Disney Infinity 3.0 is the third installment of the "toys to life" gaming platform from Disney Interactive Studios. Players can unlock characters and play with them inside a video game world. To play as the character, you would need to place the corresponding figure on the Disney Infinity base.
The figures are a big draw for this game more than the game itself. That is not to say the game is not fun to play, which it certainly is! You have a lot of freedom to create your own world and explore different worlds with your characters. But it attracts the collector market as well. I've been tempted several times in the past to grab the figures whenever I chance upon them in the toy aisle. This was before Infinity 3.0 though, and they were more focused on Disney and Marvel superhero characters. I was able to keep in control of my emotions and resist the "Dark side" forcing me to add more toys in my collection.I had Marvel Legends, Star Wars Black Series and other toylines to satisfy my craving for my toy collecting hobby. So I put off getting Disney Infinity for a couple of years.
That was before they included Star Wars characters in the Disney Infinity line. Seeing the stylized cartoon versions of my favorite characters in the Star Wars universe was just too hard to resist. Adding to the fact that my wife, supportive as she is in giving me happiness, jumpstarted my dive into this fun game by giving me the Star Wars bundle as one of her gifts last Christmas.
My youngling posing with the Disney Infinity bundle
So I blame this addiction on my loving wife! I just had to grab all of the figures in this line to complete the collection. And ALL of the figures look great! No regrets in adding them to my toy shelf. Plus the game is super fun to play, so it is a win-win! If you are a Star Wars fan, or if you just enjoy sandbox style videogames, give this game a try. I bet you'll have a good time. This version of Disney Infinity might also be the last, since there are no reports that they will be putting out a Disney Infinity 4.0. Which is a bit sad, since the game has grown on me and I was looking forward to more playsets and worlds to explore. Nevertheless, the game comes with an open world creator engine. So, for anyone who is willing to put in the time, and with a little bit of creative skill. The possibilities are truly endless. To INFINITY and beyond!
Check out the video below for a more detailed look at all the figures in the Star Wars series:
In case you haven't heard, there is an actual annual event where geeks in all shapes and sizes gather in one venue to celebrate geekdom in one form or another. This is where toy collectors, comic book fans, gamers, hobbyists, anime lovers, and pop culture enthusiasts can gather in one place and celebrate their passion for all things fun and awesome!
Toycon in the Philippines started in 2002, making this the 15th Toycon in the Philippines. It has greatly evolved from its humble beginning of focusing on toy and comics collectors, to an event where fans of entertainment and pop culture can also attend and have a good time.
Toys are still the main attraction of the event, but now, any casual fan of pop culture can go into the event and find something that they might find interesting. There are areas catering to anime fans, there are booths where you can try video games, there is even an area for learning and playing tabletop and board games! And of course, there are talented cosplayers showing off their awesome costumes!
Toycon 2016 is the biggest so far since we also had some celebrity guests who attended so that fans can get autographs and possibly some photo opportunities. Some of the celebrity guests include: Kristian Nairn (Hodor from Game of Thrones), Dean Cain (Superman from Lois and Clark), Daniel Logan (Young Boba Fett - Star Wars Episode II) some dudes from Twilight (werewolves), Frankie J (singer/songwriter) and many more!
They also had the Stan Lee Excelsior Exhibit on display, and the 25 feet Voltes V! As a Marvel fan, as soon as I heard "Stan Lee Exhibit", I knew I had to attend and not even my powerful wife can stop me! Of course, she wouldn't, because she is very supportive and understanding, and she is just the best wife in the whole galaxy! Anyway... On to the pictures!!
Here I am standing next to a Stan Lee over sized caricature statue.
Stan Lee's exhibit features some signed movie props like Wolverine's claws, Thor's hammer, Captain America's helmet, and Tony's Arc Reactor.
Cosplayers are a staple at every geek convention, so here are a few shots of me going around and striking a pose with some of them:
Bullied by the Empire!
Doing some Hex magic with Scarlet Witch
Shooting webs with Miles Morales and Civil war Spidey!
Patrolling with the First Order
Go go, Power Rangers! Missing Blue, Yellow, Green Ranger because they are busy running around after kids
Also, one of the main attractions of the event is the 25 feet tall Voltes V!! This combiner robot was very popular during the 80s with its catchy theme song and endearing family story. Looking at the imposing figure brings back good memories of my childhood!
If it is not obvious by now, I had a blast during this event! I'm looking forward to the next one, and I'm hoping that it will be even bigger and more epic! Time to save up so I can snag those cool collectibles! One year is hopefully enough time to build up the budget. But then again, no budget is ever enough whenever you attend an event like this!
I've also posted a video for a more thorough look at this year's Toycon! If you missed this event, you can check out the videos below:
When it comes to iconic characters from the movies, perhaps none is more iconic than the dark lord himself, Darth Vader. Even non-fans of Star Wars can easily recognize the menacing helmet and black armor of the fallen jedi once known as Anakin Skywalker.
LEGO released a line of buildable figures last year (2015). And when I saw that Darth Vader was going to be a part of the release, I knew I had to get my hands on the big bad figure!
Vader as a LEGO figure is HUGE! He stands above 12 inches and just looks fantastic as a display piece. This Lego figure takes 47 steps to build, but it is easy enough to follow that you should be able to complete him in around 10 minutes.
(from L to R - Hasbro 3.75 figure, LEGO buildable figure, Hasbro 6 inch Black series)
The first thing that struck me is the head sculpt or the helmet piece. It just makes the figure pop. It definitely captures the look of Darth Vader.
The figure has a wide range of motion due to how it was built. The joints are connected using a ball and socket type of piece that Lego has been using in some of its other lines like Bionicle, if I am not mistaken. It really works well in this line as well.
The set comes with no stickers! I really love my Lego pieces to be printed and I hate adding stickers to my toys since they have a tendency to peel off in time. So I hope, all future sets will come with printed pieces.
Overall, I'm really happy with this figure! I'm excited to get the other figures in the series, but I feel like I'll leave the figures with the human faces alone. Luke and Obi Wan's faces just look weird in Lego form.
If you like Lego, if you are a fan of Star Wars, or if you just like a good piece for display, then this toy comes definitely recommended!
People who are not into the hobby of board gaming usually think of Monopoly or Scrabble when they hear the word "board games". Apart from the popularity of those games, they can also be seen being sold in most toy stores. Board games have more diversity than what can normally be seen in your usual Toys' R Us. Games come in different themes and sizes. But they can sometimes remain undiscovered since they can only be purchased in specialty or hobby stores.
Good thing then, that we are in the modern age of board gaming. Most enthusiasts consider this age as the renaissance of board games, and more games are getting the exposure that they deserve.
An example of a game that has been getting great exposure is Splendor!
It has won numerous board game awards in 2014 when it was first released.
In Splendor, you take on the role of a gem merchant during the Renaissance. You collect gems in the form of chips. Gems are used to acquire mines, transportation, and other upgrades in the form of cards. Objective of the game is to earn prestige points from development cards or visiting nobles. The game ends when a player reaches 15 prestige points. And that's about it. Sounds simple enough? It is!
On a player's turn. He can only do 3 things:
1. Choose and take gems (chips) - 2 options
Take 3 chips of different colors
Take 2 chips of the same color (only if there are at least 4 chips in that color)
Note: Any player can only have 10 chips at a time, excess chips need to be returned to the pool such that the player is left with 10.
2. Reserve a development card - Simply take the face up card and place it in your hand. You can also take a gold token/chip. The gold chip is considered a joker and can be used in future rounds to be any colored gem. A player can only reserve up to three cards.
3. Buy a development card - A player can purchase a card by paying for its cost indicated on the card. A player can also pay for a card that was previously reserved.
As a player purchases mines and development cards, he will be able to obtain bonuses from the cards which will build up his prestige points. At the end of the turn, a noble can visit the player that meets the noble's requirements. This is indicated by the number of each type of gem a player needs to own as a development card. Each noble is worth 3 prestige points.
Players take turns choosing one action until one player reaches 15 prestige points. This signifies the end of the round, and the remaining players can complete their turns. The player with the highest prestige point at the end of the game wins!
A game of Splendor can take about 30-45 minutes. Of course the game may last longer due to deep analysis and decision making of some of the players.
The components of this game are of high quality. The cards feel like they can withstand a lot of wear. The printed images although simple, look elegant. The chips are good quality poker chips. The plastic tray inside the box can contain all of the chips, cards, and noble tiles in different sections. The space for the cards even allows for room if you have plans of sleeving the cards.
The theme on the game doesn't really stand out. The game can have any theme pasted on and it would still work. This may not necessarily be a bad thing, since non-gamers may be intimidated if the game is heavy on fantasy or sci-fi elements.
This is a good entry point game for non gamers to try out board gaming. I introduced this to a couple of non gamer family and friends and they were able to pick up the gameplay and enjoy the game right away.
In conclusion, Splendor is deserving of all the awards it won when it was first released. Any gaming library should have a copy of this gem of a game. You can easily take it out of your shelf, teach your guests how to play in 5 minutes or less, and have an impromptu gaming night session.
Easy to play doesn't mean it is light on strategy or decision making. Great games try to present you with a tough decision every turn. And Splendor manages to do that very well.
So, if you haven't played this game yet, I highly recommend you give it a try. I won't be surprised if you ask to play again after the first game. And again, and again, and again, until you can no longer play since you have to go home some time.
A lot of people like to play games. Video games, card games, board games, physical games or sports. When it comes to sheer variety and flexibility, nothing beats a deck of 52 cards. It has a countless number of games that can be played with 2, 3, 4 or more players. Heck, it is also popular for solo games or solitaire.
Apart from providing endless hours of entertainment value with just a deck of cards, people also use it to look into the future! Yes, cards have been used for centuries to look into the future and foretell someone's destiny. I personally do not believe in fortune telling, but I know a lot of people are obsessed with trying to get a glimpse of what's in store for them in tomorrow land.
The design of the modern deck of player cards is in fact quite fascinating. You can say that it was designed to pattern one cycle or calendar year. I think this is the main reason why people see it as a tool that they can use to see potential events in the future. A deck consists of 52 cards, which rhymes with the 52 weeks in a year. A deck also has 4 suits, Diamonds, Hearts, Spades, and Clubs. This may also represent the 4 seasons that we have on Earth, winter, spring, summer, fall. Each suit has 13 cards, which coincides with 13 lunar cycles, full and new moons. A normal deck of cards has 2 colors, usually red and black which represent night and day. Or black and white, or the balance of good and evil. Now, the real stunner is when you add up each of the card's values in each of the suits it will amount to 364, add one joker and it will be 365. This is the number of days in a year! Amazing right?
This is why I got fascinated with learning more about what I can do with a normal deck of playing cards. Sure, I was having fun playing poker, black jack, lucky 9 or baccarat, but there was more to it than that. Cards have the ability to surprise and delight! Through a skilled magician, it can make you feel wonder and a sense that anything is possible!
Below, I'll be sharing one of the first card tricks I learned that has a good effect yet simple and easy to learn. This requires no magical ability whatsoever. All you need is a complete set of 52 cards, remember that the value of Jack is 11, Queen is 12, King is 13, and Ace is 1. You can do this to your family and friends and it will work every single time. You just need to know how to count to 13! So I call this trick, the power of 13 =)
Execution:
You can have anyone shuffle and mix up the cards. Once they are satisfied enough, you can say you will be using the power of the number 13! So you start with the card on the top and reveal the card. Based on the card's value, you start adding cards until you get to 13. That would be your 1st pile. Now reveal the next card and start a new pile following the exact same method from the 1st pile. Once you get to 13, set it aside as pile 2 then start again for the 3rd pile. So you just keep doing this until the cards are no longer enough to get to 13.
Once you reveal a card that has a value that will not allow you to get to 13, set it aside with the remaining cards in your hand. Now, ask your spectator to choose 3 piles. You can even close your eyes while they deliberate and choose from any pile. Turn over the selected piles. You gather all of the remaining piles and add the pile that you set aside earlier.
Next, ask the spectators again to choose 2 piles from the 3 face down piles. You turn the first card of each selected pile face up.
Now, since there are 3 piles, you lay down 10 cards to form 13. Power of 13, remember? After doing that, you lay down cards to meet whatever value from the face up cards from each pile.
The remaining number of cards, should tell you the value of the last pile's face down card on top!
Check out the execution in this video:
So grab deck of cards and try it out yourself!
I'll be sharing more Magic with cards in the future. For now, enjoy, have fun, and May the Force be with you!
Kids in the 90's may have heard of a popular card game called Magic the Gathering. I am a 90's kid myself and the trading card game hobby was a big part of my life growing up. It had the hook of collecting rare cards with value and of course the strategic element of its gameplay was very deep and engaging.
You devote a part of your personality whenever you create your own deck. There is a feeling of ownership not just in a sense that you "own" the cards, but as if you gave the deck a part of you. The deck was a reflection of yourself. At least that was before the internet became a thing, whereas now, you can just google a decklist and create an exact copy of an already tested championship deck. That was when the card game lost some of its magic to me. People started to care more about winning rather than just having fun.
And then, there was the price of the cards. The trading card game is not cheap. It could be, if you just wanted to play and always lose. But if you want to be somewhat competitive, you had to spend your hard earned cash. It suddenly felt like, players who can spend more, win more. Add to that, the difficulty of finding the cards. Some cards are just hard to get, and eventually, the thrill of buying booster pack after booster pack loses its appeal. At least, that was my story. I went on hiatus from playing the game.
I still miss it though. Tinkering with cards, trying to create a killer combo, out-thinking your opponent. I still had that strategy game itch that I wanted to scratch. I just didn't want to put in the effort and the resources to hunt around for cards just to build my dream deck.
Enter EPIC CARD GAME:
In Epic, cards are not randomized. So when you buy a starter box, you have access to ALL the cards!
Yes, ALL the cards, spending huge amounts of money just to get that rare card will no longer hinder me from creating my custom deck!
Gameplay is fast and Epic! Every turn you have 1 gold or resource to spend, and all cards only cost either 1 or 0. So turn 1 can already be a tense moment for your opponent.
There are only 2 types of cards in Epic. Champions that can stay in play to fight and defend for you. And Events that deliver powerful game altering effects.
I have barely scratched the surface of the strategy in this game, but it definitely relieves me of that trading card game itch that I've wanted to scratch for a long time.
Thank you White Wizard games for creating this fun game!
