tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75837347552022824622024-03-12T21:34:42.396-05:00The Toy BlogA blog about toys. Mostly children's toys, but along the way we'll help mom and dad with their toys too!Victor Agreda, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00574608056011871536noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583734755202282462.post-25710671481799801962014-11-13T23:10:00.002-05:002014-11-13T23:10:33.351-05:00My favorite LEGO Minecraft micro world
This year some of the hottest toys are, once again, LEGO. Toyblogging is instituting a rule of no reviews of toys we haven't played with, but having played with the previous version of these sets, I'm quite certain they are going to be amazing. I'm talking about the latest Minecraft sets from LEGO.
I'm focusing right now on the micro worlds, and of the set, my favorite is The End. For those Victor Agreda, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00574608056011871536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583734755202282462.post-73678711438522998472013-03-04T16:11:00.002-05:002013-03-04T16:11:17.534-05:00My Wii U is probably brokenI bought a Wii U at launch (nearly lost it when GameStop screwed up my order, too). Unfortunately, I keep seeing issues with these first batches of machines. Now mine keeps screwing up when trying to play Call of Duty.
I've said it before and I'll say it again in light of some really depressing sales figures: the Wii U is the last or second-to-last console Nintendo will probably make unless theyVictor Agreda, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00574608056011871536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583734755202282462.post-39284143512655334212013-03-01T21:49:00.002-05:002013-03-01T21:49:32.909-05:00LEGO's upcoming Iron Man 3 sets look greatBefitting of the ethos of Tony Stark, this "Malibu Mansion Attack" set looks awesome, offers a host of great pieces and should retail for less than $50. Awesome!Victor Agreda, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00574608056011871536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583734755202282462.post-90472024297042557362011-12-23T13:45:00.002-05:002011-12-23T13:45:28.403-05:00Wondering if you should get the Cars toy for iPad?My buddy at 52 Tiger says it's too "frustrating too often to recommend."Victor Agreda, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00574608056011871536noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583734755202282462.post-18410034549790995332011-12-19T14:19:00.000-05:002011-12-19T14:19:24.608-05:00DIY Forts!This reminds me of Omagles, which my kids STILL love (and we kept around since the 90s, sigh). Fort Magic is really just a series of struts and connectors which allow you to build superstructures that you can wrap with cloth for basically any type of fort you can imagine. So awesome, and my idea of a perfect toy, one which encourages creativity and active play!Victor Agreda, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00574608056011871536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583734755202282462.post-82390060903447711412011-12-12T11:43:00.000-05:002011-12-12T11:43:29.043-05:00Mindflex Duel is the greatest party game ever!If your kid wants a Mindflex or that Jedi Mind training thing, the one where you strap on headgear then "pilot" your ball through a maze? Skip it, pay a little more and get the MindFlex Duel instead. You can still play solo, BUT you can also play head-to-head, almost literally, as you essentially play tug-of-war with your concentration. The only issue is that people won't believe it works. But itVictor Agreda, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00574608056011871536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583734755202282462.post-38673852130600625942011-12-06T11:45:00.000-05:002011-12-06T11:45:45.558-05:00Golden Snitch Christmas tree ornamentSo awesome! My kids are getting some Harry Potter LEGO sets this Christmas, and I got my son the Ninjago Flame Temple with dragon -- it is huge!
Anyway, this golden snitch is just adorable. And simple enough for mature kids to do, I think. I bet you could somehow paint or dye or stress a softball to look like a bludger.Victor Agreda, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00574608056011871536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583734755202282462.post-44579350614878057922011-08-21T12:22:00.002-05:002011-08-21T12:22:51.713-05:00Make your own Star Wars craft toys!I actually owned the 80's-era Star Wars craft book referenced in this article, but I think the new Star Wars craft book looks pretty cool, if a bit difficult for younger kids.Victor Agreda, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00574608056011871536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583734755202282462.post-25179321036459862342010-10-12T18:52:00.000-05:002010-10-12T18:52:24.661-05:00Best value Nerf gun: N-Strike MaverickNerf came out with a series of guns and they've been pretty aggressive with the lineup, frequently changing it around and introducing new models. OK, so I haven't tested all models, like the impressive N-Strike Vulcan. But I am seeing a lot of lazy design in the guns I have checked out thus far, including the N-Strike series guns Nite Finder Blaster and the truly horrible Recon CS-6. We tried to Victor Agreda, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00574608056011871536noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583734755202282462.post-29510263032783962352010-08-20T11:07:00.000-05:002010-08-20T11:07:58.988-05:00Nerf's new full-auto gunCrunchgear has a video of the upcoming Nerf Stampede ECS-50. Yeah, it looks great. How soon before those bullets start jamming? We bought the Recon CS-6 and that thing is the biggest piece of crap I've bought from Nerf in my LIFE. It jams constantly. They put in a completely unnecessary "gate" for the bullets in the chamber that is supposed to get out of the way, but when you cock the gun, the Victor Agreda, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00574608056011871536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583734755202282462.post-52430961069216516502009-02-05T23:34:00.001-05:002009-02-05T23:36:28.263-05:00iPhone and iPod touch toy: The Love TellerJust in time for Valentine's Day: The Love Teller (link opens iTunes). It's a "Love Tester" simulator complete with wood cabinet and incandescent lights (popular in the 20th century).Try it out, it's only 99-cents!Victor Agreda, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00574608056011871536noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583734755202282462.post-43068512931435090962008-11-24T09:56:00.003-05:002008-11-24T10:15:44.471-05:00Here comes Black Friday! Here's what to look for...I had hoped to crank out a buyer's guide, but there are plenty of other sites out there rounding up the data that lil' ol' me couldn't compete. Instead, I want to suggest a few toys that I have found to be ideal for kids. That's a tough claim: "ideal." Really, is there an ideal? Everyone is different, right? Well, let's look at the opposite of ideal. Toys NOT to get:* Videogames above the Victor Agreda, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00574608056011871536noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583734755202282462.post-23081498722567089922008-11-17T11:46:00.003-05:002008-11-17T11:53:13.861-05:00Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots -- STAY AWAY!I went to college in the 90's and my first real console was a Super NES. There were a lot of standout games on the platform, but the ease of writing for the machine also created an industry of crud. Many of these lame platformers were simply marketing vehicles: Beavis and Butthead, Rocko's Modern Life, and even 7-Up had a game (although the 7-Up game featuring the little red spot guy was actuallyVictor Agreda, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00574608056011871536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583734755202282462.post-66476972396004158462008-10-02T14:50:00.002-05:002008-10-02T14:58:18.156-05:00It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...When all the new toys are coming out! Yep, you Johnny-come-lately shoppers out there beware: the hottest toys this season are likely sitting on shelves now. Granted, the economy might make those toys readily available in December, but do you want to risk it?I'll post the toys we've got our eyes on soon, but for now, here's a sample:Imaginext has an entire line of superheroes (Batman and Superman Victor Agreda, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00574608056011871536noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583734755202282462.post-84328378237649283342008-08-19T22:05:00.003-05:002008-08-19T22:16:18.983-05:00Why the Mario Kart Wii shortages?When Mario Kart Wii came out we were going on vacation and couldn't afford to grab a copy. Bad move! Just like the Wii itself, the game has been tough to find after the initial release. I'm not sure why-- it's just a disc and a wheel. Before the Wii we had trouble buying the Mario DDR game, and we heard it was because of quality control issues. I applaud Nintendo's efforts, but the Kart shortagesVictor Agreda, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00574608056011871536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583734755202282462.post-29012347182094847372008-07-19T21:03:00.002-05:002008-07-19T21:06:00.093-05:00How a board game is madeNeat and very detailed development blog of VIKTORY, a board game partly inspired by one of my favorites: Axis and Allies. Fascinating to see the iterative process of designing and building a game system.Victor Agreda, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00574608056011871536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583734755202282462.post-85816127451354678832008-06-27T13:32:00.003-05:002008-06-27T13:35:07.618-05:00McDonald's toy looks like Devo's trademark hats, here come the lawyersThose American Idol toys McD's gave away for a while have caught the eye of Devo. Check out pic on Pitchfork to see why bassist Gerald Castle is suing for trademark infringement.Victor Agreda, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00574608056011871536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583734755202282462.post-15813908364136106942008-02-01T11:00:00.001-05:002008-02-01T11:11:23.034-05:00Review: High School Musical Sing It! for Nintendo WiiThis is going to be a quick review as we've only played the game a few times. The real info comes in what I heard when the wife tried to start playing... You see, our daughter got High School Musical Sing It! for the Wii on her birthday (oh, yeah, we got a Wii over the holidays, yay!). She's a big fan of HSM, and a kindergartner, so we figured this would be a good match.Sadly, the game makes Victor Agreda, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00574608056011871536noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583734755202282462.post-15892234647594494712007-10-18T23:01:00.000-05:002007-10-18T23:20:50.548-05:00More reviews coming!Coming soon, reviews of:- Imaginext, the pirate ship, a dinosaur, the castle and the jungle playset- Leapster (not the max), plus about 6 games (details people, you won't find 'em anywhere else!)- Hot Wheels tracks vs. the knockoffs- DC SuperFriends figures (Green Lantern, Flash, Batman and Superman) from Mattel, for younger kidsStay tuned!Victor Agreda, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00574608056011871536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583734755202282462.post-34731627929811231342007-04-14T08:40:00.001-05:002007-04-14T08:40:17.227-05:00LEGO people marching LEGO people marching Originally uploaded by toyblogging. LEGO's are some of the most fun, expansive toys you can buy. We recently got a big box of LEGO's that span a couple of generations. Problem is, when you get these old sets there are a lot of pieces missing. The other, bigger problem, is that you get a lot of flat "base" pieces. These are the flats that come with small sets, but you Victor Agreda, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00574608056011871536noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583734755202282462.post-59675895493689128542007-03-22T19:00:00.001-05:002007-03-22T19:00:45.104-05:00rocket belt pic www.tecaeromex.com-13 Originally uploaded by Smiles for the world. Disappeared from the previous post!Victor Agreda, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00574608056011871536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583734755202282462.post-58101178567576461632007-03-20T20:45:00.001-05:002007-03-22T19:01:40.503-05:00Rocket Belts! If you've ever seen Sean Connery fly around in Thunderball, you know what this is. A doggone Rocket Belt. Developed by Bell Labs in the early 60's, it was abandoned for military use because it doesn't fly too long.And it can be yours for just $250,000. If I were a rich weirdo living in Orange County, just waiting for the San Andreas fault to drop me into the ocean, I'd totally buy one.Check it Victor Agreda, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00574608056011871536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583734755202282462.post-38291032396054465632007-03-16T08:46:00.000-05:002007-03-16T08:49:18.835-05:00Really cool use for a Doodle Pro!This one is for the older kids, and the ones with a DIY streak in them at that... Here's a nifty how-to on making a "plot bot" with some "spare" parts: AVR-baseed analog plotbot with an E-Paper display.Not for the faint of heart! You'll also need an antique plot recorder, which I haven't seen in ages.Victor Agreda, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00574608056011871536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583734755202282462.post-18144975134634194852007-03-13T16:47:00.001-05:002007-03-13T16:47:53.153-05:00The blue jet IMG_2079 Originally uploaded by toyblogging. OK, upon further review the Shake'n'go planes aren't so bad. It took a little training for the kids, and maybe the launchers go get used to us, but they work really well now.The trick: gently load the plane until it clicks ONCE. Teach the kids this, and it'll start up the noises. Tilt down and up (the nose), or up and down, and it'll start Victor Agreda, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00574608056011871536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583734755202282462.post-51294518541726524162007-03-12T16:09:00.000-05:002007-03-12T16:14:31.428-05:00These are some expensive toys!Would you pay nearly $50,000 for a remote-controlled robot? You might if you're the target demographic for Hammacher Schlemmer. I remember getting this catalog as a kid (ok, my parents got it, but never ordered anything) and drooling over the geegaws. H-S does put some big-ticket items in the catalog as a sort of "wow" factor, but $49,000+ for a working "Robby the Robot?" Wow.CNN Money has a veryVictor Agreda, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00574608056011871536noreply@blogger.com2