Oh What a Night!

Well, if you watched the Kids' Choice Awards on Nick, and we're betting you did, you probably saw what an exciting, Slime-filled evening it was. Of course, the slime-light of the evening was Jack Black and Orlando Bloom getting doused with 27 tons of Slime, that just kept pouring even after the end of the show! Harrison Ford got doused as well, and as someone who's been on the receiving end of the slime, all I can say is, welcome to the club!

And as much fun as it was to watch at home, you can only imagine how exciting it was to be there. We got to work the Orange Carpet before the show, which was pretty cool. Who knew that Hayden Panettiere was a big fan of construction toys and Tonka when she was a little girl, for instance?

Here's where you can check out more from the Orange Carpet.

Or that The Jonas Brothers are such nice guys? Guess it shouldn't come as so great a surprise. Nobody got a louder ovation when they came into the hall, or got up on stage, or walked around, or signed as many autographs.

The Pauley Arena at UCLA was full of kids and families, all of whom were there for what turned out to be a big party. Miley Cyrus was there, of course, nabbing for Favorite Female Singer. She also sang a new song, and the crowd went wild.

The other singing group was The Naked Brothers Band who performed their new hit, "Don't Wanna Go To School" amidst all kinds of extreme athletes and dancers. Quite a production.

Of course, you probably don't need to be told all of this. If you missed the show, you can read all about it on the official KCA Web site.

We were kind of impressed with all the things that went on in between the acts, when folks at home were watching commercials. The minute they went into a break, swarms of stagehands came out to clean up the Slime, put up the next sets and keep the show running. Probably the biggest job of all is coordinating all of that.

Plus, we were also invited to the super party right after the show. In a huge tent just outside the arena, we and about a thousand or so of our closest friends and fellow Nick fans got to have a buffet and share in all kinds of great activities, including checking out great exhibits by Hasbro, learn all the moves from the hot new show starring the Nick Six, stars of the new show Dance on Sunset, and watch as kids (It was kids only.) got their hair styled in a unique Nick do.

The combination of sugar and adrenaline was a perfect storm of excitement, and as we left, we saw a lot of exhausted--but exhilarated--kids being carried back to the car. Talk about fun nights. Only 364 days till the next one--more or less.

We Are Heading to the Kids' Choice Awards!

That's right! Our very own Chris Byrne, aka The Toy Guy, is on his way to the Kids' Choice Awards 2008. Chris will be blogging all about the show shortly after it wraps up so check back here for his report.

Nickelodeon's 21st annual event gives the network's viewers a chance to award their favorite film, music, TV and sports stars. The award show, hosted by Jack Black, happens tomorrow (Saturday, March 29th, 2008) and will be broadcast live 8:00-9:30PM (Eastern Time), 5:00-7:00PM (Pacific Time).

"Shrek the Third" leads all Kids Choice Awards nominees with four, including Favorite Animated Movie and three in the Favorite Animated Movie Voice category (Mike Meyers, Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy).

Favorite movie nominees include "Alvin and the Chipmunks," "Are We Done Yet?," "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" and "Transformers," while TV show nominees include "Drake & Josh," "Hannah Montana," "iCarly" and "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody."

Counting Down To Summer Blockbuster Season - Iron Man

The start of the Summer big budget blockbuster season is quickly approaching. Recently we posted the trailer for Speed Racer, today we bring you the trailer for Iron Man, starring Robert Downey, Jr., Jeff Bridges, Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow and directed by Jon Favreau.

Enjoy!

..

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Downeast Concepts Inc. Recalls Water Bottles

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Downeast Concepts Inc., announced a voluntary recall of Backyard and Beyond Metal Water Bottles. Surface paint on the metal water bottles contains excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.

Backyard and Beyond brand water bottles with model numbers 67402, 67404, 67442, 67444, 67742, 60442, 67744, 67746, 67748 and 60448 printed on the hang tag. The metal water bottles have a black plastic sip-top and were sold in green, pink or blue with assorted animal or insect graphics on the exterior.

The bottles were sold at major retailers, gift shops, convenience stores, mass merchandise and drug stores nationwide from February 2006 through February 2008 for about $8.

Consumers should immediately take the recalled water bottles away from children and return it to the store where purchased for a refund.

For additional information, contact Downeast Concepts at (800) 343-2424 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.backyard-beyond.com or e-mail the firm at productsafety@downeastconcepts.com

Guitar Hero On Tour

Aspiring rock legends will soon be able to rock-out outside or anywhere they want to when Guitar Hero: On Tour is released for the Nintendo DS. Due in stores June 22, 2008, the game will come with the very cool, Guitar Hero Guitar Grip and pick-stylus. In addition to the game play that has made the console edition so popular, the DS edition will also feature a Wi-Fi co-op mode and a Guitar Duel option.

Nintendo Wii Fit to Retail for $90 at GameStop.

Nintendo's upcoming Wii Fit, due in stores on May 19 in North America, will cost $89.99 with the minimum deposit for pre-orders at $10 rather than the usual $5. Wii Fit, the highly anticipated balance board and game will include activities and games that require you to get up and get active. Wii Fit is already a huge hit in Japan and chances are good will be just as successful as it becomes available around the world.

Print A Toy?

There is an interesting interview with toy inventor, Andrew Comfort, who created Q-BA-MAZE, on the Wired blog - GeekDad. In the introduction to the interview itself, John Baichtal brings up the point that 3D printers are becoming more available and as such, making it possible for independent inventors to bring their ideas to life.

Here is an exert:

"As 3D printers become desktop tech rather than factory tech, we're starting to see exciting new products come into play -- products which may have been overlooked in the old pipeline, where design and prototyping costs kept the little guy out, and marketing costs were prohibitive. But Minneapolis' Andrew Comfort can tell you, it's a new world now."

This got us to wondering about the possibility of 3D printers for the average consumer. Imagine if, rather than purchasing a toy in its package from a store, you could just download and print it.

New Video Games Due This Week

One of our favorite kid's game franchises, Humongous’ Backyard Baseball, releases it's 2009 edition this week with Backyard Baseball '09 (DS, E). The game features animated kid versions of top MLB pros, including cover athlete David “Big Papi” Ortiz, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and Babe Ruth (who appears in black and white). Backyard Baseball '09 features controllable elements of pitching, batting, fielding, and running, and the ability to adjust difficulty levels between two teams, which makes it a great game for kids to play with adults.

Other games due in stores this week:

Nintendo DS
M&M's Kart Racing
Backyard Baseball '09
Harvest Moon DS Cute
Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword
Powershot Pinball Constructor

Nintendo Wii
Obscure: The Aftermath
Octomania
Opoona
King of Clubs

PC
Tales of Pirates
Australia Zoo Quest
Obscure: The Aftermath
Sword of the Stars Collector's Edition
Warriors Orochi
Belief & Betrayal
Last Of The Patriots 2
Panzer Command: Kharkov

PS2
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3
Obscure: The Aftermath
Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure

PS3
Dark Sector
Viking: Battle for Asgard

PSP
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Warriors Orochi

Xbox360
Dreamfall: Game of the Year Edition
Dark Sector
Universe at War: Earth Assault
Viking: Battle for Asgard

Happy Easter

We are taking the day off but wanted to wish everyone who celebrates it, a happy Easter. If your plans over the weekend involve traveling on the roads, please drive safe.

Spike TV To Air Entire Star Wars Saga

Starting next month (April 4, 2008), Spike TV will begin airing the entire Star Wars saga. The network has launched a huge outdoor ad campaign around New York City to promote their airing of the saga with billboards like the following.



Additional ads put a humorous spin on some of the far away galaxies most popular characters.



All images from StarWars.com. For more information on the saga on Spike, check out Spike's official page here.

SCI FI Channel Announces New Battlestar Galactica TV Movie - Caprica

Production is set to begin on Caprica, a two-hour prequel to the current Battlestar Galactica series.

The new story will take place 50 years before the Cylon attack that kicked off the current series, which is about to begin it's fourth and final season.

From SciFi Wire:

"Caprica follows two rival families--the Greystones and the Adamas --as they grow, compete and thrive in the vibrant world of the 12 Colonies. Enmeshed in the burgeoning technology of artificial intelligence and robotics that will eventually lead to the creation of the Cylons, the two houses go toe-to-toe."

In the meantime, the fourth season of Battlestar Galactica takes off on March 28 at 10 p.m. ET/PT with two half-hour specials followed by the premier of the first new episode the following week, April 4, at 10 p.m.

I can't say enough how incredible this show is - even non-sci-fi folk love it. So if you haven't seen it yet, there is still time to rent or download the first three seasons and get with it.

Great Discount at HasbroToyShop.com

According to Seibertron.com, the new Hasbro Shop at Home catalog, which is arriving in mailboxes around the country this week, contains a discount code to use on HasbroToyShop.com.

Enter the code "SPRCAT8" on all orders of $50.00 or more to get a 10% discount and free shipping. This code is only good through April 30th.

Thanks Hasbro!

MEGA Brands Recalls Magtastik and Magnetix Jr. Pre-School Magnetic Toys

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with MEGA Brands America Inc., announced a voluntary recall of Magtastik and Magnetix Jr. Pre-school Magnetic Toys. Magnets in the small flexible parts of the animals, vehicles and building sets can detach. Magnets found by young children can be swallowed or aspirated. If more than one magnet is swallowed, the magnets can attract each other and cause intestinal perforations or blockages, which can be fatal.

The Magtastik and Magnetix Jr. Pre-school Magnetic Toys include small flexible parts embedded with magnets that allow the parts to connect to large, colored metal balls. The toys were sold at Wal-Mart, Target, Toys R Us, K-Mart and other toy stores nationwide from January 2005 through December 2007 for between $10 and $40. The recall includes the following models. The model number is printed on the front of the product’s packaging.



Consumers should stop using the recalled toys immediately and return them to MEGA Brands for a free replacement toy. For additional information, contact MEGA Brands at (800) 779-7122 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.megabrands.com

Happy St. Patrick's Day

New Video Games Due This Week

Tennis appears to be one of the most popular sports to play on the Wii and now Sega fans can play the game with their favorite characters on SEGA Superstars Tennis (multiple platforms). There are the characters you would expect, such as Sonic the hedgehog, but the game also includes some surprises like Ulala from Space Channel 5 - a game that we would love to see get a Wii update. Much less family friendly but just as fun is Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (multiple platforms), the sequel to the award-winning first-person shooter.

Other games due in stores this week:

Nintendo DS
Championship Pony
Fantasy Aquarium
Diary Girl
GoPets: Vacation Island
Lost in Blue 3
SEGA Superstars Tennis


Nintendo Wii
Worms: A Space Oddity
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
SEGA Superstars Tennis
WWII Aces

PC
Merv Griffin's Crosswords
Neverwinter Nights 2 Adventure Pack: Mysteries of Westgate

PS2
Metal Gear Solid: Essential Collection
Samurai Warriors 2: Xtreme Legends
SEGA Superstars Tennis
SingStar '90s

PS3
Condemned 2: Bloodshot
Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds
Karaoke Revolution Presents American Idol Encore
SEGA Superstars Tennis
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2

PSP
Hannspree Ten Kate Honda SBK Superbike World Championship

Xbox 360
SEGA Superstars Tennis
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2

Electronic Yodelling Pickle

Yes, you read that right. Meet the Electronic Yodelling Pickle.


There really is no need to go into any sort of product description here because the name completely sums it up. The only thing the name doesn't tell you is that the Electronic Yodelling Pickle is 6.5" tall and made of plastic.

We know, you HAVE to have one don't you? Well it can be yours for $12.95 over at Merch-Bot.com

Majesco Delivers Six New Nintendo Games

Thank you to Majesco and Bender/Helper for giving me a look at some of Majesco's games coming out over the next few months. All of the games look like great titles and we are excited to get some hands-on time with them when they arrive. Three of the titles are Wii exclusives and each will probably find it's own following. For kids, Wild Earth: African Safari (Wii, Spring 2008, RP) puts the gamer in the perspective of a photo journalist and asks them to take photos of the African continent’s exotic wild life.


Gamers of all ages will enjoy playing Blast Works (Wii, May 2008, E) - a 2D side-scroller in which as you destroy enemies from your flying vessel, you’ll catch their parts and use them to make your own ship bigger and stronger. Blast Works also has a component that will appeal to the more hardcore gamer as it contains the ability to design, create, and play your own version of the game and all it's elements.


The third Wii exclusive is a party game that kids, teens, and adults will really enjoy. Wonder World Amusement Park (Wii, June 2008, RP), recreates all the fun of an amusement park, complete with rides and such, then adds in a huge dosing of hysterical mini-games.


In addition to these Wii games, Majesco also has three new titles for the DS. Eco Creatures (DS, March 2008, E), is a real time strategy game where you control battalions of cute woodland creatures to defend your forest and reclaim polluted lands.


Nanostray 2 (DS, February 2008, E), which arrived in stores last month, is an intense 3D shooter that allows players to configure their own weapons and battle through 32 challenges.


Finally, a game that really speaks to us, Toy Shop (DS, April 2008, RP), will put the gamer in the position of running a toy store and building the toys that go on the shelves. In this simulation game, players will create a store by placing shelves, display tables and even the cash register in an empty store. Then they will track their customers to determine what those customers want and finally, they will build the toys in the back room to meet the customers demand and hopefully ring up big sales.



Stay tuned to theToyGuy.com for reviews of these games as they become available.

- J. McKinney

Toy Airplanes, Cars, and Motorcycles Recalled by S.U. Wholesale

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with S.U. Wholesale Inc., announced a voluntary recall of the X Force Commander Toy Airplanes and Super Famous Toy Cars and Motorcycles for containing excessive levels of lead. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

The “X Force Commander” is a set of six plastic jet airplanes. Item number 5689 is printed on the front of the packaging. The airplanes are painted green, red, blue, silver, black and yellow. The “Super Famous” is a set of a plastic toy car and a motorcycle. The car is yellow or red and the motorcycle is gray. These toys were sold at Dollar Stores nationwide from September 2006 through November 2007 for about $1.

Consumers should immediately take these toys away from children and return to them to the store where purchased for a refund. For additional information, contact S.U. Wholesale toll-free at (877) 580-8883 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.

Environmentally Friendly Ideas

Going green is more than just a buzz word or marketing gimmick. It's a practice that we should all try integrating into our lives and homes. A simple way of living a greener life is to try finding new uses for used items. Before you throw something into the garbage think if you can use that item as something else. For example, use the cardboard tubes left over from a roll of paper towels as a container for unused extension cords. They keep the cords neat and untangled plus you can write the length of the cord on the tube.

Here is an interesting product that turns used water bottles into useful flower holders. It's the Façade vase from Orcadesign. This simple yet ingenious item is made out of industrial wool felt and slips right over a plastic water bottle. Judging by the designer's web site, the Façade vase is just a concept item right now but anyone with a sewing machine can easily make this on their own. Also, think about creating a larger version to cover wine bottles.

Helpful Web Sites - Instapaper.com

Have you ever found something on the Internet that you wanted to read but didn't have the time to do so at that moment? Instapaper is a great site for keeping track of all those pages you want to go back to. Instapaper allows you to mark a page for reading later then it keeps that page stored on a neat and orderly web page for you. Best of all, your Instapaper page is a minimalist's dream - clear and uncluttered, which makes keeping track of those unread pages a breeze. Check it out now at instapaper.com

Target Star Wars Exclusives

Two new Star Wars products that will be sold exclusively at Target have been found on shelves despite the fact that they weren't supposed to be available until next month. Aayla Secura's Jedi Starfighter (from Star Wars: Obsession) and the Attack on Kashyyyk battle pack (from The Force Unleashed) have been spotted in stores so you might want to get to Target soon.

Awesome!

We are now less than two months away from the premier of Speed Racer, the movie. If that doesn't get you excited, check out the following trailer that has been burning up the Internet this week.

New Video Games Due This Week

I hope all you PlayStation players didn't toss your PS2 when you bought the PS3 because judging by the following list, game developers are not ready to stop making games for the PS2. The game we are most excited about this week is Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (multiple systems), which is one of the most engrossing and vivid soccer experiences available for gamers. After a wholesome game of soccer, it's time to blast some zombies with House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return (Nintendo Wii). The arcade games House of the Dead 2 & 3 come packaged together on one Wii disc in this game from SEGA.

Nintendo DS
M&M's Kart Racing
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates
George of the Jungle and the Search for the Secret
Insecticide
Nanostray 2
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
Pocket Pets

Nintendo Wii
Puyo Puyo 2 [Virtual Console]
George of the Jungle and the Search for the Secret
House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return

PC
Imperium Romanum
Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory
Lost Empire: Immortals
Seven Kingdoms: Conquest

PS2
Buzz! Junior: Robo Jam
Buzz!: The Hollywood Quiz
El Tigre
George of the Jungle and the Search for the Secret
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters
Sprint Cars 2: Showdown at Eldora
World Heroes Anthology
Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure

PS3
Condemned 2: Bloodshot
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008

PSP
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
Wild ARMs XF

Xbox 360
Mass Effect: Bring Down The Sky
Condemned 2: Bloodshot
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008

- J. McKinney

LEGO Mindstorms NXT Zoo!

When Fay Rhodes, co-author of The LEGO Mindstorms NXT Idea Book (No Starch Press) and contributor to The NXT STEP blog, realized that most NXT enthusiasts were primarily focused on building large battling robots, she decided to explore an entirely new creative genre - animals.

The result is her new book, The LEGO Mindstorms NXT Zoo! (No Starch Press). The book walks readers through the basic process of using the NXT kit, how to program with the NXT-G language (including how to make mini-programs called My Blocks), and shows how to build and program nine robots that act like their real animal counterparts.

The completed animal robots mimic the movement of the real life creatures, two of which, Ribbit the frog and Bunny the rabbit, have become the first hopping NXT robots ever created! In addition to these two creatures, the book will show readers how to build such animals as a camel, spider, peacock, and more.

The LEGO Mindstorms NXT Zoo! is in stores now for a suggested retail price of $24.95.

BKFK's Going Green Challenge for Teens

The By Kids for Kids (BKFK) 'Going Green Challenge' asks teenagers to help solve some of our most pressing environmental issues, including global warming, drought, famine and flooding. The teen or team that comes up with the winning idea will receive a $10,000 grand prize.

The Going Green Challenge, sponsored by The Weather Channel, officially runs until March 31, 2008. All youth under the age of 19 are eligible to participate. Participants may invent new methods to improve air quality, alternative energy, forest reclamation, irrigation, land preservation, recycling systems, water purity and more. It is free to enter. All entries must be received via the BKFK website, www.bkfk.com.

Hasbro's Play Rewards Program

Hasbro is currently offering cash rewards for purchasing Hasbro brand's toys and games. You can earn up to $50 to spend on additional Hasbro toys and games. The program is simple, just buy a toy or game from one of the included Hasbro brands then fill out a short form and mail it in with your receipt. Participating brands include Star Wars, Transformers, Nerf, Littlest Pet Shop, My Little Pony, Monopoly, Twister, Jenga, and more.

To see the full list of included brands and get started earning rewards, click here.

Infantino Recalls Infant Rattles

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Infantino LLC, of San Diego, CA, announced a voluntary recall of the Infantino Lamb Grabby Rattles. The tail-piece on the rattles can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

The recalled Infantino Lamb Grabby Rattles™ are shaped like a lamb with an Infantino elliptical-shaped logo stamped on the front right foot of the lamb. Only rattles with date code 0907 printed on the back of the left ear of the lamb are included in the recall. The production batch code is printed in a dial format with the year in the middle of a circle and an arrow pointing to the number on the circle that indicates the month. Rattles that do not have a date code are not included in the recall. Recalled items were sold at Wal-Mart, Babies "R" Us and specialty stores nationwide from September 2007 through February 2008 for between $3 and $4.

Consumers should immediately take the recalled toys away from young children and contact Infantino for a replacement rattle or a product of equal value. For additional information, contact Infantino toll-free at (888) 808-3111 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. PT or visit the firm�s Web site at service.infantino.com

Dungeons & Dragons Co-Creator Dies at 69

Gary Gygax, the co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, the game that paved the way for today's role-playing games, died Tuesday morning at his home in Lake Geneva, WI. He was 69 years old. According to his wife, Gail Gygax, he had been suffering from health problems for several years.

Gygax created Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson in 1974 and the game has gone on to inspire video games, books, an animated series and movies. Cygax was still hosting his weekly D & D game as recently as January.

Gygax is survived by his wife and six children.

Toys "R" Us Star Wars Sale

Toys "R" Us is currently having a sale on all Star Wars action figures priced $10.99 or less. From now until Saturday, March 8, when you buy two figures, you get a third for free!

Click here to view the ad online.

The Results Are In!

Last month we ran a poll asking you to select the best toy of all time. We asked a famous celebrity to announce the results but they wanted a lot of money and we realized since this is a blog, you wouldn't even see who it was. So we decided to skip the celebrity and just tell you ourselves who won.

Your favorite toy of all time, with 36% of your votes is (drum roll please) Frisbee!!

New Video Games Due This Week

No offense to the rest of the new games coming out this week but the one me and most of the gaming community are most excited about is Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii. This is the Wii premier of one of Nintendo's most popular games that brings together a plethora of popular Nintendo characters in an anything goes melee. The other game that we are really excited about is MLB '08: The Show, which is about as close as most of us will ever get to actually playing in the majors. Look for Super Smash Bros., in stores at the end of the week and MLB '08 on Tuesday.

Here is a look at some of the other releases due in stores this week.

Nintendo DS
Anno 1701: Dawn of Discovery
Best of Tests DS
Chicken Hunter
Eco-Creatures: Save the Forest
Imagine: Figure Skater
Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer
Ninja Reflex
Petz Bunnyz

Nintendo Wii
Ninja Reflex Wii
Super Smash Bros. Brawl

PC
Company Of Heroes Gold
Imperium Romanum
Legends Of Norrath: Inquisitor

PS2
MLB '08: The Show
Silent Hill Origins
World Championship Cards

PS3
Army of Two
MLB '08: The Show
Rocketmen: Axis of Evil

PSP
God of War: Chains of Olympus
MLB '08: The Show
World Championship Cards
flOw

Xbox 360
Army of Two
Rocketmen: Axis of Evil

- J. McKinney