Skylanders Swap Force Makes Changes As Competition Heats Up

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Last Updated on May 10, 2021 by Danielle

Back in 2011, Activision created Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure. It was the first time that kids could bring their toy figures into the video game world. Now Skylanders is one of the company’s most successful video games.

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Given the amount of success that Activision has had, it is not surprising that now more and more companies are trying to compete with Activision in the same space.  Earlier this year in August, Disney released Disney: Infinity, which allows kids to bring some of the most iconic Disney characters, including Jack Sparrow and Mr. Incredible, to life inside of the video game. On April 24, Nintendo released Pokemon Rumble U for the Wii U in Japan. The game came out on August 29 in the US. The game allows kids to scan plastic origami-like Pokemon toys into the game using the Wii U gamepad. Even Rovio has partnered up with Hasbro, to release physical toys called “Telepods” that can interact with their latest game, “Angry Birds Star Wars II.”

To stay ahead of the competition, Activision is bringing out Skylanders: Swap Force.

The first game in the series introduced gamers to the idea of bringing their characters into the game by placing the toys on the “Portal Of Power.” In many ways, Skylanders: Giants continued in the footsteps of the original with larger sized figures. There was nothing that different with Skylanders: Giants.  It was more of an evolution. The new game, Skylanders:Swap Force not only adds 16 new characters, but now kids have the ability to swap the top and bottom of each figure. The two halves are held together by magnets.

With this new game play mechanic, Activision has added a whole new element of strategy to the game. Each half will change not only how the character moves, but its powers.  “Magna Charge” is a new Tech  Skylander. He has a large magnetic head and rolls around on a wheel. With his magnetic head, he can pick up things and throw them at enemies.”Stink Bomb” is a Life Skylander. He’s a ninja skunk. His stench allows him to go into stealth mode, hiding him from enemies.

Mix and match the two figures and you get “Magna Bomb” or “Stink Charge.” The different combinations change how the characters behave in the game and their powers.

The toys in “Skylanders: Swap Force” actually feel more like traditional toys than previous games. Kids actually have to play with them to swap the halves. In this regard, the competition is way behind Activision. Even the toys in Disney Infinity feel more like collectible statues instead of toys. In the future, we expect to see even more playability with poseable joints.

Although the old figures will work with the new game, NBC News is reporting that gamers are going to have to buy a new Portal Of Power for $75 because the old one won’t work with the new game. The game will be released on October 13 for the Wii, Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii U, and Nintendo 3DS. It will also be available on Xbox One and Playstation 4 at a later date.

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