Monopoly City Board Game
This game is more of investing, money and business. It helps one’s self to be smart in money. Luckily, I got this boardgame this Christmas.
Monopoly City
Monopoly City Rule Book
Monopoly City Money
Monopoly City Land Cards
All I want for Christmas is this Barbie!
With Christmas coming up, the best Barbie to gift is the Fashion Fairytale Barbie, the latest Barbie doll from the 2010 Fall Collection along with the DVD movie released last September.
Saw this at the Robinson’s Place mall and I was once again back to the little girl I was. I don’t think my fascination with Barbie will ever wane. Good thing Mattel keeps coming up with new Barbies and the inspiration seems to come from an endless well of ideas.
Me at the Barbie mall display
This time, classic meets modern as Barbie’s fairytale princess dress transforms into a modern-day fashionista with just a few twist and adjustments.
The doll of course tells half the story. The DVD movie is all about Barbie going on an adventure in the fashion capital of Paris. When she finds out that her aunt’s fashion house in Paris is being shut down, she enlists the help of her friends to save the business.Three enchanting fairies with sparkle-magic powers along with a shy fashion desigern named Alecia help Barbie mount a dazzling runway fashion show.
The moral of the story? Magical things happen when you believe in yourself.
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Mickey has always been my childhood favorite and it was a dream come true when I went to Disneyland and had my pictures taken with the iconic mouse.
Created in 1928 and voiced by Walt Disney, Mickey has spawned a global enterprise that includes merchandise, movies, TV shows and now — finally and long overdue — a Mickey videogame for the wii console. Mickey made his US debut as a videograme hero in “Wasteland”, an aternate world that includes Walt Disney’s pioneering characters.
“In Disney Epic Mickey”, players are put into the shoes of the famous mouse and challeged to use wits, paint and paint thinner to defeat enemies, save friends and restore a ruined land. Mickey’s battles an old pal in the game “Oswald the Lucky Rabbit” who was once a lovable character who became bitter and jealous of Mickey as he rose to fame.
Personally, I think the Mickey videogame is a welcome alternative in the face of videogame releases that unmindfully promote violence, sex and brutality. I think parents are glad that they can go back to the days when cartoon characters are cute, clean, fun and wholesame and, in turn, pass this idea on to their kids. Kudos goes to Junction Point Studio who crafted the software.
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I am so looking forward to watching the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows when it finally shows in local Philippine cinemas. The movie has two parts, shot simultaneously, but the 2nd part was shot in 3D, not entirely though as producer David Barron said in a presscon just before the movie’s release in North America. “I think 10 to 20 percent, probably,” he says.
I prefer the 2D, normal version but if there’s an possibility of seeing the movie in 3D, why not? I bet fans like me won’t mind paying a few bucks more. I guess it’s a marketing gimmick anyway and the possible revenues from coming out with a 3D version for a sureball box office hit is likely the reason behind the 3D initiative.
Anyway, I think it’s really cool that Warner Bros. is trying to create a 3D version but the success of the past three installments was hinged mostly on the storyline, not so much on how it was filmed. Harry Potter himself has something to say about this too. In an interview, Daniel Radcliffe said, “If any film doesn’t need a gimmick, it’s these ones, and that’s for me what 3-D is. For me, 3-D adds nothing to the story.”
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If you think homework is a drag, wait till you get to play the Lego Hogwarts Game.
Now that the 4th installment of the Harry Potter movies is showing in theaters worldwide, toy manufacturers are riding the mania by coming up with new games for kids of all ages. Lego has been around since the 80’s and now the world’s first collection of buildable, playable and changeable games has come up the The Hogwarts Games that not only two can play but the whole family.
The game goes like this: you enroll in the magical Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and you get to do a lot of homework (yeah, the kind of homework you won’t get bored doing). The homework of course, is all about discovering new magic tricks and how to use ‘em when you need to solve a mystery. And because it’s a Lego game, expect a lot of moving staircases and secret passages that change from time to time. When you’re done, you go back to your commonroom with all of your homework. The first to do so, wins the game.
The game includes 332 Lego pieces, a rule book, microfigures of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Draco Malfoy and Albus Dumbledore (also includes 4 Hogwarts student microfigures (one from each house).
For the adult players, the new videogame Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a must-have. It’a a three-part video by EA Bright Light that has Stealth, Strategy and Survival modes that provide many early hints and tips for players to defeat the Dark Forces. Find out how to make the best use of Harry’s Invisibility Cloak, which spells you should choose for different battles, and why you’ll want to have plenty of potions ready to use.
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She’s almost as old as Madonna and Cher, yet she remains as taut, firm and wrinkle-free as the day she was born 51 years ago. There is no denying the enduring appeal of Barbie, the most fashionable doll ever introduced. She has seen the rise and fall of world leaders, yet fashion-wise, has never been in any kind of time warp. She has constantly updated her look and, to date, has been dressed in dazzling creations by no less than 50 of the world’s known fashion designers such as the likes of Oscar dela Renta, Gianfranco Ferre, D&G and Vera Wang. These collectible dolls, owned by private individuals, were on view when Barbie turned 50 years old late last year. I was among those who were able to catch the last few days of the exhibit at a mall.
How Barbie was able to escape from her plastic dream world, and take a life of her own is one fascinating story itself. Now, the iconic doll has not only come a long way from being home-spun cheerleader to today’s designer-clad diva, she has also diversified to apparel, footwear, beauty and even home appliances. I bet she’s here to stay for another 50 years for future generations of kids to enjoy. And for a Barbie fan, young or old, a Barbie is a perfect gift for the coming Yuletide season.
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Halloween is fast approaching and kids are all agog over what to wear for trick or treatin’. One can always go to a department store and pick out a generic costume, or make one’s own at home. With a little ingenuity and some elbow grease, one can come up with a Halloween costume and save a few bucks.
But if you’re after originality, a videogame character-inspired costume, otherwise known as cosplay, is your best bet. Cosplay, short for “costume play”, is when you don costumes and accessories representing a specific character, most usually one drawn from manga or anime, comic book hero, fantasy movies or as I said before, videogames.
I’ve always loved Tekken Dark Resurrection and most of its characters are great cosplay inspiration. You only need a red cheongsam ang a bobcat wig to get the Tekken 2 Ana Williams’ look.
Naruto-inspired costumes are also quite popular among the young set. And if you’re Xbox 360 or PSP3 has DC vs. Marvel Superhero Brawl, you may want to channel your all-time favorite superheroes, a throwback to your ’80’s childhood self.
They say comic book heroes never die, they live on and get updated every once in a while with a new look, more kick-ass gadgets to fight their enemies. This Halloween, this might be a fun way to jumpstart your imagination and creativity when thinking up a costume.
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photo:www.cracked.com
Wii has certainly come a long way since its launch in 2006. As opposed to the 360 Xbox and the PSP3, Wii covers a wider demographic with the many games Nintendo has conceptualized for this amazing console. Many rainy days were spent indoors playing bowling or tennis on my Wii console. And the good thing about it is that you work up a sweat, lose a couple of calories and get the enjoy what would otherwise be a boring day. Cooking Mama is always an all-time favorite for the little ones and for the music-savvy teenagers, Guitar Hero is a blast, most especially during party nights. For dad, there’s Jedi Saga, the latest release for 2010, with its real lightsaber fighting culled from all the six movies. With you Wiimote you lightsaber your way through stormtroopers until that climactic duel with Darth Vader.
With the succes of the Jedi Saga, you’d expect Nintendo to rest on its laurels for a while longer and then stir the gaming community next year by coming up with a new game release. Apparently, this is not so. After the release of the Jedi Saga earlier this year, Nintendo ups the ante by coming out with a new Wiimote that would turn every game into an awesome experience — the icing on the cake as Wii game console owners say. They have yet to announce the release of the new Wiimote Plus but hopefully, just before Christmas as this will be the perfect addition to my wishlist.
From the usual black and white, the Wiimote Plus also comes in pink and light blue. But the real treat is in the design — it combines a Wii remote with its Wii MotionPlus gyro add-on. What this means is real- time action capabilities as powerful sensors accurately captures complex motions. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that someone would gift me with this one.
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If you love Barbie, there is no way you won’t get hooked on Polly Pocket, also by Mattel. These cute 3- inch dolls put a new spin on the traditional dolls with their unique clothes made of stretch rubber and clip on magnets. A “housing” or case for the doll make it an ideal bring along toy anytime, anywhere.
As to accessories, Mattel comes up with different playsets each time, the latest of which is the Polly Fountain Falls, which works like..well… a fountain. You put water in it and switch it on and, presto, loads of fun with your Polly and some of her animals friends. It’s one toy you can be sure any kid would love this Yule season.
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