Editorial Review

Guess what! Dora the Explorer has jumped on the royal bandwagon! This intrepid explorer is now a fairy tale princess with magical hair that grows when the jewel in her crown is pressed with a wand. Dora talks and sings, too, in both English and Spanish: "Vamanos! Let's go to fairytale land! Will you brush my hair?" The 14-inch-tall plastic doll is not designed to be cuddled so much as played with and groomed. She is attired in a satiny yellow gown trimmed in pink and purple, and has a brush, barrettes, and magic wand. The magical tresses emerging from the hair-growing tube are quite realistic, although grownups, at least, might be a little unnerved at the sleek brown hair oozing in and out of Dora's head. Still, children are experts at suspending disbelief and accepting weirdness in the world, so they probably won't mind a bit. Four AA batteries required (included). --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (1)

This is really fun!!!!!!!!
My son loved this toy alot . He dressed up in his Wookie costume and we played starwars . For you moms out there DON'T PLAY WITH YOUR
KIDS IF THEY ARE USING THIS TOY. ... Read more

Editorial Review

With the ever present alien menace threatening Earth, the Power Rangers SPD Delta Squad unites to become the Megazord! This set comes with five extremely durable individual vehicles that, once combined, form the Megazord. Each toy is made of tough plastic that will easily withstand even the worst of monster beatings. The Megazord itself is simple to construct and compact enough to handle easily. The instructions are clear so assembly is made easy. On top of that, with 2 AA batteries (not included) you’ll get the full effect of lights and stomping action sounds. --Chip Quinn ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The best DX Megazord ever
This DX Megazord rocks!! It includes cool sounds and light effect, and it also includes its weapons that are used in the show. And also...... surprisingly connects with my Ninja Storm zords(Dolphinzord and Lionzord's head) which is really cool!! And--ah man, I can't wait for the DX Cyclemax Megazord to come out in stores so I can combined my Delta Squad Megazord with it and creates the powerful OmegaMax Megazord!!

All in all not a bad megazord
My son (4) and I (33) collect Power Rangers Zords. He has several from the first (MMPR) to now the SPD Delta Squad Megazord (newest available) and all in all it is very smooth, easy to transform, and attractive. The only draw backs are that it is a bit small for a megazord (only 10 inches tall or so), and the sword, gun and handcuffs are a bit delicate. The best thing about it is that all the accessories are able to be stowed on the zord itself. The gun and sword blade fit in the green truck (vehicle #2 - the left leg) and the sword handle is the spotlight rig on the yellow armored car. (vehicle #4 - left arm) If they had made it bigger it would be one of the best for design and looks.

a little overpriced
My 8- and 7- year old daughters loved this thing.You could say they're tomboys, but what the hey...

disapointing megazord
My son saved his money for quite a while for this toy and was very disapointed when we got it home. The box leads you to believe it is much bigger and does alot more things. The items that fit together are confusing to work with and the arm pieces will fit in the palm of your hand. Not what it is made out to be. There is always quite abit of extra packaging in childrens toys but this was overkill to make the toy seem larger. I do not reccomend it.

Love it!
My kids (5 and 3) got this from japan. They absolutely love it!First it seems so difficult to do but later they love that they joined together.They also got 2 other figures (they have not sold in the us) to mix and match.This is almost like legos.It is amazing that they come up with it. It is also so durable. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Now Luke Skywalker, You Will Die
The Unleashed line of toys continues with this figure of Darth Sidious. His face doesn't really match the one seen in RETUN OF THE JEDI, but the amount of detail and action in the sculpt help make up for it. The figure comes with two pairs of hands. One normal, the other features blue lightning bolts shooting out from his fingertips. I found it was best to display the figure with one regular hand and one hand with lightning. If you attach both hands with the lightning at the same time the amount of lightning looks a bit ridiculous plus his face can get obscured from certain angles.

Drawbacks - You'll have to find a safe place to store the hands not attached to the figure. The lightning bolts seem pretty sturdy, but I'm sure if they got bent they would break. On my figure the paint job on the pair of hands that have lightning is rather sloppy.

I recommend this figure, but it doesn't reach the high standard set by other figures in the series. ... 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

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 (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

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

Reviews (2)

Hubby Loves It!
The only disappointment with this set is that the pieces are plastic. When we picked up the box it was quite heavy so we hoped the pieces were some sort of metal. Alas. However, they are not flimsy. Some of the weapons were a bit curved out of the box but they straightened out with a little TLC. Don't even think about getting them back into the box once you've taken them out unless you wrote down where each piece came from. The board is nothing special, just cardboard, and is a little small for the size of the pieces. If you plan on playing the game I'd suggest getting a larger board. Otherwise, it's great for display purposes. This is the nicest Star Wars chess set we've seen. Buy it, you'll love it.

Star Wars Saga Chess
For those who may be interested, here is a listing of which pieces are included in this new chess set.For the silver "good" side, the pawns are Republic Clone Troopers, kneeling and holding a rifle.The two rooks are C3P0/R2D2 (together on one piece), and Padme firing a blaster from Episode II.The knights are Han Solo in Episode IV clothing and Chewbacca with bowcaster, and the bishops are Princess Leia from Episode IV and Luke Skywalker from Episode VI.The queen is a bearded Episode III Obi-Wan, and the king is Yoda flying through the air (resting on a piece of clear plastic) with a lightsaber.On the black "evil" side, the pawns are the Episode IV era stormtroopers, kneeling with rifles.The two rooks are Count Dooku and Darth Maul (holding a double-bladed lightsaber and doing a high kick).Bishops are General Grievous (two of his four arms are holding lightsabers) and a General Grievous bodyguard with staff.Knights are Jango Fett from Episode II flying with jet pack and firing double pistols, and Boba Fett from Episode VI, presumably firing his wrist cable.The queen is Darth Vader with lightsaber, and the king is Emperor Palpatine with hands poised for sith lightning ala Episode VI.All pieces are made from molded plastic, and weapons will most likely be deformed and wilted when you remove them from the package.If your lightsabers are not all twisted and warped, be surprised and thankful.Also, getting them put back into their proper (unmarked) place in the packaging is like a difficult jigsaw puzzle.In the end, however, this is a nice set and I believe it is worth the price. ... Read more

Editorial Review

For slumber parties, naptime, or travel, this indoor sleeping bag makes cozy dreaming for fans of Dora the Explorer. A large image of Dora appears on the purple upink polyester outer shell, and a soft tricot lining encases a sleeping child in soft, lightweight warmth. A self-repairing zipper along the side and bottom allows use as a comforter. This machine-washable bag is perfect for travel or sleepovers, but is also sturdy enough for everyday use. --Ava Natov ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great gift for a Dora fan.
This is a very durable sleeping bag with years of fun. It will be a great addition to any little Dora fan. My daughter recieved for Christmas when she was 3 years old and has gotten a lot of use out of it. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Monopoly-Star Wars Style
It had been a while since I've taken a look at both Star Wars and Monopoly...Due to the hype for the new movie (EPS 3), I got back into Star Wars...This caused a mass compulsive buying of alot of SW merchandise. One of those items happened to be Star Wars Monopoly.
The paper money is cheap as always...it feels like it'll rip any second...it couldve been a little more durable.
The cities and settlements are sculpted great, and the game board has beautiful art on it.
The game pieces
Darth Vader
Darth Maul
Darth Sidious
Luke Skywalker
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Princess Leia
Yoda
General Grievous
are all extremely well made, bringing characters from all 6 movies.
My only gripe is that they included Grevious over someone like Han Solo or Boba Fett...I don't care for Leia or Yoda much, so I wouldnt have minded those two replaced with some old favorites.
All in all, a great buy and tons of fun to play.
GET THIS! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Okay, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense that SpongeBob SquarePants and his starfish friend Patrick are racing around in cars. They live under the sea, after all. Wouldn’t the cars, you know, float away? But "sense" is something best dispensed of when exploring SpongeBob’s world. We are, after all, talking about a necktie-wearing kitchen sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea. This cool little racetrack is sure to please the SpongeBob faithful with thoughtfully detailed set pieces such as the Krusty Krab restaurant, and the homes of both SpongeBob and Patrick. The set features many pieces and takes a while to set up. As for the actual racing part of the set, it works fairly well, even if the cars are on the pokey side. --Charlie Williams ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Just not worth it
My son recieved this for Christmas. Most of the time the cars simply will not move now because of the poorly built cars. I remember as a child instead of these quickly degrading bits of metal twisted together there were actual metal bands which would make the cars move. The track does go together well, and stayed together for me. But when you first try the cars out they move much to quickly and fly off the track(until the braids wear out and they refuse to move-which takes only a few days). I have yet to find any race tracks these days which are made properly.

Is playtesting before marketing a lost art?
Doesn't anybody playtest toys anymore before they toss them onto the market? Or is it enough that they look great and have a sure-fire cartoon character tie-in?

I ask, because as great and seemingly durable as this little SpongeBob race set is, had anybody in the Mattel boardroom actually tried to play it they would have quickly realized what a Festival of Frustration it is.

When you open the box, you're bound to be delighted by the brightly colored cardboard punch-out set decorations and the really super SpongeBob and Patrick "boats" (slot cars), which feel nice and hefty and solid. Once you've figured out how to put the track together (was it too difficult to actually label the tracks with the same letters by which the instructions refer to them?), and hooked up the power pack and the controllers (kudos for being battery powered, rather than requiring a wall socket, though the option for both would have been nice -- four "D" batteries ain't cheap), the next thing you're going to do, logically, is place the cars on the track and give a controller a squeeze.

And then the NEXT thing you're going to do is get up off your knees and go get the car and put it back on the track. Another squeeze, another track departure, another retrieval. Repeat ad nauseum. Or at least until your kid decides it's more fun to throw the controller at the little cardboard set decorations -- something which you may find yourself in agreement with.

Put simply, these sturdy plastic boat cars are ponderously heavy and too fast for their own good, which means they are highly susceptible to inertia: squeeze lightly and they do not move, just buzz plaintively. Squeeze just ever-so-slightly too hard and they go from standstill to Mario Andretti to Evel Kneivel in under a second, forcing you to spend 80 to 90 percent of your time crawling over to them and putting them back on the track.

And if YOU think that sounds annoying, wait until you see your preteen's reaction.

I did not personally experience any problem with the track coming apart, as some reviewers have mentioned. But that may be because Patrick and Bob spent the lion's share of their time extratrackular.

Don't bother
Honestly...this is one of those toys that is a big waste of money. The cars fall off the track too easily, the cardboard scenes are a major pain and just fall off and don't stand up properly and the overall track isn't very durable. It was a huge disappointment.

My son likes to play with the cars without the track because it just doesn't work well enough with them on the track.

I should have returned this.

Try Something Else
My son got this for Christmas and he was very excited. The assembly was easy enough, but the cardboard cut-outs would not stay up. It was also difficult to keep the braids under the cars in the right position so the cars would even go. I'd try another track before I wasted money on this one!

Too Much Fun !!!!!
I bought this for my 6 year old. I put it together myself (not very hard)and we just love it. You have to learn to slow down around the curves so the cars don't fly off. After a few times around the track it's alot of fun. I would buy this for any spongebob fan.... ... Read more

Reviews (6)

JUST WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR
I was looking for a action figure set of the whole Simpsons Family: Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. Now, here are the pros and cons.

Pros:
Contain of whole Simpsons Family
Cheap Price(Bought here)
Fun

Cons:
Living Room NOT compatible with other characters.

What's up you toy nerds?
The concept of collecting toys when you can afford a credit card is absurd, that is why I am a toy NERD. This particular flashback set has been out for a while,I'm glad it's cheaper in price cause it's getting ridiculous especially with the independent toy stores. So my review is this: it's good. I saw the picture and I know what I was getting. The delivery was quite efficient and speedy Gonzales. Last I'd like to add that I DO OPEN my toys, cause you only become obsessed with mint condition and never enjoy the essence of the collectables. Get a life me.

Most creative environment yet!
Unlike the 3 negative reviews above for this set I am totally HAPPY with mine. It arrived in absolutely MINT condition. there is not a crack/tear/rip/dent or messed up paint job anywhere on the set.
I still can't believe Playmates made this set. ...If you collect Simpsons WOS figures, then you need to get this NOW! before it's gone! ...

DISAPPOINTMENT...
Because this set was intended for collectors I thought no detail would be spared. Boy was I wrong. The box shows a picture on the front that shows what the Simpsons looked like back on the Tracy Ullman Show. The figures in this box look nothing like that picture. They look cheesy and cheap. Why oh why couldn't they have cleaned up the detail on these figures. Would it have been that hard to make the figures with the correct outfits? This set could have been such a gem, instead were left with a set destined for the bargain basement. Speaking of such, notice that the price of the set has been cut in half and still has not sold out. Even though it was this cheap price during Christmas. Hmmmmmmm....

OK For The Price
This Simpsons Flashback Playset would be better if the little figurines looked more like the actual Simpson family. They aren't really to play with, more for collectors or big fans of the show (like me). The paint job wasn't exactly perfect, but I didn't really mind. ... Read more

Reviews (42)

LOTR rules!!!!
This 12" Sauron is one of the best toys i have seen so far. (...). He is movable and has light up eyes and he speaks phrases from the movie which is pretty awesome. Some of the things he says are "build me an army worthy of Mordor" "there is no life in the void" and "i see you"

One Bad Toy!
If you're a collector like me, this toy is a must! The armor is fantastic. The throaty whisper of Sauron, along with his glowing red eyes is postively chilling. As for durability I don't know. I will never remove it from the box. I have collected them all (toybiz) and Sauron is the best!

"There Is No Life...In The Void...Only...Death..."
This is a terrific piece. Not only do we finally get a Sauron figure, but we get one with a real cloth cape, light-up eyes, and movie phrases. With a character so evil and a figure so cool, who could ask for anything more? I would advise every Lord Of The Rings fan to pick one up. No, pick up two!!

I want my Sauron Now!!!
I went to Toys R Us and got A 12" Sauron.I got home and really liked it.The three problems were that the Ring was small and could get lost.Another problem was that the cape is sort of torn.The last problem was that I got a 12" Frodo,Aragorn,and Legolas and they were all big as Sauron.This a cool toy.It has four phases to say.No Lord of the Rings 12" collection is complete without a 12" Electronic Sauron.

GET HIM
THIS TOY TOTALLY ROCKS. IF YOU ARE A FAN, GET HIM, HE'S BEYOND COOL, I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING BAD TO SAY. ... Read more