Well, this had the best of intentions and didn't turn out so well...

Instead of going with things by category etc, I thought it would be cool to address the questions as posed by the individual.  Yes, I knew there would be overlap.  I did not, however, anticipate it would consume around 80 minutes of time.  I know you are just looking at a pool table, but each 20 mins or so is roughly 4 GB in the 1280x720 format.  So, the roughly 80 minutes is around 15-16 GB.  This would take a LOOONG time to render and upload.

So, for now, I have broken off the start and the first few questions (which happened to be my own questions).  Below the video I will have kind of a text transcript.  I am not sure if I will run with what I have already recorded and break it down by individual, or if I would be better off starting from scratch and then doing a "shout out" to everyone who submitted questions.  Whatever I do, you will see, I'm just not set in stone yet.

That said, Part 1 is, so here you go...


Here is a text version if you prefer that...Not verbatim, but I do a rough recap on the question, response, and what my take is from that...

Where Did You Get It? Walmart
What Did It Cost? $14.96 plus tax
What Was Stock Like? Well Stocked, 12 on the Pegs
What is Included? Jade Fire Kraken, Stat Card, and Sticker Sheet


Jade Fire Kraken
Fire Element, SF Swapper

This video is just kind of a quick showcase of the available Skylanders and Traps at the Trap Team after hours event.  I started out booth hopping (each one had slightly different characters), but then one of the really cool ladies working brought in several of the other figures for me, including the illusive Gearshift!  I also got a size comparison between the Trap Team Newlanders and Trap Masters.  Check it out for yourself and stay tuned for more Trap Team E3 Coverage!


Some cool stuff here is just getting a look at each of the featured characters and the Traps on hand.  The hardcore fans will no doubt like that video thumbnail as it shows my size comparison between Chopper + Food Fight vs Krypt King.  Wallop, if you haven't heard, is the heaviest Skylander I believe I've ever laid hands on...Krypt King was rumored to spit out a swarm of beetles, or bees by many, but during the private screening of the game, one of the guys running the demo said it was a swarm of locusts...That makes perfect sense given his name and aesthetics (especially the back side!).

For those interested, I will also have the size comparison up as a still image in the near future...I also "think" I have still shots of each character as well as some group shots.  Stay tuned for so much more from E3!!

I had a 0% success rate asking about if the trap given out was reflective of the final packaging we can expect to see on retailers shelves this fall.  Finally, at dinner,  I had confirmation that this was in fact the final design for the packaging.  Given no one else would commit, it is hard to know if that is a definitive yes, or not.  I will say this, the packaging is super nice, well designed, sleek, and catches your eye.  I spent a lot of time covering all the clues that would lead me to believe this was in fact the final packaging, regardless of what people will or will not reveal.

But with that said, if this is not the final packaging I would think it is super close.  Any significant changes might be a downgrade in my opinion.  I truly believe, based on what I see, that this is the final packaging and I did have one "Yes" from the evening dinner.

Sadly, we can't see Riot Shield Shredder or play as him for a few months, but the insights gained from the packaging are of great interest to myself and many of you hardcore fans.  As soon as Trap Team is released I will get some gameplay of Riot Shield Shredder.

The Kaos T-shirt however was totally unexpected and it is easily one of the greatest shirts I have ever seen.  I didn't even look at it until later in the night at the hotel, but instantly brought me to a loud cheer, lol.  I pushed last year for "adult sized" merchandise and throught this past calendar year I never saw anything.  There are tons of cool kids shirts, but nothing for adults...not even generic logo t-shirts etc.  Needless to say, I was stoked to land this thing!




I have no idea if it is exclusive to E3, a quick print for a laugh, or something that might hit shelves, but I do know it is awesome and countless of you would purchase this thing if it was on a shelf.  That said, here and on the video I want you to post up what you would like to see in terms of adult sized merchandise.  Do you want basic t-shirts, do women want tank tops, does anyone want hats etc.  I have no guarantee this will go anywhere, but I'm also the only person trying to get it somewhere...So post up what you want and maybe, just maybe, we can convince the folks at Activision to license some adult merchandise, or let potential licensees know there IS a market for adult sized Skylander swag!

Well, my strategy for E3 was simple this year...use the limited time to get in as much info and gameplay on Trap Team as possible.  wdrumz, CrystalBlazier, pdiddysportscards, and myself quickly realized we had no chance of getting thru the Trap Team lines at the official Skylanders booth before we'd go up for the screening...

Thus, I went with backup plan and pdiddysportscards (Paul) was smart, or dumb enough to think it sounded like a good idea too...Luckily, the plan worked out flawlessly and we not only got some early hands-on with the game, we wound up with a Senior Producer for the game that really knew his stuff!

As such, not only was I able to capture some gameplay via Paul's work on the Wii U, but we got some early answers and a reality check into how much was going to remain withheld.  Jin did an awesome job with the demo and the rather intense Q&A given he probably didn't have dedicated Portal Masters like us too often.  Had I have known what all was off limits I wouldn't have hit him up with so many questions, lol...He is literally the first person we had the chance to talk to...

Hey Everyone,

Here is an exclusive interview I got with the Executive Producer behind the Skylanders series, Scott Krager!  He was kind enough to let me take up about 10 minutes of his time and I tried to highlight a few key points, pick up on his favorite new characters, and gain insights from his perspective.

I totally apologize for the bobbing camera...I'm not a vlogger and apparently I don't make for a great tripod...Sometimes we clip a little hair, or the chin, but the audio still came thru great and that is what really matters.  I tried to stand beside the camera to get closer to him to ensure we could hear his voice...that to me is an okay trade off, lol.  If I am fortunate enough to attend next year, I think the tripod will be coming.

That said, I was able to get confirmation from him on pricing for the line up (Single Traps, Core Skylanders, and Trap Masters) and he confirmed what I learned earlier from Jin.

Scott was also kind enough to give a shout out to my Nephew (thewalkthruking) and offer up his take on his 2 favorite Sklyanders, Slam Bam and Freeze Blade!



Here is a text-based accompaniment to the interview:

Coming Soon!

I have so many people that just ask, "What is E3 like?" and "What is it like getting to go?" coupled with things along the lines of, "Did you see Rob from Coin-Op TV?" and "Did you meet any other YouTubers?"  that I have opted to just make a stand alone video kind of running you thru the paces of what it is like to get to attend E3 from a pretty modest background.

Again, without your support and a really good PR team at Activision, I would be covering E3 from home, via second hand sources.  I would have no chance to ask direct questions, or get answers and insights from the people behind the game.

Many thanks to those behind the scenes and who remain relatively unsung heroes for orchestrating everything, getting Portal Masters from across the country to E3, and then setting things up to run so smooth for everyone at the event and who then go above and beyond to make it even more fun and memorable for everyone involved.

Similarly, a great thanks to everyone who follows along here on the site, watches the videos on YouTube, interacts with me on social media, and who posed questions from all those sources and forums like DarkSpyro.

I am keeping this video generic and kind of down to covering the overall experience...All my usual intricate details will be up in other videos.  Bottom line getting to attend E3 is a big honor and tons of fun.  The fact that you have folks behind the scenes working to make it more fun and get to meet some fellow Portal Masters, company brass, and those who work directly on the game just make it icing on the cake!

Hey Everyone,

Pretty big news for you...

I have once again been afforded the privilege of getting to attend E3 to check out the latest Skylanders entry, Skylanders Trap Team!!





I am very excited for this game, have tons of questions myself, and can't wait to learn more about all aspects of the game: figures, packaging, price points, gameplay, removed and returning in-game elements, WowPows, and much, much more!

That said, what I want to know from you is simply what you want to know.

You can leave questions here on this post, on the above YouTube video, via Twitter, Facebook, Google +, e-mail, whatever medium works best for you.  I realize that without your support, I likely wouldn't be able to attend E3 and get the honor of relaying the news and information back to the Skylanders community...So thank you!

I can't guarantee all questions can be asked, or more importantly answered, but I will do my sincere best to make it happen.  I went info heavy last year covering Swap Force...I can do the same this year, or if you would prefer, I can work more on recording some gameplay etc.  I hope to have a nice balance of both, but I will definitely take advantage of any opportunity I have to really cash in on any element of the game, be it recording gameplay or picking the brain of the developers.

If you will be attending E3 as well let me know!  I'll spend most of my time covering the Skylanders side of things, but it is always great to meet other Portal Masters from here and abroad!

Similarly, if there is something else you would like to see just let me know.  I can't quite explain how easy it is to get lost/misdirected at the convention center, and several times last year I just came upon something pretty awesome without intending to do so, lol.  That said, the main focus will no doubt be Trap Team and I can not wait to learn more about the game!

Thanks again for your support and thanks to the folks at Activision for trusting me to attend E3 and deliver solid, fun information back to you, the Skylanders fanbase!

I will keep an archive of the questions here and will literally have it with me on my iPad to pose to anyone willing to answer, or share what information is available.

Magna Charge has always been a very intriguing character for me...I have mentioned several times how he reminds me of a robotic paintbrush from The Learning Company's Super Solver's Midnight Rescue game...It is an old, Windows 95 educational game that some of you may be familiar with...I remember it, Morty Maxwell the Master of Mischief, and Shady Glenn Elementary School quite vividly...Magna Charge could easily take on the roll of one of Morty's 5 Robotic Paintbrushes...

So, nostalgia aside I just truly like Magna Charge's aesthetics.  I'm also a fan of his unique abilities.

His Base Upgrades are a lot of fun.  You can summon items (or pick up enemies) and slam them into other enemies to do impressive damage.  His Magnet Cannon does overheat fast, but that makes it do more damage and it fires off the small numbers very quick!  Down low you can drag enemies and throw them forwards, or backward to gain a dash forward that also damages enemies.  He is very well rounded and very fast!

Up top, you really can't go wrong.  Magnetic Armaments upgrades the Magnet Cannon and offers up a hard hitting Fireball after you've maxed out and overheated the cannon.  This shoots on command after the 3 second run time of the Magnet Cannon.  This path is probably best for rookie players, or those looking for a simple, yet effective path.  The Soul Gem further enhances all of Magnetic Armaments.

Magnet Tuner is my choice for the top end.  I mentioned you can't pick a bad path up top, and I stand by that statement.  However, to me, Magnet Tuner takes advantage of what is most unique about Magna Charge and capitalizes on it in a bigger fashion.  Magnet Tuner turns out some impressive damage!  I don't want to lean you this direction as Magnetic Armaments has to be taken seriously, despite the lesser numbers, due to the speed at which they fire off...That said, Magnet Tuner is something we've never seen before and I personally have a blast with it.

Down low, I'm a bit disappointed in both paths.  Given how fast he is (he is a Speed Swapper), I would have liked to see an electromagnetic field left behind while dashing that would damage enemies...Even the old Flameslinger idea of "making a circle" that might have ignited a huge electric column would have been welcome in my book.  What we got instead is some overlap on the base upgrades.  Static Buildup doesn't do much with Shock Stop, but Crash Test really amps up the damage output of Shock Stop AND Eject, which turns out to be massive numbers on the forward dash, which the game and strategy guide completely fail to even mention does damage at all...I think Static Buildup is probably best for Story Mode.

Drag Racer is the perfect path for Nitro Magna Charge (assuming you equate "Nitro" with racing).  This one disappointed me more than Static Buildup initially just because of the repetitiveness...Rapid Repel offers no increase in damage and Opposites Repel was marginal...Static Buildup bumping the damage on Eject is really the dividing line in my opinion.

Drag Racer could have bumped the speed slightly to offset the Static Buildup's gain on Eject...That would have been really cool.  Or, another idea I had was a "Burnout."  Down Drag Racer Nitro Magna Charge (or regular) could hold "A" (or the secondary attack button on your console) and do a burnout that fills the screen, or area behind/around him with smoke that damages enemies and he would then dash off and deal damage, or have a proportionate increase in speed to the duration the button was held.

That is just my take anyway...

That said, I think Drag Racer will actually turn out to be great for Arena Challenges.  It may not offer up much in terms of increased damage, but the ability to pickup 2 enemies, throw them out, and keep going will make quick work of large groups of weaker enemies.

Up top, you can't go wrong with either path...You either want the simple and effective Magnetic Armaments, or the unique Magnet Tuner Path.  Down below, you can go with the harder hitting Static Buildup, or quicker hitting Drag Racer Path.  I'd suggest Static Buildup if you just have one Magna Charge and enjoy story mode.  If you are done with story mode and just have Bonus Missions and Arena Challenges, consider Drag Racer.