I decided to start from the beginning, and because of this I went with Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure for my PS3. On the plus side, I like the game and I wanted Gill Grunt, Trigger Happy and Spyro. On the downside, the PS3 portal for the original game takes batteries and requires a Phillips screwdriver to switch them out. I want Giants--NOW--so I don't have to deal with this. Wired Portal FTW! (I talk more about this in my Buyer's Guide.)
Name: Spyro
Series: SSA Starter Pack
Purchased At: WalMart
Date: December 19th, 2012
My Thoughts:
I was surprised to see that Spyro is purple and pink when I got the game home. For some reason I thought he was purple and gold when I saw him online.
I didn't grow up with Spyro the Dragon, so I don't have the love or hate for the design of this character that I've seen others have. It may be the fact that this initial entry to the Skylanders games rides on his name that makes me not as interested in him as I actually am in some of the other characters.
The figure is well done. I like the way that the paint on his wings and horns is shiny. I also think the pose they did him in is good--he seems lively and alert.
In the game, I enjoy using him and particularly like his fire attack. The headbutt thing with his horns isn't my cup of tea, though. Since he's only level 3 with two upgrades, I'm in no condition to say whether he's a great character or not, but so far he feels very balanced.
Name: Trigger Happy
Series: SSA Starter Pack
Purchased At: WalMart
Date: December 19th, 2012
My Thoughts:
For some reason Trigger Happy makes me think of the Tasmanian Devil with machine guns. He also makes me want to play the song "Trigger Happy" by Weird Al--someone REALLY needs to do a tribute for him with that!
The figure is very lively and I love his big swishy tongue. It's also a nice touch that his machine guns are a shiny golden color. It's little touches like these that make the Skylanders figures look like true pieces of art, worthy to grace a bookshelf, tv stand, wall case, etc. when not in use, as opposed to being hidden in the closet.
Of the characters I own so far, Trigger Happy is one of my favorites to play. He's quick, his guns make things go pretty smooth and his explosives do decent damage. Plus, he's just such a vibrant funny character that it's hard not to be sitting there with a big grin when he's on the screen.
Name: Gill Grunt
Series: SSA Starter Pack
Purchased At: WalMart
Date: December 19th, 2012
My Thoughts:
Gill Grunt turned out to be quite a surprise. I didn't think that I was going to like him, yet now that I have him (and more importantly have played AS him...) I think he's totally great!
Gill isn't a pretty figure, but there are some nice details to his figure. I like the semi-clear blue they use for the water base. The silver paint on the tip of his harpoon gun is pretty cool. And, while I'm still not really sold on the Gillmen as a species, I will give those who created them this--they are original.
In game, Gill Grunt totally rocks! I love his harpoon gun and I *really* love his water jet (or whatever it's actually called) with its knockback and AOE. Next to Whirlwind, he's probably my favorite to play as so far. I also think that it's cute that he has a Mermaid girlfriend he needs to rescue as part of his backstory. I wish the developers had done more with this, but it's a kids game and it leaves me free to mess with it in fanfic, so I guess that's all right.
Name: Bash
Series: Skylanders Giants (S2)
Purchased At: WalMart
Date: December 19th
My Thoughts:
I decided to purchase Bash because there is a prince in a book called Dragonswood that I love who has "Bash" as a nickname. Yes, I know. That has to be one of the weirdest reasons I could have had for picking him, but I just couldn't resist.
When I got to WalMart and finally realized where the Skylanders stuff was kept they had only one of him left and the packaging was junk, but I got him anyway since I planned on taking him out anyway. I really love the figure. His mouth is open like he's roaring, the holden paint on his horns and the spikes of his tail looks great and the pose is interesting.
In the game, Bash is a character that is taking me a bit of work to get use to. I'm improving now that I know I can hit right trigger to use his roll attacks, though. He's a solid character, and I've even heard him described as broken / overpowered. But personally, I'll stick with my fast, long ranged people.
On the story front, I must say that I think the connection between him and Flashwing is adorable. I must get her and nickname her Tessa (Bash's love interest in Dragonswood.)
Name: Hex
Series: Skylanders Giants (S2)
Purchased At: WalMart
Date: December 19th, 2012
My Thoughts:
Hex caught my attention right away with her dark, sleek clothing. I actually mistook her for a Count Dracula type character the first time I saw her, and thought that her hair was actually the collars on a fancy cloak.
On the plus side, the orbs / wisps / whatever you want to call the things wrapping around Hex look really cool in person. They are semi-transparent and have white skull designs inside of them. On the downside, this figure is really tiny. I took my collection to my Aunt's to show her and when I got back I thought I'd lost Hex because she got buried in the bottom of my purse.
As a character I love her, though. She's a blast to play with her quick long-distance attack and her skeletal wall that can help her avoid some danger. I love how she naturally hovers over the ground, adding further to her aura of class and mystery. It also doesn't hurt that her backstory on the Skylanders Wiki is interesting, either.
Name: Whirlwind
Series: Skylanders Giants (S2)
Purchased At: WalMart
Date: December 19th, 2012
My Thoughts:
The minute I learned Whirlwind fought using rainbows, I knew I had to have her. Whirlwind is likely my favorite Skylander so far, despite the fact that her design as a figure is actually less impressive then some of the other characters I own. I like her pose, but next to Bash's spiky golden tail or Hex skull filled wisps Whirlwind seems to be missing some kind of overall pizzazz.
Never fear: she more then makes up for this in-game. Remember those rainbows? Well, they shoot on a curve, which makes them able to hit enemies who are shooting down at you. They also fire pretty quick, and can bounce off of her cloud attacks, which have a slight paralyzing effect. When you add the ability to fly to this mix, cute li'l Whirlwind is suddenly starting to kick some serious butt.
The other thing I like about Whirlwind is her backstory. I think it's interesting that she was able to get past the prejudice that the dragons and unicorns threw at her and that she came to their aid. I also think it's admirable that she took her life's adversity and used it as a means to strengthen herself.
I originally bought Whirlwind to keep Bash company, but now that I know he has actual lore suggesting who he should be with, I think I am going to pair Whirlwind with Zap. (So the Zap S2 can't release soon enough--no WAY am I paying what people want for the S1 version...).
And more to come...
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