Activision—the company behind the cross-media juggernaut Skylanders—is back with a new adventure that pairs video game action and real-world toys.
The latest in the series, Skylanders SuperChargers, follows past installments Skylanders Trap Team and Skylanders Swap Force with a whole new adventure that adds vehicles to the mix.
Favorite characters are joined by new faces, as the SuperChargers roster includes 20 characters—each with a collectible figurine—and 20 vehicles. While past Skylanders toys have essentially been small statuettes, the new vehicles move. Wheels roll and propellers spin, adding dynamic new elements to the toys that encourage real-world play.
The pre-teen supervillain Kaos has returned, this time with the sky-eating "Doomstation of Ultimate Doomstruction" that threatens the Skylands, and sends players on a quest through new levels and play areas that include land-based race courses, mid-air dogfights, and sea battles that take you above and below the water's surface. The new vehicle-based gameplay is combined with the foot-based adventures of past titles, letting you play with your existing Skylanders collection (all 300+ toys from past games) and a variety of new vehicles.
The Skylanders SuperChargers Starter Pack ($74.99) will include two figures and one vehicle. New characters include Spitfire, a speed demon with a penchant for racing; Stormblade, a feathered daredevil and talented pilot; and returning fan favorite Stealth Elf, an elven ninja armed with a powerful new weapon.
Vehicles include Hot Streak, a land-based racecar made from "elemental magma rock"; Sky Slicer, an air-based craft used for exploration and aerial dog-fighting; and Dive Bomber, which is more aquatic battle tank than submarine. The starter pack also includes the newest version of the Skylanders Portal of Power, the specialized NFC reader that lets you pair the toys with the game to activate characters and vehicles.
Though the game can be completed with the characters and vehicle of the starter pack alone, you can buy the 20 different collectible characters ($12.99 each) and vehicles ($14.99 each) separately. They will let you unlock new playable portions of the game, and pairing certain figures with their specific vehicles will also unlock additional power-ups and attacks.
Skylanders SuperChargers will be released for Playstation (PS3 and PS4), Xbox (Xbox 360 and Xbox One), and Nintendo Wii U, with a separate version of the game coming for Nintendo Wii and Nintendo 3DS systems. The North American release is scheduled for Sept. 20, with worldwide release the week after.