Yep, pretty much this.

 

Normally I'd agree with the comic, but I didn't really see it like that after playing it. After playing with the pack-in characters, my fiance and I found 2 on the list that we wanted to play as and we went to buy them. I don't have a desire to collect them all, because they don't all interest me.

Another thing it that I am actually playing as these characters and not using them to fight other monsters (although there is an arena mode). So, I see it as buying an action figure to a character on a game you play, and him being reflected on the game I'm playing.

I'm not oblivious to that fact that the character exists on the disc regardless of whether I buy him or not, but I've paid for worse things.

Now, what I don't understand is: is the character's information stores on the figure? I renamed my elf, so if I take him to a friend's house, will he still have that name and level?

 

From what I understand -yes.
He'll have those unique attributes on any game anywhere: Playstation, Xbox, or Wii.

 

Yeah just read it. 3DS included. Pretty cool. Guess that's one thing that makes it unique. It is absolutely multiplatform. "My save will work on a 360 or 3DS"

 

Nice thing about the 3DS version is that characters level up faster in it.

 

Oh but that's cheating... runs to buy the 3DS version.

 

I was doing great at resisting the urge... why did I read this thread? Save up for the starter pack now and start picking up figures bit by bit as I have money now.

 

The game is pretty decent even without the need to "catch them all". But you might find a few that you like and you can buy them individually.

 

Not really a bad move. Not only does it provide an entirely different experience it also has two figures not found in the starter pack and an exclusive figure, Dark Spyro.

 

But from what I understand, these figures work on all consoles. So it's one of first time where a "game save" works on all consoles. That's the part I really like about it.

 

Is it bad that I want to use my kids as an excuse to get this game for myself?  
I have two daughters (5 and 3) and they play games occasionally, mostly Kinect and Castle Crashers. I'm not sure if they'd like this but I'm sure interested!

 

Yep. Difference is that the 3DS game is a platformer, and that you don't need to be connected to the portal, the game saves two Skylanders in itself and you can tag team between them in stages when you play the game. You only need to connect it to the portal again when you feel like switching Skylanders or updating the ones in the game.

 

I hate you all. Now I want this for my 3DS.

Perhaps the fact I'm waiting for Mario Kart 7 and Pokemon Rumble and that other Mario game will make me reconsider. Hopefully. If I don't reconsider, it's all your fault.

On a side note, it seems to me a lot of stuff is downgraded in the 3DS version. Less speech, hats don't do anything except act as headgear, etc. Between my 3DS, Wii and PS3, which one's best to get Skylanders on?

 

Well, I like that the PS3 version is like Diablo mini type gameplay. I didn't know the 3DS was a platformer. I'm a little less intersted in it now. Especially for 70 bucks.

 

I'll tell you how I feel about it later. I'm only at world one right now. There's still plenty of fighting and spacial moves to use if you're worried about that.

 

The PS3 and Wii versions are the same game, the PS3 version just has higher res. The game was developed for the Wii first so I have heard the Wii version has little to no issues, but a couple have popped up on the PS3 and 360. But, nothing that's game breaking.

The 3DS version plays more like the N64 platformers of old like Banjo-Kazooie. Same setting and characters, but different game play overall.

 

I am a big fan of the original Spyro games on PlayStation, and was uninterested in this at first. But the more I read, hear, and see of it, the more I think it looks like fun.

 

And you all have just made me part with $88. Thanks a lot. (yes, australia does have its games overpriced   )

I got the 3DS version in the end. I know the Wii version probably is longer and better, and also better for my eyes, what with the big TV screen, but the thing that drew me to the 3DS version is that I just love platformers. I had to give up buying Mario Kart 7 and Mario 3D, but meh, this was (not) worth it.

I've played through the first two levels already within an hour and a half, and frankly the 3D effect is minimal. I guess you could say its so damn 3D you don't notice it...so it's either really really good or absolute crap, depending on what you're looking for in 3D. For me, I expect 3D to be something I notice and be wowed by (like in RR7, where the planes hanging over the track actually make you look at them every time, even if you know they're coming), so obviously this doesn't work for me.

Also, the fighting is actually quite to my liking. Surprisingly. It's button mashing. Yes, you mash the Y button. And that's just how I like it. Good old fashion button mashing, jumping to dodge opponent's attacks, and overall just a simple free-for-all smash everything style. And I happen to like it that way. Opponents are easy, though with all of them on your tail, and some being able to handle terrain you can't, the swarm does catch up to you quite quickly. I've already died once. And no more cheap fighting, which is good. You can't run and shoot at the same time, so the good old days of Gotcha Force running and blasting is gone. Not a problem. Just hack'em up with a flame sword.

Okay, so I picked the 3DS version for a different reason. She's called Stealth Elf. Damn it if she isn't my favourite Skylander character. Sprints faster than anything, and cheap fighting comes back to life with her shooting attack. Stand back, and spam the X button, and enemies go down before they even notice you're there (you gotta love how they don't notice you nor turn around, even though you're firing thorns into their backs). Cheap fighting, my kind of fighting. Between her and Ignitor, this game becomes dead easy. She traverses fast, he (she? It?) smashes up things in the melee levels. Dark Spyro is just an extra figure to me, and not really useful. My Stealth Elf is already at level 5, Ignitor at level 6 and Dark Spyro's been left at level 2. Meh, I should be thankful. With Gill Grunt being stuffed into the Wii Starter Pack, I have no liking for any Sklyanders that are available separately. So I have no need to buy any more. W00t! And for once I'm actually serious, I'm not going to buy any more.

Because the Portal of Power is the worst gimmick I've seen yet. I suppose maybe my high expectations were inflated a bit too far, but it's just a data scanner, which gets boring after the first...oh, let's say....five times? I can store two Skylanders in my 3DS, and two is all I need, Stealth Elf and Ignitor. I use the Portal to make sure my figures have saved their progress, and that's it. I don't find friends just to play Skylanders, I guess. Either that, or I'm not 5 years old anymore. One way or the other, that thing gets old real fast. Kinda sad really. I really wanted the gimmick to work. I guess you really need an established network of Skylanders players to make that work.

And also, I'm disappointed that hats don't do anything but look stupid (some hats are funny, but not in this game, they just look ridiculous and not in a good way). That, and the levelling up goes by way too easy. I played for an hour and a half. My Ignitor's at level 6, more than half way to max level. Kinda lame, really. You finish the main quest of Pokemon with you team at the 40's or 50's, but here, I only finished 2 out of 5 seeker-rescuing quests, and I'm already at the equivalent of Pokemon's level 60. I guess you guys were right, 3DS is easy to level up in. Maye it'll be more fun on other platforms, here I just feel like its been made to be ready for a five year old's intelligence level.

I'm also really annoyed at the camera and how it's always facing one way, which is stupid when you have levels that have forks, and you want to backtrack without falling into that fire chasm you just jumped over. I'll give it to them that they managed to make it possible to stand on the edges of rotating platforms when they're almost vertical, which is really nice, as it makes blitzing through the game with Stealth Elf dead easy. Just keep jumping. I'd bet you could land on that platform during 75% of its rotation, so it's kind of hard to fall off.

Hektore is a joke, I expected time to actually be a problem, but it's just a "don't backtrack, keep going" tool. Which is really kinda needless, you can't backtrack with that camera anyways. If you don't make it to the end in time, either you've already been killed by swarms of enemies, or ouve gone to make yourself a cup of coffee because you're bored already.

Overall, I'd have to say this was a waste of $88. It's a great game if you're 8, a decent game if you're 12, and something you can steamroll through if you have a brain. It's exactly like the main quest in Pokemon. A kid finds it tough. Early teens, and it's interesting. Anything more, and you find yourself abusing the creature on the front of the box and ripping through things half your level. The extra quests after the main mission is finished would have been great, but they feel like in game advertising. Elemental Match? A euphemism for "Buy one of theses figures".

6/10, dragged down primarily because the main gimmick is one of the worst gimmicks yet.

Stealth Elf gets a 9/10, because daggers are just freaking awesome.

 

You're not the first person I've heard say that about the 3DS version. Its marketed as a stand-alone platformer, but it's pretty obvious its a companion game to the Wii/360/PS3 versions. I think you'd be happier if you could squeeze in the cash out to get the Wii version and play the two together.

 

Yeah I'm having a good time with the PS3 version. It's not epic RPG stuff, but for co-op two players, it's pretty fun.

Do you guys know if two people can use the same character in co-op (ie, two people owning the stealth elf)?