Skylanders: Giants
A direct sequel to Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure.
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| Platform | Developer | Age Rating | Release Date | ||
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| EU | NA |  |
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Oct 19th 2012 | Oct 21st 2012 |
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Nov 30th 2012 | Nov 18th 2012 | ||
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Oct 19th 2012 | Oct 21st 2012 | ||
Story
As a direct sequel the story picks up shortly after the events of Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure. The very basic premise of the game as told by a press release:
Players will resume their role as a powerful Portal Master, who controls their a team of Skylanders, including Giants, mythical and powerful heroes that play a pivotal role in the quest to save the Skylands from Kaos, who is back with another plan to rule over Skylands. Players will navigate perilous lands, battle powerful enemies, collect treasures and solve interesting puzzles.
Joel Cohen and Alec Sokolow have returned to help write the story.
Characters
As well as being able to use all of the Skylanders from the original game, Skylanders Giants introduced 16 brand new characters to play as. This new lineup was made up of eight regular sized Skylanders and eight Giants who were about twice the size of the other characters.
Here are pictures of all of the Skylanders new to Skylanders Giants:
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Along with the brand new Skylanders and variants there will also be new "Series 2" poses for 24 characters from the first game (compared to the original characters they have a special "Wow Pow" upgrade and the ability to switch paths at will - you can use these toys in the first game but you won't have access to that extra power there) and eight LightCore characters (versions of characters who light up when placed on the portal and cause a massive in-game explosion of light when they first enter) who are made up of four of the new Skylanders and four of the old (they are not Series 2 so do not have a Wow Pow - you can also use these toys in the first game but again do not have any sort of extra power).
Altogether that brings the total number of new toys to 62. Combine that with the 37 playable toys from Skylanders Spyro's Adventure and you have a grand total of 99 different playable Skylander toys.
In the Starter Pack you get three Skylanders (on console Jet-Vac, Cynder (Series 2) and Tree Rex, on 3DS Punch Pop Fizz, Cynder (Series 2) and Tree Rex), a Portal of Power, Trading Cards, a Poster, and the game. The Starter Pack was also available without the Portal of Power for those who already had one but it only had one Skylander: Tree Rex.
To help differentiate between the old and new sets, the base of the Skylanders for Skylanders: Giants are orange instead of the green that is seen on the bottom of the Spyro's Adventure toys.
Here's a table to show the compatibility and features of the characters:
| Type of Skylander | Wow Pow | Path Switch | LightCore Blast | Spyro's Adventure | Heroic Challenge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giant | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Legendary Giant | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| New Skylander | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| LightCore New Skylander | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Legendary New Skylander | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Series 2 | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| LightCore Series 2 | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Legendary Series 2 | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Series 1 | No | No | No | Yes | No |
All toys were compatible with the online world of Skylanders: Universe but it is no longer running.
Portal of Power
Once again the game uses a Portal of Power, the technology inside has not changed so you can still use the portal that you got with Spyro's Adventure, there is however also a version of the game sold without a portal.
The portal included with the Starter Pack for Giants has a slightly different appearance to the old one; the base of the portal (previously green) now glows the same colour as the top but the runes on the side no longer glow at all. All console portals were wired this time to combat the issues with battery consumption that plagued the first game.
The new large "Giants" are sized so that you can still fit two of them onto the portal at the same time for co-op play.
The Portals (both new and old) also power the brand new LightCore features of certain special Skylanders. When brought near the Portal of Power they start glowing! All of the Giant Skylanders contain this LightCore feature but only a select few of the normal sized Skylanders have a LightCore variant. Those that have an additional LightCore edition are Jet-Vac, Pop Fizz, Chill, Shroomboom, Drobot, Hex, Eruptor, and Prism Break. The LightCore versions of these characters cost slightly more than the regular versions (and the ones in the Starter Pack are not the LightCore versions).
Platforms
The game was released on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, Wii U, and 3DS. There was not a PC/Mac version this time.
Music
The theme music was again by Academy Award Winning film composer Hans Zimmer and is a brand new score by returning composer, Lorne Balfe.
Exclusives
Toys R Us again had several Skylanders exclusives, including a Legendary Triple Pack containing Legendary Ignitor, Legendary Slam Bam and Legendary Jet-Vac. At launch they also had a single of the giant Legendary Bouncer.
Target in the US had a special darker version of Crusher, "Granite Crusher", as an exclusive.
At launch GameStop had an exclusive Golden version of the "Dragonfire Cannon Battle Pack", a normal version was also available elsewhere at launch.
GAME/Gamestation in the UK and Walmart in the US had an exclusive Glow in the Dark variant of the Series 2 Cynder and a Glow in the Dark Portal of Power in their console Starter Packs.
Comments
Thumpback:
humpback was once a crew member of The Phantom Tide, the most fearsome pirate ship in all of Skylands. But the actual pirating part about being a pirate didn't interest Thumpback so much as the benefits that came with traveling on a large ship. After all, his real passion was fishing. But when his chance came to finally ensnare the most elusive creature in the sky - the Leviathan Cloud Crab - he was pulled over board and carried off into the horizon. This was actually quite fortunate, because sometime later The Phantom Tide and its entire crew were banished to the Chest of Exile. Thumpback’s pirating days were over, but his legend as one of the first Skylanders had only just begun.
Chill:
Chill was the sworn guardian and personal protector of the Snow Queen. As captain of the queen's guard, her many heroic deeds had earned her the respect of the entire Ice Kingdom. But when the Cyclops army began to expand their empire into the northern realms, the Snow Queen was taken prisoner during her watch, and Chill has never forgiven herself for letting it happen. Ashamed and embarrassed, she left the Ice Kingdom behind and swore never to return until she could reclaim her honor. Now as a member of the Skylanders, she remains courageous and strong, while always on the lookout for her lost queen.
Bouncer:
Long ago, Bouncer was an All-Star Roboto Ball player. But when the evil Arkeyan Empire destroyed his home town and discontinued the games, he was converted into a security-bot and stationed in the mines. It was there that Bouncer encountered dozens of Mabu prisoners who remembered him fondly from his playing days. He quickly became a bit of a celebrity around the mines, and it wasn't long before this new adulation convinced him that he could be just as much of a hero in life as he was on the field. Thus, he decided to join the Skylanders and take a stand against the evil, Arkeyan overlords.
Sprocket:
Sprocket was raised with all the privileges of a rich, proper Goldling. But she cared little for fancy things. Instead, she spent most of her time growing up in her uncle's workshop, learning how to build and fix his many mechanical inventions. But everything changed on the day her uncle mysteriously vanished. When she eventually discovered that Kaos had been behind his disappearance, she constructed a battle suit and went after him, leaving the luxury and comfort of her family's wealth behind. From that moment on, Sprocket was dedicated to fighting the forces of evil, while never losing hope that she would be reunited with her beloved uncle.
Crusher:
Crusher knew from the moment he put on his father's mining helmet that his true passion in life was crushing rocks. He was fascinated with rock-lore and traveled all throughout Skylands in search of rare minerals to pulverize with his powerful hand-crafted rock hammer, which he also named Crusher. But along his travels, he discovered that the evil Arkeyan King was also searching for rocks - to melt down into weapons of war. Crusher's fury built up like an avalanche. After all, crushing was his job! So he put aside his life’s passion and decided to use his hammer for a greater purpose - crushing Arkeyan Robots!
Flashwing:
Flashwing's true origins are a mystery. But her first appearance came when Bash made a wish that he could fly and looked up to see a shooting star streak across the sky and land in a valley below. In the center of the glowing impact crater was a large, brilliant geode - which suddenly cracked open to reveal Flashwing. Bash may not have soared that day, but his heart sure did, because Flashwing was beautifuL... and lethal. As soon as Bash stepped closer, the gem dragon turned towards him. Not knowing if he was friend or foe, she blasted him off of the cliff with a full force laser pulse from her tail! Perhaps Bash flew that day after all.
Ninjini:
Ninjini was the most renowned magical ninja from ancient times, long before the Arkeyans ever rose to power. But a dark sorceress, who was jealous of Ninjini's skill as a warrior, trapped her within an enchanted bottle to be imprisoned for all of eternity. Time stretched on, yet Ninjini remained steadfast and determined to escape - even mastering the dual sword technique within the solitude of her bottle. Over the years, her strength continued to grow until alas, through sheer force of will, she broke free! From that moment on, Ninjini made it her mission to help those in need as one of the first Skylanders, always carrying that enchanted bottle as a reminder of her own resilience.
Pop Fizz:
Nobody is quite sure who Pop Fizz was before he became an alchemist, least of all Pop Fizz himself. After many years of experimenting with magical potions, his appearance has changed quite significantly. In fact, no one even knows his original color. But it's widely known that he is a little crazy, his experiments are reckless, and the accidents they cause are too numerous to measure. Understandably, he has had a difficult time finding lab partners, or anyone that even wants to be near him. In hopes of making himself more appealing to others, he attempted to create the most effective charm potion ever - but that just turned him into a big, wild, berserker. Or maybe that's just how he saw the potion working in the first place...
//forum.darkspyro.net/spyro/vi...ic=60121&page=1
Hot Head had always been a short tempered fire giant. But it was when magical oil was discovered in Skylands that fuel was really added to the fire. As exciting as the discovery was, the celebration lasted only 5 minutes - coming to an abrupt halt when Hot Head needed to cool off and plunged into the thick black pool, causing the entire island to explode! Though it would be another 2,000 years before magical oil was discovered again, the impact that it had on Hot Head was immediate. He was instantly infused with magical oil, giving him the ability to generate an infinite supply of fuel - making him incredibly volatile, highly combustible, and ready to torch anything that got in his way
Thumpback was once a crew member of The Phantom Tide, the most fearsome pirate ship in all of Skylands. But the actual pirating part about being a pirate didn't interest Thumpback so much as the benefits that came with traveling on a large ship. After all, his real passion was fishing. But when his chance came to finally ensnare the most elusive creature in the sky - the Leviathan Cloud Crab - he was pulled over board and carried off into the horizon. This was actually quite fortunate, because sometime later The Phantom Tide and its entire crew were banished to the Chest of Exile. Thumpback’s pirating days were over, but his legend as one of the first Skylanders had only just begun
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Hot Head had always been a short tempered fire giant. But it was when magical oil was discovered in Skylands that fuel was really added to the fire. As exciting as the discovery was, the celebration lasted only 5 minutes - coming to an abrupt halt when Hot Head needed to cool off and plunged into the thick black pool, causing the entire island to explode! Though it would be another 2,000 years before magical oil was discovered again, the impact that it had on Hot Head was immediate. He was instantly infused with magical oil, giving him the ability to generate an infinite supply of fuel - making him incredibly volatile, highly combustible, and ready to torch anything that got in his way.
Hot Dog:
Hot Dog was born in the belly of the Popcorn Volcano. While on a nearby mission, a team of Skylanders had come across the stray fire pup when the volcano erupted and Hot Dog came rocketing straight into their camp, accidentally setting Gill Grunt's tent on fire. Using his nose for danger, he helped the Skylanders complete their mission - even pouncing on a lava golem like a blazing comet when it threatened his new friends. After displaying such loyalty and bravery, Hot Dog was brought back to Eon's Citadel where he became a Skylander - and then he proceeded to bury Eon's staff.
Eye Brawl:
Throughout history, there have been many epic battles, though none more bizarre than the legendary brawl between the headless giant and the infamous flying eyeball. It all started with a staring contest, but with the headless giant having no eyes and the flying eyeball unable to blink, it soon escalated into an all out war as the two rivals fought fiercely throughout the land of the undead for over a hundred years! With neither opponent backing down, the two combatants were eventually struck with the realization that if they were to combine their formidable powers, they would be a force to be reckoned with. By teaming up, the infamous flying eyeball and the headless giant became known as Eye-Brawl - one of the most powerful Skylanders ever known!
Fright Rider:
Rider and his magnificent ostrich, Fright, were the finest jousting team in all of Skylands. But after winning the championship for the 3rd straight year, a jealous competitor placed a curse on the elf that sent him to the Land of the Undead. Not wanting to be without his partner, Fright, who up until this point had been afraid of nearly everything, ate a bag of skele-oats that turned him into a skeleton so that he could brave the journey to the underworld to save his friend. Grateful for being rescued, Fright Rider returned to the surface dedicated to helping others - while still dominating an occasional jousting tournament from time to time!
Tree Rex:
Long before the Giants protected Skylands, Tree Rex was a majestic tree living peacefully in the ancient woods. But this tranquil existence came to an end when the Arkeyans built a nearby factory to produce war machines. After years of his soil being poisoned by the magic and tech waste from the factory, he mutated into who he is now - a powerful Giant who will crush anything that threatens the natural order of things.
Shroomboom:
Shroomboom was most unfortunate to have been born in a pizza topping garden belonging to Kaos. Growing up among his fellow fungi, he knew it was only a matter of time before a late night craving would bring about their demise. So Shroomboom took a twig and a strand of spider web and made a slingshot. One by one, he launched all of his friends over the garden fence before flinging himself over to join them. Then he guided them all to the edge of the island and leapt to freedom, using his mushroom cap to catch a friendly breeze. Now as a member of the Skylanders, Shroomboom continues to perform courageous deeds... but he can be hard to find on pizza night.
Swarm:
Swarm was once a prince from a proud race of mysterious insect warriors that had built their entire civilization inside a giant honeycombed pyramid. Growing up as one of the 9,000 members of the royal family, he was never permitted to leave the hive. But unlike his brethren, there was a magical quality to Swarm that caused him to grow much larger than the rest of his kind. No longer able to fit amongst the rest of his colony, the young prince broke the long standing tradition and stepped out into the open world - where his size and strength would be put to good use in the legendary battle between the Giants and the Arkeyans.
Jet-Vac:
Jet-Vac was the greatest, most daring flying ace in all of Windham. He was given his magical wings when he was young, as was the tradition for all Sky Barons. But when his homeland was raided, he chose to sacrifice his wings to a young mother so she could fly her children to safety. This act of nobility caught the attention of Master Eon, who sought out the young Sky Baron and presented him with a gift - a powerful vacuum device that would allow him to soar through the skies once again. Jet-Vac accepted the gift with gratitude, and now daringly fights evil alongside the other Skylanders.