darkSpyro

It's easy to think of Skylanders' collectible figure component as a cynical cash-grab, but in practice it meshes well with the series' beat-'em-up gameplay.

In fact, at almost every turn Skylanders Swap Force seems intent on over-delivering both features and fun. Playing the game with (my) children who are more than a little Skylanders saturated there was still a sense of surprise and excitement. The Swap Force figures caused the biggest buzz, both in and out of the game.

While the inclusion of the jump button certainly makes for more varied gameplay, it also may add more challenge for the younger gamers in your household. Many of these leaps require good timing and placement (lining up at the very edge of a gap), and the bosses have some particularly damaging ground attacks that quickly exhaust the health of your Skylander if you don’t hop over them at just the right time.

The game’s combat is still relatively simplistic, but the variety of abilities and attacks - and the ability to chop and change them at will - does encourage kids to think about what they’re doing a lot more than any combo system or other traditional contrivance would have. And you can now at least jump, which may sound like an odd thing to celebrate but it again shows the franchise stepping back from the enforced simplicity of the earlier games.

No matter what bizarre creature you craft, Skylanders: Swap Force handles the empowerment of playing god convincingly. The amalgamated beasts that now roam Skylands open up new combat and traversal possibilities, and also add another much-needed wrinkle to this series’ well-worn gameplay formula.

But what about the game? Yes, well, much like the toys, the game is aimed squarely at kids in Elementary school - that isn’t to say an adult can’t have fun with it, but expect it to be a kid’s ride. The game certainly contains mild cartoon violence, but it’s not something I would be uncomfortable in having a child play.

Not only do the new Swap Force toys and in-game models have a ton of detail (Wash Buckler's squid legs are a highlight), but it also allows an unprecedented amount of customization as you search for your favorite playstyle.

Skylanders Swap Force delivers almost everything fans could want. There are fantastic new characters, a funny story, and a complete disregard for the boring rules that say robots and wizards shouldn't be part of the same world.

While the narrative sticks to a simplistic stop-the-bad-guy's-evil-plot theme, the cutscenes have gotten a noticeable upgrade in quality. The CGI scenes and voice acting on par some of the best computer animated cartoons you might see on a Saturday morning and the leading characters, like Flynn and Tessa, are charming and humorous.

Developer Vicarious Visions did a fantastic job crafting a tightly-knit, varied adventure in which you'll - just for starters - sneak past alarms disguised as a sheep, sniff out a full list of goofball collectibles, and take out a wide range of foes. With a seemingly endless number of things to see and do, this is no quick jaunt.

Each Swap Force character also has a travel power that unlocks mini-game challenges scattered through the story levels, and two of those are absent from the launch lineup. Puzzling.

My recommendation? If you’re into Skylanders, or your kids are, this one is a no-brainer. It’s a fantastic supplement to any existing Skylanders game as it adds value to your collection of toys.

Skylanders Swap Force for the 3DS is a fun but short addition to the franchise. It's an acceptable substitute to the console experience, mostly on the strength of its interesting villain and original story.

While each level does consist of plenty of platforming and combat, nothing other than the variety of Skylander skills makes a remarkable impression. The platforming, while enough to not bore adult gamers, becomes rather repetitive as jumping is the only real mechanic.

The missions are a lot shorter - around only 15 minutes each as opposed to the hour-long quests in the console versions - and Moneybone’s minions are even less cunning than those employed by Kaos, which is saying something (they basically just charge at you until destroyed).

• The first wave of Swap Force characters has arrived. DO NOT USE THE PORTAL! The swappable characters cost 300 gems while the new cores cost 200 if you don't own the toys.
  
• You can now level your Skylanders up to 15. No new companion is required, they'll just start earning experience straight away.
  
• A new type of random enemy has appeared, the Evilized Sugarbats. They hover in the air between your islands and require use of a swappable Skylander to clear. You can swap the halves to try to match the two elements it asks for, each matching half gets you a bonus gem.
  
• Hyde has been updated to now also appear in other people's kingdoms.