Toyology

Get real!

The name ‘Realism’ doesn’t exactly spring off the Toys R Us (or another similar retailer, there are plenty of others you know) shelves, grab you and scream ‘FUN!’ in your face. When we reveal that this is a game based on finances and stocks and shares, that’s probably not going to do much to change that. But the object of the game is to become a millionaire Rodney, so it must be good!

It’s a little ‘Game of Life’-esque in that each player gets a job, can buy life insurance and the like, even mortgage actually. But added in is the purchasing of property and shares and the building up of assets. Billed as a game for age 10+ as a great way to learn the fundamentals of investment, which considering the y’know current fiscal sitch (situation) and the ongoing debate that children aren’t taught nowt about money in schools, is probably a pretty good idea.

We’ll be honest, at £34.99 here it’s a bit of an investment in itself, but the idea is good and we’re slightly dubious about the idea that you can “enjoy the thrill of the financial rollercoaster”, but what the hell, we were getting bored of Ker-Plunk anyway.

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Because there are not yet enough Angry Birds products, we thought we would bring to you on a somewhat murky Friday morn, the latest incarnation of the foul tempered fowls (see what we did there? Yes we know they’re not technically chickens, they are just non descript birds that are angry, but it’s Friday and we’re trying so leave it out).

So here is the Angry Birds Action Game, ta da! And it’s a whopper at a metre wide – check out that superimposed 100cm image for proof if you don’t believe us.

Still, despite the unnecessary sarcasm , this game does actually get the thumbs up from us and ten bonus points for attempting to recreate the actual premise of the much loved app. Play it indoors or out, you build you wooden shack and pelt the pig with your squidgy beanbag style birdy and score some points. Brilliant. Available to pre-order for £24.99 here

Still, there really are probably enough Angry Birds spin offs now..

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Travel toys

So you had the Easter break, that was nice wasn’t it? Nice car trip to the coast or the in-laws? Kids in the back? They’re always quiet and well behaved and not conducive to a near pile-up on the m25 at around lunch time aren’t they? You’re probably now scouring the internet looking for something to keep the little blighters loves occupied on the next bank holiday (only a few weeks to go!) now…

We like Bananagram’s Zip It because: it’s quick (short attention spans galore in this office) now what were saying? It takes up zero space and you don’t even have to remember a pad and pen.

It’s a fast paced anagram game where the first player to get rid of all their letters wins. Huzzah. Simple. And only £10.99 here to boot

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We have seen a few 3D puzzlesover the past months, these new ones from Wrebbit (we’ll get to the bottom of that name creation soon) are these landmark builds, each one a 750 piece plus affair, not easy by any means but deeply satisfying when finished. From the Taj Mahal to Big Ben there’s a few to choose from and are about the biggest in their class, and priced between £20-£40 when launched in June over at Amazon.

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The smash Apple iOS and Android Fruit ninjas comes to life with this fab bit of fruit lopping fun. The real life version of the game see’s you take hold of one mini ninja sword and attack the 20 pieces of plastic fruit. Pick up a mission card and select your target fruit then get chopping. This is definitely the year of the “appcessorie” and this is definitely the place to discover the latest on release. London Toy Fair press releases so far have us a list of almost 20 to share with you next week. If you’re a fan of the app, but not so much this game then perhaps a real life Fruitg Ninja plush is for you, complete with squelchy sound FX. BUY!

 

 

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keeping one amused

 

 

We’re unlikely to see the veritable amount of tat that surrounded the Royal wedding last year, we’re hoping that celebratory and commemorative kit will all attempt to be as classy as this chess set (over optimistic perhaps). Each piece is handpainted, it truly is a glorious piece of kit that’s certain to find favour with those who refer to parts of their abodes with terms such as East and West wing. It’ll set you back almost £300 HERE for those interested parties.

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There can be little worse than the dissatisfaction associated with pulling a sub-standard Xmas cracker. Most of the time the banging bit has to be pulled seperately as it slipped out of your cheap crepe paper number during the tug-of-war process and then, whoever is victorious, wishes they weren’t – spyglass, plastic charms, dic good-for-nothing apart from top prize at a choking hazard competition. Now this selection is different altogether, “now this collection is…..” no stop that. From the Jumbo 4-in-1 cracker featuring classic Hasbro games and six legally required hats it’ll need those lower branches if you put it on the tree, then there are the single game crackers including Scrabble,Twister, Cluedo and Monopoly which each contain surprises (and of course hats) and when all are opened you can play variants on the original classic board games. All of them are available this way – Happy cracking and good luck with the Twister version if you play post xmas-lunch!

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Utterly pointless toy of the year prize is awarded to this, Air Table Tennis. Toy you’re most likely to consider buying this week or sticking down as an entry on your Santa List award goes to this, Air Table Tennis. With no ball needed, it’ll not get lost, with no table needed you can satisfy your Ping Pong whims wherever and whenever you want. FLick the switch and make your serve, and marvel at the satisfying “clonk” sound eminating from the bat, then the sound of the ball hitting a table thats not there, the opponent (that’s the one, that’s not there) returns the shot “tock” and now it gets tricky, this isn’t just a sound efffects machine! You must now judge the speed of their shot from the time it takes to bounce on your side of the table and match the timing with a return hit and another, deeply satisfying “thwock” as you return the ball, and repeat – Your virtual opponent varies the speed of the return, this is getting addictive now and we’re only reading about it. This way please.

 

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Away with the dice, old-fashioned playing pieces, laying out cards and lenghty set-ups the App Player is the multi talented board game that’ll be your new compendium. This “i” device and Android compatible game lets you use one board to power four totally different games, with more to come in the future we’re told. Play Humm Bugg (take it in turns to hum well known tunes against the clock), Masquerade for a game of charades, Great Big Trivia the general knowledge quiz or Tension, a collection of quick fire mental challenges. You keep score using the cross-shaped board all you have to do after hittong the buy button is await the arrival of the box and then get along to the relevant app store, download game(s) that take your fancy, adust settings (timer period, sound effects etc) then simply start playing and the virtual game cards appear on the screen. £19.99 of your hard-earned HERE

 

 

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We’ve accidentally uncovered this classic as we compile our annual list of Boxing Day Boredom busters, games that’ll (hopefully) do away with differing generations squabbling over which repeats to watch whilst chewing on turkey sandwiches. Called Booby Trap the premise is pretty simple, load up the multi-coloured piece of different sizes into the spring loaded chamber and begin the removal of each – Yank one out without careful consideration or in fact too fast and the pieces will fly. Yours for £14.99 here

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