Skylanders Spyros Adventure

[BaroqueSieben]

Got the PS3 and the 3DS versions of the game, and I gotta say . . .

. . . they actually did something smart. The 3DS game has absolutely only two similarities with the PS3 game -- that is, Skylanders and Skylands. The gameplay, the plotline, even the way the Skylanders are handled is largely different, and enjoyably so.

If you want a Gauntlet-style game where you get to freely switch out your Skylanders as-needed to complete challenges and take on the evil Kaos (AKA Billy or Zim, hooray voice actors) and restore the Core of Light what he done f[redacted] up, go for the PS3 game -- you don't actually need all of the Elements to beat the game, but you do to get all the shiny trinkets and hats and stuff (got my Trigger Happy wearing a cowboy hat, and loving every cackle-filled moment of it). It's pretty enjoyable, the voice acting is nice, and above all even though it's single-player as far as I can get it to work you can still play it with friends simply by passing the controller around per Skylander . . .

. . . but if you want something in line with Crash Bandicoot of old, of all things, go for the 3DS version, which (unlike the other one) involves platforming your way through the Radiant Isles' five areas to rescue Sages whose powers can turn on a Sigil designed to defeat the evil Hektore (a giant floating head of villainy . . . who actually does a fair amount of damage). Much like the old hub-based Crash Bandicoot Games, e.g. Warped, you get crystals to achieve your goal and unlock new areas, and in fact you may very well need all the elements of the Skylanders for 100% completion as well, but it will slightly hurt your crystal collection to be missing certain ones. However, unlike the PS3 one, instead of the Skylanders being able to be swapped out freely, you have two slots which you can switch Skylanders into in the main hub.

So yeah, recommending either one, dunno about the Wii one but I'm guessing it's like the PS3 one, but one way or another . . . feel free to check 'em out, they're worth your money.

(Also, on the Skylanders online thing I'm Crash Pilotsky. Yes, I managed to combine Crash, Pilot, and sky to make a name worthy of Launchpad McQuack. Haven't done much with the online thing so far 'cause my Portal was being bitchy the other day, may give it another go now that I've replaced the batteries.)

EDIT: Whoops! Said 'unlike the 3DS one' instead of 'unlike the PS3 one' when talking about the 3DS one's handling of Skylanders! I feel a little dense.

[Jinouga87]

Do you plan to get Giants?

[Feathers]

I'd buy this game for Whirlwind and Sonic Boom but I don't like the fact that you have to buy the toys to play the characters. -_- Darn gimmicks..*sigh* Oh wait, am I thinking of the right game here?

[BaroqueSieben]

I'd buy this game for Whirlwind and Sonic Boom but I don't like the fact that you have to buy the toys to play the characters. -_- Darn gimmicks..*sigh* Oh wait, am I thinking of the right game here?

You do, but considering that this is because the figures themselves are able to be used on all your available Skylanders games -- including the online one -- the fact that you have to buy a figure for it is understandable, especially as the figure itself saves the progress of that character to be used on any of your games.

That and each of the games for the consoles/handheld comes with three seperate and very useful Skylanders, so it's not a complete sellout -- it gives you enough to be able to play it alright.

Do you plan to get Giants?

Maybe. I'll have to see how it all pans out. If it looks like it'll be good, and that the Giants themselves will be handled well, I might do so, but at the very least the PS3 game is giving me quite a lot to do as it is.

[Feathers]

So if I bought Sonic Boom I can use her in all games, including future games? (I don't own a DS so only could play the PS3 games)

[BaroqueSieben]

So if I bought Sonic Boom I can use her in all games, including future games? (I don't own a DS so only could play the PS3 games)

Indeed, that is correct -- and she'd remember all her upgrades/levels/hats/etc. between them as you did so.

[Feathers]

Okay that's actually awesome..now I just need a friend to play with when I buy it.

[BaroqueSieben]

Okay that's actually awesome..now I just need a friend to play with when I buy it.

Ah, that reminds me.

The other day, I and a group of friends of mine (about five of us) went and did something silly, and it actually worked. With the PS3 Skylanders game, we played single-player mode co-op style. But not within the game's parameters . . . oh no. We each took a Skylander, and swapped the controller out when we swapped the Skylander.

Needless to say, hilarity ensued. I had Ignitor, our resident Loonie was working Stealth Elf, our friendly neighborhood Deadpan Snarker controlled Gill Grunt, our Thespian of yore was manning Hex, and the guy whose house we were all at was using Trigger Happy.

I suffered through a teleport maze, but beyond that didn't really do much other than get my ass nearly handed to me by a Yeti . . . and then got it handed to me when the Yeti came back,
Loonie flipped out when Deadpan Snarker pointed out some treasure in a fish's mouth, where he'd gotten us into through a bit of silliness and idiocy whilst switching the characters,
Deadpan Snarker became a bizarre sort of reverse-Aquaman, wherein while he didn't see as much play in some locations, when he did come out he was almost against the Geneva convention,
Thespian proved fairly good with Hex, though when he finally got an Undead gate . . . it turned out to be full of rotating blades and bouncy pads to our amusement and his immense pain,
and the guy whose house we were at managed to somehow take Trigger Happy, who has nothing but projectiles, and beasted the living hell out of a whole mob of enemies supported by an Air Spell Punk (read: "guy who makes allies immune to projectiles").

I'm not sure how he managed that, but it involved the machine gun (you'll see) and I missed it and I'm kinda sad I did.

So yeah, if you have a group of friends about and you have a good amount of Skylanders -- even if it's the 3 the console game comes with -- go grab your PS3, a controller, and have a wacky night playing Co-Op Single-Player Skylanders! There will be stories to be told for either generations or at least a forum post or two.

[Jinouga87]

I got Cynder.Can't seem to get the code to work online though. And I don't have a portal to use.

[BaroqueSieben]

The online Skylanders thing does seem to be a bit buggy, but then it's in Beta so that's understandable.

[Jinouga87]

The online Skylanders thing does seem to be a bit buggy, but then it's in Beta so that's understandable.

I haven't been back there in a few days.

[BaroqueSieben]

So, had another session of Skylanders Single-Player Co-Op last Saturday. The Thespian didn't join in, so the Loonie picked up use of Hex, but beyond that . . . well, suffice it to say it was interesting. We ran into a rather large number of lock puzzles (which slightly drove the Loonie up the wall), the guy whose house we were at was surprisingly good at some pretty hard optional segments AND a boss pattern that was decidedly mean-and-nasty . . . and Deadpan Snarker further proved himself against the Geneva convention by merit of his downright frighteningly-potent play in several points of interest, including part of the boss at the Eternal Life Source.

Good times were had, but I seem to have misplaced the USB frob for my portal . . .

[Jinouga87]

Do you all have your own characters or do you share?

[Jinouga87]

Anybody been looking the Giants?

[Feathers]

I gave up on Spyro, can't find anyone to play with.

[Jinouga87]

Thought I bring some life back to this since the fourth game is coming soon. Skylanders Trap Team is the name of the new game.