There is a new generation of kid's characters in town and it sounds like a different language.  Wow wow wubbzy!  Did you see Handy Manny in the night garden yelling "yo gabba gabba!"? 

Wubbzy is an interesting one.  A square shaped animal that slightly resembles a dog who dances and wears psychedelic wigs to entertain your preschooler. 

In the Night Garden is big in the UK right now and will most likely be making an appearance in the US next year.  I have to admit, this one scared me a bit the first time I saw it.  But I'm also not four years old.  The characters that live in the garden teach kids about bedtime rituals.  Igglepiggle is the blue blob that drags his blankie around with him everywhere.  Tombliboos run around in their little polka dotted pants while Makka Pakka, the very neutral Teletubby looking thing tries to wash their faces for bedtime.  It's a lot to take in at once, I know.

How do I explain Yo Gabba Gabba?  A 1980's rapper, with the help of his 4 robot/oddly shaped friends, put lessons for preschoolers into catchy musical numbers.  Biz Markie even makes a guest appearance.  How much cooler can you get than that?  My personal favorite is "Party in my Tummy."  I heard it about six months ago and it hasn't left my head since.  I've also started eating my vegetables.

Don't get me wrong, Barbie still stands on her pedastal, Spiderman fought his way to the top again last year, and even Strawberry Shortcake made a slight comeback for awhile.  Mickey is still around and always will be, but looks younger and a little more rounded with the help of CGI.  Pooh and Tigger have a few more friends, but still hang out in the 100 Acre Woods....some things will never change. 

OK, had enough of the Feats of Strength and the Airing of the Grievances for this Festivus? Me too! Hopefully, all went well and the jolly fat man brought you what you wanted and not what you really deserved. Yeah, he knows when you are sleeping, awake, bad and good etc… Sounds a lot like a North Pole version of the CIA or the IRS. Anyhoo, did you get the good stuff this year? Did you get the games and accessories you REALLY wanted?

Well, my wife asked me to NOT buy a couple of games, so I had an inkling that they were coming. She came through. Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction was under the aluminum pole yesterday morning and did not disappoint. Insomniac had made one of the best launch games for the PS3 in Resistance: Fall of Man. They do not disappoint in this E10 rated game. It looks like it came out of a Pixar movie. It is hard to tell the cut scenes from the actual game play as both look spectacular. It is only a 720P game but really looks solid on our 71” 1080p DLP screen. Seems the boys at Insomniac know how to get the most out of blu-ray and cell processor technology. Again, they do not disappoint. Fans of the series are familiar with the team. If you are not, do not worry, you are brought up to speed quickly as you take the duo on an adventure to unlock the mysteries of Ratchet’s Lombax origins (he’s the one that kind of looks like a Space Fox, Clank is the robot thingamajig). Nonetheless, it is a great game that shows off the capabilities of the PS3 hardware and is fun for all ages. You can check out a trailer here. If that is not enough to get you going, there is a downloadable demo available on the PlayStattion Network at the Store. Well, we have to put the pole back in the crawlspace as per tradition. So as soon as that is completed, it is more gaming for me. Hope you got some goodies as well. What did you get and give this year with regard to games and gadgets?

Ahhh, the Holiday season is around the proverbial corner as lines at each register dance in our heads.  If you are one of those last minute shoppers who prides yourself on waiting so you can power shop your way through all the other scrambling patrons on Christmas Eve, may I suggest a nice set of Wii controllers or possibly a lovely XBOX 360 or PS3 to place under your tree.  What a beautiful sight to see the smile on the face of such a lucky recipient.  If you are looking for the best games to go with those consoles, feast your eyes upon my personal favorite’s list:

XBOX 360:

Halo 3 (I hear my pod mate has lost many hours of sleep due to this gem)

Mass Effect (This one is for the futuristic galaxy lover in all of us)

Scene It (Stomp your friends at one of the best movie memory recall games ever)

Guitar Hero 3 (Rock on, this game can get two guitarists dueling in a living room like you wouldn’t believe)

Rock Band (I can’t hold back my excitement on this one, I’ve dedicated an entire blog to it…rock on)

PS3:

Ratchet and Clank Future Tools of Destruction (Much love for the Lombax…umm, the strange rodent looking character)

Uncharted Drakes’ Fortune (The water graphics are amazing, makes you want to go for a swim and the storyline is engaging)

Rock Band (Can I say once again, throw those horns!)

Wii:

Guitar Hero 3 (Lots- o- fun, just trust me)

Super Mario Galaxy (Taking your typical Mario game play and turning it completely upside down)

Mario Strikers Charged (Soccer fun with a twist)

Any Warhawk players out there? I have been one since it launched for the PS3. Really a great on-line only game. It features a wide variety of weapons, vehicles and objectives. In the large rooms, players can enjoy some heart-pounding 16 on 16 action. It is visually a fine game, but the head to head action really makes it fantastic. If you buy it in Club, it comes with a nice bluetooth headset. You can also opt to download it sans headset and save a few bucks via the PSN store. Either way, it is the same game and provides hours of enjoyment.

Yesterday, the good folks at Incognito graced us with the expansion pack, Omega Dawn. It seems like the sales of this must have gone up faster than the thermometer on the Ron Paul Moneybombs on November 5th or December 16th. Once it downloaded, it seemed that everyone had it and was sending messages about it. So last night, I was up far too late (guess it is actually early after midnight) checking out the new stuff and wanted to share my thoughts with you.

Here is what you get in the $7.99 pack: A night mission, 5 new maps and a new vehicle. The night mission is a nice visual change to the game. The maps are very well thought out and provide the usual perfect symmetry and balance with which we have grown accustomed. In some maps, instead of flags, your rally point for capture looks like a reactor of some sorts. What you want to hear about is the vehicle. The new vehicle is pretty tough, but slow. It is called the Combat Dropship and it is a beast. It can carry a group of soldiers and a tank or a 4x4. In addition, it can take hits from the enemy, LOTS of them. I must have shot at it with the shoulder launched missiles forever and do not think it put a dent in it. Oh, by the way, it has some guns and missiles of its own. Swarming missiles and machineguns help it to own the sky and land. It is truely the boss of the map. Unlike a computer powered boss though, this baby is run by thinking, or in some cases not so thinking, people. You cannot predict its movements or actions. I had to take a turn at flying it and it rocks. Kinda like driving a Hummer H1 on the freeway, everyone knows you are there and wants out of the way. Sure, there were faster Warhawks on my team blowing by me and enemy Warhawks buzzing around like flies, but the Dropship kept on moving. There seemed like there was no stopping it. Like Gulliver and the Lilliputians, the cumulative effect eventually took its toll. Our dropship was no more, but only after we made it to the flag.

So, what do you think of expansion packs like these? Are they worth it? Are you willing to get more content for a fee or would it be better to provide the complete game at launch if it meant a few bucks more? I think that the only negative to this is that some folks that do not purchase it will be left behind the rest of the players. While it is a fun game without the expansion pack, you do not know what you are missing until you try it. 

With the news on Tuesday that over 60 million Americans have either not completed or not started their Christmas shopping…it is safe to presume this weekend will be quite busy and without a clear plan on your potential purchases you may end up with several names not crossed off.  Please find a few shopping tips below:

1) Make a specific list of gifts (and back-up gifts).  The time has past for browsing; you will need to approach this weekend as a strategic recon mission.  There are many websites out there that can suggest gifts by personality and many holiday gift guides to help you with your list.

2) Check which stores have your desired items in-stock.  Many companies now give you the ability via their website to see which stores in your area carry certain products and if it is currently in-stock.  This saves a wasted trip during crunch time.  One note of warning is that the online systems, while accurate, usually are not real-time so if it is integral gift call the store ahead of time.

3) Plan to make fewer stops.  Since the malls and other shops will be packed this weekend, I would suggest mapping out locations and making as few trips around town as possible.  It will take much longer to make each stop as traffic will likely be very heavy.  

4) Gift cards are acceptable.  Several years ago giving a gift card was almost as thought-less as pulling out your wallet and dividing up the Washington’s on the spot.  But today gift cards are not only acceptable, they show considerable preparation and understanding of your loved one’s lifestyle. 

Happy hunting this weekend, I will be out there with you -- list in hand.