Skylander's Spyro's Adventure Starter Pack

by ACTIVISION

Product Features

• The figurines of your collection synch with the game via the peripheral to battle KAOS and his minions
• Starter pack includes: a game copy, 3 Skylanders(Starter Pack includes Spyro, Trigger Happy, and Gill Grunt ), 'Portal of Power' peripheral, character poster, trading cards, sticker sheet, web codes and batteries
• Multiplayer support as you battle with your friend as a team or pick a Battle Arena and go head-to-head
• Different challenges and mini-games hidden throughout Skylands
• Expand the game with optional Adventure Packs (sold separately), each including an exclusive Skylander, 1 location piece and 2 magic items

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B004VQENY8
• Item Weight: 2 pounds
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: October 2011
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (201 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #63 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #1 in Video Games > Wii > Action
  • #8 in Video Games > Wii > All Games

Product Description

Platform: Nintendo Wii

Amazon.com Product Description

Skylanders Spyro's Adventure is an Action-Adventure game spin-off from the Spyro series designed for younger players that unlocks a whole new game universe while incorporating a unique gameplay mechanic utilizing more than 30 physical action figures that synch with consoles, creating a controllable in-game representation of that figure. The first release in the Skylander series, Skylanders Spyro's Adventure Starter Pack contains three action figures, an exclusive game peripheral as well as other items. Action figures are compatible with all versions of the game. The game features co-op and competitive multiplayer, mini-games and more.

Action figures that come to life in-game.
View larger.

An all new game universe that includes Spyro.
View larger.

The Skylanders Story

For generations, the Skylanders -- a diverse group of mythical creatures, each with their own powers, personality and tendencies -- have used their magical powers, weapons and levelable battle skills to protect their homeland, the Skylands. But now, an evil tyrant with the powers of a portal master has frozen and banished them to Earth. Only you, a portal master yourself, can physically put Skylanders on the Portal of Power -- a conduit between this world and theirs -- and bring them back to life in their world where they can battle to save Skylands forever.

Action Figures with Brains

Skylanders are special physical action figures that come to life in-game. Just take a Skylander, place it on the included Portal of Power, which is synched to your game console and a representation of your chosen Skylander will come to life in the video game and do your bidding. There are over 30 Skylanders in total - each with unique abilities and powers (three are included in your starter pack). Skylander action figures remember their in-game experiences and upgrades as they explore the mysterious world of Skylands, battle menacing creatures and collect treasures. Conveniently, it doesn't matter what gaming system your friends have at their house, the Skylanders work on and across all major video game systems. That means that you can take your Skylanders over to your friend's house, drop them on their Portal of Power and your Skylanders will come to life in the game.

Key Game Features

• Everything Needed to Get Started - The Skylanders Spyro's Adventure Starter Pack contains everything needed to get started including: a game copy for Xbox 360, 3 Skylanders (Trigger Happy, Spyro and Gill Grunt), 'Portal of Power' peripheral, character poster, trading cards, sticker sheet, web codes and batteries).
• Multiplayer - Put two Skylanders on the Portal of Power and battle with your friend as a team or pick a Battle Arena and go head-to-head against your friend to see who is the best Portal Master. Either way it's a fight to the finish.
• Battle to Save Skylands - Use your character collection to battle KAOS and his minions. Each of your Skylanders has special abilities and powers. The more you play, the more powerful they become.
• Adventures, Mini-games and Puzzles - There are different challenges and mini-games waiting throughout Skylands. Jump in a turret to fend off enemies and solve challenging puzzles to find secret areas and earn cool in-game rewards.
• Play Online - Each Skylander comes with a unique secret code. Show off your collection to your friends and play fun new mini-games.
• Expand Your Adventure - Pick up an Adventure Pack (sold separately). Each one includes an exclusive Skylander, 1-Location Piece and 2-Magic Items. Place the Location Piece on the Portal of Power to explore exclusive new worlds and embark on new adventures and challenges.

Additional Screenshots

Skylander specific abilities. View larger.

Compatibility across all versions. View larger.

Multiplayer options. View larger.

Mini-games and puzzles. View larger.

Product Description

As a teaser for some more detailed Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure news that we will be bringing you next week during E3, Activision has released some character vignettes, which tell us a little more about the characters that are set to feature in the game’s starter pack. Skylanders Spyro’s adventure involves real life toys, which players will have to place on the Portal of Power to bring them into the game. The three toy characters that come in the starter pack are: Spyro, Gill Grunt and Trigger Happy. We have some information and some short clips where players can see all three characters in action.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

510 of 515 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Mom's Review of Skylanders, October 24, 2011

By 

Denise Patterson (Carmel, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Skylanders Spyro's Adventure Starter Pack (Video Game)

(What's this?)

I'm sure I'm not the only mom who looked at this and thought, hmmm, collectible video game, my kids are SOOOO gonna beg for this! Especially since my son already loves Spyro! But, I wasn't sure whether this would be appropriate, especially for my son, who is not quite six and therefore a little bit below the target audience. Well, since I got a chance to get it through the Vine program, I thought I'd try it and see.

Now obviously I have not played through the entire game. I'm a MOM, I don't have the spare time to play these things all the way through! But I have played it for about an hour at this point, so for you moms out there who are trying to decide whether you should hit the 'Add to Cart' button, this is what I found out.

THE BASICS

The video game comes with little toy accessories. To play the game, you put one of the little figures on a little 'portal' that comes with the game. Make sure you put the portal where it won't get knocked over mid-game, as this will disconnect the character! Fortunately it is wireless, so it's not hard to find a safe place to put it. But, do keep it accessible, because you have to put figures on the portal as you play. The figure you put on the portal controls which character you play in the game, and different characters have different powers, and are able to use different items and get to different areas in the game. You can also change figures mid-game if you decide you want a different power for a certain area - the game is actually designed for you to do this quite a lot. Also, a second child can join in by putting a second figure on the portal for co-op play.

As for gameplay, it's pretty basic. The bad guy, Kaos, is trying to destroy everything, and you are a Portal Master who controls the Skylanders (the figures) who are going to fight Kaos. There are lots of mildly threatening monsters to fight, lots of simple but interesting puzzles to solve, and lots and LOTS of things to collect - money, hats, places, and even something called Legendary Treasures that I can't tell you about because I haven't found any yet! If your kids have played other Spyro games, this is like that, but with more puzzles.

COLLECTIBLE

Yes, it's collectible. This has good points and bad points, and it really depends on your kids. If you have the kind of kid who just HAS to have ALL the figures, but more for the collecting than for the play, this game will make you nuts. Because not only are there 30+ figures for the game, but there are actually LOTS of points in the game where the game flat out TELLS you that certain things can only be done with certain characters, and THEN it offers to show you a preview of that character! Yeah, they know how to make the kids drool all right!

But there's a good side to this too. The game IS winnable with just the starter pack, you don't HAVE to buy anything else. (Well, supposedly, like I said, I have not finished the game yet. But, if you have the kind of kid who will actually play it through more than once, the extra figures (which are $8 each, or a 3 pack for $20) will add a LOT of replayability - basically, for $8 you can play the whole game over again, with different abilities and areas that open up. Let's face it - kids have a lot of collectible stuff marketed to them these days. I'd rather spend $8 for something the kids can actually PLAY with than $5 for a pack of collectible game cards, most of which they already have. It's a better value for the money. And, with the in-game advertising, it's a good opportunity for you to encourage the kids to think about exactly which character they want next and why, because they'll already have a pretty good idea what that character will bring to the game.

PROS

- It's CUTE. It's really well done - the art is gorgeous, the music is pleasant, the characters distinct, the story engaging. From the appearance of the figures, I had been expecting something a little less cuddly (they DO look pretty fierce as figures!), and a little more violent. I'm pleased to be able to report to the moms out there that this is a pretty adorable game!

- It's 'little kid' friendly. All the story dialogue in the game is both spoken aloud and written on the screen, great for beginning readers. A lot, but not all, of the in-game directions are also spoken aloud. You DO have to fight a lot of monsters, but there is no blood or anything gross, they just disappear. None of the main puzzles that I've encountered (in the admittedly short time I've played it) are so complicated that a kid couldn't figure them out eventually.

- it's 'big kid' friendly. While a smaller child could play this and do just fine, bigger kids will get more out of it. There are a lot of side areas, collections to complete, quests to follow that are not necessarily needed to win the game, but will add complexity and interest for the bigger kids. My 11 year old daughter previewed the game with me, and after I had played for about 15 minutes, she was BEGGING for a turn!

CONS

- The figures looks kinda mean, and the characters sometimes talk a little snarky. It's not extreme - this is actually how the Spyro games have been for awhile, so if your kids already play those, or watch Nickelodeon, this will be fine. But if you have a younger or more innocent child, you should preview first.

- The collectible aspect of it may make some kids get AWFULLY whiny. And that could get expensive. I'd really think hard about this if you have a kid who has a hard time making good decisions about advertising - remember, they are basically advertising the expansions within the game, it's not avoidable.

In short, this is a cute game, very appropriate for about the 5-12 age range. My son will be happy to find it under the tree!

106 of 110 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great fun for the kids, November 10, 2011

By 

D. Bowman "Tech Dork" (LA, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Skylanders Spyro's Adventure Starter Pack (Video Game)

Length:: 3:13 Mins

Please note, I showed the Xbox USB connector.
The Wii is wireless.

73 of 86 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great kids game for the Wii., October 21, 2011

By 

Wiiviewer (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Skylanders Spyro's Adventure Starter Pack (Video Game)

Length:: 4:41 Mins

I review mostly 3rd party Wii games on my channel on YouTube. To see more of reviews click on the link in my profile.

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