This is The Thing, and It's clobberin' time!

I mean THE Thing! One great action figure from Marvel Select with a rock-solid 8+" sculpt atop the Fantastic Four base.

It's a great figure, but I feel a personal connection to this one too. I'm sure everyone has funny or odd things they remember about comic heroes, and this is one of mine.  As a child, he was the superhero most like my dad - and what kid doesn't envision her daddy as a superhero? Dad's a huge, muscular man (check), friendly blue eyes (check), and to top it off...they're both named Ben. So in my childhood mind, it was quite possible that my dad was living a secret life as The Thing!

So check out this figure, it's a really great one. And even if your dad isn't at all like The Thing, he's still a great character!

My Little Pony Poll...the herd arrived!

We always have a fun poll going at ToyWiz.com, and this week, something magic happened. At first, Transformers seemed to be in the lead. Then overnight....

That's right - over 13,000 votes for My Little Pony! It seems some great fans at EquestriaDaily.com decided to pony up and vote! We absolutely love their spirit and teamwork, with thousands of votes coming in very quickly. We paid a visit to their forums to say thank you, and changed the My Little Pony poll option to reflect our appreciation for what they accomplished!

What do you think - next time should we ask which pony would win in battle?

Super 10% off Sale, Just in Time for Holiday Shipping!

10% OFF on Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure through December 19, 2011.



I know it's hard to believe that the hottest selling game of the season is getting a fat discount coupon code just in time for Christmas shipping, but it is! 10% OFF with coupon code SPYRO at checkout, and you can take your pick of starter packs for any platform, Adventure Mini Figure characters, or carrying cases to tote your figures to a friend's house for mutual gaming.



If you don't already know what sets Skylanders apart, here's the thing: The game comes with mini figures that actually come alive inside the game. Each figure is a different character you can play and collect. To bring one into the game, just place him on the Portal of Power and watch him materialize as a playable character. Better still: your figure holds onto in-game information, so you can bring your figure to a friend's house to play, putting him right alongside another on the portal without losing your in-game achievements.

The best things about Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure:

• Available on most platforms - XBOXX 360, PC, Mac, Nintendo Wii, Playstation 3, Nintendo 3DS. AND you can still play your characters with a friend, even if his or her game is on a different platform.


• The figures are really cool, and it's amazing to have something in the real world that you also have in a virtual environment!


• Each character has different abilities and powers, so it's not just playing the same thing in a different body - gameplay changes too.


• It's a great story and a really fun role-playing game!  A perfect introduction to the genre.

So through December 19th there's still time to order for Christmas delivery. And if you already have the basic game, extra figures are a great, inexpensive gift too.

[caption id="attachment_1665" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Gill Grunt, In Game"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1666" align="aligncenter" width="275" caption="Gill Grunt Figure - place on the Portal of Power to enter Skylanders as this character"][/caption]

Flameslinger, Eruptor, Chop Chop, Stump Smash, Stealth Elf, Drobot, Sonic Boom, Bash, Prism Break, Whirlwind, Boomer, Voodod, Terrafin, Pirate Ship, Hidden Treasure, Ghost Swords, Ghost Roaster, Crypt, Time Twister, Healing Elixir, Wrecking Ball, Zap, Hex, Dino-Rang, Gill Grunt, Trigger Happy, along with Legendary versions of some characters are still in stock!

Brickarms M16 Prototype Variants Review!

Our favorite Brickarms video reviewer, KingofPumas, has a brand new look comparing all of the M16s now offered by Brickarms!

Marvel Universe Series 17 Action Figures: A star lineup for the last release of 2011

With the last wave of 2011 now in stock, I can say that Marvel chose to bring a strong lineup to the last release of the year. We have not one, but two female superheroes in this release, Psylocke and Storm, rounding out any X-Men fan's wishlist for sure.



One of my favorites from series 17 has to be Iron Fist - with the recent resurgence of interest in classic Kung Fu and martial arts and a figure readily posed for combat, complete with flaming fist, this one is a certain winner.



The new version of Thunder Age Thor was  a great choice with the recent hit movie now on DVD, and Patriot is a classic American hero in the with ties to another hero featured in a summer blockbuster, Captain America. Both are well done, with Patriot's costume and shield looking especially spiffy. Daredevil rounds out the release - another master of martial arts and a very popular choice with fans.






So what do you think of the new lineup? Any must-haves for your collection, or near-misses you'll avoid?

BrickArms Minigun Review with MASSIVE amounts of information!

One of my very favorite toy reviewers, Beanmeister22 reviewed the Minigun awhile back, and I learned a lot from it. From the practical uses and details about the ammo to it's appearance in a few movies, this video is a must-see for anyone with questions about the minigun, or for anyone wanting to learn a lot more about this weapon.

MEGAMOSHI! The newest license from Mega Bloks: Moshi Monsters!

Mega Bloks has been on a roll with some of the best new licensed building brick products anywhere.  Building on the success they've enjoyed with the HALO and other lines, we're seeing more and more great collaborations with popular game and entertainment franchises from the Mega Brands company.



HALO is a staple now - there are fan communities and builders around the world enjoying the ability to build and create with figures, vehicles and terrain from the popular game franchise. And Need for Speed is amazing - from the most popular racing game you can build, customize and race your own supercar. Power Rangers Samurai is a breakout hit too. And now...Moshi Monsters joins the Mega Bloks family with adorable Moshi style!

These new sets not only let you build and customize actual areas from the game, but they even come with codes to unlock online gaming items. They work together and with other Mega Bloks and building brick sets for unlimited creative potential.





 

Our thanks to another great LEGO minifigure customizer!

We were very fortunate to have a visit from Josh, aka Family Bricks, who brought a gift to JD of not one but TWO custom minifigures!



These are obviously just top-notch figures, and ones we'll be using in photos in the future! It was a great treat to meet Josh and show him around a bit. If you've not met him yet, I strongly recommend taking a look at his Flickr Photostream and also read up at Toys N Bricks where he is a regular blog contributor!

Real Toys from Virtual Worlds - most kids now have one or more!

[caption id="attachment_1626" align="alignleft" width="71" caption="Club Penguin"][/caption]

Gone are the days when television and movies were the keys to creating popular toys - now kids want what to play with real versions of the characters they encounter first on the computer. Whether it's Moshi Monsters, Club Penguin, the newest Skylanders series or another, 55% of kids in the UK are reported to own at least one real life toy based on a video game's virtual world, according to Gamasutra. Based on popularity at ToyWiz.com, we'd expect a similar result for kids in the US as well.

[caption id="attachment_1627" align="alignleft" width="110" caption="Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure"][/caption]

The options range from toys that are simply real world representations of in-game characters, like the very popular Angry Birds, to toys that actually "plug in" and come to life on the computer to be played and saved. Many of the toys like Webkinz, Club Penguin and Moshi Monsters also offer in-game items or bonuses based on codes that come with the toys. That makes these a double-treat for players: a real toy and a virtual one that they can use online.

For the uninitiated, here's a quick look at some of the hottest game-and-toy offerings currently available:

• Angry Birds:
  The most popular game in the world has it's own line of plush, offline games and magnets, keychains and more. With over 500,000,000 downloads of the game, it's a sure bet that kids who like games have tried this one.


• Club Penguin:
  A Disney offering, "CP" has the quality and adorable eye-appeal you'd expect from the leader in family-friendly entertainment. It is a role-playing game, where you interact as a penguin in a beautiful snowy world. The Club Penguin toys offer coin codes to use in exchange for unique in-game items.


• Moshi Monsters:
  Combining the fun of an online game and the popularity of virtual pets, Moshi Monsters lets you adopt a monster and solve puzzles to buy items like food, clothing and decorations for it. It's popularity has grown quickly, and now the real world toys released this year are in great demand. These include trading cards, plush and figures with codes for in-game items.


• Skylanders:
  Available for all gaming platforms, Skylanders is a unique new gaming experience. For this one, the figures are a must - they are placed on the "portal" and come to life in-game. These toys actually save the character's progression, and can even be taken to a friend's house to play together on the same console.


• Poptropica: Developed by the Family Education Network, Poptropica lets players travel, play games, compete and communicate together to complete islands. The codes in Poptropica toys give players unique costumes to wear in the game too.


• Webkinz: Incredibly popular stuffed animals (plush) that all have access to the "Webkinz World" website. These range from common housepets to wild or fantasy animals. The code on each Webkin allows that pet to be adopted in the virtual world, where your stuffed animal gets to come to life.

[caption id="attachment_1630" align="alignleft" width="63" caption="Sonic the Hedgehog"][/caption]

Not only are these toys hot, we have seen merchandise for pretty much every game on the market. From Assassin's Creed to World of Warcraft, and classic-to-modern versions of Super Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog, there is no end to the now-complete tie in of computer gaming and toys.

 

So what do you think of these? Do you or your family own any toys that tie in to video games? Would you buy an item that came with a bonus for online use?

Incoming Gears of War!

Our new Gears of War series 1 from NECA arrived today to much fanfare around here! We've had so many orders and we've all been dying to get our hands on these. We have not been disappointed!

First off, Marcus Fenix: 30 points of articulation make him ultra-poseable, and he's got the gear and armor from the new Gears release to bring him up-to-date. His figure includes the Retro Lancer weapon too - which is pretty much enough reason to pick him up. It is, hands down, one of the best looking weapons ever conceived.

[caption id="attachment_1620" align="aligncenter" width="275" caption="Sculpted all new from the ground up."][/caption]Next, Anya Stroud: Wielding the new Lancer weapon and also with 30+ points of articulation, Anya is going to be a hot collectible not only for Gears of War fans, but will also be desirable as one of a few relatively rare female video game figures.

 

[caption id="attachment_1621" align="aligncenter" width="187" caption="Former "Control" dispatcher for Delta Squad, Anya is now a frontline fighting Gear herself. "][/caption]And lastly, we've got Clayton Carmine: Fully articulated and ready for anything with his Lancer, he rounds out Series 1 from NECA in true Gears of War style. No matter which way you voted for his fate, he's definitely a well-muscled figure worth having.

 

[caption id="attachment_1622" align="aligncenter" width="227" caption="Did you vote for this man to live or die?"][/caption]We also have an amazing array of Gears of War fan merchandise. It is truly staggering - enough to create an entire GOW store! Previous figure releases, plus everything from a Curb Stomp First Aid Kit to Imulsion Energy Drinks, COG TAGS, and even prop replica weapons are in our GEARS OF WAR SECTION.

 

 

ToyWiz Hot Toy Watchlist

 

	By popular request: introducing the holiday hot toy availability watchlist! Every year we get last-minute calls from parents and families in search of "must have" gifts that are sold out everywhere, and we don't want to let you down! So this year we're keeping a tally of the biggest sellers to let you know what's in stock and to alert when there's a danger of a pre-holiday sellout. Coming out of "Black Friday" weekend and into "Cyber Monday," here's where we stand on some of the fastest-moving toys:
	Xia Xia Pets Selling as fast as we expected, so we're well-stocked. But the late shopper's challenge will be finding specific characters, shells or playsets at the last minute. While we feel confident in our ability to offer Xia Xia, some items are already unavailable at other retailers and may sell out. So if you need a specific item on the list, it might pay to grab it early.
	Air Swimmers 3 of the 4 available models are in stock, but an early sell out on the infrared clownfish was surprising. We do still have an RC clownfish though, and we are trying to keep all of these in stock for immediate shipping.
	Fijit Friends It's the year's hottest electronic toy, and one that everyone will marvel over at gift time. They're selling briskly and it's hard to say if the pace will remain steady or if we'll see a spike in demand at the last minute.
	FyrFlyz Definitely a FAST mover this year! We stocked up, but it seems like everyone tacks at least one of these onto an order. They're a great value, and inexpensive enough for exchanges between children, stocking stuffers and prizes.
	Beyblade Metal Fusion Why TWO bars that are so different? Well honestly - we're the best source for the most Beyblade tops, stadiums and accessories anywhere. We'll have a massive selection, we won't run out and we won't let you down even at the last minute. But that top bar in the red? That's got to be for the latest Japanese imports from Takara/Tomy that are already flying out the door. If you need a gift for a serious blader, these premium tops are going very fast. Due to time restraints on imports, restocking before the holidays is unlikely, so these are a RED ZONE order if you need them!
	Cars 2 We have a massive selection of Disney/Pixar Cars 2, including die cast vehicles. We're in the green for this category because we always stock these very well, but as with everything at the holidays, if you need a specific item, it might pay to check out the status early. Some items are already sold out, but we have all the best in stock and ready to ship.

ToyWiz Weekly Blast: New Arrivals & Gift Ideas

ZEXAL Photon Shockwave Booster Packs - released 11/15/11 100 new ways to power up your deck or build an exciting new one! Duelists who bought Lost Sanctuary Structure Deck will be thrilled to find more than 10 new LIGHT monsters, Spells, and Trap Cards to power up their LIGHT monsters. Fans of Generation Force, Hidden Arsenal 5: Steelswarm Invasion, and the Gates of the Underworld Structure Deck will also be glad to find all new cards that work together nicely with any of those releases. 100-card complete set: 48 Common Cards, 20 Rare Cards, 14 Super Rare Cards, 10 Ultra Rare Cards, 8 Secret Rare Cards Need more YuGiOh gift ideas? Click here for our holiday special edition YuGiOh guide.

Pokemon Black & White Noble Victories - released 11/16/11 Booster Packs and a special edition set of 3 Booster Packs & 1 Foil Promo Card are shipping now! These make great stocking stuffers and gifts! And if you missed our top Pokemon gift edition, click here for even more ideas on choosing the perfect gift for the PokeMaster on your list.

OYO Major League Baseball Minifigures Officially licensed building-toy figures of your favorite MLB player with rotating arms, bending knees, and player likeliness. Comes with bat, gripping ball, glove, stand, and unique OYO DNA number. Compatible with most other brand name building toys like Lego and Mega Bloks. Collect. Build. Play! Collect your favorite players. It's like a 3-D baseball card!

Marvel Minimates NYCC 2011 New York Comic Con Exclusive 4-Pack Deadpool Corps Deadpool, Championpool, Lady Deadpool, Kidpool & Headpool are coming to you straight from NYCC - a fun and unsual offering from Diamond Select's Minimates! And if Deadpool's not your thing, we have a huge selection of other Minimates here!

Round 5 UFC Ultimate Collector Series 9 Pre-orders Round 5 just announced it's new lineup, along with a prototype photo of the new Jason "Mayhem" Miller figure! These are due out in April, but you can reserve yours now. This release: Jason Miller, Ben Henderson, Don Frye, Chris Leben, Nick Diaz & Cain Velasquez Looking for favorite UFC fighters in time for gift-giving? Click here to choose from our huge in-stock selection!

If you're looking for deep discounts, early holiday gifts and a lot of bang for your buck, be sure to hit our BLOWOUT SALE! New items are added almost every day! Combine our markdowns with your coupon code for rock-bottom prices on tons of popular toys and games.

 

	Every year, retailers try to predict the years the next "holiday sellout" items and stock up. If you've ever been the desperate parent standing in a crowd looking for that certain Elmo, Zhu Zhu pet or Sing-A-Ma-Jig in years past, you know how important it is to get the hottest toys first so you aren't stranded at the last minute hoping for an overpriced auction!  This year, we've identified a dozen hits that will be on Christmas lists for kids worldwide. Will one of these be the big thing on the news when retailers run low? It's hard to say, but we hope we've got enough to keep that from happening!
	Xia Xia Pets Hermit Crabs - like the Zhu Zhu Pets craze from a couple of years ago, these are taking off early with the most popular characters & collectible shells going fast
	Air Swimmers - An unsual entry this year, but once you see them in action, they're mesmerizing. The kind of toy that everyone in the family wants to take a turn with, young and old alike!
	Fijit Friends - Hands down, the hottest and coolest gadget toy on the market. With voice recognition, over 150 phrases and fun dance moves, Fijit Friends are the latest in interactive electronic toys. We find that kids can't put them down once they start exploring all the things these toys can do.
	FyrFlyz - I recommend watching the video on our blog if you've not yet seen these! They're easy-to-use precision balance lighted toys. By simply swinging the two strings and applying tension or allowing slack, you can create a continuous multi-color light show. Inexpensive and easy to master, they're irresistably fun in the dark.
	Beyblade Metal Fusion - If you have a Beyblader in the house, you already know that the latest tops, parts and Beystadiums will be on the list. We have a full line of Hasbro Beyblades, plus limited supplies of Takara/Tomy Japanese imported beys and stadiums for the serious competitor!
	Cars 2 - I've read that there are more Disney/Pixar toy cars than there are real cars on the road! The rubber tire versions are selling fast, and our new 4-pack includes a brand new release of Denise Beam for the first time.
	Monster High - It's as popular as ever, with new fashion sets and plush dolls moving fast. Frankie Stein, Draculaura, Clawdeen, Lagoona Blue, Ghoulia Yelps and Abbey Bominable are the most popular girls in school!
	Air Hogs - The coolest range of remote control vehicles including helicopters, planes and cars anywhere! We have all the best RC vehicles, plus a fantastic new addition: the Adrenaline Series Hawk Eye Blue Sky with built-in Video Camera. Take hundreds of pictures or 5 minutes of flying video with your RD plane!
	DaGeDar - These super-charged ball bearings are the next big thing! There are characters to collect, tracks to race, tricks and stunts, and a lot of fast-paced action with these awesome-looking rubber-coated ball bearings!
	LEGO - A sure hit every year, with builders welcoming almost every new set, expansion and minifigure. Although it gets just one spot, we have 5 top picks in the Lego Category for 2011! Builder Academy - Advent Calendars - Alien Conquest and series 5 Minifigures for the perfect stocking stuffers!
	Angry Birds - 2011 has seen Angry Birds become the best-selling video game of all time! Officially licensed merchandise for bird (or pig) fans is here, including the highly popular game, Knock on Wood that lets you take the birds and pigs off your device and into your living room!
	Skylanders Spyro's Adventure - Innovation in gaming at it's finest integrates real-world figures with in-game characters seamlessly. It's hours of fun, and there are additional character figures to collect to keep Skylanders entertaining over and over again.