Toys come to life in a digital world

Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure is an action adventure game with a twist. The game, published by Activision and designed by Toys For Bob and XPEC Entertainment, isn't just software, it's also a collectable toy line.

The starter-pack game comes with a USB portal device that plugs into your game system. Just take one of the toys from the toy line (three of which come in the starter pack which costs approximately $70.00 depending on the version), place the toy on the portal and play.

The game is cross-platform (available for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Wii, PC/Mac, and Nintendo 3DS), and the toys can be used on any system. This means you can use your toy on a 3DS, then pick it up and play on your friend's Xbox 360, as long as you have the USB portal. More importantly, all data and accomplishments are saved on your Skylander toy, so regardless of platform, you maintain your current levels, in-game currency and power-ups.

In terms of gameplay, the game has simple action adventure mechanics, with character abilities being limited to the Skylander you have chosen. The level design is fun and engaging for children and adults alike and, for those who are looking for something harder, there are character specific challenge modes which usually live up to their name.

The game can be completed with a single Skylander toy, and up to two people can play together at once. There are gates in each story level that require Skylanders of a specific element to open. These lead to secret items and treasure that is not integral to the plot, but their intentional placement is designed to make you want more Skylanders. There are even in-game items that give you small cut-scene previews of other Skylanders, which is an innovative part of the in-game marketing.

The technology used to allow for seamless cross-platform play exists within each toy itself.  With 32 different Skylander toys to choose from, (four Skylanders for each of the eight in-game elemental types) there is a lot of variety. Though skeptics might say that this is a child's game, it is a refreshing change of pace from first person shooters and other more mature action adventures, and older audiences will find the game engaging as well.

The cons for this game are easily summed up.  The marketing motto is "Bring your toys to life," which is a morally-questionable method of marketing towards children who are inclined to create life within their toys anyway. This game is simply a vivid visual medium to help realize that and, as the game self-promotes itself, the player is exposed to content and is tempted to buy more. It can get pretty expensive if you want every character which costs approximately $7.99 each or approximately $15-$17 in triple packs.

The plot cut-scenes for the game, though entertaining at times, are annoying and unavoidable the first play through. Once you've won a level you can skip through most cut-scenes and get back to the enjoyable gameplay. Lastly, the game only supports two players at a time, and though there are both co-op and battle modes, there is no cross console connectivity, and no in-game online play.

Overall, Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure proves to be a technological innovation in terms of cross-platform abilities, its toy-to-game mechanics, and enjoyable gameplay elements. It comes up short in terms of multiplayer and online play, and is expensive. All that being said, it's still likely to be very popular among younger audiences, and anyone looking for something new or different.