Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 (PS4)

Following the disastrous release of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 back in 2015, the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series was officially over, as the contract between Tony Hawk and Activision had expired. Because of this, I was surprised (in a good way) at the announcement of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, which aimed to remaster Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 with some quality-of-life changes to bring the series into the modern era and introduce it to a new generation of players. This announcement led me to go back and replay the original games for comparison to the remaster, followed by what turned into a rather lengthy retrospective on the franchise as a whole. Since the remaster was handled by Vicarious Visions, the team behind Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, my hopes were high, and thankfully this remaster delivers on that and more.

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy - Total N. Sanity

With some major hits including Uncharted, The Last of Us and Jak and Daxter, Naughty Dog has earned itself a reputation in the gaming community, especially among PlayStation enthusiasts. For many, however, the company is best known for their first major franchise, Crash Bandicoot. First released in 1996 for the original PlayStation, the game was one of many to help the system dominate the console war at the time, taking advantage of then-new CD-based gaming hardware to great effect. After leaving Naughty Dog’s hands, the franchise continued on later systems, with mixed results, until it faded into relative obscurity. However, in 2016, Crash Bandicoot unexpectedly returned in a major way, returning as a playable guest character alongside series villain Dr. Neo Cortex in Skylanders Imaginators (complete with his own stage) and appearing solo in the Netflix series Skylanders Academy. At the same time this happened, it was announced that Vicarious Visions, who also developed the Crash portions of Imaginators, was developing a remaster of the original trilogy from the ground up, later known as Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy.

I will admit that I have personally never played the Crash Bandicoot series prior to N. Sane Trilogy, however I was still aware of the franchise’s existence, seeing ads for games on TV and absorbing some aspects of characters and terminology through osmosis. I also found Crash Bandicoot and Dr. Neo Cortex to be my favorite characters to play as in Imaginators, including the fact that playing as Crash turns the experience into a Crash Bandicoot game and the Thumpin’ Wumpa Islands level (unlocked by placing either Crash character on the Portal of Power) gave me a general idea of what playing the games was like. This got me even more excited for N. Sane Trilogy before it came out, which proved to be such a hit that apparently stores had sold out on launch day within hours (thanks to the power of pre-ordering, I managed to secure a copy of my own). Though the games proved to be difficult to varying degrees, I found myself having a lot of fun with them regardless and gained a greater appreciation for the franchise.

The most notable thing about the games in the collection (Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, Crash Bandicoot: Warped), is that all three have a massive graphics overhaul, updating the visuals for PlayStation 4 while remaining faithful to the designs seen in the original releases. This differs a little from the approach taken in Skylanders: Imaginators, where characters and such were given faithful redesigns while tweaking them slightly to fit more in line with the Skylanders aesthetic. In any case, comparing the visuals in the original games between PlayStation 1 and 4 is like night and day, which in itself can be really fascinating to look at.

Crash Bandicoot on the original PlayStation.
(From Left: Dr. Nitrus Brio, Crash Bandicoot, Dr. Neo Cortex)

Crash Bandicoot on PlayStation 4.

Another aspect that got a good overhaul is the music. Like with Kingdom Hearts remasters, the music remains faithful to the originals while updating them to give them a fuller sound to take advantage of newer console technology. Having heard the game’s collective music for the first time in this collection, I found the music to be very enjoyable, with some songs sticking with me even after I stopped playing. The voice acting also deserves some credit, with the actors giving memorable performances as their respective characters. I should note that, while I haven’t played the originals, I am aware that there are some differences in voice actors between those and the remasters, a notable change being Lex Lang voicing Cortex, whereas Clancy Brown voiced him in Cortex Strikes Back and Warped (Brendan O’Brien also voiced him in the original game); having been imprinted with Lex Lang’s voice work for Cortex via Skylanders, I really enjoyed his performance in this collection, though I’m sure Clancy Brown did a good job on his own during his tenure voicing the character.

Now that I’ve covered what’s shared between games, let’s discuss what each game has to offer on their own:

In the original Crash Bandicoot, a scientist named Dr. Neo Cortex is experimenting on animals from the Australian Outback with his Cortex Vortex, with the intent of using mutant animals for his goal of world domination. While exposing Crash, a bandicoot, to the Cortex Vortex, Cortex’s assistant, Dr. Nitrus Brio, informs him that the machine didn’t work on Crash as intended, leading Cortex to declare the bandicoot a failed experiment and toss him out. Cortex then sets his sights on his next subject, a female bandicoot named Tawna. Crash lands on the shores of Insanity Beacha and makes his way through several trials to rescue Tawna.

The game mainly involves platforming, switching between running forward (in some cases towards the screen or riding a warthog) and running in a 2.5D space, all while breaking boxes to collect Wumpa Fruit (they resemble apples) and Aku Aku Masks. Collecting three Aku Aku Masks gives you temporary invincibility, while getting 100 Wumpa Fruit grants you an extra life. Some boxes have special properties, such as boxes that give you an extra boost during a jump, caged boxes containing extra Wumpa Fruit if you jump on them, and TNT boxes that will create a timed explosion after being jumped on (or explode instantly if spun into); some boxes even grant an extra life, though only the first time after your save is loaded. Crash himself has a very basic moveset, that being the ability to spin or jump, though you can hold the jump button for a higher jump. These moves can be used alternately on given enemies, though the best way to deal with them comes down to trial and error. Though the D-Pad controls have been retained, the remaster adds the option to use an analog stick for movement, making gameplay generally easier to handle (that said, 2.5D or grid-like sections are overall better played with the D-Pad).

That said, the game can be rather challenging at times, partly since you die in one hit unless you have 1-3 Aku Aku Masks on you (unless you fall through a gap or hole, resulting in a lost life). A lot of the platforming often requires precise jumps and subsequent deaths and game overs can lead you to memorizing the level enough to be able to pull through, often barely. Fortunately, some boxes carry in them a token depicting either Tawna, N. Cortex or N. Brio; collecting three of either and using them at a proper warp gate leads you to a Bonus Stage, where you can gather extra Wumpa Fruit and Lives. Failing a Bonus Stage does not cost lives, so one is encouraged to keep trying again until it is beaten. In spite of how difficult levels can get, beating each stage is very satisfying, however if you don’t get all the boxes, the game will remind you just how many you missed.

The boss fights themselves can be difficult, especially if you don’t know what to do, however they become easier once you get their patterns down to a rhythm. That said, it sometimes pays off to have an Aku Aku Mask on-hand. While some bugs were squashed in the process of the remaster, some rather useful ones were actually kept in by the developer, allowing ease of completion in some levels (Protip: Road to Nowhere and The High Road can alternatively be completed by walking on the ropes). Another alteration made to remasters that makes the game a little more forgiving is the implementation of dynamic difficulty: If you die enough times in a level, a Checkpoint Box will spawn in a closer position to where you are (in relation to where these boxes are normally located) and/or you will be granted one or two Aku Aku Masks (though this doesn’t help when you keep dying on a particular jump).

There’s also some collect-a-thon elements present in the form of Gems and Relics. Gems can be collected by destroying all boxes in a level, though special Color Gems can be earned by completing specific stages 100% without dying once, requiring mastery of the game’s mechanics to properly pull off. Relics are earned by completing time trials, available after beating a stage once and grabbing a floating clock at the start of a new run; the Relics are only granted to you once you beat the target time, which again requires some devotion on the part of the player given how difficult the game can get. Collecting all the Clear Gems also allows access to the True Ending, which explains what happens to each character following the events of the game.

Directly following his defeat in the original game, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back sees Dr. Neo Cortex falling from his blimp onto one of the islands below, hatching a plan upon coming across special crystals. Later, aboard a space station, Cortex is informed by his new assistant, Dr. N. Gin, that he’ll need the 25 “slave” crystals in addition to the “master” crystal they already have if they want to accomplish their goal, giving Cortex an idea on how to get them. Meanwhile, Crash is resting until his sister Coco (who replaces Tawna in the series with no explanation) wakes him up and tells him to get a new battery for her laptop. Before Crash can do much of anything on that front, he is teleported to a special warp room by Cortex, who tells him to obtain the crystals so he can save the world.

The gameplay of Crash 2 is largely similar to the original, although Crash’s moveset is expanded, as he now has the ability to crawl, slide and bellyflop, and sometimes he can dig into the ground. The game also introduces some vehicle segments in the form of riding a jetski in water levels, plus a few levels towards the end are based around a new jetpack mechanic. The jetpack, however, is very awkward to use, though the ability to use the D-Pad or stick mitigates this somewhat. Bonus Stages are also easier to access, in that they are areas marked by a “?”, which instantly transport you to the Bonus area. There’s also the addition of Death Routes, platforms marked by a skull that appear when you get to a certain point in the level without dying; should you die during an attempt, the platform will remain accessible (which is apparently unlike the original release), however unlike Bonus Stages, Death Routes cost lives. The game also introduces Nitro Crates which, unlike TNT Crates, explode on contact; they can also jump, which can make getting past them extremely difficult at times.

In this game, levels are presented in the form of Warp Rooms, rooms containing levels in sets of five that can be played in any order you choose. Once those five are completed and you gathered all five Crystals in that set, a boss room will open up, allowing you to access the next Warp Room upon defeating the boss. Warp Rooms can be revisited at any time by taking an elevator platform in the center of the room, though the process is a little time-consuming depending on how far down (or up) you are trying to go. Some levels also now have Secret Routes that provide an alternate path to complete the stage, if you can find them.

By comparison to the original game, while the difficulty is still present, it seems a little toned down. Making up for this is the presence of backtracking in order to 100% some levels, although I didn’t bother to partake in that as I tried to get through the game. That said, the Death Routes provide an extra challenge of their own, as well as the Nitro Crates. Even with a seemingly-lowered difficulty, getting to the end of a stage still felt satisfying.

Once again directly following Cortex’s defeat, Crash Bandicoot: Warped starts off with his space station crashing onto one of the islands, awakening an evil being known as Uka Uka. Uka Uka’s twin brother and Crash’s helper, Aku Aku, senses this and tells Crash and Coco about how dangerous a foe he is. Meanwhile, Uka Uka, who turns out to have been influencing Cortex the entire time, gets angry at him for his failures, the two of them deciding to use a device (created by Doctor Nefarious Tropy) known as the Time Twister to travel back through time and recover the crystals. In order to stop them, Aku Aku brings Crash and Coco to the Time Twister so they can put a stop to this.

Gameplay is generally similar to Crash Bandicoot 2, though there are some key differences. New abilities are introduced for Crash (obtainable after defeating bosses), which include double jump, a longer spin and a Fruit Bazooka among others. Warp Rooms are also laid out differently, with each Warp Room being connected to a central room within the Time Twister, allowing for easier access to levels. The rules for the Warp Room from Crash 2 are the same however, in that you must get the Crystals from each set of five levels and defeat a boss before continuing. Levels akin to the Boulder stages from Crash 1, while expanded upon in Crash 2, return here as being more of hybrid between a regular platforming level and a Boulder level, allowing some additional breathing room when trying to complete them.

There’s also an increase in vehicle-based levels, the hardest of which are easily the ones where you have to win 1^st in a race while riding a motorcycle (for these, I asked for assistance, since I’m not the best at racing games); these levels are likely the basis for Naughty Dog’s last Crash Bandicoot game, Crash Team Racing, which is not included in this collection. In terms of overall difficulty, this game was generally the easiest for me to get through, though the motorcycle and Tiger (Pura) stages (similar to the Warthog levels in Crash 1) did throw me for a loop.

In its original release, Warped also allows Coco Bandicoot to be playable, however her role is rather limited to specific levels. This is rectified in N. Sane Trilogy however, in that she is made playable across all three games in the collection, the option for which becomes available after a certain point early on (in Warped, this option is made immediately available, though you still have to allow her to join your adventure first). She is still unplayable in specific levels between the three games, including most boss fights and the Warthog-like stages in the first two games, however this still provides an extra bonus for fans since Coco shares Crash’s moveset and most of his death animations.

Coco Bandicoot in N. Sane Trilogy.

As I was playing the collection, some content that was originally cut from the games has started making a return via free DLC, in all their remastered glory. What is presumably the first of these, Lost Levels, includes Stormy Ascent, which was initially meant to be the penultimate level of the original Crash Bandicoot game, however it was cut due to being too difficult even by its own standards. As this content is now officially playable, it provides some extra replayability for those looking for a challenge.

As a whole, Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is a perfect starting point for people new to Crash Bandicoot, including those whose first introduction was Skylanders: Imaginators. Each game has its own flaws and level of difficulty, however I am glad to have persevered to end of each one, as I gained a better appreciation for the games and a better understanding of the story. The plot across the three games is rather simple and easy to follow, which isn’t really a bad thing especially in an era where game plots can get more complex as they go on (ex. Kingdom Hearts, Metal Gear). Even for those who have already played these games when they first came out, this package will definitely give you your money’s worth, mostly thanks to its updated visuals and soundtrack. Now I can’t wait to see what direction the franchise takes next.

[OLD] Skylanders: Swap Force

With the releases of Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure and its sequel, Giants, being only a year apart from each other, the Skylanders franchise seemed to have established an annual release schedule for future games in the series. The newest game in the franchise, Skylanders: Swap Force, enforces this by being released just a year after the last one, Giants. With some video game franchises such as Assassin’s Creed moving toward an annual release of sequels (to some differing results), it’s understandable if one becomes wary of a decay in quality over time. Considering the fates of Activision’s Guitar Hero and Tony Hawk franchises, I wasn’t sure what to make of it for Skylanders, especially considering it requires more of an investment than most other games to get the full experience (not unlike the series’ new competitor, Disney Infinity). Swap Force appears to be showing the new main developer, Vicarious Visions, has some interesting ideas in store for the series, including, but hopefully not limited to, introducing the ability to swap the top and bottom halves of special Skylanders figures, the titular Swap Force, to create new Skylanders and increase the possibilities (over 250 possibilities, according the advertising, assuming you have all the figures). While this is a rather interesting premise for the toys, and a new gimmick to keep a collector like me invested, let’s see if the latest game can hold up as well as the toys can.

The game opens in the past by introducing us to the Swap Force, who gained the ability to swap after being caught in an eruption from a magical volcano on the Cloudbreak Islands while trying to stop Kaos. In the present, while Captain Flynn is trying to have a vacation in the same area after his previous adventures, he runs into a girl named Tessa, who has been seeking the Skylanders to help drive attacking forces away from the village of Woodburrow. Since he has the Skylanders with him, Flynn agrees to help. Meanwhile, with the eruption of the Cloudbreak Volcano upon them, Kaos has a plan to rule over Skylands by using a cache of crystallized evil he had dug up to evilize one of the four Ancient Elementals, who gather every 100 years to have the volcano erupt magic unto Skylands. At the same time, however, Kaos must deal with a new threat aside from the Skylanders: his own evil mother.

Wash Buckler, one of the new Swap Force characters
(included in the regular console Starter Packs).

The graphics of Swap Force seem to go for a more realistic look than in previous Skylanders games, especially during cutscenes, while still managing to retain its cartoonish art style. This is evident when comparing Captain Flynn’s appearance to the last two games, since the new direction with the graphics has given him a slight, yet noticeable, change in design (he, Master Eon, Kaos, and Glumshanks are among the few returning non-toy characters). Within all of this, the game also seems to have a wider range in its color palette, though it skews brighter while using darker colors when necessary, which helps fit with the somewhat more realistic visuals. As with Spyro’s Adventure and Giants, Swap Force has some really good music in general, with some nice variety in the background music, which is composed such that it doesn’t get grating to listen to after a while. One musical sequence in the game I was particularly impressed with was the introduction to a boss fight against a puppeteer named Mesmeralda, which featured some interesting visuals paired with a very well-performed song.

Also kept up with the previous games is the quality of the voice acting. While the voice acting for the Skylanders has seen some improvement since the last game, with each of them having a variety of phrases depending on the situation, the non-toy characters also have good delivery with their lines. Patrick Warburton does a good job reprising his role as Captain Flynn, as does Kari Wahlgren as Tessa, their interactions with each other and other characters providing some good laughs to go along with the more serious moments of the game. Reprising his role as Kaos, Richard Steven Horvitz continues to make his character one of the most enjoyable in the entire game as he ups the hamminess while delivering some extremely funny lines (one of my favorites is when he refers to his own troops as a “failure buffet”).

One thing I have to give the Skylanders developers credit for is making sure the figures remain of excellent quality. The toys for Swap Force are still very impressive to look at, with small details that make them worthwhile to own, even if you’re not willing to play the game. As for the new Swap Force gimmick, I am impressed by how they were able to pull it off. The tops and bottoms of each Swap Force toy (that are members of the titular Swap Force) are held in place by small magnets embedded in the bases of each half, yet the game is still able to read what combination you have created; I’m not sure exactly how this works, but it’s still an amazing feat of technology nonetheless. Though there are an advertised 250+ combinations that can be made with these specific toys, the only toys I used from the Swap Force toyline are the 5 that come with the (limited and expensive) Dark Starter set, which includes the Dark versions of Swap Force members Wash Buckler and Blast Zone, so I have only seen 4 combinations so far, so I’m curious to see what further combinations look like in-game. Fortunately, the game keeps track of these for you with a handy chart.

This brings me to another point. As with Giants, this game requires you to have invested in the new line in order to get certain in-game achievements, or Accolades. For instance, some are obtained by placing a certain number of figures on the Portal of Power, while some are gained by making Swap Force combinations. There’s even one that requires you to have obtained one of the promotional Sidekick toys distributed by Frito-Lay (because you got one, right?). However, these Accolades do have a purpose, in that they give you stars to increase your Portal Master Rank; depending on your current Rank, you can place Legendary Treasures scattered throughout the game onto pedestals in Woodburrow, each one granting you special in-game benefits.

Are these worth paying for a bundle of chips and/or the aftermarket prices?
You decide!

On that note, the game has an added feature wherein you can gain certain advantages depending on what day of the week you are playing. This includes, but is not limited to, increased armor and health, among other things. Personally, I find the best day of the week to play Swap Force to be on Sunday, since on this day your Skylanders figures can gain twice the amount of experience they would normally get, allowing them to level up and reach the current cap (30) faster than usual. This can really go hand-in-hand with the new arena challenges, which includes the usual Battle Arena mode, but also adds Survival challenges that can be played either single-player or local co-op, in which you fight against a few waves of enemies until either you lose or they run out (there is another arena mode, but more on that one later). Each of these survival modes independently gives you stars to increase your Portal Master Rank, so it’s good to play with a friend or relative to gain more stars. With this in mind, I found it best to play the co-op version of the Survival mode on a Sunday with lower-Level Skylanders to not only help max them out, but also gain more money for the Skylander to give them further upgrades; which upgrade path you wish to take for them depends on your preferences. (Note: Swap Force Skylanders have two sets of upgrade paths, one each for the top and bottom halves of each figure.)

As with Skylanders: Giants, Swap Force (the game) has special features for the Swap Force (the group) toys to help make purchasing them worthwhile. To wit, toys with the Swap Force gimmick have special abilities in the bottom half, each represented by a symbol (ex. Wash Buckler has a ladder symbol, meaning he has the Climb ability; Blast Zone has a rocket symbol, meaning he has the Fly ability). Within each stage are special Swap Zones, which can be unlocked by having a Swap Force figure whose symbol on the bottom half of the combination matches the symbol needed to unlock the Zone. Within these Zones are special challenges that can only be performed by members of the Swap Force; once these are successfully completed, you can replay them in the Arena to gain more stars for your Portal Master Rank. While this helps provide some replay value for the game and creates some incentive to use more Swap Force toys, I didn’t find that much need to use the Swap Force during gameplay, though some of that might be that I only have the two Swap Force figures that come with the Starter Pack.

Dark Wash Buckler, the Dark variant of Wash Buckler
(included in the Dark Edition Starter Pack).

To access further Swap Zones however, you are at the mercy of the availability of certain Swap Force enabled toys. While some may or not be harder to find depending on where you go to buy these toys, there are two in particular, Trap Shadow and Stink Bomb, who (at the time of this writing) don’t appear to be available right now. This renders the Swap Zones requiring the Stealth ability impossible to access, meaning you have to wait a while until they become available. This is on top of the fact that single Swap Force Skylanders cost about as much as a single Giant, so if you desire to collect more of these figures, it is best advised to tread carefully with your wallet.

This is Stink Bomb. At the time of this review, he
and Trap Shadow are not yet available.

On that note, I wish to break down how backwards compatibility works with Swap Force in relation to the Spyro’s Adventure and Giants figures. In order for the toys representing members of the Swap Force to properly function with the new game, they require a new (wired) Portal of Power, which comes with every Starter Set; the older (wireless) Portal of Power will not be able to register these particular toys. Aside from this caveat, every single Skylanders toy released so far will work with the new game (with Series 3 versions of Spyro’s Adventure toys being compatible with every game and Series 2 versions of Giants toys presumably being compatible with Giants). Items from previous expansion packs will work as they always have, with some improvements over their respective updates for Giants (such as a different layout and placement of their gauges), however location pieces from Spyro’s Adventure will no longer unlock a new gameplay level, rather they only provide their secondary effect of raining destruction upon enemies. This was most likely to get players to purchase the new expansion packs made for Swap Force, namely the Tower of Time set (available now) and the Sheepwreck Islands set (not available yet), which makes sense from a marketing standpoint, but may provide minor disappointment for long-time players (at least the older sets still have a purpose).

As for the new Portal of Power itself, it actually has a pretty nice design (which of course is how it appears in-game), and it seems to work better than the older version. While using this new Portal, I didn’t experience any of the problems I did with the first one, which can probably be attributed to the fact that it is wired instead of wireless (this might also be why it can read the Swap Force members’ toys while the other one can’t, but then again I’m not entirely sure how this technology works the way it does). It should also be noted that the new Portal of Power is compatible with all three games, while attempting to use the previous Portal will result in an error screen. While this may be a little unfortunate for some, I would still recommend using the new Portal anyway, since it works better than the other one. Also, depending on where you normally place your gaming consoles and whatnot, I wouldn’t worry too much about the new Portal’s wire, since it actually has a pretty good length to it, so playing in a medium-sized room shouldn’t be too much of a hassle.

Speaking of playing, one thing I had mixed feelings on was the level design. Similarly with Giants, the levels in general seem to be somewhat larger than last time. This means they can take a little longer to get through, though I don’t know how much of that was me having enough figures to want to try out as much as I could in a level. Regardless, with the additional areas I could access, it would take me at least an hour or so (maybe even up to two) just to get through one level, which could get a little exhausting after a while. Thankfully, the Boss fights were a little easier to take (even after having to go through a rather large stage to get to them), and some of them could be rather clever and challenging at times (special mention goes to the fight against Kaos’ Mom).

However, there is still some creativity in the level design, in that some gates leading to certain areas require two Elements to open, rather than just one, allowing you to get creative with your Swap Force combinations to get through (although since I only had two figures from the Swap Force team, I often took the other option and used two figures, one of each required Element, to unlock said gate). The lock-picking minigame from the first two games has also been replaced by a different one, in which you must reunite two creatures named Shock and Bolt, switching between controlling each one to help the other advance (bonus treasure is rewarded for collecting the Bolts within each one of these as well). Though the special Giants areas in the Giants game are absent, there is still some use for these toys, since within each level you can find chests which only a Giant can open, which adds replay value to your collection (assuming you have at least one of them in the first place).

Your wallet will not escape the pull for long.
(Pictured: Crusher, one of the Giants.)

Before I end this, I would like to give one last bit of praise to the inclusion of a jump button. Since I played the PS3 version of Swap Force, I thought the ability to jump would be omitted like in Spyro’s Adventure and Giants (though it was there in the handheld versions from what I have read), but I was genuinely surprised by its inclusion with the console version of this game, and I wholeheartedly welcome it. The decision to include this was likely to make things work with the larger level design and the increased amount of jumping and to not clog the levels with Bounce Pads, but having this feature in general (to me) opens up a little more freedom when controlling each Skylander. I know I’ve been devoting an entire paragraph to this single feature, but it’s something I really missed from the first two games.

In the end, Skylanders: Swap Force is a creative and welcome addition to the Skylanders franchise. Sure, the levels can take a while to get through if you have enough of the figures to be able to access certain areas, but the interesting ideas brought about by the Swap Force mechanic really help to make the game stand out, even amongst the other Skylanders games, and helps the series feel less formulaic in the long run (which hopefully continues in a potential sequel). Fans of the Skylanders series, especially those in the younger player base, would definitely find some enjoyment in this game, including trying to get more mileage out of the Swap Force gimmick. If you are a newcomer to the Skylanders series, I would recommend at least playing through the Story Modes of the first two games first, if only to get a handle on the overall Skylanders story to better understand the plot of Swap Force. While I do wish to get more mileage out of the game by collecting more of the figures, I would still probably try to spread them out over time so as to go easy on my wallet.