Activision made a smart move when they put out Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure last year. It combined both collectible toys and video games, and made you feel important by calling you, “The Portal Master”. There were 32 toys to be collected, and although the starter pack came with three, you needed at least 8 to complete all the missions.

This year’s Toy Fair announced that there would be an expansion for the franchise. Needless to say, you’re going to need to brace your wallets, because 16 new collectible figures are going to be hitting the shelves. Half of these toys will be giants that are two times the size of a regular Skylander.

All of these second wave toys will also lights up when near the Portals of Power, but come connected to a new game. The toys from the first game will still work just fine, but they will be tiny both literally and virtually compared with the Giants. Check out the video below to get a peek of what’s to come.

Remember back in December when we told you that you can get games using your Club Nintendo coins? Well that system is still going on, however there are finally some new games to choose from. There’s even an N64 classic that is just too good to pass up.

Newly added for the year you can grab Dr. Mario for 100 coins, The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask for 150 coins, Kirby’s Dream Land for 100 coins, and Dr. Mario Express for 150 coins. It’s great considering Majora’s Mask is available, and it was one of the best games for the N64 right under The Ocarina of Time. Dr. Mario Express is a DSiWare game, though it can only be redeemed here as a 3DS download.

If you’ve managed to save your coins up, you can pick up these games right now. They will be available until January 31st, at which point the games will be cycled out. Go ahead, grab Majora’s Mask! You know you want to. You can pick the games up at the Club Nintendo site.

The internet site Stitch Kingdom picked up on some news regarding a certain favored Disney character most recently. In a newsletter published by the company, some details have revealed the confirmation of Epic Mickey 2, a sequel to the dark tale that paints the character in a whole new light.

A survey was published as well from within Disney, and it also reveals some news. It looks like the upcoming game could be coming to the PS3 and Xbox 360 in addition to the Wii, and it could bring with it a brand new co-op mode. In this new mode a player will control Mickey while the other fills the shoes of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Here’s what the full survey looks like:

“Disney Epic Mickey 2 is the latest game in the critically acclaimed Disney Epic Mickey videogame series. In this all-new action-platforming game available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii, Mickey embarks on an epic journey and is pulled back into a world filled with Disney’s forgotten characters. Players can choose to play single-player as Mickey or for the first time players can also choose two-player split screen mode. In the two-player mode one person can play as Mickey wielding magic paint and paint thinner to dynamically change the world and the second player can play as Oswald the Lucky Rabbit – Walt Disney’s first cartoon star – with the power to fly like a helicopter and use electricity to fight or friend enemies and solve challenges. Team-up and choose your path to save this forgotten world because the choices you make will alter the story and change the end of the game!”

The first game had some slight camera issues, but otherwise was accepted with great reviews. It was an intensely fun game and told a new story that fans of young and old could enjoy. I’m excited to see another Epic Mickey title hit the scene, and the new co-op mode will add even more to how great the game performs. Aren’t you filled with magical excitement to see Mickey pick up his paintbrush once more?

This has been one great year for gaming. There were plenty of titles that arrived this year that made jaws drop, wallets empty, and hearts flutter all throughout the gaming community. There were so many, in fact, that it was difficult to keep up with them all.

Lucky for us, Youtuber MalcomWKlock has taken some time out of his busy schedule to help us remember just what 2011 has brought us. In a video that’s just under 2 minutes in length, we get to see a snippet of each title that’s graced us with its presence.

Not only is the video cool and educational, it’s set to some pretty sweet tunes. We see all of our favorites like Batman: Arkham City and L.A. Noire to Alice: Madness Returns and Rage. To muse on this past year in gaming, check out the video below. After watching it, what would you choose as your favorite games of the year?

Many Skyward Sword fans were certainly aware of the game-breaking bug that prevented players from moving further with the game, and have been dealing with it as best they can. When Nintendo responded with their “if you’ve done this you’ve gone too far and it sucks to be you” attitude, it raised a lot of frustration within the community. With many of us crying out, Nintendo has responded again to the issue.

This time they’ve tackled the issue at the source. There is now a special channel on the Wii that’s been named the “Legend of Zelda Data Restoration Channel.” This channel will offer a downloadable patch for the game that will fix the issue. Right now the channel is only live in Japan, and it’s in the works for the US and Europe.

We’ll make sure and update as soon as the patch is live, so keep an eye out. It’s great that Nintendo is making the step to fix the bug for players, and they’ve earned more respect among the community. We just cannot go without playing our Skyward Sword. You know how it is.

Players all over are having tons of fun running through The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, but some bad news has hit the horizon. It looks like a game-breaking glitch has been found in the game, and it’s really puzzling gamers out there. This glitch is found during the second part of the Song of the Hero quest.

It would seem that if players get the song of the Thunder Dragon from Lanaryu Mine, speak with the Goron, defeat the Thunder Dragon mission, and finally speak to the Goron Golo, an error occurs within the game. If any player completes the series of events in this specific manner, then they will no longer be able to continue the game with the current save file. No matter the action, nothing will come of trying to press on with the game, and at that point it becomes a brick unless you restart from the beginning.

Nintendo has become aware of the problem, but even more bad news is that they have announced that there’s no solution to the issue. Also, there’s no talk of a patch to fix it either. When speaking about the issue, this is what Nintendo has to say:

We have been made aware of the issue that results in being unable to progress in the Song of the Hero quest. If the game has been saved after completing the sequence of events, it will no longer be possible to proceed through the game on that save file. The only options at that point are to either start the game over or to use an earlier save file to continue.

1. The situation is caused by performing the following sequence of events during the Song of the Hero quest:
2. At the beginning of the quest, go to Lanayru Desert to retrieve the song of the Thunder Dragon.
3. In the Lanayru Mine, speak with Golo the Goron.
4. Complete the Thunder Dragon’s event, and receive his song.
5. Before heading to the forest or volcano regions, speak with Golo in the mine again.
6. At this point, the forest and volcano events will no longer occur, making it impossible to continue.

Solutions:

This issue WILL NOT OCCUR if the Fire and Water Dragon songs have already been collected before collecting the Thunder Dragon’s song. Talking to Golo in the Lanayru Caves will also NOT trigger this issue.

If the game has been saved after completing the sequence of events, it will no longer be possible to proceed through the game on that save file. The only options at that point are to either start the game over or to use an earlier save file to continue.

I wish I had a better answer, but I’m afraid there currently is no other fix available. I can assure, however, that we are documenting all feedback we receive on this issue. Thank you for your patience and support.

Sincerely,

Sharon Matheny

This is a definite setback for Zelda fans, and many have been left upset. It’s disappointing to think that Nintendo isn’t planning on releasing any sort of update to fix the issue, and they are sort of sitting back on this one. After spending so many hours on the game just to delete your file and restart, a simple statement doesn’t seem to do justice.

When it comes to gaming icons, there’s one series that stands high above the rest. Ever since I could hold a controller I’ve been one of the biggest fans of the Zelda series. I even went as far as to get my very own Triforce tattooed on my left hand, the one that wields the Master Sword. I really enjoyed Twilight Princess, but when The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was announced for the Wii I could barely contain myself. With advanced Wii Motion Plus controls, new features, and the promise to take players back to the time where gameplay was as good as The Ocarina of Time, Nintendo really set a high standard with the new title. The great part about Skyward Sword is that Nintendo delivered their word, on all accounts.

Story and Visuals

Skyward Sword is easily one of Nintendo’s greatest achievements in the past 10 years. When it comes to storyline, the game boasts a story that is interactive, deep, and follows a pace that’s nearly perfect. Skyward Sword opens with a story that takes a deep look back into the series’ past. The old fabled story resurfaces from the days of old where Zelda and Link are childhood friends who have grown up together. The game opens, placing you in a world that’s vast and colorful. The art style of Twilight Princess makes a reappearance, and it almost looks better than the previous game. Colorful details round every corner, followed by bright visages of soft cell shading. Seriously, this game looks amazing.

Once you get acquainted with the characters and city – Skyloft – you embark to set off the story. Link is supposed to take part in a special ceremony where citizens race their special birds – called Loftwings – and the winner will become a knight of the floating city. Of course, right as the ceremony is to begin, something goes amiss. This is where you’ll get to know the game, learning its various techniques and controls. Link’s Loftwing has gone missing and he must recover it before the ceremony starts. It turns out that a creep by the name of Groose has locked up the bird, because he knows without it Link won’t be able to take part. After some thorough searching, Link sets his Loftwing free and the ceremony can commence.

The race offers intuitive gameplay and ultimately sees Link taking a win in stride. Once safely back on the ground he meets with Zelda to finish the ceremony. He must jump from the top of the Goddess statue in the middle of Skyloft and use a Sailcloth (which Zelda made herself) to land in the middle of a giant stone circle. Doing this, Link has finished the ceremony and become a valiant knight of Skyloft. The duo is eager to celebrate and they take off into the skies on their beloved birds. Of course, this is when the story takes a turn for the worst. A giant black tornado appears in the sky and throws the two pilots off course. Zelda takes a fall to the depths below, known as the Surface. It is at this point where the main story begins.

Link finds himself talking to Zelda’s father, and he is called upon by an image of what you later come to know as a Guardian. This Guardian explains to Link that he is of great importance, and so is his childhood friend. The story unwinds a bit and you find out it’s your duty to go out in search of Zelda.

All of the scenery and characters in Skyward sword look great. There’s a hint of that old-school feel yet at the same time new elements keep the game fresh and interesting to look at. Nintendo really pushed the Wii to its capabilities with this title, and they didn’t back down on the visual end. Not only does the story help to firm this game out, but it’s stunningly beautiful from start to finish.

Gameplay and Controls

In terms of gameplay, Skyward Sword really pulls out all the stops. The game sets the bar at a much higher level for Nintendo, and they’ve done a great job maintaining its stand. The Wii Motion Plus really makes combat come to life, and each movement feels fluid and in your control. Response time is incredibly short, and near-perfect. After experiencing a Zelda title this way, I find it hard to even look at another Zelda game being played any other way. The Motion Plus controller makes rolling bombs, looking around dungeons, and swordplay much more intuitive and natural. I really don’t know why motion gaming wasn’t introduced like this until now, but I am extremely glad it’s finally here.

Speaking of the combat system, the new one introduced in Skyward Sword requires a lot of patience and form. Enemies will learn your attacks, use their weapons to block oncoming strikes, and if you don’t react with skill you’ll be punished for it. Just swinging out of frustration or impatience will really land you in a dangerous situation.

That brings me to another thing, Skyward Sword is a difficult game. It’s like Nintendo wanted to create something for loyal fans and they would really need to know their stuff when playing through the game’s content. Most of the game is extremely fun and interactive, but there are some parts that are just unforgiving. You’d think that this would make the game more frustrating, but it actually keeps you locked in and trying more to best it.

When it comes to dungeon-crawling, Skyward Sword makes a change from the usual gameplay. Instead of leading players to large dungeons and repeating the process, it adds the feature of using Skyloft as a central hub for travel. Fast travel is introduced, allowing players to travel back and forth between certain Surface locations. The new Zelda title takes a page straight from the Metroid games as it has players returning to many previous locations to find items and complete tasks. That being said, there is a ton of content hovering on the Surface world. Dungeons and world locations now take hours to complete, and players will find that they’ll need to make sessions out of these runs to fully complete them. This is new to the game, and has made it much more interesting and vast. Moving blocks and hitting switches aren’t as apparent in the game as they previously were, and more challenging types of tasks will greet players exploring the world.

Lastly, much like with other Zelda titles, Link finds a companion in the form of a sword Guardian by the name of Fi. Fi is essentially a spirit that serves as the player’s guide. Unlike other support characters in the series, Fi actually adds a sense of humor to the game and keeps things interesting. At face value she’s like a computer that spits out facts and information for the player, but she has a personality of her own. She lacks the understanding of human emotion, and provides some comical relief when times get tough. This is a nice change to the game, and it really helps bring together everything that Skyward Sword is.

With all of the great things that Skyward Sword has to offer, it’s not without its faults. One of the worst things about it is the camera control. In order to keep the camera centered behind Link, you’ll constantly be pressing Z over and over again. This becomes annoying, but it’s mainly a nuisance. Also, the Wiimote will require calibration every so often and always seems to need it when it’s most inconvenient. Sometimes the framerate drops, though not very often. Also, some of the series’ characters have been left out. You won’t run into any Cuccoos anytime soon, so there’s no invincible armor. Added together, though, these are only minor inconveniences and they don’t attribute to making the game any less fun to play.

Conclusion

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is simply the best game in the franchise. Even when you look at the older games, though amazing, they don’t quite stand out from the shadow of this new title. Nintendo has went back to examine a storyline that, while old, can be re-imagined into a new experience that will not only bring in new players, but keep older ones coming back for more. This game will stand on the top of the board for more than one reason, and it’s deserving. With gameplay that can be called the greatest seen in the series and visuals that engulf the player in a brand new, yet familiar world, Skyward Sword will be a game that’s remembered for breathing new life into an already favorite franchise.

New styles of combat keep fighting your way through dungeons more engaging and fun the more you explore. A new support character actually helps and adds personality to the game that hasn’t been seen before. When it comes to Wii games, Skyward Sword really shows us the true nature of the Wii’s potential, and really sets the standard for future gaming. If you’ve not had a chance to play this game yet, you’re really missing out.

According to Nintendo, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is now the fastest-selling Zelda title of all time. The game launched on November 20th, and since then it’s sold 535,000 copies in North America alone. Combine that with the other sales from around the world and, at fifty bucks a piece, you’ve got quite a lot earned in sales.

Over this past holiday weekend over 500,000 Wii systems were sold (potentially in efforts just to play this game) on Black Friday. With both the game and systems selling like this, Nintendo is set to reach their system goal for the year. It’s easy to assume that Skyward Sword is the driving force behind the system push, and it’s for good reason.

So far, players seem to really be enjoying the new Zelda title. With a new storyline, integrated Wii motion controls, and some new looks at old favorites, Skyward Sword is quickly becoming a must-have title for the Wii. If you’ve gotten the chance to play Skyward Sword, what have you found the most interesting about it?

(Don’t you want your kids to look like this on Christmas morning?)

The holidays are coming, and that means that gift-giving is on the minds of people the world over. With Thanksgiving merely a week away, those Black Friday plans are getting strewn out across dining room tables, and war paint is being set up for the battlefield. Parents are trying to get geared up to head out in search of early Christmas gifts for their children, and we’re here to help ease the pain as much as possible. From now, leading up to right before Christmas, we’ll be rolling out holiday gift guides that will touch on many different types of loved ones who, if they’re into gaming, will appreciate everything that’s up for offer. To kick it off, we’ll be starting with our picks for the kids this season.

So, to get this started, here’s our top five picks for the gaming child on your list this year:

LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars – (PS3, 3DS, Wii, Xbox 360, PSP, PC) – MSRP $19.99

For fans of LEGOs and the Star Wars series alike, this game is sure to excite your child for quite a while. The game follows the story of the Clone Wars series, and touches on the animated series that has been shown on Cartoon Network. Your child can take the role of a number of heroes in the Star Wars storyline and defeat the leaders of evil in efforts to provide justice across the galaxy.

Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure – (PS3, 3DS, Wii, Xbox 360, PC) – MSRP $69.99

As we reviewed earlier in the month, Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure adds a brand new way to enjoy video games. It comes bundled with three characters (which are actual action figures) that are used with the included stand to play as in the game’s virtual world. Players will choose their character, place them on the base, and bring them to life in the game. Players will embark on a fantastical journey into an amazing mysterious world, where they will explore mythical lands, battle outlandish creatures, collect gold and treasures, and solve interesting puzzles on a quest to save their world from an evil Portal Master known as Kaos. There are over 30 collectible characters to pick up, which will entertain your child with many playtime hours. For more information on the game, check out our review.

Super Mario 3D Land – (3DS) – MSRP $39.99

For the handheld gaming little one in the family, Super Mario 3D Land takes players into a massive 3D world on the 3DS like never before. With the classic system of old school Mario, including lovable and favored characters from the series, the game allows players to journey through the Mushroom Kingdom in full 3D without the use of special glasses. Even the coveted Tanooki suit makes a comeback in the latest Mario game, making it the perfect gift for the growing gamer!

Kinectimals – (Xbox 360 with Kinect) – MSRP $29.99

If you’ve had the chance to grab a Kinect for the Xbox 360, then Kinectimals is a great title to grab for the kids. Kinectimals uses the Kinect peripheral to allow players to fully interact with on-screen animals by responding to voice, petting movements, and much more. Children and parents alike can get into this game and make connections with exotic animals seen the world over. It’s a great gift that will help bring the family together all while making some great new virtual friends.

Kirbys Return To Dreamland – (Wii) – MSRP $49.99

Kirby and his friends are back in an adventure designed to satisfy longtime Kirby fans and beginners alike. When an alien spaceship crashes in the otherwise peaceful realm of Pop Star, its pieces are scattered throughout the land. Players must guide Kirby as he retrieves the ship’s parts and helps the aliens return to their home planet. This time, however, he’s not alone. At any time, up to three more players can join in the fun and play as Meta Knight, King Dedede and Waddle Dee to help Kirby in his quest. The game incorporates special power ups, engaging platforming, and a fabled storyline all within a cartoon world that’s vivid and colorful. Your child would become wrapped up in this game for hours, making it another great gift idea.

Each of these ideas are perfect for any gamer, but especially for the children, and those who are children at heart. I personally remember playing Kirby back when I was growing up, and if you own a Wii it’s a must-have title. Keep and eye out right here for more holiday gift guides in the coming days. Feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments below!

It takes a lot to score a perfect 10 out of 10 over at IGN.com. They consider these games “Masterpieces” and only want the best of the best to have that title. It’s fitting that the first ever game to receive a 10 out of 10 at IGN was The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on November 25, 1998. Seems  that the latest addition to the series, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, is creating tons of hype and receiving high scores all over the place as well. IGN fell in love with this game and they had some delightful things to say about the game.

“The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is the greatest Zelda game ever created. It’s the best game for Wii and one of the finest video game accomplishments of the past 10 years. The game has once again raised the bar and forged new territory for an iconic and innovative franchise. It’s not enough that it finally establishes a powerful, stirring origin story or that it features near-perfect pacing. What puts Skyward Sword over the top is its layered, dense, absolutely perfect gameplay that manages to not only nail motion-controlled combat but remarkably offers a stunning level of diversity.”

That’s the first paragraph of IGN’s review and it only gets better. The first sentence astonished me when I read the review. Saying that this game is the best Zelda game ever created is a very very VERY bold statement. Every gamer and their mother holds Ocarina of Time close to their heart and almost nothing can get between that. Nothing except for Nintendo’s home run titled Skyward Sword. You can read the whole review by clicking the button below.