droolicious : Hasbro

7 Days of Wii Games for Kids: Hasbro Family Game Night

SunnyChanel — Mon, 11 May 2009 20:30:00 GMT

I love, and I mean LOVE a family game night. And what kind of games do I like best? The classics. Hasbro’s Family Game Night for the Nintendo Wii by Electronic Arts includes old school standards like Connect 4, Boggle, Yahtzee, Sorry, Sorry Sliders and Battleship all with a familiar host…Mr. Potato Head. And these aren’t just the standard versions you know and love, along with the standard way of playing via your Wii, there are also newfangled versions of the games like a ‘Panic Flip’ in Boggle, Connect 4 featuring ‘Power Chips’, and Battleship armed with ‘Super Weapons’. When you have a crew of kids over, you can play via the Party Mode that lets you play fast paced mini games letting everyone have a turn without waiting too long. You can pick up the fun here for $39.95.

Jive Pod: Like Simon on Steroids

Aaron Burgess — Fri, 01 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

I'm dating myself here, but I have many fond memories of Simon, the primitive electronic game that had you wildly following lighted musical pads in an effort to keep up with their bleeps and bloops. Hasbro's Jive Pod is sort of like that -- only the bleeps and bloops have been replaced by beats, breaks, booms, bangs and whatever other sounds you can pile into the thing.

Part MP3 accessory, part electronic game, Jive Pod gives you two playing options: You can follow the preset lighted pads, trying to keep up with the game's preloaded music; or if you really want to get daring, you can connect Jive Pod to your own MP3 player. Not only does the game act as a speaker for your tunes, but depending on how advanced your musical tastes, it can make for some pretty intense action on those lighted pads.

$7.50 (regularly $24.99) from Amazon.

Music on the Half Shell

JeanneSager — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:29:00 GMT

Who knew you could listen to rap music and think "awwww, that's so cute?"

OK, I probably shouldn't have my iPod tuned to Biggie when it's plugged into my daughter's iTurtle, but come on. Who doesn't want to see a turtle dance?

The newest critter in the Hasbro line of animal iPod music players for kids has already earned my vote for best of the bunch. The little turtle (and I do mean little, this thing fits in my palm) bumps around to the beat and let's you know what he's "thinking" with musical riffs. If he's hungry for more tunes, he lets you know. When he likes their pick, he bobs his little head, taps his tiny feet and his shell goes bumpity bump.

Add the light show on his shell, and you can paint this turtle happy (unless you touch his tail).

The player itself gives off a pretty decent sound, and it's only $21.99 at Amazon.

Toy Fair 2009: Uno Moo

elizabeth leach — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 21:00:00 GMT

At first, I thought this was a cool Japanese toy, but it's a new Uno game for preschoolers by Hasbro. Uno Moo plays the same as the regular Uno game, but instead of cards you play with cows!

I love this game. I think my toddler would, too, even though she's much too young to play. Taking the little cows in and out of the cute case would make her happy! Expected out later this year for $19.99. Moo!

All photos copyright Lauren De Luca and Babble.com. Please contact laurend@babble.com for permissions.

Indoor Fun: Gator Golf

Aaron Burgess — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:21:00 GMT

Outside of the orange (?) alligator, Playskool's new edition of Gator Golf should be familiar to those of us who remember the original version's commercial from our pre-kid days. "What could be greater than playing a game of golf with a gator?" went the old jingle, and this game should have new-school kiddoes singing a similar tune.

The old-school Gator Golf ad -- ah, memories...

This version of the game plays exactly the same way as its green-colored cousin: Putt your ball into the motorized alligator's mouth, and the gator flicks the ball back to you with its tail. Tack it onto the Safari Adventure Mini-Golf Set that Lisa covered earlier this week, and you've got a perfect 18th (well, fifth, but who's counting?) hole.

$14.24 (regularly $20) from Amazon.

The Next Big Thing for Tweens: The Lorifina Collection

elizabeth leach — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Discovering our identity is a big part of growing up and for girls, especially, identity is all about fashion. The Lorifina Collection is a new brand of sophisticated dolls from Hasbro that gives girls a chance to explore their identity by learning about fashion. Girls can design a doll on the Lorifina website by choosing her skin tone, eye color, hair color, and fashions and accessories from New York, London, and Tokyo.

If that wasn’t enough fun, they can play with their doll on line by exploring new fashions and learning fashion terms from the pros at Parsons, The New School For Design. Styles can be saved in a “look book” and a “wish list” can be created for future purchases. There is even a section where they can learn how to care for their doll.

Lorifina Dolls ship in a very cool box, with each fashion item individually wrapped. The shoes come in a shoe-box complete with tissue paper. Just like the real thing! The clothes are designed ultra realistically, down to the buckles and snaps. No Velcro anywhere! Everything has been carefully considered to give girls a real life shopping experience.

Lorifina dolls are 20” tall and retail for $98, plus shipping. Doll arrives dressed in her signature cami and short set with one outfit and pair of shoes. Visit Lorifina and design your own doll and maybe even learn a little something about who you want to be.

Star Baby: How Does Gwyneth Paltrow’s Moses Play?

SunnyChanel — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 16:32:00 GMT

When I think of a Moses playing, I think of him shuffling the ten-commandments or playing hide and seek in the sand dunes of Egypt. But a modern day Moses, and son of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin plays his own way with his Mr. Potato Head. Here Son and Mum are walking along with Moses toting his classic Playskool Mr. Potato Head ($6.99). Totally classic and a toy that continues to stand the test of time, hey even the original Moses probably would have loved it.

(photo via Jezebel)

7 Days of Educational Toys: Original Memory Game

Heather Kuldell — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 22:57:00 GMT

OK, call it my own nostaglia, but I still dig Hasbro’s Original Memory Game even though you can get Dora, Spider-Man, Sponge Bob, Disney ... and who knows how many other versions.

Need a refresher? Memory is a card game that can be played solo or with multiple players. Find matching pairs of picture cards and at the end of the game, the player with the most matching pairs wins. The game practices those same brain muscles as when you ask, “Where is your other shoe?” No promises, but I like to think that extended play will help kids figure out the answer.

Available at Hasbro.com for $6.99. For ages 3-6.

Monopoly Razes Atlantic City, Dumps Dollar, Goes Global

Aaron Burgess — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 18:04:00 GMT

If you caught CBS' The Early Show yesterday, you probably already got a first glimpse at Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition, the completely overhauled version of the world's most-played board game (half a billion players and counting, according to the game's parent company, Hasbro). This time out, Mr. Monopoly's empire has expanded far beyond Atlantic City's borders, thanks to a six-week worldwide voting campaign that found some 5 million people chiming in on how they'd like the new version to look.

As you might expect, the results are pretty wide in scope: From a whole new global currency (the "M"-represented Monopoly Dollar), to a complete overhaul of the playing spaces (they're now cities, with the 4-million "M" Montreal claiming the blue high-rent spot most of us remember as Boardwalk), all the way to to more worldly-looking houses, hotels and playing pieces:

For all it adds, Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition also scales back on some familiar items: For instance, paper money has been replaced by bank cards and an electronic banking unit, and the familiar old utilities have given way to green-themed renewable sources such as wind and solar energy. Plus, thanks to EA's upcoming video-game versions, including the Aug. 27 debut of the game on mobile phones (via download) and at Pogo.com, you can do away with the board altogether.

Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition is also slated to hit Wii, Xbox 360, PS2 and PS3 in October, but if you're online for the game's Aug. 27 Pogo.com and mobile rollout (at 14:00 GMT, specifically), you can join players across the globe in an attempt to set a world record for the most people ever playing a game of Monopoly at the same time.

Oh, and fear not, classicists: You'll still be able to buy the old-school, Atlantic City-centric edition with your worthless U.S. dollar. As for the rest of the world, see you in Montreal...

7 Days of Video Games: Operation Mania

Aaron Burgess — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:04:00 GMT

Despite all the thematic variations on Hasbro's classic board game Operation, the thing plays pretty much the same no matter whether you're pulling out Cavity Sam's breadbasket or going to work on SpongeBob, Spider-Man or Homer. But with Electronic Arts' upcoming Operation Mania video game, you also get a full-blown storyline and a slew of new challenges to match.

Playing as the aspiring surgeon Dr. Humerus (yuk yuk), you work your way through the hospital ranks, admitting, diagnosing and treating patients whose ailments make Cavity Sam (who, incidentally, is also a character here) look like a hypochondriac. The game boasts 35 levels across five different hospitals spread across the globe (see below), and you have the option of playing either in Story Mode, where you progress through the hospital pecking order, or Marathon Mode, where you try to keep patients going for as long as possible.

Of course, if you thought having Operation in video-game form meant freedom from the nerve-wracking buzzers and fine-motor-skill challenges of the board game, think again: Thanks to a number of challenging micro games, you're also put on the spot to show your surgical finesse. Luckily for stressed-out surgeons, there's also a Multiplayer mode: When your waiting room gets overcrowded, just start referring patients to friends and family online.

Operation Mania will be available this month via Pogo, with a retail version of the game hitting stores in September for $19.95.

Guide to Tonight's Star Wars Midnight-Madness Sales

Aaron Burgess — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:27:00 GMT

You won't need to travel to a galaxy far, far away (groan), but you may need to sacrifice some precious sleep tonight if you want to be among the first in line to snag Hasbro's spankin'-new toys from the upcoming animated flick and eventual Cartoon Network series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Heck, keep the kids awake and make a party of it -- you can sleep in while they play tomorrow.

If money's no object and collector fever has you in its death grip, you're in luck, because depending on which major retailer you hit tonight, there are multiple exclusive items to be claimed in addition to the action figures, vehicles, battle packs and other doo-dads, such as exclusive first-day-of-issue foil packages. (Oh, the nerdiness...)

Here we've got a complete roundup -- courtesy of the droolworthy Star Wars: The Clone Wars Official Hasbro Handbook (cover pictured above), available for download at starwars.hasbro.com:

Toys"R"Us: Select stores nationwide will open at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, July 26, with exclusive Star Wars: The Clone Wars products (including the STAP Attack Battle Pack and T.I.E. Fighter with T.I.E. Pilot Figure), giveaways, and special midnight-madness items. In Toys"R"Us' case, said item is an exclusive General Grievous figure that comes free with any action-figure or role-play purchase of $30 and above (one per customer while supplies last).

Wal-Mart: Head to your nearest 24-hour Super Center starting 12:01 a.m. on July 26 for exclusive items such as the Clone Trooper 501st Legion Join-Up Figure, the Lando Calrissian & Stormtrooper Comic 2-Pack, and the blue version of the Clone Trooper Voice Changer Helmet.

Target: Get your sleep and hit up Target stores the morning of July 26 for more exclusives, in this case the Yoda & Coruscant Guard Battle Pack, the Commander Fox Figure, and the red version of the Clone Trooper Voice Changer Helmet.

Hasbro notes that not all of these exclusives may be available on July 26, so if you get to the endcap and can't find that TIE Fighter you had your heart set on, keep checking back. The movie opens Aug. 15, and we're guessing these are just the beginning of the toy tie-ins.

Hasbro to Sell Cloverfield Monster; Kids Not to Understand Why

Aaron Burgess — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 18:03:00 GMT

C'mon, all that hype and secrecy and you thought we were going to show you an image of the thing? Even Hasbro, which this week confirmed it's going to sell a 14-inch plastic replica of the Cloverfield monster -- complete with removable parasites! -- hasn't yet added an image to its website. (Though if you still haven't seen the flick, there's no shortage of clues online.)

Tentatively available as of Sept. 30, and inexplicably (though smartly) recommended for ages 4 and up, the great beast is preorder-priced at $99.99. Line forms to the left of Cthulhu at Hasbro Toy Shop.

Tooth Tunes Put Voices in Your Head Without Need for Messy "Insanity"

Aaron Burgess — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 15:02:00 GMT

If you've ever thought to yourself, "Wow, how awesome would it be to have the main title theme from Star Wars pumping directly into my skull while I'm brushing my teeth!" and you aren't already hearing voices, Tooth Tunes are the singing electric toothbrushes that'll get your party started. Vibrating bristles send the music right into your head. Brush harder, and the music gets louder -- but only to you.

Hey, and speaking of getting things started (ugh), the line also features Black Eyed Peas ("Let's Get it Started"), as well as Queen ("We Will Rock You"), Destiny's Child ("Survivor"), two songs from totally not-pregnant-anymore Miley Cyrus, and many others. Brushes are $9.99 each, and if you order from Hasbro ToyShop before Dec. 13, they'll even throw in a freebie.

All joking aside, it's a pretty ingenious way to get kids into brushing, even if the technology is a little creepy.

"Must... get... this... party... started..."

Squawkers McCaw Takes DigitalLife Best in Show; Holiday Domination Ensured

Aaron Burgess — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 20:32:00 GMT

Only slightly less unnerving than Perfect Petzzz, Hasbro's FurReal line looks pretty much set to trounce the fuzzy, lifelike competition this holiday season, what with animatronic parrot Squawkers McCaw's snagging a "Best Gift for Kids" award at the recent DigitalLife Expo (see some of April's very entertaining coverage here, here and here).

In Squawkers' defense, he's got some nifty features: Besides the expected voice-mimicking, he can be taught to respond to specific commands, and he even coos and gives kisses when touched. (Set him to squawk at random when the kids go to bed, and it's like your own personal Theatre of the Absurd.) Plus, he won't start mutilating himself out of boredom or turn on you like a real captive parrot would, so points there.

Squawkers McCaw retails for $69.99 and is available at Amazon.com or anywhere random outbursts can be heard wafting from store aisles.

DigitalLife Expo: The Littlest Pet Shop

aprilpeveteaux — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 18:24:00 GMT

Watch out Webkinz, Hasbro’s new release gives your 6 years-and-up a new fuzzy something to take care of, virtually and in real life. The Littlest Pet Shop is a web-based world where your virtual pet lives and plays, but first you’ve got to pick up the plush at the toy store where there are a multitude of large headed, small-bodied animals to choose from (available online and NYC in mid-October, nationally in 2008). The digital fun comes when you visit the website and enter in the code that comes on the collar of every Littlest Pet Shop VIP pet.

What’s all this website fantasy world about, you might ask? You set your virtual pet up in some nice digs, and then earn points that translate to money in the virtual world, and buy him even nicer things, including food. Basically all of the things you would buy for a real pet if you’re the type who makes your pooch wear a ‘Desperate Housedogs’ sweater while sporting a new pedicure.

Ironically, the main way your kid earns points in The Littlest Pet Shop is by participating in activities they probably should be doing instead of sitting on their arse feeding and clothing a fake pet. The points come when your animal goes out to the playground for a little teeter-tottering or to participate in a rad skateboarding contest. The Littlest Pet Shop is like Webkinz in all of the basic set-ups so far, but unlike the 'kinz, The Pet Shop strives to be ‘pressure-free’. So while the pets will smile and make happy noises when they get groomed or they eat, they won’t start turning green or moving sluggishly around the world wide web if little Susie gets caught up with her real life and forgets to feed Fluffy.

So if Webkinz has proved to be too intense for your sensitive kid, get in line starting in January when according to the lovely Hasbro rep, ‘new pets will be unleashed’. He he, unleashed. Retail price, $14.99. - April Peveteaux