2016 Hot Holiday Gift Guide -- Day Six: Skylanders Imaginators

For weeks, my boys have lived and breathed what might be their most favorite edition of Skylanders since they were first introduced to them years ago. We were sent the Skylanders Imaginators Starter Kit to review, along with figures and crystals, to take our gaming to the next level!

See our review of Skylanders Imaginators! Is it the right gift for your child this holiday season?

The most creative Skylanders yet, kids can make their own custom Skylanders to play inside the game. They can make their Imaginators exactly as they please, with custom powers, abilities, designs, and even catchphrases! My 6-year-old likes to spend most of his gaming time making his character just right. The rest of the boys sometimes use the randomizer feature to mix everything up and create a surprise concoction that will make play even more exciting!

See our review of Skylanders Imaginators! Is it the right gift for your child this holiday season?

New to this game are the Creation Crystals. I think of them as little storage containers, where kids can create and store their unique characters to take with them anywhere they go -- even to play at a friends house on their console. Like most Skylanders features, the crystals use elements to determine what characters can be store inside. (And only one character per crystal. If you want lots and lots of characters saved, you'll need to get a bunch of crystals!)

See our review of Skylanders Imaginators! Is it the right gift for your child this holiday season?

See our review of Skylanders Imaginators! Is it the right gift for your child this holiday season?

Another fun new aspect of the Imaginators game is the introduction of Senseis. As you would expect, these 20 new characters are masters of their skills and represent one of 10 Battle Classes. By aligning with them, players can work through games to unlock Sky-Chi -- the best battle move ever! The more you work with the Senseis, the more new weapons, level access, and battle techniques you'll discover!

See our review of Skylanders Imaginators! Is it the right gift for your child this holiday season?

Crash Bandicoot and Dr. Neo Cortex come back to make cameo appearances in the new game, too! In fact, there is a special level called Thumpin' Wumpa Islands that is a lot like the old Crash gameplay I remember, including TNT boxes crabs, and exploding crates. This level is available as an expansion pack this holiday (priced at $29.99)!

See our review of Skylanders Imaginators! Is it the right gift for your child this holiday season?
As you would expect, there is lots of storytelling, dialogue, mini games, puzzles, and battles to be had. My kids have said that there is much more content in this game than in previous versions, and that makes me so happy! I love that they have more time to play together. This is a game that they are already really liking for co-op play. (You can put two crystals or two toys or a combo of both on the portal for group play and teamwork!)


See our review of Skylanders Imaginators! Is it the right gift for your child this holiday season?


The new Activision game is available for Playstation 3 and 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Microsoft, and Wii U! New characters, crystals, and expansion packs will be in stores throughout the holiday season. Get crystals for $9.99, Sensei toys for $14.99, and the starter packs starting at $74.99.

Wanna Save? Get big savings on Black Friday with Skylanders Imaginators starter packs at $39.99, available at all major retailers. You can also find Senseis at $9.99. Or, if you already have portals from previous games, get the Skylanders Imaginators Portal Owners Pack at $25 (exclusively at Walmart!)

*Skylanders game and characters were received by Activision to review. Opinions are my own.

Like this? Sign up for our weekly newsletter and get more of the goodness, plus exclusive giveaway offers!

Comments