Jakks-Pacific

Review: Spinz Spinning Pens

Dennis Gray — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:37:37 -0500

Zero. Ronin. Axis. Huh? I don't get it.

But I'll explain it.

Jakks-Pacific is introducing the U.S. market to pen-spinning, a popular 'sport' in Europe and Asia, with thousands of participants, tournaments, a Pen Spinning World Cup - whah?

Pen spinning is becoming a free form of self expression for pen lovers - and people who want to be in a sport and not break a sweat. They aren't just for writing anymore, I suppose. These pens are built in such a way as to provide heft and balance where needed such that their owners can do tricks and amaze their friends. A quick YouTube search will yield thousands of examples.

The makers of Spinz pens claim to be the only manufacturer of precision-balanced pens specifically for spinning. In their demo video, they claim that if kids get caught spinning pens in class, their teachers can't take 'em away 'cause the kids can't do their work! These actually are writing instruments.

I dunno. I see 'detention' written on these bad boys.

Still, it gives someone with a true attraction to pens a place to go and express themselves, either by learning the tricks of pen-spinning (which is beyond my family's abilities, frankly) or allow them the freedom to customize the daylights out of their writing implements.

Spinz pens come in three product familes / skill levels. Entry level is 'Zero' which includes a snap-on spinner, akin to training wheels for would-be spinners. Then there's 'Ronin' which raises the bar and includes goodies for customizing and changing weights to suit its owner. 'Axis' is the ultimate, and includes all the goodies any pen spinner could want, like grips, weights, even a sweat band (hmm...). There are also add-on accessory packs, called 'Modz' to add a splash of color, or a bit more weight.

Now for the critique.

As someone who uses pens everyday, I can say that as writing instruments, Spinz pens are lacking. I understand of course that the primary reason for these pens is spinning, but if you're a pen fan, these write pretty much like an inexpensive ballpoint. It can also be difficult to keep the pen snapped together while writing, again realizing that the pen is built from smaller parts that are interchangeable for balance and performace in the spinning arena.

This is a niche product which will appeal to those folks already aquainted with pen spinning, and so I asked a neighborhood teen his opinion of Spinz pens for spinning. His assessment was that they were underweight to do complex tricks, and when he added some small fishing weights to the end caps the pens were much more spinnable (in his humble opinion). I have to go with his obsservation, since I for one lack the manual dexterity to open the box without aid, let alone spin one of these pens successfully.

If you have someone on your shopping list who has asked for one, the $10 entry point for the 'Zero' and 'Ronin' starter sets won't bust the budget. If you spotted these on the end cap at the mega-mart and thought they might be fun for your 4-year-old, steer clear - there are too many small parts for younger kids. This is a product for tweens and teens - and probably not pen collectors.

Review: Club Penguin Plush Toys and ClubPenguin.com

Dennis Gray — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:42:00 -0500

Last year, Disney bought the online virtual polar landscape that is Club Penguin, a virtual world where kids romp and play as penguins do.

This year, they've introduced a plush toy line that extends the virtual polar landscape into the thawed real world with the Club Penguin Series One figures, produced by Jakks Pacific and available at www.ClubPenguin.com/clubpenguinshop.

As of this writing, there are 13 plush polar players to collect, from barristas to cheerleaders, from firefighters (are there fires on a glacier?) to fairies. they've got you covered with any interest your younglings have.

The plush toys themselves are of high build quality, with all the attributes and costuming of the characters they represent. The cheerleader has pom-poms, the soccer guy has a soccer ball and athletic jersey, you get the idea. The figures are roughly 6 inches tall, and soft enough for kids to hurl at siblings without fear. But the real hook for getting moms and dads to buy these plush toys is the secret unlock coin that is attached to the tag. It doesn't seem to be the cuteness factor of the plush toys themselves.

These secret coins unlock features inside the Club Penguin game for players to use exclusively. The virtual items range from guitars and items to decorate their virtual igloos to 'puffles', which resemble small balls of fluff with eyes, which are the virtual pets of Club Penguin. So in short, buying a Club Penguin toy in the real world means instant celeb status in the frozen virtual world.

Club Penguin, the online game and virtual land where kids pretend to be penguins living in a city-sized floating iceburg landscape, is full of activities like ice fishing, and other games that earn virtual coins to buy virtual stuff in The Penguin store, and social networking with other penguins - er - kids - through a heavily controlled web-chat mechanism that protects the kids privacy and keeps them from revealing any personally identifiable info. You can visit their website for details on the privacy aspects of the online game, but I allow my son to play the game mostly unsupervised due to the strict controls placed on the players.

Club Penguin, the online game is free - mostly. There is a paid option, and to take full advantage of the secret coin with the Club Penguin plush toys, you'll need to be a paid member of the service. That said, there are still lots of sctivities to keep young ones occupied, ages 6-10 being the target audience.

So as a gift, these plush flightless birds might be suitable for kids already plugged in to the Club Penguin scene, or into penguins in general. But if your kids aren't driven to waddle or hang out in igloos, you may want to pass. The $20-30 price is high for the toy itself. Its really the benefits inside the Club Penguin game that make this a worthwhile purchase.

Discovery Kids Smart Animals Electronic Scanopedia

Dale — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 20:20:04 -0500

I knew I was old when I was watching some kids play "grocery store" at the local children's museum, and instead of picking up an item at the checkout and punching numbers on the register, they just swiped it across an imaginary scanner. When I wanted to learn about an animal as a kid, I'd look it up in a book, especially a set of encyclopedias. Now, Jakks-Pacific has combined the scanner with the animal book to create the handheld "Scanopedia," which combines the scanner with toy figurines of the animals in question. Just use the handheld scanner (no laser, so completely safe) to scan one of the animals to get all kinds of interesting facts about them, and for each animal scanned, your child unlocks 8 more animals that, while they lack a picture or figurine, give all kinds of interesting information.

After scanning an animal, the child can get interesting facts or answer true/false questions about the animal. Each quiz is only one question, though, and while kids can play again and again, a series of 5 or 10 questions and a score afterward would make the quiz more intriguing and less steps, also giving a sense of accomplishment by increasing the score.

The scanner also includes a poster full of animals, including a large collection of dinosaurs. Animals on the poster are grouped by biome, and dinosaurs are grouped according to the era they're believed to have lived. The poster also includes 3 games, giving kids a chance to guess the animal that makes a particular sound (Can you tell the difference between a tiger growl and a lion growl? Nor can I, and nor can my 7-year-old.), which habitat an animal lives in, and which part of the world they inhabit.

The scanner includes one animal, but expansion packs allow you to collect more and unlock your database of knowledge.

My 7-year-old really enjoys this and will require us to hang the poster in a play area to allow for easier access, but it's not without its drawbacks. The scanner has no screen, so when it talks about a particular "bonus" animal, you need to know what that animal is before the facts make any sense. My daughter heard it talking about a "diamondback" and thought it was talking about a spotted hyena. A small LCD screen with a photo of the animal would greatly increase the value of the toy and allow for more activities.

Kids age 5-10 who love animals will really enjoy this toy, but you'll have to periodically buy new sets to keep things interesting as they exhaust the included facts, but by the time they do, they've learned a lot, so that's not all bad. I hope Jakks-Pacific looks to its own Eyeclops evolution for ideas how to improve the toy, but meanwhile, it's a great toy for animal lovers and a mediocre toy for everyone else.

Review: Eyeclops Night Vision Infrared Stealth Goggles

Dale — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:31:07 -0500

You don't have to be a kid to enjoy these. There, I said it. Jakks-Pacific's Eyeclops Night Vision Infrared Stealth Goggles do exactly what they claim: they allow you to see in total darkness.

Set aside 10 minutes to get these things out of their packaging, and grab 5 batteries. (Hey, Jakks, what's up with most of your toys having an odd number of batteries? Most rechargers require charging 2 at a time, so we have to leave 1 sitting around uncharged after depletion!) Adjust the rubber straps to fit your head, go into a dark room, and turn it on. The room suddenly lights up like you were watching it on an old black and white TV set (or black and green like you see in the spy movies--flip a switch to toggle between tints). Using an infrared light and an LCD screen, the goggles allow viewing in total darkness, but note that they do not grant binocular vision, so depth perception may lack a bit, thus we don't recommend running with them on.

The goggles are large enough that my teenage daughter could wear her glasses under them, but mine did not fit, yet my 7-year-old could wear them comfortably without glasses, and the rubber padding makes for a pleasant experience for all.

The entire construction feels very sturdy and distributes the weight well by putting the battery pack behind the head so you don't get a sore neck.

Using the goggles in total darkness is about like seeing in twilight or walking around a dark room with a flashlight, but for better viewing, you can turn on a ring of red LED's, which turn a pitch black room to daylight, but note that, when these are turned on, you can be seen, or at least the ring on your forehead can. Both the red and infrared lights work much better indoors with reflective surfaces, while outside on a cloudy night, you lose detail quickly. Indoors, I was able to see 75 feet with the added light, well beyond the advertised 50 feet, but 50 feet is accurate outdoors. Due to the resolution of the screen and the reflective nature of the light, don't plan to read with these. You need about 48-point type on a high-contrast background (like black lettering on white) to begin to be able to read, and since you get a lot of glare looking at anything close-up, just don't try reading with them. It's like trying to read something written on foil with a bright light glaring on it.

I don't recommend walking, at least not with any speed, in a cluttered area with these on. Walking through a room full of tables and chairs, I found myself often banging into things, because not only do you lose binocular vision, but you also lose peripheral vision and can only see straight ahead in a fairly narrow viewing angle, although looking at the world through a screen had an interesting side-effect: I'm nearsighted, but since the screen was right next to my eye, and the camera lens isn't nearsighted, I can see distances (within the light's range) fairly well even without my glasses.

Kids love things that glow in the dark. The Eyeclops Night Vision Infrared Stealth Goggles make everything glow in the dark. I highly recommend it to kids, adults, and tooth fairies everywhere.

JAKKS Pacific(R) Signs Top Country Star Taylor Swift for Toy License

Dale — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 09:29:34 -0400

MALIBU, Calif., March 10, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (Nasdaq: JAKK) announced today that it has signed a worldwide licensing agreement through Creative Artists Agency, the entertainment and sports agency, to develop and market toys and related products based on the award-winning and double-platinum American country music singer-songwriter, Taylor Swift.

Under the agreement, JAKKS(TM) plans to launch a line of fashion dolls wearing Swift's most memorable fashions, role-play toys (including Swift's signature crystal guitar), accessories, and craft and activity sets that encompass the world of the pop culture mega-star. JAKKS expects to ship its Taylor Swift line to retail for Fall 2008.

"Tweens have developed a great connection with Taylor Swift, resulting in an aspirational following that not only enables girls to emulate this beautiful young country star, but encourages them to believe in themselves," said Jennifer Richmond, Senior Vice-President of Licensing and Media, JAKKS Pacific, Inc. "We will work to ensure that the products embody the uniqueness and freshness of Taylor Swift."

"When I was a little girl, I dreamed of becoming a country music star and having my very own fashion doll line," said Taylor Swift. "Now it's come true! I can't wait to see little girls play with my doll and rock out with my crystal guitar!"

Taylor Alison Swift is an American country music singer-songwriter who signed to the independent Big Machine Records label in 2006. Her self-titled debut album was released in late 2006 and has since been certified double-platinum by the RIAA in the United States. To date, it has produced three Top Ten singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs, including the Number One single "Our Song." All three of her singles have also reached the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was re-issued in late 2007 with a set of bonus tracks.

Taylor Swift has won the CMT Music Breakthrough Video Award and the Country Music Association's Horizon Award, and she has been nominated in multiple categories for the Academy of Country Music Awards, American Music Awards, and most recently for the Grammy Awards.

Toy Fair 2008: JAKKS PacificÂ® Presents a Powerhouse Portfolio of Interactive Toys and Games

Dale — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 21:12:29 -0500

MALIBU, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--JAKKS Pacific, Inc.Â (NASDAQ:JAKK)Â is presenting the companyâ€™s line-up of interactive toys and games to media and buyers attending the American International Toy Fair held in New York City, February 17th-20th. The 2008 electronic toy portfolio from JAKKS PacificÂ®Â features products for every level of gamer and tech gadget enthusiast, including smart AND fun interactive learning products based on theÂ Discovery KidsÂ®Â brand. It features new expansions of the JAKKS Plug It In & Playâ„¢Â TV Gamesâ„¢Â line with theÂ Ulti-Motionâ„¢Â wireless motion gaming system, conceptualized in collaboration with DisneyÂ®, and Disney Channelâ€™sÂ Hannah Montanaâ„¢G2: Game Girlâ„¢Â deluxe plug and play game. JAKKSâ„¢Â will also debutÂ itsÂ EyeClopsâ„¢Night Vision GogglesÂ andÂ BioniCamâ„¢, two extensions of its award-winning EyeClopsâ„¢Â Bionic Eye toy, which was nominated forÂ Most InnovativeÂ andÂ Best Educational ToysÂ of 2007 by the Toy Industry Association.

â€œWe are excited about the potential for our 2008 interactive portfolio and believe it will appeal to many different consumer groups, ranging from preschoolers to boys, tween girls, adults and everyone in between,â€Â said Stephen Berman, President and COO, JAKKS Pacific.Â â€œWe continue to focus on traditional play patterns intertwined with new technology to make them engaging to todayâ€™s kids. Our next generation EyeClops BioniCam features portability, a multi-zoom lens and recordable features allowing kids to capture and save their finds on a USB key. The new EyeClops Night Vision Goggles are so cool that practically everyone out there might want a pair.â€

â€œWith our new Ulti-Motion game system, several titles of which were conceptualized with Disney Consumer Products, we combine the hugely popular motion gaming category with plug and play gaming and toyetic role play accessories especially designed for preschoolers and girls. The G2: Game Girl line takes our TV Gamesâ„¢Â line to the next level with rich graphics and sounds, tween-centric gameplay, and popular entertainment properties such as Disneyâ€™sÂ Hannah MontanaÂ andÂ High School Musicalâ„¢.â€

EyeClopsâ„¢Â Night Vision and Bionic Camâ„¢

The Toy Wishes Toy Awards favorite Tech Toy of 2007,Â EyeClopsâ„¢Â Bionic EyeÂ toy also topped many retailer and media Best Toy and Holiday Gift lists in 2007.Â EyeClopsâ„¢Night Vision Infrared Stealth Gogglesâ„¢Â providesÂ an authentic night vision experience powered by actual infrared driven night vision technology. The EyeClops Night Vision goggles allow visibility up to 20 feet in completely dark environments. SRP $79.99, available for Fall 2008.

TheÂ EyeClopsâ„¢Â BioniCamâ„¢Â toy boasts several exciting new features - a multi-zoom lens for 100x, 200x or 400x magnification, a color LCD screen, and clip-on battery pack for portability. It even features a built-in camera and flash drive which captures images and video and can upload them to a computer with the included USB key to be printed, emailed, posted and shared. The EyeClops BioniCam toy can still be plugged into the A/V jacks of any standard television, to display discoveries right on the TV. SRP $79.99 expected to be available for Fall 2008.

Ulti-Motionâ„¢

Ulti-Motion game systems are a new video game concept developed in conjunction with Disney Consumer Products which takes the fun and creativity of interactive play to the next level in a way only Disney can. The newÂ Ulti-Motionâ„¢Â video game line expands upon JAKKS Pacificâ€™s award-winning Plug It In & Play TV Games technology by combining toys and role play with one of the most popular trends in video gaming: motion games. The Ulti-Motion game system plugs directly into the A/V jacks of any standard TV, and it contains a number of games or activities along with role play accessories. No additional cartridges are needed.

The Ulti-Motionâ„¢Â DisneyÂ®Â line delivers on Disneyâ€™s preschool brand values including education, adventure, music, art and exploration and will feature hit Playhouse Disneyâ„¢properties. Titles especially developed for girls inspired by Disney Princessâ„¢Â and Disney Fairiesâ„¢Â will also be introduced this Fall.

Also slated for launch this Fall is the JAKKSÂ Ulti-Motionâ„¢Â Swing Zoneâ„¢Â line, featuring an all star, multi-sport title including bowling, tennis, golf, baseball and football.

G2: Game Girlâ„¢Â TV Games

G2: Game Girlâ„¢Â TV GamesÂ is a gaming experience designed especially for tween girls featuring the most popular entertainment properties, rich graphics & sounds and a tween-centric gameplay that provides girls with games that are both realistic and inspirational. Driven by the proven, award-winning Plug It In & Play technology from JAKKS (compatible with any standard television and no video game console needed),Â G2: Game Girlâ„¢Â TV GamesÂ boasts high resolution graphics, rich sound and deep gameplay. The sleek, stylish design of the controller and console will look cool in any tween girlâ€™s bedroom. The new line is inspired by Disneyâ€™s hottest tween brands includingÂ Hannah Montanaâ„¢Â andÂ High School Musicalâ„¢Â and it was designed in collaboration with Disney Consumer Products.

WithÂ G2: Game Girl,Â girls can play and hang out with their favorite teen characters,Hannah MontanaÂ and the cast ofÂ High School Musical! WithÂ G2: Game GirlÂ â€“Â Hannah MontanaÂ andÂ G2: Game Girlâ„¢Â â€“Â High School MusicalÂ girls can experience firsthand all the fun and drama of the not-so-average teens. With great graphics, hit tunes and gameplay thatâ€™s both relatable and aspirational for tweensÂ â€“Â G2: Game GirlÂ truly delivers. The newÂ G2: Game Girl TV GamesÂ will be available in Fall 2008 for a suggested retail price of $49.99.

Neopets

JAKKS is launching a full line-up of collectible plush, mini figures, playsets and activities with an interactive online component and based on the expansive virtual world ofNeopetsÂ®,Â and its extraordinary characters, found atÂ www.neopets.com. The JAKKSâ„¢product line brings the online experience of Neopets, the worldâ€™s orginal youth-targeted virtual world, to the real world with a focus on collectible plush toys that tie-in to the extensive variety of Neopets species and characters featured throughout the world of Neopia.

Discovery Kids

The new line of JAKKS products based on the Discovery Kids brand and values, which is expected to be available for Fall 2008, will encourage kids to explore nature, learn about science and technology, develop life skills and expand their creativity and imagination in fun, meaningful ways.

The line includesÂ Discovery KidsÂ Smart Animalsâ„¢Â toys that make learning about animals fun! Each 3-inch animal figure features real-feel skin, sculpted footprints and a Discovery Kids logo housing a hidden barcode. Kids can activate the figures with theÂ Discovery Kids Smart Animal ScanopediaÂ (sold separately) for special effects, to reveal facts unique to each animal. It even quizzes kids on their knowledge of animals! The Smart Animal Scanopedia is an electronic animal encyclopedia that not only scans any Discovery Kids Smart Animal figure, but can also be used on its own to reveal a world of information about animals, maps and other fun activities. Suggested retail price of $29.99 for Scanopedia & $4.99Â â€“Â $12.99 for Smart Animal figure packs sold separately.

Review: Hannah Montana Best of Both Worlds Deluxe Lifestyle Video Game

Teresa — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:32:03 -0500

If you have girls in your house that watch TV, chances are you've heard a lot about Hannah Montana. Now your kids can be part of both worlds while they control Miley/Hannah in this game.

Hannah Montana Best of Both Worlds Deluxe Lifestyle Video Game is a "Plug it in & Play TV Game". Just like it says, you plug in into your TV and play. No video game console or cartridge is needed. The controller is wireless and shaped like a guitar. It does require quite a few batteries. You need 4 AAs for the main unit that plugs into the TV and 3 AAAs for the wireless guitar controller. We've played it quite a bit and haven't had to change the batteries yet, so they're not draining quickly. Also, there is an automatic shutoff feature which is very nice if you have a child that forgets to turn things off when they are done using them.

You start your day as Miley Stewart. Throughout the day you can change Miley's clothes, go to school and take tests based on the Disney show Hannah Montana, talk with friends in person or on the phone, go to the beach and go shopping. Miley's dad has a list of tasks for Miley to complete each day. Completing tasks earns star points which can be used to purchase items at stores on the Promenade. After Miley completes the tasks on her list, she can change into Hannah Montana and complete her task.

Hannah has a separate wardrobe than Miley, so you can change her clothes also. She can also go shopping, go to the beach, set up her stage at the stadium and attend events: photo shoots, interviews, rehearsals and of course, her concert.

The closet does not just hold clothes. It also has a diary which holds a weekly task meter where you can see which areas need attention: friendship, R&R, fashion, and design. It has a photo album where pictures from Hannah's photo shoots are stored. You'll also find a mirror and a microphone.

At the beach you can visit Rico's snack shop, boogie board, or play volleyball. You don't actually play the games, though. Miley just says something about it.

When you talk with friends, Miley/Hannah is given 3 options of what to say and you pick what you'd like them to say, which gives the game a little more variety.

My 6, 9, and 12 year olds have all played this game and like it. The controls are easy enough for my 6 year old to handle, but she does need a little help completing some tasks. My 9 year old likes it a lot. She prefers it over some other video games. My 12 year old likes it, but said it got boring after a while because she would prefer to actually do the activities instead of the game saying she did it. She is the oldest the game is recommended for, so that may be something to keep in mind if you are looking to get this for an older child. My 6 year old and 9 year old really like it and ask to play it often. The game seems to be a great match for their ages.

Review: EyeClops

Dale — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 00:10:41 -0500

Mothers-in-Law, do we have the gadget for you! If you like to "white glove" your son's house, Jakks Pacific has a device that will help you see the individual specks of dust anywhere in the house!

Comedy stereotypes aside, there's a reason the EyeClops was one of the top toys this past Christmas. This device looks like an eyeball the size of a softball with a pistol-grip-style handle. Out of the handle comes a video cord that will plug into most TV's or a computer with A/V ports. In the middle of the cord sits the "Brain Case", where the 5 AA batteries are installed. This is my first complaint about this device. Most battery chargers require batteries to be charged in pairs, so with an odd number of batteries, you'll need a place to store the odd battery until you have an occasion to charge another odd battery with it. I would've preferred needing 6 to just 5. The device also offers no option for an A/C adapter, and as much use as this will potentially get, and since it has to be plugged into a TV to use anyway, and AC adapter, or at least a jack for one, would have been helpful.

Once you have it hooked up, a simple plug into your TV, use the Focusing Disk to calibrate the device, and you're ready to go. Hold the EyeClops against anything and see it magnified 200 times. Holding it against everything from skin to fabric to money reveals all kinds of secrets about the world and its composition.

The Eyeclops also includes a "Viewing Tube" (a slightly graduated cylinder) and a "Viewing Dish," which looks not coincidentally like a petri dish. In these, you (or your child, if you're willing to let go of it) can place items like liquids, insects, or anything else better kept from direct contact with the EyeClops. A base allows for hands-free use.

I've been using standard microscopes since I was a kid, so while this device intrigued me when I first heard about it, I was skeptical. My first question was, "Microscopes need backlighting for slides. How do you backlight carpeting?" But actually, you don't need backlighting--you just need lighting. The eyeclops uses 3 LED's to provide light on the surface, just enough light to get a good image without glare. My bigger concern was focus. Microscopes are notoriously difficult to focus, especially when examining 3D objects. How could a handheld microscope with no fine-tuning knob focus well enough for a clear picture, especially in the hands of a small child? Well, the I.R.I.S. lens attachment is easy to adjust by hands small and large alike. My 6-year-old had no problem focusing it and getting clear images on anything and everything she could reach with it, and she didn't need to look through a tiny lens at just the right angle to see it--she could share it with the family.

This is one of those educational toys that doesn't feel like it's educational, since nothing this fun could possibly be educational. So if you didn't get one this Christmas, you missed out. My only caveat would be that their new version, the EyeClops BioniCam,Â will likely be available before next Christmas, and it will have several new features like a built-in LCD screen and recording capabilities. When it becomes available, the price on this one will likely drop, but we don't know yet what the cost of the new model will be, so at least be aware of what's coming, which looks to be even better.

Just keep it away from your mother-in-law.