Editorial Review

There’s a party goin’ on at the Party Pad, and everyone’s invited! In an effort to raise money for a local animal shelter, Barbie, Madison, Chelsea, and the rest of the My Scene gang decide to throw a masquerade party in the DVD movie, Masquerade Madness. And what a party it is! My Scene followers will be thrilled to see this 23-minute DVD, and even happier to find Barbie all dolled up as a very sexy Butterfly Punk, complete with sparkly brown and copper wings, pink faux-fur jacket (at least we hope it’s faux; it is an animal shelter fund raiser, after all), belly-revealing top with lace front, sleek hip-hugging purple and pink camo cargo pants, and spiky high heel boots. Plus she has a costumed puppy, lots of accessories, and a whole other outfit, presumably for the after-party party. You fly, girl! Warning: Girls, don’t try these outfits at home--you’ll be grounded for a month! --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Editorial Review

Toot-toot! All aboard for lunch with the very functional Thomas the Tanklunch box, which is made of durable plastic and comes in the traditional Thomasblue with a red handle. Inside the generous container are an 11.5-ounce canteenand a Pecoware double-deck sandwich container, which measures 5 by 5 by 3inches. Both are adorned with Thomas scenes. On the front of the lunch box is anifty front panel--decorated with another happy Thomas scene--that clips open.This compartment is big enough to accommodate another sandwich or is the perfecthiding place to tuck away a secret goodie for your child. Press a button on theside of the canteen, and the cover pops up, revealing a straw. No muss, no fuss.The lunch box measures 9 by 7 by 4.5 inches and can hold a lot of food--forchildren or adults! --Diane Tuman ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Most Adorable Lunchbox
This Thomas Train Lunchbox is GREAT! My three year old son was so excited when he saw it for the first time. It is spacious and well constructed. The compartments are large and there are multiple options for use with each piece. The kids (ages 3-5) in his preschool class went crazy when he brought it to school. It is a one of a kind.

Retro cool
I gave this 5 stars for fun, because my son loved it from day one, and would not leave the store without it. He played with it for days while we waited for school to reopen after Christmas.

I rated it 5 stars for educational value, because it made him want to go to school, which is a significant educational achievement indeed.

Unfortunately, I had to mark it down, because the water bottle is already broken at the point where the button to press it open meets the cap. Also, the straw is hard to clean, especially after a young child eats a cheesy snack and nibbles on the straw.
Lastly, the front compartment is very difficult to open, especially for a young child, so you end up not using that section at all.

Other than these, it's tough, it's cute, and it's a retro look that parents remember all too well. Substitute another bottle, and enjoy.

now in its fifth year of use and still going strong!
This is THE lunchbox to get! My six year old son received this as a gift for his first birthday. I didn't think much of it at the time. HA! Little did I know how much we would use this durable and practical lunch box set! I can pack his lunch everyday without one piece of plastic wrap or one plastic baggie! A sandwich fits perfectly in the tray provided and stays fresh and soft until lunch time! Under the sandwich I pack fruit, pretzels or other snacks....again without any plastic wrap or baggy! I LOVE THIS PRODUCT!!!

Cute item for your Thomas fan, but...
A friend of mine bought this lunchbox for my son and he loved it as soon as he got it. He's 4 and not in kindergarten yet, so this only gets used from time to time when we go out to lunch, etc. It can also be used to carry along small toys, trains, or whatever. Another reviewer has said hers cracked after it was dropped. I can't really comment too much on that since ours hasn't been dropped (yet). The lunchbox is pretty roomy on the inside and even has a side compartment too! There's a snack box inside with a little tray which basically divides it into two compartments. I usually put a sandwich on top and put other things underneath. The biggest problem with the whole set is the cup that comes with it. It is really cute, but leaks into the lunchbox frequently and is a MAJOR PAIN to clean. There's a little spring loaded straw that pops up when you open the top, and goes back down when you close it. You basically have to disassemble these parts each time you clean it and let them dry, then put the whole thing back together again. I think they could've included a simple thermos or something that would have been much easier to use and clean. My son loves the design of the box, so I would recommend this lunchbox. However, I would leave the cup at home and throw in a juice box or something instead!!

The Thomas Lunch Box
My 3 year old son has this lunchbox and he dropped it and it cracked. It's not very durable. Also, it has a compartment for an ice pack, but didn't come with one. It is very difficult to find an ice pack for the size of the compartment. On a good note, he loves the drinking cup and snack box. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The Barbie Shop With Me Cash Register proves once again that Barbie is the coolest.Madedurably and in Barb's trademark colors (pink, hot pink, purple, white, etc.), this is a sleek number that canbe operated on the floor, bed, or tabletop. It features four realistic ways to buy noodles, yogurt, and toiletpaper. Option 1: A "clerk"--either a child or Barbie--scans the bar codes of included price tags. Option 2:You can manually input the price of items. Option 3: Items may be scrolled down the register. Option 4,which is, by the way, your humble writer's favorite: Make up your own prices! Get "Barbie Discounts"when you use your savings debit card. The Barbie register comes with a slew of accessories, including 18scannable price tags, play money, play credit/debit cards, a keypad, built-in microphone, and a 120-itemshopping catalogue offering everything from Barbie-brand jeans to junk food. The machine features ahigh-tech hand-held scanner and LCD on the register, which shows a customer's subtotal, item number, unitprice, and total. You get everything but a receipt. Hmmm.

A built-in microphone allows your child to make store announcements and call for price checks and itemvoids. This heightens the interaction this toy was built for, since Barbie's voice simulates the real shoppingexperience enough already. "Cash or charge?" she asks in a perky tone. Tip: If you don't pay up at oncewith your Barbie greenbacks or American Express-like credit card, you'll be harassed. We writers foundourselves fumbling through our own wallets, trolling for coupons. Barbie prompts the shopper throughoutthe entire process ("Seventeen dollars and twelve cents... No... seventeen dollars and TWELVE cents.").And parents--there's no volume control. If you just happen to sneak a play while your kid's eating lunch,well... everybody in the house will hear if your card is over the limit. Just kidding. But it's best to useBarbie's credit cards anyway. This kind of hectic shopping experience makes adults really appreciate theonline shopping experience, but kids will love it so much they'll forget it's just a pretend play toy. Registercomes with all accessories, manufacturer's warranty, a real grocery store coupon for a kid's treat, and thefour required AA batteries. --Diane Beall ... Read more

Reviews (61)

Great toy, but didn't last 3 weeks!
I had such high hopes for this toy! My 4-year-old received it for Christmas and just loved it -- especially the microphone. But the entire thing (except the microphone) stopped working less than 3 weeks after Christmas! To make matters worse, when I went to exchange it, I couldn't find it at any local Target store so, since I bought it at 1/2 price right before Christmas, I had to return it and lose out on my special deal. (Not to mention a VERY sad little girl...) The lady who helped me with the return said her grand-daughter had one going on 3 years so I'm hopeful mine was just a lemon, but the reviews I've read on other boards seem to indicate a real problem with durability. I probably will buy another one (though probably not at the normal $40 price tag -- the toy isn't durable enough for that kind of price), but will make sure I keep the receipt AND the box it came in for awhile...

Great toy, but didn't even last 3 weeks!
I had such high hopes for this toy! My daughter just loved it. I even enjoyed playing with it. She loved the microphone! I thought the scanner was really cool... BUT, the thing stopped working less than 3 weeks after Christmas!! VERY frustrating. To top it off, I was unable to find one to exchange it with so I had to return it (therefore losing the 1/2 price off I'd received when I purchased it, not to mention a sad daughter...) The lady that helped me with the return said her grand-daughter had one that was going on 3 years, so hopefully I just received a "lemon". But, after reading other reviews, this toy just doesn't seem durable enough for the $40 price tag. I do plan on trying another one (if I can ever find it again...), but I will certainly keep up with the receipt AND the box it came in...

Cool toy!
this is a cool toy especially for younger ones. I used to play with it, and i remember it was fun. And you could learn a lot actually! I think it helps in math. You could learn to count and add and subtract. Also it is fun because almost everyone loves shopping and this is almost like shopping in your very house! You could use any item in your home and turn it into an item for sale at your "store," You can choose your own price, whether its on sale or not and more! I remember i used to have much fun with it especially when friends came over. In general, it is a great toy! But one thing i dont really like is that the cash register (barbie) does all the talking. IT says the price, and welcome, and all that stuff. So the "clerk" doesnt really do much but check out and give money back and stuff like that. But other than that its great!

Age range way off!
My daughter received this for Christmas when she was 3. She was way too young for this, but what can you do with a gift from Grandma? I think the age range should start at 7 or 8. The problem with this toy and younger kids is that they lose all the pieces. Now that she is 5 and could play with it more, all the money and credit cards are gone. My kids just use it for the microphone now. Save it until your child is old enough to appreciate it. I believe it would provide hours of fun for the child of the right age.

scanner do not work.
This is a great toy, it 's scanners stop working instantly though. My daughter still plays with it but misses the scanners. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Kids who wear this fancy dress-up piece will obviously not be playing the "pauper" side of the Barbie-influenced fairy tale, "The Prince(ess) and the Pauper."With a quilted felt bodice and three layers and textures of skirt, it's a pretty, pink expression of 19th century couture. Details include raised trim with gold stitching at the neck, waist, and forearms; a pink rose at the waist; and a "Princess Anneliese" portrait (actually of Barbie) at the chest. Kids up to a smallish 5 years old can wear it, and get it on and off easily thanks to Velcro closures in back.Diane Beall ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Best Risk yet!
Well, we have just had our first game of Star Wars Risk: Clone Wars Edition at open gaming day at Dr. No's Comics & Games. The session was very successful and I am very impressed with the game so far. My friend Scott and I took the Separatist army while our new acquaintances Keith and Sara took the Republic. The game lasted a total of 4 1/2 rounds, which is pretty close to a game of Risk 2210. The Republic won, in spite of a last ditch effort to turn the tide via Order 66. Unfortunately, as is the case with games where dice are involved, the dice (or the Force) was not with us. I am not speaking out against dice based games. I like an element of chance. The best laid plans and all that... Unpredictable things happen in wars, especially in Star Wars. Our strategy of holding back defensively and waiting out for a good chance at a sweeping galactic conquest with Order 66 didn't pan out. Even if our dice had been rolled better, defensive is NOT the way to play this game. Play aggressive and ALWAYS invade whenever possible. If you are the Separatists, you have GOT to invade and be successful because you have GOT to get cards and reinforcements. The Republic starts out VERY strong (as they should, since they are the dominant power in the galaxy when the war starts) and if they are allowed to gain inroads into your regions, the Seps cannot mount a strong enough defense with their now limited reinforcements. The bonus cards the Reps get from taking leaders is a brutal advantage. Protect those leaders at all costs! if you HAVE to put one in a forward territory, it better be a 1 pip leader. We were unable to hold a first turn advance by the Republic's red army and had to cough up a total of 5 cards (3 from a 3 pip leader, and one each for both Scott and myself giving up a planet). That turn pretty much set the pace for the game. We were able to stay in it until the fifth position on the Order 66 track, and I called the order at the end of my turn, but our rolls again weren't enough. Order 66 ALMOST eliminated Sara, but one of her strongest planets held firm and was able to take Palpatine on her next turn as we had nowhere really safe to stash him.
Overall, even though we lost, I had a blast with the game. It really does FEEL like Star Wars. While i was a bit disappointed with the unusual looking board at first, I grew to really like it very quickly. Troop placement is simple, there are no questionable areas ("is this a pass through the mountains, or just the artwork?"), and since there are no territory cards there is no need to spend time trying to find the name of some obscure area/region/planet (one of the few downfalls of LOTR Trilogy Risk AND War of the Ring). Never forget that every turn is important. I cannot stress that enough. No matter which side you are, you have GOT to be offensive at all times. Even though defenders gain the advantage in ties, if the invader has ships or Anakin cards that allow re-rolls, the odds are heavily against the defender. The playing time is not at all daunting and can be played in only 2 hours or so ( and a good 1/2 hour of that was set up time), so it could easily be played tournament style, switching sides after a game and playing again best 2 out of 3 or what have you.
One comment I have noticed a lot of people making is that they wish the ship tokens had been plastic pieces rather than cardstock chits. While aesthetically I agree, I believe that for gameplay and ease of use purposes, a chit with a picture on one side and a description of the ship's ability on the reverse side is much more functional than a miniature and a reference sheet next to the board. The less time spent poring through the rulebook for a rule and the more time spent invading worlds and conquering the galaxy, the better.
In my opinion, SW Risk: CWE is the best Risk I have played so far. I have 2210, LOTR Trilogy, and Godstorm (which i have not yet played, unfortunately), but this is my favorite at this point.

A disappointment
I really loved the Lord of the Rings Trilogy edition of Risk, and so I was looking forward to the Clone Wars edition.Physically, the game is about the same quality--overall pretty nice but I'm not crazy about the little plastic pieces, which seem even flimsier than the Trilogy game, and much more likely to tangle up together.But that's not a big issue.It's the gameplay.

First off, in a 4 player game, 2 players are good (Republic) and 2 are evil (Separatist), and you are not allowed to attack your own ally.(Gosh, there goes half the fun of Risk right there!) I've yet to come up with a strategy that lets the good side win.During the game, the Separatists have a one-time opportunity to invoke "Order 66".When this happens, each and every planet (territory) in the Republic is checked against a die roll, and a losing roll means the planet becomes Separatist.In every game I've played so far, this wipes out the Republic.Not only have you lost the territories themselves, but all their troops turn against you.It's maddening to be playing the Republic, building up for a great crushing attack and blip, here comes Order 66, bye bye lovely troops.Once issuing Order 66, the Separatists must then place the Emperor (a special piece) on a planet, where he must remain, and the Republic will automatically win the game if they take this planet.But I have yet to get the Republic to recover enough to strike at the Emperor.

The dark side just has too many advantages to make this game fun to play.In the LOTR Trilogy edition, evil starts out stronger, but with good strategy, good can still win.But I just can't figure out the strategy here to make things even. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

My son loves these!
We bought these action figures for our 3-1/2 year old son two weeks ago, and since then he hasn't let them out of his sight! They will stand on their own with a little work, but depending on how old your child is, he or she may not care. These are especially good for young Scooby fans, as they have no small parts to lose and seem to be quite sturdy. Considering the amount of fun our son has gotten out of these, they are an excellent value for the price.

Fun with some problems
I got this set the other day and here is what i noticed. the box is very collector friendly it is square with a mystery machine graphic across it with a window in the center. There are no twist ties inside and everything can fit back in well. on the yellow cardboard behind the plastic holding the figures in there are bios of each character with last names addresses and ages (all but shaggy are 16, he's 17 and scooby's 7). The figures are well sculpted and niceyly articulated but there is one glaring problem, the feet on these figures are not made for standing. they are not flat on the bottom (except scooby's). While some figures can be balanced in a standing position with some effort, others it is almost impossible (ironically fred and daphne). So these look great in the package but in my opinion thats about it ... Read more

Reviews (61)

Volume Solution
I do understand how this guitar can be unnervingly loud, however I have also found out a way to limit the volume on this and many other childrens toys that do not have a mute (as I have done to many of my sons toys.) I usually put clear packaging tape (3M brand) over the speaker and slowly poke out some of the holes until I find my personal volume preference. Usually if you apply the tape clearly and tightly the child doesn't realize the volume difference or tape. Hope that helps...I am sure that this might work a little better than just hiding it somewhere out of sight when you finally fed up listening to it.

It's got her singing and me grinning!
I bought this for my 3 year old daughter after I noticed that everytime we visited my cousin she always ran for the Wiggles Guitar. I also noticed that it was motivating her to sing along. We are a bilingual family and her speaking has been a bit delayed, but listening to the Wiggles and using this guitar have actually helped her become more vocal! I think that is pretty AMAZING for a toy!!

The only drawback is that the buttons play such short clips of the songs. Plus, for some reason my daughter likes to keep pressing the buttons over and over before the whole clip has played. If you thought Yummy Yummy Fruit Salad was a bit annoying before - try listening to just the first two notes played over and over and over and over!

I have not noticed that this guitar is particularly loud. And if things do get too noisy (i.e. too many repetitions of Wake Up Jeff!) we can always turn it off and my little Elvis-wannabee plays air-guitar to her heart's content.

I would definitely buy this toy again for my daughter. My daughter and I like it so much that I am planning on getting the microphone as well.

fun, fun, fun!
I have a son that just turned 2. He loves the Wiggles and love this guitar. He will play with it for hours. It is a great toy for a Wiggles fan.

Most Popular Toy at our House!!!
My 2 1/2 year old got this for Christmas because she LOVES the Wiggles. She plays with it everyday and likes to play it when they are on TV singing. Now my 10 month old loves it too and they fight over it. Yes, it is loud and can get annoying, but my girls LOVE it!

No, seriously, it's TOO LOUD!
My 3-year-old loves the Wiggles, and this guitar, but I wholeheartedly agree with the others who have noted that it's WAY too loud--this can't be good for toddlers' tender ears, let alone the parents' nerves. I'm really surprised that more parents haven't complained. It's obnoxiously (and I think, dangerously) loud, and for this reason alone, I wouldn't buy it again, even though she loves the toy. I will definitely be trying to find a way to modify it so we don't all go deaf or suffer permanent damage! ... Read more

Editorial Review

James the Red Engine is one of the Thomas the Tank Engine series of train cars and is made of real wood. James has a cheery, smiling face on the front of the engine, promising an adventure as soon as the train leaves the station. James the Red Engine pulls his own coal car, so he won't run out of fuel. The cars attach to each other with magnets. This is a toy that encourages imaginative play and requires no batteries. Engine with attached coal car measures 5.75 inches in length. --Margaret Quinn ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Better than Thomas
Although my 3 year old loves Thomas on TV, for some reason he loves the James toy more than the Thomas one. The coal car is a big deal to him. His 18 month old brother loves it too. These toys withstand two boys playing with them better than any other I can find. I bought the tracks & engine at Christmas & they still play with it EVERY day!

Hooray for James
James does a great job pulling the coaches along the track. He can pull pretty much anything at a fast pace. I've had my Jame sfor 9 years and it looks almost new. He's a great engine and you can live the episodes with these trains.

Grandma's Magic Accident
I purchased Thomas the engine without realizing that it was not battery operated. I gave it to my 2 year old grandson for his birthday because I had nothing else to give, and the twinkle in his eyes let me know I had hit upon a winner. The adventures for Thomas and his friends have not ended. I have since purchsed, Skarloey, Ben & Bill, Douglas, Percy, Toby and Bertie. The adventures just don't seem to end for my grandson. He plays with this toy for hours. His vocabulary has increased at the same pace as his adventures. The fact that this is not battery operated is the joy of the toy. I need not turn on the television to keep him occupied, he has Thomas and his many friends and that is good enough for me.

JAMES IS GREAT!!!!!!!!
James is one of my favorite engines he is a big engine and the same length as duke edward and mike and he is in a lot of stories like james goes buzz buzz.

Best Investment I Have Ever Made
My 2 year old son loves his James. He likes him best because of the bright red color. His Thomas the Tank train set is the only toy he plays with period and he plays with it everyday. Other than Thomas Trains, he plays outside. When we have guests, he takes them all to play with his train set. To any first time buyer of Thomas trains you will notice the prices seem high for a toy of this size but you have to remember that these toys are not plastic but are made of solid maple and have a lifetime warranty. People have asked me why I buy these trains when they most of the set is not battery powered. The reason is because it has been my experience that children get pretty bored just watching a train go around a track. With Thomas the Tank Trains your little loved one gets to actually participate by moving the trains. All the trains have different colors, numbers and names which help promote memory skills and recognition while having fun. The Thomas Tank Engine books and DVD's teach lessons and morals on hard work, kindness, accepting responsibility, etc, etc, etc...... As your child ages they can begin to build their own track layouts so the toy grows with them. The makers of this series have also included items in the series that are good for people with a tighter budget. If your child likes the trains but you can't buy a full track set, you can always buy a play mat that has track printed on them or you can get Thomas the Tank engine felt boards and stick-ups. I hope this review helps!!!!!!! ... Read more

Editorial Review

"Uh-oh" seems to be the favorite word of mess-loving toddlers.That's what they say right before tossing their spaghetti (with sauce)onto the carpet. Save your floor and save on cleanup time bypositioning this vinyl mat to catch spills. The 36-by-46-inch splat matis made of heavy-duty material that can be scrubbed clean with a spongeand soap. It's brightly colored and covered with Sesame Streetfriends. Cookie Monster stands stage left spreading cookie crumbs as hechews, Ernie's got his favorite rubber ducky, and Big Bird, Elmo, andBert are featured as well. Though you may only see the whole picture atcleanup time when it's not covered in food, this is one cute splat mat.--Trilby Cohen ... Read more

Reviews (12)

need floor space!
This is a wonderful item, I now have a newborn(07/27/01) and a 4 yr. old, and these mats are and can be lifesavers. You should have plenty of floor space in your kitchen or dining area, it works best without carpet(my opinion).You can have a small area to use this but the colors are loud and can be distracting if this is also an area where you might have to entertain people and you are not going to pack it away every time. You can easily wipe spills up with a moist towel, sponge mop or use a broom. Besides this being used in the kitchen or dining area this is also a good mat for toddlers to use when they are doing craft and art projects, how many of us got frustrated with newspapers or magazines that get wet, move around or tear! Also another use,if you have small pets is, you can place food, cat liter boxes, and small cages to eliminate old newspapers. Works just as good. I have never machine washed a mat, just good ole'spot cleaning works for me. Buy it, you will find so many uses for it!

Really cool for the baby
Our baby just loves looking at the Sesame Street Characters. These splat mats are really savers for cleaning up the carpet or floor. Its always easier to wipe a vinyl mat then washing the floor, no matter the floor.

Great Idea!
This is a great product! Public tables are so gross- these mats make sure your child isn't picking up nasty germs! And they make clean up a breeze- just peel it up and toss it! The designs make for an entertaining meal as well!
These make a great gift for showers or first birthdays.

Great Product
I love this item. I agree the colors are loud but my babies seem to love seeing their little friends at meal time. I fixed the loud colors problem and put the Sesame Street mat in their playroom and am using the softer winnie the Pooh version. I love that its easy to clean, teaches them colors and numbers. The only thing is like the others above I wish it was bigger

Don't bother unless you have carpet
I registered for this mat to save on clean-up time, but we found out that with wood floors it was just more work than it was worth. The mat itself is pretty nice--my son loved the characters and bright colors--but our chair legs did scrape some of the pictures off and left big white streaks in their places. It cleans up fine, but just as easy would be to clean up a wood or tile floor. UNLESS time is an issue, in which case having this to throw down, catch all the globs and goop, and not worry about till the next morning, would be great. ... Read more

Reviews (34)

I HATE IT!!!
This doll is a waist of money. If I would go back in time and know about this doll, I would think about flushing MY money down the toylet before buying this HUNK OF JUNK!

A Beautiful Character Study
I saw her in the store today. I just had to get her. She is very good education, the clothes are realistic to the time period as well. I thought she looked so gorgeous. I love herface, whicht he photo makes look European. But my doll is very Asian looking. She is the only WORLD doll i have. I only am getting the Asian ones, they are the mos beautiful.

Anyway you wont be very dissapointed in her. She is beautiful.

One flaw is that her hands are in a 90 degree angle for good.
Her legs can bend. The suit is one piece.

i give it on a scale from 1 to 10
9/10

fantastic doll.

A bit dissappointed at first, but then....
When I first saw the picture on amazon I thought this doll was a *must have* for any Barbie collector. When she arrived, though, I admit I was dissapointed that I didn't get that same "Wow" effect. However, after a few minutes of checking her out I determined I was indeed thrilled with my purchase! Being that I collect the Princess Dolls of the World collection, (and would have bought her anyway) I must say she is definitely one of the nicer dolls in the collection (and I am even considering buying a second to remove from the box!) Her hair, though not braided like in the pic Amazon shows, is indeed long (maybe somewhat braided or wavy, it's hard to tell) but gorgeous!. The dress (if you open the box) is not as nice,all one piece as opposed to the way it looks in the pic, but sadly, these DOTW dolls are simply a cheaper end doll and for the price, the dress is fine... overall I would give her 5 out of 5 stars for her appearance. The face looks more unique than many of the other Princess dolls and I personally think she does have a foreign look to her. Her eyes are hazel and her lips a nice dark color, her skin is also not so pale as typical barbie and definitely next to the Russian Princess, you can see her skin is certainly darker (perhaps not truly olive, like most Italians I know, but definitely not white). The box is a dissappointment on these as well. The new design makes them easier to open, however, most collectors will not even do that! I think it allows for dust to creep in easier..and when I did (I couldn't resist) open this one up I noticed the inner 'box' with the Italy backdrop on it was starting to warp already!? Brand new, huh...what will it look like in, say, 5 years!? Hmm... All in all, a must have for the DOTW Princess collector and a even a nice doll for any little girl (or big girl) to remove and play with!

What's with Barbie?
Admittedly, the idea of POTW is great. However, it is disappointing that all the Barbies look the same. The undeniably European characteristics used simply further promote the idea that European traits are beautiful and should be held as a standard. The Ancient Mexico doll looks nothing like a real Princess would look like. Would it be so hard to focus a little more on the physical traits of the doll instead of merely dressing the same old Barbie with different clothes?

Honestly what is Mattel thinking?
When I first heard of the Princess of Imperial Russia I was thinking along the lines of Anastasia... maybe they weren't exactly in the same time period, but so what. The point is that this doll is suppose to be a princess and she looks like an over glamourized peasant or an assassian playing dress up - Le Femme Nikita anyone? What's really good?! She doesn't even look all that friendly. I also agree that Mattel needs to stop playing the blonde hair card... not all Europeans/ Euroasians have blonde hair. I think that if they just change her hair color to a brown or raven color she would look SO much better - like mysterious or sexy. And get rid of the peasant duds also... it's cramping her style. She is a princess after all. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Elmo has certainly sold out. The fuzzy red Muppet is dressed up in a chicken suit, with only his red face and hands showing. The fuzzy suit is bright yellow with a white chest, orange feet, and a red comb on the hood. Push the button on Elmo's left foot and his high-pitched voice encourages little ones to do the Chicken Dance with him. His arms flap and his knees bounce up and down as he sings the lines, "Elmo wants to be a chicken, Elmo wants to be a duck" to the familiar, but annoying, tune. Press the button on his right foot and Elmo will cluck like a chicken and move his head. Note that these two actions are the only ones Elmo does; there is no volume control, repeatedly hitting a button will cause a "rap effect," and the body under the chicken suit is hard plastic, which hurts his huggability factor. --Pam Lauer ... Read more

Reviews (111)

Chicken Dance Elmo
I read some of the other reviews, and I disagree with alot of them. Some of these people say that the toy is loud and obnoxious, but I think that it's fun for kids. My nephew is 4 now, and he's had it since his third birthday, and he still loves it and plays with it all the time.

Deafening
I recently bought a chicken dance Elmo for my daughter, but it is too loud (and there is no way to adjust the volume). I actually really like Elmo and his songs but this is just earsplitting. Also, Elmo is not cuddly at all. His body is hard plastic with a thin "fur" covering.

I'm dissapointed in how long the toy worked!
This is one of my son's favorite toys. He also loves the Elmo piano. He received the Elmo piano in 12-02 and has played it constantly. We have only just changed the batteries in 3-04. We gave him the Chicken Dance Elmo when Toys R Us was out of Tickle Me Elmo (even though their commercial said they'd never run out, they did). Anyways, he absolutely loved Chicken Dance Elmo and unfortunately it stopped working on 3-29-04, a little over 90 days of use, that's all he got out of it. For the price I am really disappointed at how poorly it held up.

A love/hate relationship
We purchased Chicken Dance Elmo when our son was about 12 months old because he loved it in the store. For about 2 months, my son liked and and would flap his arms and try to chicken dance. We have taught my son sign language and whenever he saw Elmo anywhere, he would flap his arms like a chicken.
Then, at about 14 months, my son became terrified of this toy. I hid Elmo in my son's closet thinking this would solve the problem, but then he saw it in there and then would point to the closet and shriek while making his sign for Elmo. I put it in our closet and then made the mistake of leaving the closet door open while my son was in there. More shrieking! While not having Elmo around was a bit of a relief to us (he's a bit noisy), we thought it best to try some deprogramming. My husband took Elmo out of the closet, hugged him in front of my son, and told him that Elmo is our friend (hilarious). After several days of this, Elmo was welcomed back in the family. NOW, my son adores him, and gets very upset if he falls over (which he often does). It really is too cute to see him chicken dance. Still, Elmo is loud, not at all cuddly, and likely pretty scary for kids under 18 months. Additionally, all he does is the dance. Amusingly, while my son now loves the Chicken Dance Elmo, he is still terrified of the Limbo Elmo.

Holds up well
We got this for my step son Christmas of 2002. He was 11mos old then but we decided to get it since he adores Elmo. When he was opening gifts he unwrapped this one and had no interest in any of the others. He still loves to play with this one and hokey pokey...at the same time and combines the two dances. He holds it so it won't move all the time and it still dances. This toy has held up so well to a very curious toddler, a stuffed toy box, and 2 moves. This Elmo also has 2 buttons, one on each foot, that can play at the same time! When he's singing and dancing you can press the other foot and he will balk like a chicken and roll his head and the song doesnt reset it will breifly pause do the head roll then pick up right where it left off. All in all I recommend this toy to any one. My 7mo old daughter also gets a kick outta this toy too! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Fans of the board game Risk will find this Lord of the Rings edition--the Middle-earth version--thoroughly familiar. But there are all sorts of new opportunities and dangers here in the form of wizards, Orcs, cave trolls, and the One True Ring--the latter a gold-colored pewter replica. The four colored armies of plastic game pieces are rather small and cheaply produced, but the 20-by-20-inch game board and 40 adventure cards have a higher-quality feel and are beautifully designed. The game proceeds on the roll of two red and three black dice, and the object, of course, is control of Middle-earth. Recommended for two to four Hobbits; second breakfast not included. (Ages 9 and older) --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (49)

If you like Risk you¿ll love LOTR Risk
Game board:
The game board is a four fold design rather than a two fold design like the standard risk board. This makes the board seem less durable than the standard risk board.

The Map:
At first I was a little disappointed with the map, It does not show Gondor or Mordor, and I thought there could have been a little more detail put into some locations. The reasoning for not including Gondor or Mordor is that the manual states the game is based on the first two books of the trilogy. After playing several games on the board I have grown to like the map more and more. The balance of the continents seems to be pretty well thought out. Although Rhun can sometimes be held very easily by evil. Rhun is kind of the Austrailia of LOTR Risk, it isn't worth much bonus, but it is easy to hold. The rest of the continents are balanced well, mostly being hard to gain a bonus from them, especially when you have experienced risk players. Overall I'm very pleased by the map, but it could have been a little better with a few small changes.

Leaders:
Leaders and Strongholds can make a very big difference in the outcome of the game. You get to place a leader unit, represented by a shield, at the beginning of the game; you can also get leaders by drawing an "Appoint a Second Leader" Adventure card. What leaders do is travel along with your armies and give a +1 attack or +1 defense bonus to your single highest dice roll. So if you rolled a 5, 4, 1 you then have a 6, 4, 1. As you can imagine having a leader with you in the battle will greatly help your chances of winning. Your leader does not count as an army, it is just there to modify the dice.

Strongholds:
Fortresses such as Helm's deep and Isengard provide your units with a +1 to defense (there is no attack bonus for being in a stronghold). This bonus makes holding strongholds easier and can in the case of Moria, be used as a very strong choke point. When you have a leader at a stronghold the effects stack so you have +1 to attack and +2 to defense. So for example if you were attacked with 6, 4, 2 and you had 4, 4. You would have 6, 4 so you would kill two of your enemies armies instead of one each.

Cards:
There are two major types of cards, Territory cards and Adventure cards.
Territory cards are just like in Risk, except some territories always belong to evil and some territories always belong to good, so you can't start with Orcs in the Shire.

There are three types of adventure cards,

Mission Cards
Event Cards
Power Cards
Mission cards give you some kind of mission (hence the name), an example mission is, Bree, if your leader moves into or conquers Bree, you then get a reward, in this case if you are good you get 2 extra armies anywhere in Arnor, if you are Evil you get 6 extra armies anywhere in Arnor.
Event Cards, when you draw one of these cards you play it immediately, an example is 'The Entmoot' If Fangorn is controlled by good that player gets two extra armies, If it is controlled by evil they lose to armies there.
Power cards, are cards that you can play when you want and they can help you significantly for example 'Courage Alone will not save you' Play in response to an enemy attack on one of your territories, Gain 4 extra armies in the territory being attacked. Some Power cards are also used to slow the movement of the fellowship.

The Fellowship, represented by the One Ring is moved at the end of each players turn, it has to move through 15 territories and once that is complete and they arrive at Mordor the game is over, however there are some places where the Fellowship is tied up for a while. In Moria, LothLorien, and Mordor you must roll a die, and it must be a 4,5,or 6 for the fellowship to move on. Some Power cards can slow the movement of the ring, such as the Gollum or Balrog cards. These cards can be used to extend the gameplay. Whoever goes last can have a big advantage since they will be the last to takeover territories from other players and complete missions.
When the game is over, you count up your points. You get 1 point per territory, + points for continent bonus if you hold one. +2 points per stronghold that you own, +points gained by completing missions or playing power cards.

2 player game
The two player game works by having good, evil, and neutral armies, the neutral "player" only defends, does not get reinforcements, and is placed on the neutral territories, the good player gets the good territories and the evil player vice versa. The 2 player game does work well and can be fun, but it seems a little too weighted toward evil, the evil player starts out with territories that are more connected, and with a little easier access to conquering the continent of Rhun right away.

3 & 4 player game
With three or four players this game really shines, it is an absolute blast, it has all the fun and strategy of regular risk but many new twists and tactics to consider.

Pros:
A lot of Fun
It's Risk in Middle Earth
Adds news strategies that will keep it interesting for a long time
Works with as little as 2 players
The game seems pretty well balanced for the most part

Cons:
The map could be improved
The two player game seems to favor evil

Good, but could be better
This version of Risk is as good as the original. That is why I only gave it a three. The creators of this game had great idea, but kept the game too much like the old, even with the additional rules. I liked risk, but I expected more from this version.

Why?
Why doesn't Amazon read these posts and order the TRILOGY edition?!?! Furthermore, why is THIS product still being sold when there's a much better one for the same price and made by the same company?!? Don't waste your money on this game, go out and buy the full trilogy version (...)

Great game
This was a really fun game if you are a LOTR and Risk lover. It's cool because there are other parts of Middle-Earth in the game. The only reason I gave this game 4 stars for durability is because some of the pieces can break, like we've had an Orc lose it's head. But this rarely ever happens, so it is a very good game, and the board is excellent.

Trilogy Edition
I found this version of Risk to be much more enjoyable than the original version. I have never been much of a Risk fan, mostly because of the degree of strategy that is involved, but mostly because of the emmense amount of time that is required to play (sometimes taking days for my brother and I to finish a game). The LOTR has added a twist to this classic game, though, by adding in the "one ring". This makes game play shorter, since the game can end when the ring reaches Mt. Doom, or if an evil player "finds" the one ring (optional rule). However, the new game rules are optional. Purists to Risks and fans of LOTR can still play until one player conquers Middle Earth.

As I said, I'm not much of a Risk fan, but I definitely enjoy this version of the game much more. My wife and I play once a week! And we'll have friends or family over to play as well. ... Read more