Friday, July 28, 2006

Pop Culture Woman Reviews Transformers Attacktix

Transformers Attacktix by Hasbro
by Pop Culture Woman

Attacktix is one of those rare lines that is fueled by families and kids - not by the snotty Comic Book Guys who turn their nose up at anything that doesn't involve a twenty-sided die, cards, or a ever-evolving 25+ page instruction book. The Star Wars line of Attacktix has been extremely successful and Series 4 is just beginning to show up in stores, with a Series 5 already in the works. Hasbro has decided to try to expand the line by introducing Transformers Attacktix. They are shipping with Series 4 Star Wars boosters and they are marketed together. An Intergalactic Showdown pack, that includes six figures from both lines, has been a good seller so far.

So today I'm going to give my impressions of the Transformers line and discuss pros/cons. I'll even go into what figures are the best/worst in my opinion. I want to add that I'm not really a Transformers fan and that I'm basing my opinions on the overall game play and figure sculpts with no serious prior knowledge of the Transformers universe.

[Full Review]

Monday, July 24, 2006

More SDCC Attacktix Q & A with Hasbro

by Radar.

The following are some general notes from a conversation with some of the Attacktix team at the San Diego COmic Con:

Hasbto has made Attacktix from the Star Wars, Transformers and Marvel Universes. They are also looking into fantasy based figures. Magneto vs. Gandolf, from Lord of the Rings, for instance. Or perhaps some Magic the Gathering inspired figures. These are just a possibility. Hasbro will consider using lines that are part of the current Hasbro Corp. as well as outside licenses.

Hasbro encourages the mixing of various types of figures. Tournament play does not restrict certain types of figures. You can play all Star Wars, all Transformers or mix them as you see fit. The game was meant to have many different possibilities. Mixing universes is encouraged.

As mentioned in Jay's Q & A Hasbro is currently looking into selling missile packs; how many and what types have yet to be determined.

Hasbro is currently looking into getting figures into a fast food kids meal. Who, what, when and where are still undecided. This reporter believes this kind of marketing will spread Attacktix across the county like a raging wildfire, but in a good way.

Hasbro has no future plans for sets based on locations, All-Stars or the Expanded Universe. Currently, the figures are based primarily on the movies since that's what the kids are mostly familiar with. It is important that a kid at any stage in collecting can get a Darth Vader and the other main characters. So, those main characters will be in the sets. As the Star wars series continues, it is possible that other second and third tier figures will make their way into the sets.

Hasbro is considering putting restrictions on powerful figures for tournament purposes like there are for the Megas. Jedi Knight, (10 point) Greedo, and Gold figures are the most likely candidates to have restrictions placed on them.

The Green Clone Trooper will be released in certain stores with Series 4 Starters.

Mostly, Hasbro would like to communicate, "Thank you. Thank you for being fans, thank uou for playing, and thank you or being part of this on-line community that has fun supporting a great game. Thank You."

Be sure to check out Jay's interview below, with some extra questions added!

Saturday, July 22, 2006

Marvel Attacktix Spider-Man Origins Walmart Exclusive Starter Set

Before we get to the exclusive, I would like to try to make some sense of Hasbro's direction of the Marvel toy line, and then I will address what that means for Attacktix.

Hasbro's Marvel line has a few basic categories, Marvel Heroes, Marvel Legends, Spider-Man and Friends and Spider-Man Origins. Anything involving the vast majority of Marvel characters seems to be grouped under Marvel Legends. This includes continuing Toy Biz's Marvel Legends line, starting with Series 1, Marvel Icons, and even board games that have all the characters, like Milton Bradley's Marvel Legends Stratego.

Spider-Man and Friends will be the Playskool inspired line, featuring plush toys and tub toys. Spider-Man Origins will be attached to any lines that focus mainly on Spider-Man, his allies and villains. Something like Toy Biz's Spider-Man Classics, but it also stretches into MB board games (like Spider-Man Operation) and also into Marvel Attacktix.

Marvel Heroes seems to be the catch all for all the rest. The groupings I have spied may not mean anything come release time, but for now I thought it was worth mentioning.

Jay, our SDCC correspondent, snapped a picture of this Walmart Exclusive Start Set.



First of all, there is no Marvel Attacktix artwork or packaging, as these are cleary displayed in a Transformers Starter Box. But looking closely at the label in front of the Starter, you can see that it is a Spider-Man Origins Starter Set. It features classic red and blue Spidey, with enemies the Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus. It is also worth noting these are Spidey's enemies from movies 1 & 2. So at first glance, I assumed the fourth member of this pack would be Venom, Spidey's foe in number 3! Instead, it is a repaint of the Spider-Man from the other Starter. A silver repaint, meaning Spider Armor Spider-Man. I, for one, am very excited about all the possible repaints of Marvel figures, so this is excellent news. Star Wars Attacktix featured a lot of re-released figures, much to the disappointment of some fans. For example, a slight color variation on a Grievous Bodyguard did not get my blood pumping, but I appreciated the effort. The dirty-booted Stormtroopers are an even nicer touch, but Marvel opens up many new doors, as fans of Marvel Legends and Heroclix have learned.

A Spider Armor Spidey, available as a Walmart Exclusive, can mean when they need to re-release a few figures, to keep costs lower, we can look forward to the Gray Hulk, Dark Phoenix, Yellow Daredevil, Black Elektra, movie versions, and alternate universes. The difference being that many times, in comics, these costume/color changes represent a major change in characters powers, alignment (Marvel Class) and state of mind. So while a Stormtrooper with a bit of dirt on him will make him look different, a Hulk with a new paint scheme can be a bit smarter allowing for different Special Powers.

I think most comic fans will view Jean Grey and the Dark Phoenix as two completely different characters, so a bit of red and yellow paint means Hasbro and the "fanboys" all win!

I am very excited about Marvel Attacktix, and I would love to hear your thoughts, too! Please leave a comment and let me know how you feel!

Friday, July 21, 2006

Attacktix Tournament THIS WEEKEND

JoeAttacktix is proud to announce the first ever...

Superfly TNT ATTACKTIX Tournament


Date: July 22, 2006
Time: 2:30PM to 9:00PM
Place: Roberts Centre (CENTRAL OHIO)


Tournament Start: 4:00 stragglers welcome until 4:45 or so.
Tournament Rules: Hasbro's Tournament Rules (200 Point Teams)
Tournament Details:

  • Must use your own Attacktix
  • STAR WARS Attacktix Only. 200 Point Matches with 100 Points of Backups
  • Single Elimination - no best 2 of 3s
  • May use ANY figures, with a limit of 5 duplicates per match (ie, no 20 Jedi Knights. Sorry, but the consensus is it's a bad idea)
  • NO MEGAS.
  • 5$ at the door to cover costs of rental the hall. This is a FAN sponsored event. Kids are free if they say "May the force be with you".
  • Anyone 10 and up can play in the tournament, but no help from parents (ie. actually SHOOTING a gun)
  • Anyone participating in the Tournament will be asked to kick in 5$ for an entry fee. If you can't come up with that, you can still play and get a little ribbon, but to get a physical prize item, you need to pay the entry fee.

Note:
At this time there will be official Tournament Prizes from Hasbro. More details to follow once Prize Support is in hand.

PLEASE CONFIRM WITH PETE : superflytnt [AT] insightbb.com AS SOON AS POSSBILE!

If anyone is handicapped or in any way needs special assistance, email above and we will make arrangements for the hotel staff to help and make sure we have 36" wide doors for wheelchairs.

There's a MAX AND ERMA'S in the hotel, and I will see about getting some snacks/appetizers/foodstuffs. No promises. The Wife will likely make
3 dozen Devilled Eggs (food fo the GODS!) I would reccomend bringing
something, or perhaps stopping at the Dairy Queen/BP station just before
the Hotel Entrance. Cheaper there!

VISIT THE THREAD HERE

OR ANY questions, PM SUPERFLYTNT HERE

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Marvel Attacktix Images from SDCC

Toy News International, Superhero Times and Jay Double from the Attacktix Forum have posted some images of the new Marvel Attacktix!

The complete list, as far as we can tell, is:

STARTER SET 1
Green Goblin (Pumpkin Bomb)
Spider-Man (Web Blaster?)
Wolverine (Claw Jab)
Sabertooth (Striker?)

STARTER SET 2 (Ghost Rider)
Ghost Rider (Chains?)
Wallow
Blackheart ?
Unknown Figure

MEGA
Ghost Rider (Mega?)
Unknown Figure

BOOSTERS
Venom (Uppercut)
Doctor Octopus (Striker?)
Gambit (Energy Blast)
Beast (Striker Hand)
Spider-Man (Web Shooter?)
Wolverine (Claw Jab)
Punisher (Shooter)
Thing (Striker Smash)
Captain America (Launcher Shield)
Spider-Man (Kicking)
Hulk (Barrel Toss)
Daredevil (Striker?)
Mystique
Magneto (Metal Blast)
Pyro (Shooter)
Thor (Striker Hammer)
Elektra (Striker)
Electro (Shooter)

We have tons of pictures posted here: MARVEL ATTACKTIX IMAGE GALLERY!

SDCC: San Diego Comic Con - Attacktix Interview

by Jay Jovellanos

Hey folks, Jay here reporting from San Diego. First off let me tell you I'm impressed. I took some pictures of Series 4 SW, Series 1 TF and Series 1 Marvel.

Before I get to the pictures I was able to interview Brian the main man behind Attacktix.

Jay: How did Star Wars Attacktix do, compared to what was projected for its first year?
Brian: It exceed expectations. Series 1 all the way to the just released Series 4. Attacktix is one of the top games for kids today. There's no other game where someone always has a chance, no matter how old you are. That's one of the keys to Attacktix's success is a 30 year old can play with his 10 year old son.

Jay: Any hints to how many more series we will see, or any new universe?
Brian: There's no limit to how many series will come out. It's such a big hit right now. As far as new universes; think older genres. (I said GI Joe and he just smiled)

Jay: Will we ever see more battle cases, or other types of storage?
Brian: No, they just weren't that big of a hit. They are looking at more Megas though.

Jay: How long does it take a series from conception to shelves?
Brian: About ten months. (Looks like a new series for us every year.)

Jay: Are there any plans for replacement projectiles and such?
Brian: Right now we're planning a weapons booster to retail around $3 - $5.

Jay: Will we be seeing reissues of older sculpt?
Brian: Yes, but there's a catch. For instance, Yoda will come out again with a different paint scheme and different powers. When we reissue an older sculpt chances are they will be repainted and have different powers.

Jay: What's the ETA on Marvel?
Brian: 4th Quarter or earlier. I'm already receiving some final sculpts from China.

Jay: Will we see movie versions of the Marvel Attacktix?
Brian: Yes.

Jay: What will the booster pack size be?
Brian: Two, and it will be peek proof. We felt stores were charging too much for 3 so getting 4 for $10 was a better deal.

Jay: What's the edition size for Marvel?
Brian: 18 plus the two Starter Sets and two Megas. He gave me a hint on the second mega; "Fireball Special."

Jay: When will WOTC take over?
Brian: They will be getting involved once Marvel is released. Attacktix will also be available at hobby shops and official tournaments will be starting, too.

Brian also wanted to announce a Tournament on Saturday at 12 noon in room 14AB. It's 100 point and bring your own Attacktix. The winner will get a set of Tourney Attacktixs 6-10.

Friday, July 14, 2006

Star Wars Attacktix Tournament Figure Preview - Darth Vader

Darth Vader
#T1-09

Today concludes the new wave of Star Wars Attacktix Tournament Figures.

Be sure to check out the previous figures at Web of Webhead and Master Attacktix



ATTACKTIX CLASS: Warrior
STAR WARS CLASS: Empire
POINT VALUE: 30
BASE SPEED: 14
BASE: Large
SPECIAL POWER: Sacrifice (Trooper)
ATTACK TYPE: Striker (Lightsaber)

In my opinion, we have saved the best for last. I am a huge fan of the Rebels and Light Side when I play, but this Silver Darth Vader is a strong figure. A speed bonus of two brings the Series 3 Lightsaber Vader up to 14. No other changes are needed, he is a monster. The figure has an excellent swing/strike and you can send opponents across the room. I would have loved to see him with all the same stats and a point value of 20, but I think that would make him unstoppable. The 20 point Silver Luke will be a worthy opponent, and make for a very exciting battle.

Be sure to check back here once SDCC starts up for information on how you can snag one of these tournament figures just for showing up.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Intergalactic Galactic Showdown Starter Sets with Exclusive Figures

Thanks to JayPee for these great images! The Exclusive Clone Trooper and Decepticlone that we had just reviewed have been spotted in packaging. These figures will come packed with the Starter Sets, bringing the total to five figures again, like the previous Starters!

Note: In the individual Star Wars picture, Boba Fett and Han Solo have exchanged missiles.







Don't forget to check out Web of Webhead for the Tournament Edition Luke Skywalker, available at the San Diego Comic Con!

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Star Wars Attacktix Tournament Figure Preview - Han Solo

Han Solo
#T1-08

Be sure to check out the Silver Tournament figures at Web of Webhead and Master Attacktix



ATTACKTIX CLASS: Captain
STAR WARS CLASS: Rebel
POINT VALUE: 20
BASE SPEED: 8
BASE: Medium
SPECIAL POWER: Recruit(Chewbacca)
ATTACK TYPE: Shooter (Large Missile)

The Han Solo Tournament Figure is the Series 3, Captain Solo, with a speed bonus. A new speed of 8 will give him the ability to chase down the quick Starter Greedo! The figrue remains a solid 20 point shooter, with a great effect for fans of the Wookiee Life Debt. With a Chewbacca in your back ups, you have a good chance of him coming in, upon Han's death, and returning the favor!

Be sure to check back here once SDCC starts up for information on how you can snag one of these tournament figures just for showing up.

Friday, July 07, 2006

Attacktix Tournament in Central Ohio

JoeAttacktix is proud to announce the first ever...

Superfly TNT ATTACKTIX Tournament


Date: July 22, 2006
Time: 2:30PM to 9:00PM
Place: Roberts Centre (CENTRAL OHIO)


Tournament Start: 4:00 stragglers welcome until 4:45 or so.
Tournament Rules: Hasbro's Tournament Rules (200 Point Teams)
Tournament Details:

  • Must use your own Attacktix
  • STAR WARS Attacktix Only. 200 Point Matches with 100 Points of Backups
  • Single Elimination - no best 2 of 3s
  • May use ANY figures, with a limit of 5 duplicates per match (ie, no 20 Jedi Knights. Sorry, but the consensus is it's a bad idea)
  • NO MEGAS.
  • 5$ at the door to cover costs of rental the hall. This is a FAN sponsored event. Kids are free if they say "May the force be with you".
  • Anyone 10 and up can play in the tournament, but no help from parents (ie. actually SHOOTING a gun)
  • Anyone participating in the Tournament will be asked to kick in 5$ for an entry fee. If you can't come up with that, you can still play and get a little ribbon, but to get a physical prize item, you need to pay the entry fee.

Note:
At this time there will be official Tournament Prizes from Hasbro. More details to follow once Prize Support is in hand.

PLEASE CONFIRM WITH PETE : superflytnt [AT] insightbb.com AS SOON AS POSSBILE!

If anyone is handicapped or in any way needs special assistance, email above and we will make arrangements for the hotel staff to help and make sure we have 36" wide doors for wheelchairs.

There's a MAX AND ERMA'S in the hotel, and I will see about getting some snacks/appetizers/foodstuffs. No promises. The Wife will likely make
3 dozen Devilled Eggs (food fo the GODS!) I would reccomend bringing
something, or perhaps stopping at the Dairy Queen/BP station just before
the Hotel Entrance. Cheaper there!

VISIT THE THREAD HERE

OR ANY questions, PM SUPERFLYTNT HERE

Star Wars Attacktix Preview: Retail Promo Fiure - Clone Trooper

Clone Trooper
#P-02

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

ATTACKTIX CLASS: Trooper
STAR WARS CLASS: Republic
POINT VALUE: 10
BASE SPEED: 4
BASE: Small
SPECIAL POWER: Recruit (Clone Trooper)
ATTACK TYPE: Shooter (Small Missile)

Hasbro has produced two new promo figures for the game which will be available at retail outlets later this year, attached to other products. Look for details to come. Today we preview the Star Wars promo figure, the Green Republic Clone Trooper.

The Clone Trooper is a familiar piece with basics stats and weapons. It is the first Clone Trooper to feature the Recruit ability, allowing for team dynamics like the Battle Droids.

Be sure to check out Web of Webhead in case you missed the Decepticline variant promo!

Thursday, July 06, 2006

Attacktix Exclusives - Promos and Tournament Figures

Transformers Attacktix Preview - Retail Promos

The week is quickly coming to an end, but that doesn't mean we can't pack it with exciting Attacktix news! Kicking off in San Diego, Hasbro and Attacktix will be displaying promotional figures for both the Star Wars and Transformers lines!

The link above will take you to the Decepticlone variant... and tomorrow you can check right here at JoeAttactix for the Star Wars promo figure.

UPDATE: The promo figures will be RETAIL promos, not Con Exclusives...which means that sometime later this year the promo figures will be available packaged with other products. As we get new details we will be sure to pass them along.

Begun, the Clone Week, has.

Monday, July 03, 2006

Transformers Fan Fest 2006 - Pictures and Report

The Transformers Fan Fest (TransFanCon) was a very exciting time for Transformers fans! The event kicked off with the Transformers Movie Trailer, which can also be seen here. The trailer had only just leaked onto the internet a few days before, and will soon appear before Pirates 2, so it was the first time many fans got to see it.



There were three private Transformer Collections on display, and the Fans' Choice Top 10 Beast Wars playing all day in the background. Barry, the event planner, also had tons of games and activities to help the day go by quickly.





Guests at the Toys "R" Us hosted Transfancon were treated to almost $3000 in prizes, including the big screen TV that displayed the trailer and Beast Wars. Though we were not handing out TVs, we did entertain the crowds with the very first Transformers Attacktix demo and gave away a Free Intergalactic Showdown set! The IGSD pack was the only product on store shelves so far, so this was the first time for most fans to even hold an Attacktix figure!



There were a few Transformers fans who were already familiar with the Star Wars lines, but for most die-hard fans of the Bots and Cons they had no idea what was going on at our table. The Attacktix table was set up right next to the Speed Transformation and Color Tables, so there were a lot of passers by who sat down to play. The general consensus was that there was another collection to begin!





Optimus Prime and Megatron was some of the most popular figures, but Starscream and Vector Prime also had their share of admirers. The Battle Ravage figure, with his bright green Mace was also a big fan favorite. The event had a nice turnout, and our section (in TRU Clothing) got packed pretty fast. Missile and figures were flying left and right! It was a great introduction to the Transformers Attacktix line.

The Dagobah Code -Win an All-Silver Trophy Grievous

[image]

The Dagobah Code is an online puzzle challenge with a Star Wars Attacktix theme. You do not need to be a Star Wars trivia master or even own many Attacktix to win. Most of the puzzles don't involve Star Wars answers but those that do have all the info you need on this very site!

All entrants will be entered to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card, compliments of SuperFlyTNT (who is also hosting a Tournament in Central Ohio!)

ONE lucky code breaker will get one very special prize, which is an ALL-SILVER TOURNAMENT GENERAL GRIEVOUS! This trophy figure had been hiding in my toy room for a few months until I stumbled upon him. He is a GREAT piece to add to any collection and nearly IMPOSSIBLE to find. The puzzles will be VERY challenging but the prizes are well worth it!

The contest will run for five weeks. At the end of each week, I will release one hint for the corresponding puzzle (hint for Code #1 will come at the end of Week #1).

CLICK HERE TO GET STARTED!