New Reviews: Help Wanted, 50 Wacky Jobs

by Jeff McKinney (Follow me on Twitter)

My generation is the first to grow up with video games in our homes and we are now having kids of our own who are playing video games at much younger ages - you should see my four-year old nephew with the Wii. So I'm always interested in games that adults can play with kids and both age groups will actually have fun playing together. Help Wanted: 50 Wacky Jobs is the perfect example of such a game.

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The Toy Guy on Live

Did you catch Chris Byrne on Live With Regis & Kelly yesterday? Here is the list of toys Chris had with him for what turned out to be an all-out water battle on the streets of NYC.

The Toys:

Tyco R/C Star Trek Quick Charge Flier
U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701
By Tyco
Ages 8 and up
$19.99

Twin Prop Flyer
By Prime Time
Ages 4 and up
$19.99

NERF N-Force Swords
By Hasbro
Ages 6 and up
$12.99

CB 2 Stinger Boss Bow
By Prime Time
Ages 8 and up
$29.99

Gazillion Bubbles Bubble Rocket
By Funrise
Ages 6 and up
$24.99

Wave Hoop & Cosmic Hoop
Maui Toys
Ages 3 and Up
$6.99 & 7.99

Ringers
By Recreation Sports
Ages 8 and Up
Approx. Retail Price $89.99

Jarts
By Recreation Sports
Ages 8 and Up
Approx. Retail Price $19.99

Banzai Titan Blast Rocket
By Toy Quest
Ages 8 and up
$59.99

Super Soaker 50
By Hasbro
Ages 6 and Up.
$14.99

Super Soaker Quick Blast
By Hasbro
Ages 5 and Up.
$14.99

Turbo Fill Blaster
by Fisher-Price
Ages 3 and Up
$34.99

SwimWays Spring Pool
By SwimWays
Ages 3 and up.
$49.99

Submergency
By SwimWays
Ages 6 years and up
Approx. Retail Price: $17.99-$19.99

Fishbites Soft Swimmies
By SwimWays
Ages 3 – 5
$7.99 – 9.99

Max Liquidator
By Prime Time
Ages 6 and Up
$9.99

Splash Bombs
By Prime Time
Ages 4 and up
$2.99 – 3.99

Trampoline Bats
By Prime Time
Ages 4 and up
$16.99

Zipper Splasher
By Prime Time
Ages 4 and Up
$7.99

Memorial Day

The Toy Guy on TV

While the rest of us are looking forward to scooting out of work early for the long holiday weekend, The Toy Guy, aka Chris Byrne, is going coast to coast with some of the latest and greatest toys.

You can see Chris today in the LA area on KTLA with Gayle Anderson and the rest of the country can catch Chris on Live With Regis & Kelly on Monday, Memorial Day.

From everyone here at Toy Guy headquarters, have a great and safe weekend and please remember the brave U.S. men and women who have died in military service.

R2-D2's Cameo In Star Trek

Apparently, R2-D2 makes a "Where's Waldo" style cameo in the new Star Trek movie and you can win a prize for correctly identifying the scene in which he appears.

If you've seen the movie and think you spotted everyone's favorite little astromech droid then you should enter the "STAR TREK Easter Egg Sweepstakes" on Facebook for your chance to win a prop from the film.

The Toy Guy on Live's Blog

Looking for more great blog posts about toys, games and play? Chris Byrne occasionally guest blogs for Live With Regis & Kelly. You can read Chris' latest entry and scroll through past posts by visiting his page on the Live blog here!

First Transformers Movie Toys Arriving at Target

Good news for Transformers fans. According to Seibertron.com, the first figures for the new Transformers movie, Revenge Of The Fallen, should be arriving in Target stores this Friday! The figures are of Soundwave (awesome!) and Bumblebee.

The Toy Guy's Report from the Easy Bake Baker of the Year Competition

Last week, The Toy Guy, Chris Byrne took a trip to Walt Disney World in Florida to be a judge for the Easy Bake Baker of the Year Contest! Seven finalists competed for the top prize, baking up delicious treats like Strawberry PB&J, Pineapple Upside-down, and Queen of Hearts Strawberry Tart!



Check out more videos on our video page on TimeToPlayMag.com.

This Week's New Video Games

Just one more week until Punch-Out!! arrives for the Wii. Until then, here is a look at our picks for the top new games in stores this week. 

Help Wanted: 50 Wacky Jobs (Wii, rated Everyone 10+)
Help Wanted is a fun, comedic game created for families to play together. You will choose from over fifty odd jobs, including: Body Builder, Action Hero, Make-up Artist, Haunted House Monster, Clown, Pizza Chef, Sumo Referee and Sushi Master as you compete against your friends and family. 

Girl Time (DS, rated Everyone)
Girl Time is everything a girl needs right at her fingertips. From fashion tips, dating advice and horoscopes to a social calendar, friendship book, quizzes, mini games and more. This game is jam-packed with the essentials that every girl needs for her busy, busy life. 

Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball (Wii, Xbox 360, rated Everyone 10+)
We can finally answer the age old question, who would win a game of dodgeball when pirates face off against ninjas. The game allows for up to eight players and offers a total of seven teams, including pirates, ninjas, robots, zombies and three other secret groups. 

Review of the Nintendo DSi

Our gaming guru, Jeff McKinney, reviewed the new Nintendo DSi for Time To Play. Here is an exert from that review;

"20 years ago this month, Nintendo introduced the world to Game Boy, the company's first handheld gaming system. That first chunky, black and white, Game Boy would go on to receive a lot of upgrades over the years - color screen, improved graphics, longer battery life, smaller and lighter size, and better sound - as new models were introduced until it was replaced by the DS in 2004. This month, the latest version of the DS, the DSi, arrived in stores and while it's appearance hasn't changed much on the outside from the more recent DS Lite, the upgrades under the hood make this one of the coolest gadgets I've ever played with. "

You can read Jeff's review now by clicking here.

Breaking News: Easy Bake Baker of the Year Named in Orlando

Catherine Ralston from New Albany, OH was named the 2009 Easy Bake Baker of the Year at the National finals in Orlando today.

Ralston's winning recipe was the Queen of Hearts Strawberry Tart. Seven finalists from around the U.S. participated in the bake off at Disney's Grand Floridian resort.

Stay tuned for a video report from the competition.

Hannah Montana: The Movie, Video Game Review

Hannah Montana: The Movie | Product Review | Lego Games & Toy Reviews | Hot Wheels Set | Fisher Price Games | Barbie Games | Learning Kids Toys | Toy Reviews | Game Reviews | Toy Safety | Time to Play Magazine

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iPhone Apps That Kids Will Love

Dvice, the SciFi Channel's tech and gadget blog, has a great post today about 10 iPhone apps that kids will love.

Here is an exerpt;

"9. I Hear Ewe: Animal Sounds for Toddlers
Kind of like a See 'n Say for the iPhone, this app features 12 animal sounds that are activated when their corresponding picture is touched. The interface is animated and the illustrations are cute. It's also a good chance to see what animals your kid knows and share interaction by telling them what animal to press."

You can read the entire list now by clicking here.

This Week's New Video Games

posted by Jeff McKinney (follow me on Twitter)

It's a quiet week for new game releases but there are still a few worth checking out. Following are our favorite pics of the new games arriving in stores this week.

New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (Wii, rated Everyone)
Part of Nintendo's New Play Control! series that takes classic Nintendo games and remakes them for the motion-sensing control system of the Wii Donkey Kong Jungle Beat puts you in Donkey Kong's, uh, fur as you swing through the jungle on a banana-grabbing adventure.

History's Great Empires: Rome (DS, rated Everyone 10+)
Rome is part of a series of Pocket History games designed with The History Channel to bring history to a wider audience. this is an action-packed, strategy game filled with elements of resource management, diplomacy, strategy and tactical warfare.

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (DS, Wii, Xbox360, rated Everyone 10+)
This adventure game based on the movie features 14 levels that take place is such locations as The Smithsonian, the Air and Space Museum, the Lincoln Memorial and many more.