Blogger Bash 2014 kicked off with Sweet Suite by the Big Toy Book, a look at the hottest toys and games hitting shelves soon, from classic toy staples like Lego to dolls, board games, and more! The standout hits of the evening, though, were definitely the two video games that were showcased: Skylanders Trap Team and Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes (2.0 Edition).
Skylanders Trap Teamis the latest in the franchise that began with 2011’s Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure. In the footsteps of its ever-inventive predecessors (Skylanders Giants in 2012 and Skylanders Swap Force in 2013), Trap Team changes the game, so to speak, with the introduction of a new mechanic sure to thrill players of all ages. That new mechanic is the addition of Trap Crystals, which allow the player to capture and play as certain enemies. Skylanders Trap Team is set to release this October on all major consoles.
Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes (2.o Edition) boasts vast improvements over its already-great precursor, last summer’s Disney Infinity. This installment, due out in September, will feature superheroes from the Marvel lineup (like the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider-Man, and more) alongside such Disney favorites as Stitch, Tinker Bell, Merida, and Maleficent. In addition to a slew of new figures, 2.0 will also include enhanced in-game features, such as the ability to procedurally generate environments, a better level-up system with unlockable skill trees, and new mini-quests that fit perfectly in between the toy box mode and full story playsets. Look for Disney Infinity 2.0 this September on Xbox One, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, WiiU, and iOS.
Stay tuned for more on Blogger Bash 2014 in the next few days, as we bring you up to speed on the conference’s most exciting moments!
With school out for the summer, your kids might be getting a bit of a “brain drain” about now… let them keep learning the fun way with Netflix! Check out our suggestions below to help you pick out some educational (but still exciting) programming you can stream right now:
This documentary chronicles the Lewis and Clark expedition and the breathtaking landscape they crossed while searching for the Northwest Passage.
2. Walking with Dinosaurs
The Cretaceous, Triassic and Jurassic periods come to life in this Emmy-winning series that shows the Earth through the eyes of individual dinosaurs.
3. Secret Yellowstone
National Geographic cameras capture unseen aspects of magnificent Yellowstone — America’s oldest national park and among the most visited.
4. The Blue Planet
David Attenborough narrates this definitive exploration of the marine world, from the familiar to the unknown, revealing the sea and its communities.
5. When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions
Follow the 20th century’s space race all the way to the moon — and beyond — in this series that features eye-popping footage of various missions.
Evil villains and abducted geniuses abound in this animated adventure that follows a crime-fighting mouse who must rescue a kidnapped toymaker.
2. Busytown Mysteries
Huckle Cat, his sister Sally and their friends investigate the mysteries in Busytown and find answers to life’s lessons along the way.
3. LeapFrog: Math Adventures to the Moon
Frog siblings Tad and Lily rely on counting, sorting, recognizing patterns and other basic math skills to navigate through space in a rocket ship.
4. Turtle: The Incredible Journey
A loggerhead turtle swims from a beach in Florida across the Atlantic Ocean, encountering stunning sea creatures as well as hazards created by man.
5. The Magic School Bus
Join Ms. Frizzle as the Magic School Bus travels to outer space, under the sea, through an anthill — and even inside the human body!
Want even more brain-boosting titles? Our friends at Common Sense Media shared 12 age-appropriate documentaries that encourage kids to explore worlds they may not normally encounter, all currently streaming on Netflix – check out the list here.
There’s certainly something to be said for Christmas in July. After all, even though the chill of winter may be the furthest thing from our minds as we grill and watch the fireworks this weekend, the holiday season is only a few months away, and it’s never too early to get ready! That’s certainly the attitude Disney had toward things when they recently showcased their upcoming products for the 2014 holiday season. It’s set to be quite the exciting time this year for boys, girls, and even moms and dads, with toys, games, electronics and apparel based on some of Disney’s hottest properties.
For boys, superheroes are a perennial classic, and this year looks to be no different, with a big push toward the sure-blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy (due in theaters this August). The film’s minuscule hero Rocket Raccoon is getting a particular dose of star treatment, with action figures, plush, and more bearing the character’s image (and phrases voiced by none other than Bradley Cooper, who lends his acting charm to the character in the movie as well!) The Avengers are also a big focus this year, with a holiday children’s book featuring narration by Marvel legend Stan Lee, and of course the upcoming Disney Infinity 2.0! Infinity 2.0, a follow-up to last year’s wildly successful Disney Infinity, will center around Marvel heroes like the Avengers, Spider-Man, and more, and is ready to hit shelves this September.
Girls this year will be more than ready to “Let it Go” with the stars of Disney’s Frozen, who will feature on a number of playsets, books, and costumes inspired by the instant classic. The film’s booming fanbase has only continued to grow since the film’s debut last winter, and Frozen‘s spike in popularity has in turn led to the two princess leads, Anna and Elsa, (and their lovable snowman pal Olaf) appearing anywhere and everywhere you could imagine. Coming this winter, be sure to keep an eye out for new Animator’s Collection dolls of Anna and Elsa, an Olaf snow cone maker, and more!
Finally, for the teens and adults in your life, Disney’s got plenty to offer as well, with lines of headphones, speakers, collectible items, and apparel featuring such licenses as Marvel and Star Wars, and of course the classic Disney characters and princesses. Standouts include a partnership with Vans to produce Stormtrooper-based shoes, bags, and apparel, a partnership with Under Armour to create Marvel-themed cleats, workout shirts, and more, and (going back to Star Wars), headphones based around the Rebels and Empire, and a portable Death Star speaker.
We’ve certainly got a great holiday season ahead of us from Disney, and I don’t know about you, but I for one am glad that it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
The above video shows off the newly-announced Spider-Man Play Set, coming to Disney Infinity 2.0 this fall! The Spider-Man Play Set will feature a storyline which follows the Green Goblin as he tries to destroy S.H.I.E.L.D. once and for all. After capturing Venom to extract and clone symbiotes from him, he hires Mysterio to be his second in command and wreak havoc on the Marvel universe. Players will fight the spreading symbiotes and face Mysterio and Green Goblin in in the sewers, labs and skies above Manhattan. Key highlights for the Spider-Man Play Set include:
Play Set: Playable characters include Spider-Man, Nick Fury, Iron Fist, Nova and Venom with additional appearances by White Tiger, Black Cat and Luke Cage. Players will be tasked to destroy the cloned symbiotes and advance to fight Mysterio.
Toy Box: Spider-Man, Nick Fury, Iron Fist, Nova and Venom will be playable in the all-new Toy Box 2.0 mode of the game, along with all characters previously released for Disney Infinity. Players will be able to use these characters, plus hundreds of Marvel and Disney-themed items, locations, props and vehicles, to create new adventures in customized worlds. Once players complete the Spider-Man Play Set, the S.H.I.E.L.D. Hover Car, S.H.I.E.L.D. Sky Cycle, Daily Bugle Building and more will be unlocked and can be used in Toy Box.
The Spider-Man Play Set will be available in retail stores this fall. Additional Play Sets and characters will be announced in the coming months.
On the heels of the E3 gaming conference in California, Disney Interactive Studios and Harmonix have announced that the highly-anticipated game Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved will be released on October 21, 2014. in the above trailer, you can get a look at the new game, including a peek at a new area called “The Neighborhood.”
In “The Neighborhood,” players will work their way through a restrained 2D urban cityscape, using music and magic to unleash a vibrant and magical 3D environment by interacting with billboards, rooftops, trains and other surprises hidden within the city landscape. Through this mind-bending experience, players will watch and listen as their movements create bold colors and whimsical music that make “The Neighborhood” a fantastical adventure.
The latest announced tracks from a range of award-winning artists that will appear in-game include:
Depeche Mode – “Enjoy the Silence”
Drake – “Take Care” (ft. Rihanna)
Tchaikovsky – “The Nutcracker Medley”
Police – “Message in a Bottle”
MIA – “Galang”
The Who – “The Real Me”
These tracks are the latest additions to an already-impressive list of music that will be featured in the game, including the following:
AVICII – “Levels”
David Bowie – “Ziggy Stardust”
Antonin Dvorak – “Symphony No. 9 from the New World”
Fun. – “Some Nights”
Peter Gabriel – “In Your Eyes”
Gorillaz – “Feel Good Inc.”
Cee Lo Green – “Forget You”
Elton John – “Rocket Man”
Kimbra – “Settle Down”
Lorde – “Royals”
Bruno Mars – “Locked Out of Heaven”
Nicki Minaj – “Super Bass”
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik”
Modest Mussorgsky – “Night on Bald Mountain”
Queen – “Bohemian Rhapsody”
White Stripes – “Seven Nation Army”
Antonio Vivaldi – “The Four Seasons: Winter, 1st Movement”
Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved will be available this fall for Microsoft’s Xbox One and Xbox 360.
