts of money on Amazon and eBay.
Skylanders Swap Force Preview
In 2011 Activision released Skylanders, which was set in Spyro the Dragon’s universe. The game was innovative, and the folks at Nintendo probably kicked themselves for not coming up with it first. Basically, you have action figures that you set on this portal device and the toys come to life in an action beat-em-up brawler. It was immediately the most sought after toy for Christmas that year. Activision followed up with a sequel in 2012 and a third installment will come out this year as well.
This year’s iteration is Skylanders: Swap Force. The gimmick innovative gameplay feature of this game is that you can switch the character’s body and lower torso around. Want a powerful robot with octopus legs? You got it. The toys themselves have little magnets in them to make the switch easy and hassle-free, though I can totally see kids losing the toys all around the house and making clean up time an all-day event.
The E3 demo I had hands-on time with was basically the same Skylanders game that’s been on the market for two years now. There was absolutely nothing new or fresh about the game. Obviously, being able to switch in and out the Skylanders that you already own seems cool but that’s to be expected. The only new-ish feature they had was that the new Skylander figures can activate “travel powers” with the B-button (Xbox 360) or the Circle-Button (PlayStation 3). It seemed the characters can jump higher with some of these activated abilities, but they didn’t really add anything as a whole. The Giants from last year’s game have a running charge attack instead of the traveling powers.
One of the good things for previous fans is that the level cap seems to be raised to level 20, instead of 15 from last year’s game. It lengthens the time you’ll spend with the game but it is disappointing when that’s one of the bullet-points for a brand new game. One of the major problems I had with the previous Skylander games is the obvious lack of online co-op. This is inexcusable for a game like this, which at its core is basically a dumbed-down dungeon crawler. This feature has been missing from previous games and it needs to be added. I could see four-player co-op play being really fun in a game like this as well.
In terms of the new Skylander figures, I’ll admit that they do look cool- if I were in the targeted age group, I would be all over this. If you look at the game as a serious gamer you won’t find much, but it’s really not for them. Skylanders has always been about having fun with your friends or family; it’s excessively forgiving and designed not to frustrate younger players. I feel like Skylanders could rope in older kids as well if the gameplay would just evolve a little bit. With a game like this, Activision is more interested in selling toys and accessories than in bringing a robust gameplay experience.
This year, Skylanders will face its biggest test with Disney’s new game Infinity. Basically, Disney decided to get into the collectible video-game-action figure hybrid market as well. They’ll be bringing all sorts of recognizable characters and brands to their own game. It’ll be interesting to see if Activision will be able to hold its own against the potential goliath that game could be. Heck, Disney even owns Marvel and the Star Wars brand now so they could dip into even larger universes.
It’s a shame that Activision has chosen not to evolve too much from the core of Skylanders. They’re really sticking with the mantra of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Kids immediately eat this stuff up but at some point, they’ll toss it aside if there isn’t anything really new or exciting to enjoy. This game is a younger person’s Call of Duty; every year it’ll come back and every year people will still buy it. Maybe that’s why Activision isn’t concerned with changing too much with either franchise. That’s all I can really say about Skylanders: Swap Force: there just isn’t anything new about it. It’s a fun and mindless action game for kids and until they add more to it, that’s all it will ever be.
Skylanders Giants Thumpack, One Of The Highly Anticipated New Figures
Skylanders Thumpback is one of the new Giant characters from the hugely popular Skylanders Giants video game. Last year, Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure became one of the most popular video games for kids, successfully combining a video game with real-world toys. This year follow up, Skylanders Giants seems to have taken the Skylanders franchise to a new level!
Skylanders Giants introduced actual Giant Skylanders for the first time. These toys are about twice the size of regular figures. The Giants also feature LightCore technology, this causes them to light up when placed on or near the Portal of Power (the Portal of Power is the interface that links the toys with the video game). There are eight Giant Skylanders in all, one for each of the 8 Skylanders Elements. These elements are Air, Life, Undead, Magic, Earth, Water, Fire and Tech.
So far, only 5 of the Giants have been released. These are Tree Rex (a Life type), Swarm (an Air type), Hot Head (a Fire-type), Bouncer (a Tech Type) and Crusher (an Earth-type). The 3 remaining characters are Ninjini (a magic type), Eye-Brawl (an Undead type) and Thumpback (a Water Type).
Thumpback has featured in many of the Skylanders Giants commercials, and as a result is many fans are desperate to know when this figure will be released. Activision, typically release Skylanders figures in a number of waves. So far two waves of Skylanders have been released, but we have no idea when the next one will arrive in stores or online. Thumpback is a distinctive character, with a whale-like appearance. He carries some sort of anchor on a chain, as his weapon. I would guess that when placed on the Portal of Power he will glow with a blue light. Belonging to the Water element, Thumpback will use the power of water to help defeat enemies. Watching videos of Thumpback gameplay, you can easily see how his Giant brute force would be useful in the game, as he is able to lift and throw rocks, as well as lashing out with his enormous anchor.
The the back story to Thumpback is that he used to be a pirate on a ship called the Pirate Tide. However, his main love was fishing rather than pirating. Whilst trying to catch an elusive creature, the Leviathan Cloud Crab, he lost his balance and was lost overboard. Thumpback then gave up being a pirate and joined the Skylanders.
Skylanders Ninjini The Awesome Magic Giant
The awesome video game Skylanders Giants was launched in Fall 2012, but not all of the figures were on sale from the start. Activision, the publisher of the game releases the figures in a series of waves. So far we have had three waves of figures, and still, there is no sign of Skylanders Ninjini.
Ninjini is one of eight actual Giant figures in the game. Activision developed eight of these characters, one for each of the eight Skylanders Elements. So far the following Giants have been released:
- Tree Rex – Life Element. Available at launch.
- Bouncer – Tech Element. Available at launch.
- Swarm – Air Element. Available at launch.
- Crusher – Earth Element. Available at launch.
- Hot Head – Fire Element. Now available, was released in December 2012.
- Thumpback – Water Element. Now available, released February 2013.
- Eye Brawl – Undead Element. Now available, released February 2013.
- Ninjini – Magic Element. Still Waiting!
In addition to these giant figures there are two special edition Skylanders Variant figures that have been released. These are:
Gnarly Tree Rex – Variant of Tree Rex. Sold exclusively with the limited edition Blue Wii Bundle Pack and Super Slim Playstation 3 Pack since December.
Granite Crusher – A Target Exclusive. Available at launch.
You can find Ninjini figures online at sites such as Amazon and eBay, but priced are highly inflated due to such a high demand.
The Skylanders Ninjini Figure
Skylanders Ninjini has to be one of the coolest Skylanders figures so far. As I mentioned earlier, she is a Giant character, so her figure is quite big. Giants are about twice the size of regular figures. She has bright orange hair that is tied up in a ponytail and a bluish complexion. Ninja wears a purple and black outfit and carry’s two enormous swords. She certainly looks like a force to be reckoned with!
The other cool thing about the actual giant figures, apart from their size, is that they all feature light core technology. Lightcore technology causes the figures to glow when put on or near the Portal Of Power. This awesome technology requires no batteries and is powered by the portal itself. When you put Ninjini on the portal her eyes glow white, and her legs glow purple.
Playing Skylanders Ninjini
Being a Magic Skylanders Figure, Ninjini uses the power of magic to destroy enemies. She has two abilities at the beginning of the game, these are ‘Wishblades’ (Ninjini is able to use her words) and ‘Bottle Blast’ (Ninjini blasts out of her bottle). Throughout the game, Ninjini gains more upgrades, and at a certain point in the game, there is a choice of upgrade paths. Players can either concentrate on improving Ninjini’s Sword Skills or her Magic Bottle Skills.
Scarlet Ninjini
A number of the Skylanders figures in the Giants game have exclusive variant versions. Ninjini is one of them. Scarlet Ninjini is an exclusive version of Ninjini. We don’t know much about her, except for screenshots. Scarlet Ninjini has a red outfit instead of a purple one. Her hair is dark brown instead of orange and her skin is a green color, rather than Ninjini’s blue. We don’t have any idea when she will be released, and whether she will be a store exclusive.
Skylanders Tree Rex The First Of The Skylanders Giants
When Skylanders Giants was first announced by Activision, Skylanders Tree Rex was the first actual Giant character we got to see. He is the Life Giant and is one of eight Skylanders Giants. There are eight giant figures because there are eight Skylanders elements in the game. Here is a list of all the Giants, and the Elements they belong to:
- Tree Rex – Life Element
- Ninjini- Magic Element
- Bouncer – Tech Element
- Crusher – Earth Element
- Hot Head – Fire Element
- Swarm – Air Element
- Thumpback – Water Element
- Eye Brawl – Undead Element
Activision must have thought that this awesome figure would be popular, as when the Giants game launched he was bundled with all the Starter Packs and Portal Owner Packs.
The figure itself is very well made, in fact, the quality of all the Skylanders figures is very high. As this character is a Giant, his figure is about twice the size of regular Skylanders. This great character is supposed to be a mutated tree, so his figure is made up of tree trunks. When you look at the figure you can see his arms, fingers, legs, torso, and head are all tree trunks! He wears red bark armor on the top of his head, his chest and on the cannon. Skylanders Tree Rex holds a Photosynthesis Cannon, his main weapon in one hand. As a Life Skylander, he stands on a base covered in dark green leaves.
All of The Giant Skylanders feature Lightcore technology. This means that they light up when put on the Portal Of Power. This is a really cool feature and does not require batteries. Lightcore technology is powered by the portal itself. When Tree Rex is put on the portal his eyes glow blue, and his photosynthesis cannon glows green.
When playing the video game, you notice that Giants, because of their large size can do things that other regular Skylanders cannot. For example, Skylanders Tree Rex is able to pull on a chain linking two islands and cause them to move together, so he can hop from one to another. He can also smash holes in buildings and pick up and throw big objects. Activision however, has designed the game so that in other situations it would be more beneficial to have a smaller faster Skylander. Most of his upgrades and abilities involve using his Photosynthesis Cannon or his powerful stampedes. As you progress through the game, you are given a choice of two upgrade paths. At this point, you can decide to upgrade either the photosynthesis Cannon or the power of his stampedes. As well as being able to stampede this might Skylanders can also pound his huge fists on the ground to damage enemies.
There is a variant version of Skylanders Tree Rex called Gnarly Tree Rex. This variant version is packaged with a special edition Blue Wii Bundle Pack and a Super Slim Playstation 3 Pack. The main differences between the figures are that Gnarly Tree Rex wears Blue Bark armor and his wood is a slightly darker color. Also, when you put him on the portal, his eyes glow green, and his cannon glows an orange color. There is not really that much difference when you actually play the characters in the game.
A Town Surrounded by Beauty
Surrounded by the beauty of the Shenandoah National Park, high in the Blue Ridge Mountains, sits Skyland, Virginia, home to many camping and resort areas. The camp, established in 1895, was originally privately owned by George Pollock and named Stony Man Camp. In 1910 George’s future wife, Addie Nairn Hunter, swept into George’s life and was instrumental in the future direction of the camp with the addition of not only financial advice but financial backing as well. Both maintained an obligation to the land and could be considered pioneer environmentalists.
The thought of creating a national park in the Appalachian Mountain area began during the early 1920s. After a serious chestnut blight that destroyed Skyland’s trees, George Pollock determined that the best solution to save the area was with government resources. He immediately went to work upgrading Skyland, and surrounding areas, with observation towers and fresh trails. In order to impress those making the park designation decision, he also presented his resort as a venue for various entertainment.
During the beginning of the 1930s, the area was designated as the Shenandoah National Park. Once designated as a national park, it then became the U.S. Government’s property and the majority of buildings existing at the time were demolished. Fortunately, for nature lovers, this did not happen to the resort. Over the years the area has grown and offers a multitude of activities for the outdoor enthusiasts.
The the park itself is a paradise for bird watching, hiking, bicycling and star gazing. Skyland Drive provides 105 miles of scenery usually running along the mountain ridge. The most popular time to visit is during the fall while the leaves are changing into vibrant and brilliant colors. This is a time when the four-legged residents are preparing for winter. To see a bear, deer or any number of other wildlife is not unusual. A section of the Appalachian Trail is available for hiking, biking or horseback riding.
Located a short 13 miles from the resort is a historic site providing details of the valley’s civil war. One of the largest eastern USA caverns is located in Luray. Formations within the caverns range from white to gold and were created one drop at a time. Located within 17 miles of the resort are a number of museums full of the region’s history. Shopping is also close at hand. The region offers something for everyone, beauty, wildlife, relaxation and history.
