Skylanders Giants Portal Owner Pack

by Activision

• Only Purchase this pack if you already own Skylanders Spyro's Adventure

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0088MVPSS
• Product Dimensions: 3 x 11 x 9.4 inches ; 1.2 pounds
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: October 21, 2012
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (61 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,635 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #32 in Video Games > Wii > Games > Adventure

Product Description

Platform: Nintendo Wii | Edition: Portal Owner Pack

Amazon.com

Are you ready?

Join the Skylanders

Kaos is back!

Thousands of years ago, the Skylanders Giants fought epic battles in Skylands but were banished to Earth. With a new threat looming, it’s time to bring them back to join forces with the Skylanders. Only you can put them on the Portal of Power® to unleash their strength in the ultimate battle to save Skylands.

Bring the Skylanders Giants back from banishment to join the Skylanders once again in this expansion pack that lets you expand your Skylanders Spyro's Adventure gameplay and return to Skylands with the Skylanders Giants to engage in the ultimate battle. Are you ready to face Kaos?

Key Features:

• Portal Owners Pack includes: Video Game, Skylanders Figure, Character Collection Poster, Sticker Sheet with Secret Code and Trading Card
• Requires Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure® to play - Only purchase this pack if you already own Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure®

Wii vs. Wii U:

The Wii and WiiU use the same portal. They are completely compatible in every way except for the software. The Wii software will work on the WiiU (though the game won't be in HD if they play with Wii software), but the Wii U software will not work on the Wii. Toys will work on both platforms.

Product Description

Skylanders Giants Portal Owners Pack Includes: Video Game, Skylanders Figure, Character Collection Poster, Sticker Sheet with Secret Code and Trading Card

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

141 of 144 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars More Of What You Love And Expect From Skylanders, But Feels A Little Short October 21, 2012

By K. Harris HALL OF FAMETOP 10 REVIEWER

Platform for Display:Nintendo Wii|Edition:Portal Owner Pack

Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

I don't know about you, but my household became consumed with Skylanders in 2012. It was not just a game, it was an obsession AND a collection. To the tune of hundreds of dollars, we grabbed every character that became available (and that wasn't always easy as Activision didn't do a great job in the supply department). So I was both excited by the prospect of Skylanders Giants and fearful of the financial commitment necessary to supply a whole new chapter of adventures. Despite my love of the game, I wasn't sure I wanted to go down this route again. But when I had an opportunity to get an early copy of the Skylanders Giants Starter Kit, I simply couldn't resist. Let me just cut to the chase before providing a more detailed analysis. If you loved Skylanders, this provides more of the same with some cool new features. More of a continuation than a re-imagining, this won't disappoint fans of the original because it sticks closely to the winning formula that made the original game a cultural phenomenon. Having had the game for a little over a day, we have played it relentlessly and beyond all reason! The game in story mode seems too short, I'll be honest.

The initial offering of the game has been released in two versions:
(1) Skylanders Giants Starter Kit: This includes the game, a portal of power (not necessary to re-purchase, your portal from the original Skylanders works here as well), one new Giant figure Tree Rex (a life element), one regular size new figure Jet Vac (an air element), and one reposed figure Cynder (a death element). There is also the new character poster, the trading cards for the new figures, and some stickers.
(2) Skylanders Giants Portal Owner Pack: This includes the game and Tree Rex only and is designed for those that do not wish to purchase a second portal.

Gameplay: Skylanders Giants operates on the same story mode principles as the first game. You are still battling Kaos who is always good for some great villainous comedy! Vocal talent like Patrick Warburton returns and there are new voices like George Takei and Bobcat Goldthwait. The game, honestly, feels a little skimpy at 16 chapters as opposed to the original's 22 (before expansion packs). Running straight through, you could probably finish this game very quickly. There are, however, more collectibles (soul gems, hats, treasures) and more items to buy. Some of the challenges are a bit more difficult as are the Big Boss battles. But the addition of Giants to these confrontations is a nice boost of power.

Extras: There still exists a Battle mode for those that like to pit their characters against one another in different arenas of chance and skill. And the Heroic Challenges (one of my favorite aspects of the original Skylanders) has some great new twists and challenges.

Giants: The Giants certainly look cool. They are bigger (duh!) and Tree Rex is pretty awesome. They light up on the portal unlike previous characters and are able to smash through things, stomp around creating more havoc and opening up surprising new pathways, and performing other strength maneuvers that help you proceed. In many cases, they can do damage that you previously needed a bomb to accomplish. There will be a total of eight new Giants figures: Swarm, Crusher, Bouncer, Tree Rex (already available) AND Eye Brawl, Ninjini, Thumpback, and Hot Head (yet to be released).

Old Figurines: The new game recognizes all of the progress that you have already earned on your initial figures. I was afraid that they would feel obsolete, but they have also gotten an increase in levels. The initial Skylanders capped them at level ten, now they have been expanded to 15 levels (so you can progress them to new powers).

New Regular-sized Figurines: There are eight new character figures (Pop Fizz, Chill, Flashwing, Sprocket, Hot Dog, Shroom Boom, Jet Vac and Fright Rider) with a couple of new features as well as new reposed characters featured already in the first game (they are distinguished as Series 2 on packaging) that light up (like the Giants) with these same new features and a Smart Bomb attack mode.

I love Skylanders, it's just a fact. I might have hoped that this new incarnation might have taken a few more chances and varied the game play. I might also have hoped it was longer and more intricate. But it is solidly entertaining. Just be cautious, as in the original--the soul gems will convince your kids that they need more, more, and even more. While it doesn't look like the financial commitment will hit as deeply this time around, it is still a sizable investment for avid collectors or completists. KGHarris, 10/12.

98 of 103 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Spyro's vs Giants Portal Differences October 26, 2012

By Ryzeldorf

Platform for Display:Nintendo Wii|Edition:Portal Owner Pack

Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

I picked up the game with my five-year-old last week on launch day and we are thoroughly enjoying playing it. It's as much( or more) fun as the first and we love the new levels and characters we've played so far. I'm writing this because of the rampant misinformation in the game stores.

We bought the starter kit because the sales reps at 2 different Gamestops told us the old wireless portal had compatibility issues with the new game and figures. One guy said the Lightcore figures would not illuminate and the other guy affirmed it and added that you cannot play a legacy Skylander figure and a new giant on the old portal. I did some basic review without finding confirmation of this and figured for the small price difference and extra characters, I'd try the new Starter Kit. We currently own around 8 or 9 legacy figures and the old portal.
The Gamestop reps were wrong. I have tried both the new, wired portal, and the old, wireless portal. THERE ARE NO NEGATIVE DIFFERENCES IN NEW GAMEPLAY PERFORMANCE WITH THE OLD PORTAL AND THE NEW GAME. The Gamestop guys were wrong! The new portal, however, is hard-wired to the game system and uses no batteries vs the original which is wirelessly connected and requires 3 AAA batteries. Also the new portal stays illuminated always, even with the Wii turned off as well as the Lightcore character. The old portal seems to have more solid build quality and better detail too. Finally we had many problems switching characters during game play with the new, wired portal and we would get an alert to contact Activision for support. The old portal is not doing this.

Bottom line: If you have the legacy game, characters and portal buy the Portal Owners game, regardless of what the game store rep tells you, unless you want the added characters Jet-Vac and Cynder. Jet-Vac is pretty cool though! (2 extra characters= $15, neither is a Lightcore.) Please post questions below and I will do my best to answer> :)

43 of 46 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Starter Kit beats Portal Owners Pack October 25, 2012

By Noname TOP 50 REVIEWER

Platform for Display:Nintendo Wii| Edition:Portal Owner Pack|Amazon Verified Purchase

My son owns the original Skylanders and a whole host of figures. He bought the Skylanders Giants Portal Owners Pack in the belief that the Portal Owners Pack and the Starter Kit are exactly the same minus a portal, but that's not true. The Starter Kit comes with more figures: one Giant and two regular figures. That's three figures versus the one in the Portal Owners Pack, and the figures are everything in a Skylanders game. Because of that, we are planning to return the Portal Owners Pack and get the Starter Kit.

The original Skylanders figures will work in this game and they remember how far they have leveled up; but they can level up even higher in Giants . . . up to fifteen! Figurines aside, the game levels are easier but last longer.

Can we use the Giants figures in the original Skylanders game? No. We tried that. It didn't work.

My son rates the Owners Portal Pack four stars because it only has one figure, but he loves the game.

UPDATE 10/30/12: My son beat the game in only a few days. Skylanders Giants has only 16 levels compared to the 22 of the old Skylanders game. Because all his old figures were leveled to the maximum possible in the old game, it was easy to beat the new one. He's disappointed he could beat is so quickly, but he still thinks it's a great game.