Toys On The Brain

Archive for the ‘Action Figures’ Category

After the debacle I had with buying the Lost Temple of Akator Playset from Amazon, I finally found it for a slightly discounted price from Target. As you can imagine, I ordered it right away and it was delivered well in time for Christmas. Was it worth all the trouble? I’m going to go with yes on this one.

The play set is actually fairly large and contains a number of “traps” for Indy and the temple guard figure to fall into. Among these are boulders that can be launched out of the top, a breakaway door, and a sand pit. By far the most entertaining feature was the boulder launch. Small Person #2 quickly figured out that he could make Indy straddle the flipper that made the boulders fly out and cause Indy to fly across the room. Of course, having toys hitting the ceiling (and the ceiling fan, windows, Christmas tree, etc.), isn’t exactly ideal from a safety standpoint, but it’s great fun for the kids. By the second day, Small Person #2 had even figured out how to lean the play set over and aim the launcher so the toys flew where he pointed. Good stuff.

The other features are also fun, though the breakaway door doesn’t stay put very well and I imagine we’ll be losing those pieces rather quickly. Making Indy slide down the side into the sandpit is also a favorite activity. A few Star Wars characters even seem to have made the trip to Indy’s time, so all in all it seems to have been a popular purchase. I guess it was worth all the trouble after all!

Buy Indiana Jones Lost Temple of Akator Play Set Online:

• at Amazon.com
• at Target

Ok, so, I’m a bit irritated today. You see, Small Person #2 has been talking about the Indiana Jones Lost Temple of Akator Playset every time he goes to the bathroom (that’s where we keep the toy catalogs - perfect bathroom reading!) and I decided to get it for him for Christmas. I saw it on Amazon for the fabulous price of $25 and added it to my shopping cart. I still wasn’t sure what to get for Small Person #1, though, so I didn’t purchase it. Today, when I went back to finally buy it, the price had increased by $15! Now it’s $40 and I’m one very testy nanny. sigh

So, from my misery is a lesson for you - when you see a great deal, take it! The suggested retail price for the Akator playset is $42, so the $25 Amazon had it for was pretty darn good. I should have bought it then and there instead of dilly-dallying. Well, here’s hoping we can find it on sale somewhere else, because I’m not sure I can afford $40!

• Lost Temple of Akator Playset at Amazon.com

This is what you’re thinking right about now: “Oh my god. Another Galactic Heroes thing? What is her illness with these toys?!” And yes, you’re right, I do have a thing about Galactic Heroes. But, they’re really really good! No, really! They’re perfect for small hands, they’re durable, and best of all, the kids love them!

Of course, there are things I don’t like about Galactic Heroes. One is that I hate them trying to get us to keep the packaging sitting around, and the other (which I have really and truly begun to despise) is how they “retire” sets after a short period of time, thereby artificially inflating the price for those of us who have kids who are a bit behind the times. We now can’t get a lot of the sets the kids would really enjoy because, let’s face it, $100 for a toy that a 4-year old is going to toss around the room is a bit ridiculous. Now, I would understand if these were high-quality, solid gold collector’s items, but they’re not. They’re made for ages 3 and up, and there’s just no reason to stifle production and artificially make them collector’s items. So piffle to Hasbro for that!

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We all know that money is going to be tight this holiday season. So, to help you maximize what you have and get the kids some toys they’ll enjoy, I’ve put together a list of the Top 8 Cheap Toys That Don’t Suck.

When I think of a classic board game, I immediately think of Monopoly. But, of course, it is far from the only one out there. From Life to Candy Land to Chutes and Ladders, there’s a game available for every age group. Even better, when it comes to prices, the classics we’ve loved for years tend to be quite reasonable. You can get the classic Monopoly pictured above for $10; the classic Candy Land is only $5. Stick with the classic versions rather than the updated ones to save money, and enjoy the time you get to spend playing with your little one!

Buy Board Games Online:

• at Amazon.com

For your little superhero-loving rug rat this Christmas season, I would highly recommend this Memory Match-Up game. In fact, we have two versions that are basically identical but contain a couple of different characters. You’re probably wondering what the game actually is, so read on!

Basically, it’s a 3-D version of the old Memory Game you and I all remember from our childhoods. In that version, you have to find matching cards; in this version, you find matching heads and feet to make your (and more importantly, your child’s) favorite superheroes. Little cups are used to cover the individual pieces, and the handy carry case doubles as the game board. The figures are cartoon versions rather than exact mini-mockups of the original Marvel characters, but they’re still well done.

In terms of education, well, it’s about as educational as the original memory game. You’re not learning how to read or advanced algebra, but you can certainly sneak in some math lessons (I got 4 and you got 6. Who got more?) and critical thinking skills (I picked that one and that one and they didn’t go together, so should you pick the same ones?), or just have some regular fun with your kids. Nothing wrong with that, right?

The only issue with the game is that it can be tough to figure out which feet go with which head. But trust me, once your kid has played a few times, they’ll be able to tell you which ones go together. As long as Junior isn’t a pathological liar, they’re a pretty reliable source and it’s nothing to worry about. There are pictures of each assembled figure so you can work it out without the help of the under-10 crowd if necessary; we used some cheap laminating stuff to help the longevity of the sheets.

Note that this is a tough one to find online. We got ours at Target, and their website says it’s only sold in stores. It’s a great holiday present, so go get one now!

Buy Spider-Man & Friends Memory Match-Up Online:

• at Amazon.com

As one of the consolation prizes for becoming big brothers, the boys received this Batman toy from their (much) older cousin. I had seen this in the store but wondered whether it would be a good toy for a 3 and 4 year old. Ultimately, I think my doubts will have been justified.

For now, the toy is pretty cool - you push the smaller vehicle holding the Batman figure into the larger until it clicks in place. Then you push down the top until it click, then both sides. Once that’s done, you hit the #1 button on the back - which opens everything back up - and then the #2, which shoots the smaller vehicle out of the larger. The motorcycle shoots out pretty well, and the boys have loved using it in different positions to make the cycle go in different ways. So what’s the downside?

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