Let’s Think Deep: The Great Zelda Schism:

There’s no better place to start than one of our original Toy-TMA Originals, a column of Let’s Think Deep, our longform opinion pieces. We’ve done a lot over the past two and a half years, but one that I felt really proud of was “The Great Zelda Schism”. In it, I get a chance to pontificate on a topic I’d previously been unable to express, specifically why there’s such a divide among Zelda fans between the art styles and what they mean. This leads into one of my favorite reviews ever…

Gonna Take You For a Ride: A Review of Spirit Tracks:

Before we had the regular segment called Bad Games That Should Have Been Great, I encountered a pair of games that for one reason or another really frustrated me. The first was God of War III, and the second was Spirit Tracks for the Nintendo DS. This review, filled with righteous nerd anger, would be the basis for many more articles to come, and something about this stream of consciousness, annoyance-fueled tirade brings me back again and again. However, not everything is terrible…

Hot Wheels, a life long friend:

Brian, our usual Friday writer, is not only a great writer and produces some of my favorite articles, but he’s also one of my favorite partnerships online. He’s consistently brought a wonderful contrast to the things that Gus and I typically write, and fresh perspective is always fantastic.For instance, I had a passing fancy with Hot Wheels, but Brian understands them inside and out, quite literally. Getting to read his writing on Hot Wheels and what they mean in his life is really something quite special, and I wouldn’t disregard it so easily.

Crash Bandicoot, A Retrospective:

You can’t speak about passion without bringing Gus into the mix. Over a year ago I asked Gus for a guest piece and since that fateful day, Gus kept sending me article after article, even if I didn’t ask. I was delighted to bring him on as a fulltime writer, currently filling the Monday spot perfectly with his raw enthusiasm for every subject he touches. For instance, I’d highly recommend reading through his (currently) 4-part Crash Bandicoot retrospective as it will most certainly make a fan out of you. After his Crash Team Racing article, despite being a diehard Mario Kart fan, I was seriously considering switching teams. Do not underestimate Gus’ resolve for a good argument. Speaking of which…

Top 10 Misconceptions of Avatar The Last Airbender:

Gus spent over a year trying to convince me to give Avatar The Last Airbender a chance, and for some reason I refused to listen. Now that I’ve seen the show, I can safely say that it’s one of the best things ever aired on TV, but with that comes a love that demands argument, and in comes Gus’ list of 10 misconceptions from the series that I honestly couldn’t help myself from debating, leading to a counter article from my end. When the smoke had cleared, Gus’ original article had more comments and thus was declared the winner. However, this debate may rage on for some time elsewhere, such as No Right Answer, but that’s to be decided another day. But hey, winning isn’t everything…

How To Lose With Dignity:

Sometimes I just can’t resist a good humor article in the vein of Dave Barry, and so I’m so glad that I took the time and wrote a few guides on important subjects, most noteworthy “How To Lose With Dignity”. It’s an important skill but one that few people possess. All the same, I felt that my writing was strong and the humor flowed perfectly here. It really makes me wonder why I don’t do more How To guides more often…

Let’s Think Deep: Books and Games:

I can’t mention my favorite Toy-TMA articles without eventually mentioning my wife, Sharayah, seeing as how she’s one of my favorite writers, for clearly biased reasons. Joking aside, her Let’s Think Deep piece titled “Books and Games” is a wonderfully written article about the connection between books and video games, specifically how the two worlds relate to one another. She describes how the ideology of a hardcore gamer and the ideology of a hardcore reader don’t necessarily differ that greatly, as well as how the two media excel in different areas. So yes, we can be literary here beyond just talking about toys and video games.

Comic Book Club: Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld:

One of our past writers, Cassie, was great about offering another new voice among Gus and I ranting and raving about our favorite video games and cartoons. She covered a wide variety of toys that I’d never have thought of, such as creepy celluloid toys or some strange robots, but it was a Comic Book Club article of hers that jumped out at me. Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld is a comic book that I’d previously never heard of, but after Cassie described it I started to wish I had a greater knowledge of the source material, or at least had a younger sister that had been into comics. I’m a sucker for a good story, and Amethyst has all he elements of an interesting world. Learning about people’s past isanother big favorite of mine, hence why we have…

Halloween Costume Quest: Doing Halloween Costumes Like a Champ:

Another of Brian’s amazingly unique articles, this time regarding his history with homemade Halloween costumes, something we probably all have memories of. Not only does he take a stance that I fully endorse- that of the importance of putting forth some effort with costumes- but he shares with us some old home photos as well. Ever wanted to see Brian dressed as a train conductor? Or Macho Man Randy Savage? Well, now you can! There’s just something fun about articles written specifically to tie into a holiday, for instance…

Seven Tragic Video Game Love Stories:

I wrote this one this year to coincide with Valentine’s Day and felt extremely pleased with the results. I thought I had a good variety with a few people might not have considered at first, and best of all, it was timely! And original to our site! And well…it didn’t go as viral as I would have hoped. Perhaps part of this was because while I submitted this to Kotaku’s tip email in hopes of getting on their weekly Top 5 of Top 10 Lists, I didn’t make it, though some other list that seemed veeeeeeeery close to mine actually did. Thus is life sometimes. Every now and then when I feel lonely, I take a look back and remember some of those love stories again. But if there’s one article I look back the most fond out, it’s…

5 Things From DBZ I Wanted To See But Didn’t:

Nearly one year ago I wrote up yet another Dragon Ball Z list and initially thought nothing of it. I just wanted to talk DBZ, so I wrote a list to get my fix. However, the writing felt good, and more importantly, the images seemed to work so very perfectly at last. Part of this article’s special place in my heart is a simple fix I had made that ended up going a long way. At the time, there was a problem on our site where images wouldn’t stay centered, so I discovered that by making sure the images were the exact width of the article, they’d appear centered and by association make the article look more professional. And the result, now rendered irrelevant thanks to our spiffy new site design, was great. Not only that, I was on fire with the captions, a feat I can rarely replicate. This was a turning point for the site and sometimes when I need to remember why I enjoy writing for Toy-TMA in the first place, I stop here for a visit.

Of course, these articles aren’t the only ones that I enjoy, reread frequently, or would consider my favorites. No, there are far too many to list! So I want to hear what some of your favorite articles are instead. What have you enjoyed reading these past few years? What sort of features do you want to see more of? What can we do to serve you better? And fallow Toy-TMA writers, feel free to make a list of your own! It’s Christmas, so let’s look at the fond memories and continue on, shall we?

Merry Christmas one and all from Toy-Too Much Awesome!

Costumes, candy and fun

Halloween has always been a little different for me because not only is it the best holiday of them all, it’s also my birthday. Growing up Halloween meant two things to me: presents and candy…not a bad combination. Of course, to get the latter you have to dress up and pander to your neighbors, and unfortunately finding a good costume gets harder the older you get.

Halloween isn’t much trouble when you’re young. You go to the store and you pick out the costume you want, and when you’re that age, sky’s the limit…unless of course you were me and had a very crafty mother. Shy of the one store-bought costume of which I have photographic proof (I was Bugs Bunny), every other costume I had growing up was made at home, for better or worse. A homemade Halloween costume was a double edge sword, really. On one had you knew that your costume was one-of-a-kind, but because it was, you usually didn’t have all the accessories you wanted that you would have otherwise got with a retail purchase. And just like GI Joe or Barbie, it’s all about the accessories.

If only you could see the happiness on my little face.

When you don’t pay retail

Rather than have a cool plastic sword or laser gun, I had accessories made out of cardboard. One year I was a train conductor (I was big into trains) and if you exclude the kick ass hat, the only accessory I had was a flashlight. Other costume highlights from Halloweens past include a hobo in which I wore a mop on my head and a dress, a vampire that wore sweats, and a Rambo outfit that was little more that a ripped t-shirt and a cardboard bazooka. However, just for the record, I thought my Rambo costume was pretty sweet and it coordinated with the Rambo lunchbox I had at the time.

What you get when you don't buy a costume...train conductor.

So watching many of my friends prance around town in their “high end” was sometimes hard to accept, a little piece of me always wondering why I didn’t get “cool” costumes like everyone else, but little did I know my mother was just preparing me for adulthood. I’m not ashamed to say that I’ve dressed up every Halloween since I was probably four years old, and I didn’t stop trick-or-treating until I was probably 18…and before you start blasting me about that, let me grab my soapbox real quick.

Why is trick-or-treating a crime?

I don’t know where, why, or when trick-or-treating became a kid-only activity. Trick-or-treating is about dressing up and embarrassing yourself by going door-to-door asking for free candy. If you ask me, anyone that takes the time to dress up and has the stones to ask me for candy deserves some. I don’t care if you’re eight, 18 or 88. If you put in the effort, you’ll get a reward. One year, however, I found out that feeling is not shared by everyone when I was denied candy and told I was too old. I don’t know how they knew I was too old as I was wearing a mask, but nonetheless, it kind of upset me. I don’t go begging anymore, mostly because my wife forbids it, but if I could, absolutely I would and I’ll tell you that the costumes I make now are far better than some of the costumes these lazy kids wear today. They don’t appreciate the fine art that is the Halloween costume, a skill that requires creativity, cleverness, humor, and humility.

Do-it-yourself and have more fun

As I grew up, it didn’t take me long to realize why my mother never bought me Halloween costumes. They’re expensive and they’re cheap. Like any other holiday, Halloween comes but once a year and retailers know it, so they charge you an arm and a leg for everything from fake blood to complete costumes. Purchasing a costume every year, while easy, is just too expensive and honestly, I don’t think you enjoy it as much. The adult costumes you find in stores are somewhat limited, typically ranging between sexy witch and giant keg of beer, and they’re all boring. These costumes have no personality and don’t really show off who you are or what you can be. Halloween costumes should be an extension of yourself. It’s the one day out of the year that it is acceptable to dress up and be whatever you want to me, so take advantage of that…don’t wuss out. Don’t be a keg.

I, Macho Man - One of the most fun costumes ever.

However, I have to admit that coming up with creative costumes year after year is exhausting. If you put your heart into your costume, you have to start planning early and gathering together all your pieces and parts. I’ve been a pro wrestling fan since I was five and to pay homage to my favorite heroes of the squared circle, I crafted some homemade costumes for a couple of years. It was a lot of fun being my wrestling heroes, first Macho Man Randy Savage and then the year after Roddy Piper. And the one cool thing about making your own costumes now is that you can buy all the accessories you wanted as a kid. To go along with my custom-made muscle suit and kilt (thanks, mom) I bought my very own championship belt. You see, I’m not anti-retail, you just have to find the balance between what you can/should make on your own and what things you really need to buy to enhance it.

Going hardcore on Halloween

I consider myself a true middle-of-the-road costumer. I don’t half-ass it but I don’t go all out either. It keeps things affordable and doesn’t make the whole process a hassle. Of course, you always have the friend that does go all out and just makes your efforts look lazy. I have one friend that dresses up full tilt every year. One year he had a Freddy Kruger outfit, complete with burn makeup and glove, and then the next year he was ultra-scary killer clown, again, complete with makeup. His costumes are always impressive and there’s never any question as to what he’s trying to be. I admire his hard work but know at the same time I’d never be motivated enough to go through the whole process. It looks cool but I’ll stick with my relatively simple creations.

Are you afraid of clowns? You are now.

And speaking of simple, some of the better and most clever costumes are those that don’t require any makeup or require extra purchases. If you just put some heart into it, you can cobble together the right combination of clothes and accessories right in your own home. You can be Bob Vila and just wear your tool belt and a hammer. Wear your pajamas, rip your shirt, and use some red food coloring and you can be Teen Victim #3 from any horror movie. Or dig out your old varsity jacket, put on some eye shadow, and be a zombie football jock. Or just find some suspenders, a hat and shave, and you can be Amish.

Point being, you don’t have to go all out to have some fun, it just requires some creativity. It doesn’t matter what your costume is or what you did to create it, it matters that you do it at all!

The future of Halloween

For Halloween this year I plan on being a character from one of my new favorite video games. I’m not telling what it is right now, you’ll have to wait and see photos, but it’s safe to say the costume will require some craftiness yet won’t break the bank or need me to invest hours upon hours to dress up. It’s just fun and that’s all Halloween is supposed to be. Fun (and  birthday presents).

What are some of your favorite Halloween costumes of years past?

(Disclaimer: I am not an affiliate or employee of Oriental Trading, but neither is this article meant to be insulting. I still love them.)

1. Design Your Own White Face Masks

Seeing as they are shaped exactly like creepy expressionless faces, the décor that I can imagine little kids scribbling onto them would only make them creepier. These would give me nightmares if my mom bought some for my next birthday party.

2. Gummy Blood

Hmm, how can we really corner the market on novelty candy? I know! Let’s take something fun and kid-friendly like gummy candy, and combine it with the exact OPPOSITE of all of those words! Voila- gummy blood.

3. Boomerang Candy

If you throw them, do they swing back around and land right in your mouth? Why would you possibly need boomerang candy? So many questions.

4. Happy Easter Hamster Shaped Suckers

I just have a few questions- what in the world do hamsters have to do with Easter? Is the Easter Bunny followed around by little hamsters wearing bunny ear headbands to help him hide the eggs? I AM SO BAFFLED RIGHT NOW.

5. Inflatable Shapes

“Son, for your birthday we got you something really fun!”

“Oh boy, Dad! What is it? What is it?”

“Presto!”

“…..um, couldn’t we just get a piñata?”

“Be quiet and go play with your shapes. Daddy needs another drink.”

End scene.

6. He Lives! Cross Shaped Pops

Are you seriously going to give these to children? What twisted person derives pleasure from allowing children to run around sucking on little sugared replicas of the most torturous execution device known to man?

7. Marshmallow Bunny Tails

Really this is just clever marketing. Any other time of year these are called miniature marshmallows, and people buy them for baking and hot cocoa. At Easter time? Bunny tails! Suddenly we MUST HAVE THEM IN BULK.

8. Cheers to the Grad Bean Bag Toss Game

If this is what your parents got to help you celebrate your high school graduation, they may be trying to send you a message.

9. Super Shape Changer

There is so much weirdness here I don’t even know where to start. I can only see this really working as some bizarre form of punishment. “Another F on your report card, Timmy? That’s it, get in the shape changer.”

10. Inflatable Eels

Honestly, I included these because I really want them. Eel party!

Want more articles about strange toys? Then check these out:

-Toys of 2010 that were just plain bad ideas

-Creepy Celluloids

-Vintage Robot Toys

Kyle and I may not be birds, but friends of a feather, that is quite true.

Today we have the fifth episode of the Too Much Awesome podcast with the return of Kyle Martinak. In this episode, Chris and Kyle discuss the general topic of childhood trends, including what Kyle calls “Schoolyard Currency,” Pogs, Super Soakers, Nerf, Mr. Potato Head, Toy Story 3, and video games. Plus, Chris makes a point of wishing Bob Chipman, the Game Overthinker/Movie Bob, was his friend. So sit back, relax, and listen to two boys reminisce about their childhoods.

Within the episode we reference Kyle’s recent article on his Unattainable Toys, his older article on Silly Bandz, Episode Three and Four of the podcast, Kyle’s Review of Toy Story 3, my article on Toy Story 3 Toys, and the Eight-Part Mario Retrospective.

You can download the new episode here.

And as promised, here is how I’ve set up my shelf for Kyle for the past few months without a response:

There, now I can sleep easy and change their configuration.

Sure the Technodrome made you Commander Cool, but what other toys couldn't I have as a kid?

Remember a Christmas or birthday when you wanted that one special toy, but no one got it for you? Now you understand…it was ridiculously expensive, or impossible to locate. You were disappointed then, because there was no such thing as ebay or Amazon, and instead you got a sweater.

Well, now I’m going to take a long look back at the items that even made Santa say, “I…um…YOU WANT WHAT?!” Any kid with one of these babies was instantly cool in my eyes, no matter how much he smelled. I bet every one of them is easy to find nowadays, too.

Keep in mind, this is my personal list, in chronological order of their production. These were impossible to find, and expensive as heck for me and my parents.

10.) The U.S.S. Flagg playset (G.I. JOE)

This thing ate my Ghostbusters Firehouse for breakfast.

Okay, yes, this one was a few years before my time. It was released in 1985, and is to this day the biggest action figure playset known-to-geek. It was well over seven feet long, and could store GI Joe vehicles and figures. A friend of mine had one when I was very young, and let me tell you something: there is nothing quite so epic as an all-out, vehicle-on-vehicle battle between whole armies of figures on your own personal aircraft carrier. Unfortunately for me, my parents didn’t have $90-110 lying around, and they certainly didn’t have space for the Flagg to lie around. It was bigger than my bed, after all. If you had this as a kid…I kind of hate the kid version of you. The adult you is still okay, though.

9.) The Super Soaker 50

The latest in hydraulic shenanigans at the time.

This was the only toy that I wanted, my brother wanted, and my dad bought…for himself. Apparently, computer companies in the early 90’s employed some screwballs who enjoyed water-gun fights in the office. So, I didn’t get the original Super Soaker, first named the Power Drencher (good call on that change, eh?) that came out in 1990. Instead, I was given the consolation prize: the smaller, orange-colored version of the same gun, dubbed the Super Soaker 30. Water fights were all the rage back then, and they haven’t really come back since that golden age of pressurized warfare.

8.) The Talkboy (Home Alone 2: Lost in New York)

Looking back, this thing was so dopey. I feel embarrassed for my younger self.

The movie was a total rehash of the first, but as a kid I thought it was amazing cinema. Apparently, Macaulay Culkin’s crazy piece of technology that let him pose as an adult was never meant for mass-production. It was a non-working prop. But after many letters and phone calls, a working version was created by Tiger Electronics in 1993. Keep in mind that this “toy” was just a tape recorder, with a few dodgy features like an extendable microphone that extended about half an inch. This is why my dad put his foot down and said, “Kyle, if you want a tape recorder, you’ll get a tape recorder. If you want a toy, you’ll get a real toy.” Thank you dad, for being wiser than me at that age. Luckily, I did end up getting the weak little ballpoint pen version for a quarter of the price.

7.) Talking 12” Buzz Lightyear (Toy Story)

Available at all Al’s Toy Barn outlets in the Tri-County area.

Thanksgiving of 1995 meant the best toy shopping for Christmas. That was when I told my dear, unsuspecting parents that I wanted the most movie-faithful Buzz Lightyear that their money could buy. Predictably, we drove all over Oregon’s Willamete Valley looking for that goofy space ranger because retail stores didn’t order enough. Imagine sifting through fifty Woody dolls, and finding a Mr. Potato Head at the bottom of the bin, as a cruel joke. Pixar even took a shot at those retailers in the sequel when Tour Guide Barbie explained, “Back in 1995, short-sighted retailers did not order enough dolls to meet demand.” My demands were met, however, and I’m proud to say that I owned the first-run Talking Buzz, which in mint condition in the box can go for over $500 today. Something touching here: I recently donated my Buzz to a young child, who hopefully treats my rare little friend with care. *sniff*

6.) Batman Forever Triple Action Vehicle Set

I must not make jokes about Batman’s wonderful little toys. Every time I do, Joel Schumacher gets another movie deal.

This was a pretty cool one. Sure, Batman Forever was goofy, and a little heavy on the Jim Carrey (I didn’t even order that side of Tommy Lee Jones’s face), but the toys were pretty awesome. I distinctly remember my Bruce-to-Batman figure from the movie, and I wanted so badly to sit him in this beautiful vehicle. Batwing, Bat Boat, and Batmobile all in one, this was available around Christmas 1996 if I remember right. Again, too big and too expensive for my parents, but easy to find in any Target. I found one online for about $120 yesterday, and I still kind of want it. I mean, come on! It’s all three in one!

5.) Spider-Man Web Blaster

Silly String Plus: now with over-elaborate comic book tie-in.

Did anyone else write a three-page argument to their mother about the benefits of shooting Silly String from your wrist? No? You guys weren’t trying hard enough. No written diatribe could convince my parents to arm me with Peter Parker’s ingenious device. This was right around the time I got into comics, around 1996 or so, and I decided that this toy was the closest I would ever come to being Spidey. The great part is that they keep remaking this little gem. Eventually, Hasbro wisely toned down the messy, aerosol-based ammo and created suitable replacements for worried parents. These days, child Spider-men shoot water, rubber webs, and foam disks out of their wrists, just to name a few. None come close to the original, though.

4.) Dr. Judy Robinson (Cryo-Suit) Action Figure (Lost in Space)

Yeesh. I should blow this thing up on the 4th of July this year, while playing the Lenny Kravitz cover of “American Woman.”

Please don’t make fun of me, but I was a huge fan of this movie when it came out in 1998. It released two weeks before my birthday, and is the film credited with knocking Titanic out of the #1 slot. It was also a terrible film, and all involved wished it didn’t exist. In late 1997, the toy line came out and I devoured it, buying every bit I could. The Judy Robinson figure, modeled after Heather Graham, was the unicorn. I didn’t even want to play with it; I just wanted to find it. By the time my grandmother found it at a swap meet, it was a year later. I eventually had two of them, because I naïvely thought that one would be an expensive collector’s item in the box. I still have it, as a mark of my toy-collector’s shame. It can easily be found online for less than four dollars.

3.) “Power of the Force” Electronic AT-AT Vehicle (Star Wars)

That’s how Vader strikes back…with impractical, articulated legs on his tanks!

This behemoth turned mere battles into all-out wars. When Star Wars toys made a huge comeback in 1997, my parents warned me against putting gigantic hulks of plastic on my wish-lists (especially if they made loud, disturbing laser sounds). An interesting thing about this vehicle: it comes with two figures, that of the AT-AT driver and General Veers, the leader of Vader’s ground forces. Star Wars vehicles usually didn’t come with appropriate driver figures at the time, so I thought it was a nice touch. Find this giant robot camel online, and you’ll probably spend $80-$100 on it, mint in the box.

2.) The All-Powerful Nintendo 64

Goldeneye (Kyle), Banjo-Kazooie (Gus), Ocarina of Time (Chris), and everyone else’s favorite game of the late 1990’s was available for one machine.

Ah, yes. There are Youtube videos dedicated to the rapture of owning an N64. First available in 1996, the 64-bit video game shrine brought Nintendo back to the top, after the strange days of Sega Saturn failed to properly impress gamers in North America. This was the first major purchase for me that wasn’t entirely made of molded plastic. It was also the first that I was forced to pay for myself. I saved up for 18 months to buy my used 64, with one controller and one game (Goldeneye) in 1998. Many summer days blew by as my brother and I became pros at Super Smash Bros., and eventually I became the podracing champion of the galaxy in 2000 (I’ve since retired). Pick one of these up if you missed out on it back in the day, they are durable as heck and have more fantastic games than any other system out there, in my opinion.

1.) Lego Millennium Falcon

Someday, I’ll get it. My girlfriend says we can put it in our wedding registry! Um, would you all please excuse me? Gaaaawwww…

Okay, here’s the thing. They have been improving this set for years, and every time they came out with a new version, it was more expensive and more impressive. The latest version, the Ultimate Collector’s Millennium Falcon, became available back in 2007, and is currently waiting for me at the nearest Lego store for $500. For that, you get the 5,000 pieces to build the three-foot-long ship and populate it with five minifigures. Did I mention that this is the biggest (as well as the coolest) Lego set ever? It will be mine…after I pay back my student loans…

Looking for more Top Ten Lists? Check these out:

-Top 10 Best Zelda Items

-The 20 Greatest Mario Enemies Ever

-The 10 Most Ridiculous Ninja Turtle Action Figures

Oh snaps, weren't these toys awesome? Pic via Flickr: Just Uptown.

I want to tell you a story. By all accounts it is a fantasy story. One morning, a young child scurries downstairs after a restful night of sleep. He immediately rushes to the kitchen to fuel his new best day in the world, stopping in the pantry to grab his favorite cereal. As he opens the box his eyes catch something even more magical written on the side: “Free Toy Inside!” Joy of joys! “Could this be true?” the boy wonders. He can hardly contain himself as he pops the bag open and pours his cereal into the bowl. Suddenly, a small package tumbles out amongst the cereal. The boy instinctively grabs it and tears the wrapping off. Indeed, a new toy was his! A small Scrooge McDuck figurine! Isn’t life great as a kid?

Life Was Never So Sweet

Well, it was. Until the unthinkable happened: Cereal boxes no longer contained free toys. Sure it’s possible to find “Special Offers” on each and every box of just about everything, but it’s more than just rare to find that uniquely free toy inside the box. At this point in history, the Free Toy is nearly extinct, only fossils discovered in antique stores remain as proof that such a magical relic of the past ever existed.

So what the heck happened?!

Life used to be so great when I was a kid. It was still possible to get all manner of free things in a cereal box, be it a small figure, a decoder ring, a police badge, or a color-changing spoon. These days you’ll frequently see offers for a radio or an alarm clock or some other thing that kids usually don’t really care about. But is it free? No, of course not. You have to send at least one proof of purchase, usually more, along with a check in the mail. Do kids even shop for cereal the same way anymore? How could they?

This is about as good as cereal companies can do anymore.

I find it even worse that the same trend has hit pretty much all forms of Instant Win games for food. Now you’re required to find an entry code somewhere on the packaging and go online to see if you’re an Instant Winner. But that’s not all. You first must sign up to have an account. Only after that can you enter your code and discover, hey, you didn’t win. I thought we were all about instant gratification in the current generation, so why do we have to prolong our disappointment so long?

Well the obvious reasons for both the lack of cereal toys and Instant Wins is that people are too lazy most of the time to bother with online codes or mail-in offers, meaning companies need to give out far less. It makes sense from a business standpoint, but from where I’m standing looking back at my childhood, I feel bad that the current generation is missing out. How cool were these cereal toys? An example:

They may look simple, but these were what made kids want to eat cereal all the time.

The Disney Afternoon was at its peak of success, allowing cereal companies to package small figurines from the various shows such as Duck Tales, TailSpin, Rescue Rangers, and Gummi Bears. Each show had four figurines to collect, usually of the main characters. They were simple PVC figurines, but they were great. I remember getting Kit from TailSpin on his cloudsurfing board and thinking it was awesome because in my mind it was a flying toy and any toy I could pretend could fly was awesome. And of course the box showed that this was one of four possible figurines, meaning I had to buy at least three more boxes to collect them all. These days? Not so much.

But there is still some hope left. The Dark Knight saw some weird looking toys released in cereal boxes not too long ago, and if it comes right down to it, you can buy the old cereal toys online and slip them into your kids’ cereal before they know what’s happened. I recommend getting this 12-pack from Amazon. Otherwise the trend of online codes doesn’t seem to be fading but rather gaining unstoppable strength. It may just he up to us to keep the younger generations happy. Consider this your rallying cry!

Let this ultimate battle be waged!

The fourth episode of the Too Much Awesome Podcast is already up. I’m joined once again by my good friend Michael James Waymire for what we consider The Great Debate: Who would win in a fight between Superman and Goku? We’ve both got our cases to make, so download the new episode, take a listen, and leave a comment.

You can download the new episode here.

Back to back in the classic buddy cop stance; the 90's would be proud.

After a bit of a break, we’ve got a new episode of the Too Much Awesome Podcast with special guest Michael James Waymire, a close friend of mine who happens to have a lot to say about the 90′s and why, well, they were just plain better than now. So check it out and let’s kick this pony!

You can download the new episode here.

This doesn't particularly have anything to do with a monkey, but monkey's always make things better.

As you may have noticed, there’s been a short break in the usual postings both yesterday and today. Some uninteresting things were going on behind the scenes, but new stuff will be appearing by the end of the week (we hope).

More importantly, I want to take this small hiatus period to ask a very straightforward question: What do YOU want to read about? What toys or video games have we not covered or not covered enough? Is there a Top Ten list you’re dying to see or a retrospective that we just haven’t got to? I really would like to know so that we here at Toy-TMA can give you articles that you’ll really enjoy rather than just The Chris Pranger Show sponsored by Amazon.

Also, is there anything the site can do better in general? Are we lacking something, or are we doing just fine? This is your chance to leave a comment and let us know directly how we can improve our site to better serve you, the reader and loyal customer. I mean, that’s what it’s all about anyway. You’ve got your task, away you go!

In today's episode, we give you some of our personal tips about board games, as well as some handy suggestions for the toy industry.

After a slightly longer wait that we meant, we finally have the second episode of the Too Much Awesome Podcast starring Kyle Martinak and Chris Pranger. In this episode, we talk about video games a little more, toys once more, and make sure to go into greater detail about board games. Specifically, we gives some of our personal strategies to winning at board games, as well as some suggestions for Monopoly and the most effective way to play Clue.

The audio is a higher quality now that we made sure not to use Kyle’s laptop, and we were careful to keep the time only slightly over an hour. Let us know what you’d like to hear more about from the podcast and we’ll be sure to listen. We’re still finding the best mix here, so help us out with a comment.

To download Episode 2, click the link here.

Wait, I'm not just repeating articles, am I?

Everybody is going green these days. It’s rather trendy to say the least, so it’s no surprise that toys are following the trend and selling big when it comes to eco-friendly categories. If you’d very much like to give your kids something fun to play with that they’re guaranteed to enjoy plus is quite possibly better for the environment in the long run, then good news because here’s an article about the top selling eco-friendly toys right this second.

Still Going Green It Seems

Do you remember me talking about the company Green Toys a while ago? I’m not here to judge; it was after all quite some time since that article. The reason I’m bringing them up is because they’re selling one heck of a lot of their toys right now with the number one green toy of them all being the Green Toys Tea Set that I went on about in my article. Someone must have been listening to me when I wrote the positive review or something. Of course they aren’t just a one-trick pony since they also have a cookware and dining set, a dump truck, and a sand playset. You know, things every kid should already have. The best part of all that is that none of those toys are particularly expensive with only the full cookware and dining set being over $30.

Dang it, now I want to go play in the sand.

Green toys may have a lot in the bestseller category, but they aren’t alone. Another company called i Play is doing quite fine for themselves until Apple decides to sue them for using a lowercase I in their company name. Their top item is the Green Sprouts Stacking Cup Set, yet another incredibly simple toy that happens to be a toy every kid should own. Heck, I had a set of these when I was a kid, but I’m sure this set is a lot better for the environment.

My set had much manlier colors though, but otherwise they looked the same.

If you’d prefer something way more advanced, check out Elenco Electronics’ Frightened Grasshopper Solar Powered Bug. I swear to you I didn’t just invent that thing, and even better, this robo-bug is only $7. That’s a deal no matter who you are.

Alright, I'll allow a robo-grasshopper, but as soon as we get robo-hornets I say we've gone too far.

Sprig Toys have a handful of bestsellers when it comes to construction vehicle toys if you’d rather not buy everything from Green Toys. Let the girls have their tea sets, us boys got stuff to dig and construct and whatnot. Then after we’re done with that maybe some more tea.

Once more, all I want to do now is go play in the sand.

Rounding out the bestsellers is Plan Toys with a couple items. What’s their highest selling item right now? A solid wood drum. That’s it. Just a little drum with a little mallet. While I’m all for kids having a toy drum, I’m not everyone. Plan Toys also has a doll house nursery set for the less noisy children, though I’m somewhat surprised to find out that the toy drum is $21 and the doll house set is $18. I must be really out of touch with my green side.

Yup, that's one wooden drum there.

So there you have it folks, a multitude of great eco-friendly toys at affordable prices. Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s once more time for tea.

This right here is one of the most popular education-based toy around. And it's a video game system.

If I were pressed to defend the educational value of video games, I probably couldn’t do much other than say they can teach reading, math, problem solving, community interaction, cause and effect, and hand-eye coordination skills, so really I’d have an uphill battle talking about their benefits (wink). However, there are a handful of very popular toys being sold this very second to parents wishing to give their kids a little boost in the learning aspect of playing while still making sure the toy is fun (gotta love parents). But just what are some of the most popular educational and learning toys right now?

Yay! A noise-maker for kids!

Heard of LeapFrog? You probably have since they’re selling tons upon tons of electronic toys aimed at teaching kids. It just so happens one of their best-selling products is a video game system called the Leapster. It looks like a mutant Game Boy but plays like something with the explicit purpose of learning in the foreground. However, you can easily fool a kid into forgetting he’s learning something when the character in the game is Batman. LeapFrog also has a wide variety of other electronic-type toys with the Learn & Groove Musical Table for kids (a thing that makes noise), the Spin and Sing Alphabet Zoo (a thing that makes noise), or the Scribble and Write (I’m sure it makes some sort of noise, it is a child’s toy after all).

Responsibilities! Exciting!

If, perhaps, you’d rather not futz with noise or electronics in general, our good friends Melissa & Doug have more than enough toys made of wood and magnets. Sometimes simple can be best, and Melissa & Doug tends to make very high-quality toys that last and last. It’s hard to beat a magnetic alphabet set or a magnetic responsibility chart. Sure, kids hate responsibility, but disguise it with magnets and they’re sold.

Dang that kid looks happy. I want some of those blocks!

Fisher-Price is still around and doing just fine, by the way. Do you remember them from your childhood? I sure do. I had all sorts of plastic blocks and shapes and steering wheels and things of that nature from Fisher-Price, and I’m happy to say they still make all those things with their Brilliant Basics Baby’s First Blocks staying as a bestseller. Their Sesame Street Silly Sounds Remote may not really be in the same category though. It may say “Sesame Street: on it, but it also says “Silly Sounds” which is code for “Lots o’ Noise.” Just get the blocks.

Hooray for bugs! What, you don't like bugs? That's science!

It’s also cool to see that the Insect Lore Live Butterfly Garden is up near the top in sales. Why is that? Bugs, while super gross, are also super cool. Plus, it’s impossible for kids to find bugs in the house, so they have to go outside. If they can find tons of bugs inside, you’re teaching your kids something wrong. I was always happy as a kid with a bug net and a jar to keep my findings in. I assume kids haven’t changed too much since my childhood.

This is an incomplete list of the bestselling Education and Learning toys, but it’s a good start for sure. If all else fails, I can’t think of a single kid that’d say no to “Imagination Time” with their loving parents. In fact, I might just call my dad and see if he’s up for a game of it right now.

I wish I'd been the one to think up this image first, but I'm not.

Happy Saturday everyone! February is ending in the next day or so and that means the beginning of the newest feature here at Toy-TMA: The Too Much Awesome Podcast!

It had been my hope to someday start doing a podcast here. The plan was for last month to be the first episode, but issues with cars (my car specifically) delayed production for a week. After some technical difficulties with the mic, the podcast was recorded and uploaded without any futher troubles (save for a cat scratching in the background).

The link for the podcast can be found here. Once you click the link, you’ll be taken to Mega Upload, a site for files too large to post anywhere else. Type in the code shown to download the file and then wait for it to be cued up for download. Once it’s ready, download the file and listen when and where ever you’d like!

The goal is to have at least one new episode a month, usually falling on the last weekend of the month. It ended up being over 90 minutes, but we’ve got a lot to talk about, so it works. We’ll do our best to improve the sound quality as right now you have to turn the sound up fairly high to hear us clearly, but for now, please enjoy the premiere episode of the Too Much Awesome Podcast!

I bet you haven't heard of this one, have you?

My hope is that by now you have enough confidence in me and my choices to trust just about anything I say. I’m going to need you to continue doing just that because there is a pretty cool book in today’s Comic Book Club that needs to be read. I’ll just give the name first and let you ponder it for a second: Chickenhare. Really yet? Let’s get started.

Highly Recommended, Yet Under-read

Chickenhare is a graphic novel series written and drawn by Chris Grine, currently in technically its third volume. Ooh, I’m already getting technical on you, and I haven’t even explained what a “Chickenhare” is. Slow down, I’ll get to these things. Consider first that the books are recommended by not only Jeff Smith (the author of Bone), but also Stan Sakai, the creator of the series Usagi Yojimbo. Those are two hefty endorsers there, but can the book really be that good? Well I’m endorsing it too, so yes.

As you can see, it's got a very cartoony look to the art. Good stuff there.

Alright, the story follows Chickenhare, a half chicken, half hare character, and Abe, a bearded turtle, as they get themselves into a few rough situations, the first involving being sold to a taxidermist where they meet Banjo and Meg, two mysterious characters. That makes up the primary group for the first book. The second book involves them going to the Underworld to…okay, go read it because I don’t want to spoil things.

I’m a big fan of the art style here since it’s very clean and crisp. The books also don’t get overly wordy, though they don’t skimp on the action. I’ve been consistently impressed that the books push right at the door of being in the realm of older audiences, yet can be read by any age group and enjoyed. All-age friendly without seeming all-ages friendly? That’s good work there Mr. Grine.

Your Call To Action

Dark Horse published the first two books called House of Klaus and Fire in the Hole, respectively, but poor sales forced them to decide to nix the option of a third volume. So what happened as a result? Chris Grine opted to write and release it for free as a web comic at his site www.chickenhare.com. Go take a look after you read the first two volumes. There isn’t a whole ton of the new story up yet, but what’s there has got me hooked on yet another story arc.

We want you to live, too, Scabby. If only more people were reading your book.

Overall, Chickenhare has all the elements of a seriously great yet seriously underrated comic. These are the series you really want to get into for the following reason: No one else knows about them yet. This is how you become a real comic snob without having to read tons of things. I’m giving you the tools to find something worthy of cult status before it hits, making you part of the original fans and not just bandwagon jumpers. Opportunities like this are rare.

That’s all for today. Go read Chickenhare and tell your friends to do the same. I want this series to keep going, so let’s rally support for Chris Grine and Chickenhare!

I wish I were as cool as Scott Pilgrim.

Scott Pilgrim is 23-years-old and totally awesome. I know this because the book told me so. He lives with a gay roommate in a one-bedroom apartment. He doesn’t have a job, but he’s in a band called Sex Bob-omb. At the beginning of the first volume he is dating a high schooler (nothing naughty though). Also, it turns out he’s the best fighter in the city. I’ll get back to that in a second.

Completely Original Yet Familiar

Basically, the series is for anyone that loves video games and “nerd” culture a whole lot. Characters can enter sub-space, a location referenced in Super Mario Bros 2. Every so often Scott levels up or obtains a video game-related item, such as an extra life. And in my favorite panel from volume five, he wins his birthday.

For some reason I couldn't stop laughing at this.

The main plot revolves around a girl named Ramona Flowers entering Scott’s dreams one night. He starts to see her in real life and convinces her to date him. The first volume deals with him trying to get her interested in him and plays out like a fun teen-dramedy of sorts with Scott inviting Ramona to a gig his band has, forgetting that his current girlfriend will also be there. And then some guy busts through the ceiling and starts fighting Scott, to which his friends remark that Scott happens to be the best fighter in the area as he goes for the air juggle. Suddenly the series goes from relatively normal to absolutely fantastic, just because it adds that level of ridiculousness that many gamers wish real life had.

What makes the plot progress further is the condition Scott must satisfy before he can date Ramona: He must defeat her seven evil ex-boyfriends, all of which are stronger than the last. Each volume centers around a new challenger, as well as real-life problems Scott faces, such as getting a job. With a plot like that, I feel shame I didn’t come up with it sooner.

My friends and I did this once, but it may have been a dream.

I can’t recommend this series enough to the type of readers that’ll truly enjoy it. You can easily blast through all five current volumes in an afternoon, so it would make a great checkout from your local library. Oh, and stay tuned for the live-action movie coming out in August of this year starring Michael Cera as Scott Pilgrim. Should be good. In any case, check out the first volume for under $10. You really shouldn’t deny yourself this pleasure.

Want more Scott Pilgrim? Check out this article:

-Scott Pilgrim Book 6 Review

Want more Comic Book Club articles? Check these out:

-Comic Book Club: Ex Machina

-Comic Book Club: Chickenhare

-Comic Book Club: Bone

Get ready for one heck of a story.

Last year I took a class called History of Superheroes with a one Ben Saunders (you don’t know him, so stop pretending you do). It was a class offered at the University of Oregon to us English majors, so I jumped at the opportunity to not read actual literature in lieu of something I genuinely cared about. But before the class I made one very important decision about the class: I wanted to be “That Guy.” You know who “That Guy” is. He’s the kid in class that raises his hand to every question and always has something to say about every topic, usually to mention something else that he knows but no one else does. Everyone hates “That Guy” because he’s annoying. I have always wanted to be “That Guy” in some class and I thought this was my chance to do it, so I spent the summer before my fall term reading over a hundred graphic novels to prepare. It was my Odyssey of sorts, and after all that you know what happened? I still wasn’t anywhere close to the level of “That Guyness” that half a dozen people in the course were at.

However, it wasn’t all that bad. I got myself devoted to the reading of graphic novels and the understanding of as much as possible for someone with a passion for comics but a lack of actual knowledge of the subject. I can now safely say that I’m well-versed enough to rank above the average reader of comics, but probably not anywhere near the ridiculous group of people that remind me of Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons a bit too much. I told you all this so that I could tell you to go read Bone, a series by Jeff Smith. Yes, it all relates somehow.

On To The Book

You'll find yourself liking the oddest bunch of characters you can imagine.

I’m a big fan of comics that are both written and drawn by the same guy, and if the comic is good, hey, that’s awesome. Jeff Smith created his series all by himself, and for that you should be amazed because the series is nine volumes long, plus two bonus volumes that aren’t required for the plot but add good supplementary material. I’m ashamed to say that I had seen Bone in the library a ton of times but refused to read it because I thought it “Looked too kiddy.” Yes, the irony is not lost on me, the guy who defended the GameCube to the angriest of Halo fanboys. I checked out the first volume and added it to my stack o’ graphic novels, thinking I’ll get to it eventually. And after reading some great stuff (like Hellboy), and some terrible stuff (like Crisis on Infinite Earths), I got to Bone and felt like such an idiot for not starting there in the first place.

The plot around Bone is better left for you to read yourself. There are some characters that come from a place called “Boneville” and they look somewhat like bone people, I guess. The three Boneville characters have been banished from their home for some reason or another and somehow wander into a distant land where adventure hits them like student loan payments six months after graduation. You get to read about a great cast of characters in a really interesting story and that’s always a good thing.

I found myself utterly surprised by the writing here since something happened to me that doesn’t happen very frequently when I read something: I laughed out loud. No, not a chuckle or something, I mean I guffawed and kept laughing, wishing someone was around so I could show them what I just read. And here’s the exact sequence that got me the hardest:

This is brilliance at its finest.

If you’re really into comics you’ve probably heard that phrase a few times before. If you haven’t, well read Bone and you’ll learn to love it. Bone does such a great job of establishing likable characters to root for and evil villains to unroot for (I think that’s what you’d call the inverse of “rooting”).

I’ll make it a goal of mine not to talk about huge series if I can help it, but Bone is my main exception for two reasons. First, the series is one of the best a kid (or teen or adult) can read. It’s on par with Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia in terms of both story and how “adult” things get. Secondly, while the series is broken into nine volumes, you can get the Complete Bone in one ultimate volume, and as of now Amazon has it for the extremely kind price of under $20 assuming you don’t want it in hardcover (then you’re looking upwards of $50). Go out and get Bone for yourself or a loved one that happens to be into comics. It’s worth reading and it’s worth owning. What better time than now to start your own comics Odyssey?

I just finished reading this. You should read this, too.

We here at Toy-TMA are famous for our coverage of toys, games, and everything related to things kids-like. However, while we hit action figures, dolls, video games, and general kids toys, I feel we’re lacking on comic books. No more! As you may presently be aware, I’m well versed in all forms of culture that you could consider “childlike,” so naturally I’m a comic snob. No no, I don’t get my undies in a bunch about only reading “artsy” comics, but I’ve read a lot from everywhere. So to start out the comic coverage, I want to draw your attention to a four-issue limited series called Marvels. Shall we?

The Comic Book Club Rundown

Marvels is based in the Marvel Universe, so Spider-Man, Captain America, and the X-Men pop up here and there. However, what makes Marvels so interesting to me isn’t the fact that it contains super heroes aplenty. Marvels is told from the perspective of Phil Sheldon, a freelance photographer, from the very beginning of the Marvel Universe up past the death of Gwen Stacy (that’s not a spoiler, you should have known that by now). Of the four issues, you’ll get a nice canvassing of some major events in the universe’s history, such as the mutant woes, the coming of Galactus, and the fights between Namor and the first Human Torch.

This image right here is just amazing.

While the characters are well known, this is a perspective we rarely get to view them from. The way they’re portrayed here isn’t necessarily in a purely positive light. People are terrified of them, they’re awed by them, and they’re ungrateful to them, just as you’d expect people to be if this were the real world. I thought it was really cool to see everything from the viewpoint of the regular guys on the street.

Suddenly Galactus doesn’t seem like just another villain come to take over the world. Now he’s utterly terrifying because no one knows what’s happening. It’s a very humble retelling of some big events and it really works to balance out the universe better and give it a hint of, dare I say it, humanity that it’s usually lacking.

All of this comes together due to the artwork of Alex Ross. Ross is probably my favorite artist in comics today since his style isn’t about rippling muscles and unheard of proportions. He takes a more naturalist stance with the characters, drawing them as if they were real people (and seeing the photos of his friends posed for inspiration makes it even more impressive). I prefer seeing Spider-man look fit but not with muscles bulging from every conceivable angle since it makes him more relatable. Add to this Kurt Busiek as the equally amazing writer and you’ve got a great combo at work.

Just take a look at the artwork here. This is what real people would do if they saw a human torch.

So why am I encouraging kids to get into Marvels so much? Because this isn’t the typical comic book where strong guys punch each other repeatedly. This is something that’s really good, and we need to encourage more mainstream comics like this one when we can. I won’t say it teaches kids lessons or anything, but it is smart and entertaining. It could very well jump-start an interest in photography in young minds or get them playing make-believe but at a smarter level than before. If their usual imagination pallet is filled with the reds and blues of most super hero comics, Marvels will add the needed Fuchsia or Indigo to make them more well-rounded.

You can find Marvels here.

Products like the Screature Interactive Dinosaur bring me back to early ’90s, when the movie Jurassic Park was released. After that, dinosaur toys were everywhere. Every kid at school loved the movie and loved dinosaurs. And if there were toys like the Screature when I was was that age, anybody that had it would be the most popular kid in class.

Complete with infrared sensors and lifelike sounds, this dinosaur is as close to the real thing as a child can get. Using the sensors, it detects whether those close to it are friend or prey. If it gets the wrong impression, it will attack.

But not to worry, attacking amounts to just snapping its teeth, unfolding its neck frills, and squirting water at the would-be victims, so nothing dangerous is going on.

By petting the dinosaur in certain spots, it decides if it should remain calm or attack. By understanding where to pet the Screature, kids will have fun knowing they can control and tame the “beast.”Setting it up as a miniature attack dog or loyal companion is half the fun.

The only problem that I have heard of with the toy is that sometimes the water won’t squirt out, so it might be worth holding onto the receipt just in case. But either way, this is a cool little toy with a lot of potential for fun. When I was a kid, all the attacking had to be done manually and usually amount to smashing two action figures together. But with its own actions and sound effects, the Screature will be a great treat for any dinosaur lover in the family.

Sit down and snuggle up to your family members 'cause it's time for some Christmas cheer.

Christmas time is meant to be a wholesome point of the year filled with fun and caring and everyone caring about fun and the like. Also, you probably see family or something. However, a typical Christmas tradition usually ends up being a good old family sit-down-and-watch-something, also know as “movie time.” Problem is, there are a lot of awful Christmas movies out there. I went ahead and gathered the best for you to pick from. These are 13 Must-See Christmas Movies (and if you dislike the number 13, take heart that one of the movies is actually two).

Frosty the Snowman:

Sure, this is totally possible. No, I'm being serious.

Animation is going to pop up everywhere on this list, and loveable old Frosty takes charge with his corncob pipe and button nose and two eyes made out of coal. The story goes that somehow a failed magician’s hat placed atop the head of a snowman makes him come alive and proclaim “Happy birthday!” to whomever he sees. Frosty is a quintessential Christmas character next to the other big two (we’ll get to them later). Plus, you get a great animated sequence set to the classic “Frosty The Snowman” song that you know by heart.

The Santa Clause:

No trust me, he makes a pretty good Santa when he has to.

I’m gonna go ahead and say that Tim Allen doesn’t really make good movies anymore (I’m not the only one that’ll say this). I’m looking forward to Toy Story 3, but that’s about it. However, in the past I used to be all about Tim Allen, and one of his best movies (for memories anyways), is The Santa Clause. In this movie, the real Santa Claus kinda…uh…dies. Well, he falls off Tim Allen’s roof anyway, and when Tim Allen puts on Santa’s clothes he is given St. Nick’s job. It’s interesting to see Tim Allen’s character go from being completely against the idea to eventually embracing it full heartedly near the end. You can skip the sequels, but this one is a definite watch around Christmas.

Miracle on 34th Street:

When I grow up, I want to be Santa Claus.

Okay, we’re talking classic here. The plot here centers on Santa Claus once again, only this time things are in black and white. A Macy’s store has a Santa Claus on display but an old man comes up and reveals him to be a fake. This old man then takes the fake’s place and it’s learned that this guy is actually the real Santa Claus, calling himself Kris Kringle. There’s a whole court battle to prove he’s the real deal, and a few people learn a lesson about trust and faith and all sorts of things. Basically, this is a good movie.

It’s a Wonderful Life:

Every time this movie's seen an angel gets its wings.

I loves me some Jimmy Stewart. In probably his most iconic role (next to Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, a movie I also recommend), Jimmy plays George Bailey, a man that runs a business and loan company that helps “the little guy,” until about $8,000 goes missing from the company on accident and an evil man in the town finds it and keeps it for himself. Jimmy Stewart decides to see what the world would be like if he never existed and through a crazy night and a trip guided by an angel named Clarence, Jimmy learns what he’s got value to everyone he knows. You’ve seen this movie, even if you haven’t.

Santa Claus is Coming To Town:

Best mailman ever to grace the screen.

Santa is quite a popular character this time of year, though this is the last time he’ll make a starring appearance on this list. Santa Claus is Coming To Town is one of those older claymation-style movies with lots of great musical numbers and amazing voice acting. The story here is about Santa Claus’ origins and humble beginnings, including the invent of the flying reindeer, the giving of gifts, and even the costume. Seriously, I love this one.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas (Live-Action):

No shut up, this movie's awesome.

Okay, I’ve taken a lot of guff for loving this one (who knows what “guff” is but I’ve taken it alright). Still, I stand by my opinion. I still laugh every time I see Jim Carrey say a silly line as Dr. Seuss’ beloved Grinch character as he attempts to steal Christmas. While the live-action version doesn’t adhere to the book as closely, I love it all the same.

Home Alone 1 & 2:

Oh snaps, you KNOW Culkin's gonna go OFF on those burglers.

I consider Home Alone 1 and 2 the same movie, so they only count for one spot (but they’re still two movies, in case you really hate the number 13 in lists). Macaulay Culkin plays his most famous character as his huge family leaves him home alone for Christmas entirely on accident. Instead of freaking out (which he actually does for a moment or two), Culkin decides to enjoy Christmas on his own in the best way possible: By doing whatever he’s always wanted to do. This by it self would make for a great movie, but then along come the Wet Bandits to spice things up by attempting to break in to Culkin’s house. The result: Hilarity due to well-placed traps and such. The sequel takes things a bit further and puts Culkin in New York for the holidays, but generally they’re great watched back-to-back. The third movie doesn’t count.

A Christmas Story:

Well, at least he didn't shoot his eye out.

Oh yes, now we’re talking. No Christmas movie list is complete without A Christmas Story, a perfect example of those “slice of life” pictures from when you were a kid. Alright, so parents, you’ll appreciate the movie a lot more than your kids will, but kids, enjoy this movie for what it is. There are a lot of hilarious moments, such as the always-famous tongue-getting-stuck-to-a-frozen-pole scene, plus tons of quotes that you might use all the time but forget where they came from. This is a good history lesson for everyone out there.

A Muppet Christmas Carol:

Why don't my turkies ever look that good?

I saw no reason for Disney to come out with a new Christmas Carol this year since the Muppets already made the best adaptation of Dicken’s classic tale of Scrooge getting some serious comeuppance at the hands of three spirits visiting him during the night. Usually Muppets make everything better all around, but here I’m giving the ultimate nod to Michael Cain for having the best Scrooge performance this side of Dick Chaney.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas (Animated):

I'd gladly see that face at the foot of my bed every time I woke up.

You didn’t think I’d leave out the animated version and only include the live-action one, did you? Of course not. How The Grinch Stole Christmas is a perfect movie. No, you can’t argue with me, the movie is perfect. Everything follows the original story down to the smallest detail and in the end we are left with the question of “What does a Roast Beast taste like?” I’d still like to know. If anyone is planning on making Roast Beast for Christmas dinner, please send me an e-mail and invite me over.

Rudolf The Red-Nosed Reindeer:

A reindeer with a glowing nose and a dentist? How ridiculous!

Please tell me you’ve seen this movie before. You have all sorts of wonderful things here at work, such as Rudolph in all his wonderful outsiderness, Kirby the elf that wants to be a dentist, Yukon Cornelius, the Bumble (they bounce, don’ cha know), and my favorite area in the whole world, the Island of Misfit Toys. Remember kids, “Nobody likes a Charlie-in-the-Box.” This is the finest stop-motion clay feature ever. Hey, stop arguing already, I’m not finished with my list yet.

Elf:

I am suddenly filled with holiday spirit.

Making new holiday classics is not something that’s easy to do. Somehow though, Elf manages to be a fantastic Christmas movie that should be on everyone’s viewing lists next to all the other movies I’ve mentioned previously. Will Farrell plays a man named Buddy who’s been raised by elves. When he becomes an adult he goes to New York to meet his father and the culture shock is quite extreme, though that just means fun for us. I still get a little teary at the final scene due to the over-abundance of Christmas cheer.

A Charlie Brown Christmas:

"It's dead; I killed it."

This is the absolute best Christmas movie ever created. Even better than all the other great movies I just rambled about. Charlie Brown is the kid we all thought we were as kids (except for the Lucys of the world who we hated so much), and when Christmas rolls around, Chuck can’t help but think that something’s wrong with him since he isn’t happy. This is probably the only movie on this list that gets right down to the heart of Christmas and takes a serious moment to shut everyone up.

And then Linus owned everybody.

Please, do me a favor for a second (I ask for so very few of those, don’t I), and go watch A Charlie Brown Christmas again, or for the first time if you somehow decided to live a sad, miserable life up until this point in time. You’ll thank me, or maybe you won’t in which case I’ll just shrug and say “good grief” as the Charlie Brown that I am.

Now that my list is over, have I missed any Christmas classics that should be up there? I want to know, and I bet some other people would like to know, too. So leave us a comment and let’s hear some more great Christmas movies. The season’s all about giving anyway, so give us your opinion and let’s all go drink some eggnog.

Japan always gets better coverart.

Okay students, class is in session. Please pull out your Nintendo and plug in Mega Man 2 for today’s lesson of Games You Should Have Played. If you do not already have a copy of Mega Man 2 on the NES, it is available in the Mega Man Anniversary Collection released on the GameCube, PS2, and Xbox, and is currently on the Wii’s Virtual Console for a grand total of 500 Wii Points, otherwise known as $5. Yes, this one will only set you back $5.

The Mega Man franchise has somewhat of a stigma nowadays since it constantly releases an update every year that doesn’t seem enough like a totally new game to justify the purchase. Back in the times of the NES there was only one Mega Man series and it was just called Mega Man. The first game came out and became a standard for the use of a non-linear progression through the game (you could choose any of the 6 stages to play through in any order), and each Master Bot you defeated rewarded you with a new weapon.

The Master Bots were each weak to one other weapon, so by beating Guts Man you get the ability to throw rocks, allowing you to defeat Cuts Man extremely easily. This is known as the Rock, Paper, Scissors style of gameplay that Pokemon would later go nuts with.

All of these Bots can kick your butt...except for Bubble Man.

The first Mega Man game is good, but it wasn’t until Mega Man 2 that the franchise took off and became a legend. Instead of just 6 Master Bots, there were 8 (the series standard). Levels were perfectly designed, bosses were interesting, the difficulty was just hard enough without being overly frustrating, and the game was just fun, the most important factor in all games.

This is a game I’m going to consider a skill-building game. To be good at platform shooters, this is one of the games to start with. When you develop the needed skills here then you will be a stronger gamer in the future. No tutorials, no holding your hand through the stages, nothing to make it overly complex.

This is a proving ground for young gamers. The older generation had to prove their worth on the field of Mega, now it’s the new generation’s turn. Mega Man 9 may be out on Wii Ware, Xbox Live Arcade, and Playstation Network, but Mega Man 2 shows where it got its roots.

Robot fish. You fight robot fish. Go play this game!

Go find a copy of the game and at least get to Wily’s castle for the absolute best track available on the NES. Kids, the music in this game is so deeply imbedded in the minds of older gamers that we’ve considered having these songs played at our graduations, weddings, and funerals. Respect the classics and indulge.

You won’t have to spend more than a day to power through the game in one sitting, though it does have a password system for the scrubs who need a few tries or have other things to do in between gaming sessions.