darkSpyro

Just wondering, when counting your total number of toys you possess, do you count Sidekicks as being characters like the Skylanders, or simply Magic Items? I tend to consider them characters even though they act like summoned magic items.

Mini pets, like in WoW


From a game "lore" perspective, they'd be characters. They have character bases instead of the magic ones and aren't really "items," they're living sentient things. They're also 100% cosmetic, unlike the other magic items.

Given the game itself considers them "Other Toys" rather than categorizing them as Skylanders, they aren't really characters. Neither do any of them have any original backstories of their own.

The minis that I own are sitting beside my Skylanders and are not sitting beside my Magic items. I guess I had always just considered them as Skylanders.

I guess they really are characters, but if I was going to organize our collection (which I'd like to do, but my 5 yo wouldn't keep it that way), I would put them with my magic items just because that's how the game registers them. We actually rarely use them. They were nice to add to the collection, and have more use in Lost Islands than anything.

Well, can you play as them? Or do they just follow you around in the Magic Item slot?

I say Magic Items. Only if they are playable and sold to the public would I call them Skylanders.

Quote: Tigerbear222

Well, can you play as them? Or do they just follow you around in the Magic Item slot?

I say Magic Items. Only if they are playable and sold to the public would I call them Skylanders.

you can't control them. Magic items. Other is just a cop out.

I consider them to be annoyances in game. They follow you around, they are more like magic items, but they give zero benefit, and they don't have a time limit like most magic items. Mainly neat things for a collector, but pointless otherwise.

The fact that that the games themselves don't include Sidekicks towards your Skylanders count makes it pretty clear to me that they should not be considered Skylanders and are more like Magic Items.

Plus you can't even play as them and you need to have a real Skylander on the portal to even activate them.

They are accessories, like the Healing Elixir of Sky Diamond, except they do nothing. They're really collector's items and/or fun little toys for young kids, and that's it.

Useless Pets is a good word for them . I would still like to have one anyway .

They should have been something like Sparx the Dragonfly...he can attack, at least. Mini's should have had like either a 30 damage melee attack, or rapid fire 8 damage ranged, but with a 3-minute time limit.

Ok thanks for you opinions guys

Well I call them Sidekicks (not magic items or skylanders) as they count as fully playable skylanders in lost islands. So I treat them as there own thing.

Sidekicks are magic items. They aren't playable characters and even the games show the purple potion bottle image when you place a sidekick on the portal.

In our house, we classify them as "small" magic items. "Large" magic items are Battle or Adventure pack items that unlock a level or an arena.

We differentiate because, in our house, as I buy new Skylanders figures, I put their names in a jar and the kids have to do things to earn "Skylander Points". Each figure goes into the jar individually (so multi-packs get split up). Once one of the kids earns 4 Skylander Points, they get to draw from the jar. They can write me a book report or a story, memorize Bible verses or other academic things.

If the kids draw a small magic item, they get a second draw for free.

I like the sidekicks because they are fun. Sure, they are useless in the console game, but we also play Lost Islands where they are useful and my kids play with their Skylander toys and figures every single day, even though they only play the video game a couple of times per week.

I am also rather happy the sidekicks get their own 5 minutes of fame in Lost Islands .

Barkley linked with the Tree Rex mabu fan is really profitable .

Quote: DarthW

Sidekicks are magic items. They aren't playable characters and even the games show the purple potion bottle image when you place a sidekick on the portal.

In our house, we classify them as "small" magic items. "Large" magic items are Battle or Adventure pack items that unlock a level or an arena.

We differentiate because, in our house, as I buy new Skylanders figures, I put their names in a jar and the kids have to do things to earn "Skylander Points". Each figure goes into the jar individually (so multi-packs get split up). Once one of the kids earns 4 Skylander Points, they get to draw from the jar. They can write me a book report or a story, memorize Bible verses or other academic things.

If the kids draw a small magic item, they get a second draw for free.

I like the sidekicks because they are fun. Sure, they are useless in the console game, but we also play Lost Islands where they are useful and my kids play with their Skylander toys and figures every single day, even though they only play the video game a couple of times per week.

This is a very interesting idea.

Quote: Dark fhoenix

I am also rather happy the sidekicks get their own 5 minutes of fame in Lost Islands .

Barkley linked with the Tree Rex mabu fan is really profitable .

yeah, it is nice having Barkley, Tree Rex and Gnarley Tree Rex so they can all go into the Life sanctuary at once. It is a nice money maker.

Quote: DarthW

Sidekicks are magic items. They aren't playable characters and even the games show the purple potion bottle image when you place a sidekick on the portal.

In our house, we classify them as "small" magic items. "Large" magic items are Battle or Adventure pack items that unlock a level or an arena.

We differentiate because, in our house, as I buy new Skylanders figures, I put their names in a jar and the kids have to do things to earn "Skylander Points". Each figure goes into the jar individually (so multi-packs get split up). Once one of the kids earns 4 Skylander Points, they get to draw from the jar. They can write me a book report or a story, memorize Bible verses or other academic things.

If the kids draw a small magic item, they get a second draw for free.

I like the sidekicks because they are fun. Sure, they are useless in the console game, but we also play Lost Islands where they are useful and my kids play with their Skylander toys and figures every single day, even though they only play the video game a couple of times per week.

What do your kids do when they pull a name out of the jar? Do they get to use the characters in the game? I like the memorizing Bible verses idea! Do you homeschool them?

Quote: Kartoonkid91

Quote: DarthW

Sidekicks are magic items. They aren't playable characters and even the games show the purple potion bottle image when you place a sidekick on the portal.

In our house, we classify them as "small" magic items. "Large" magic items are Battle or Adventure pack items that unlock a level or an arena.

We differentiate because, in our house, as I buy new Skylanders figures, I put their names in a jar and the kids have to do things to earn "Skylander Points". Each figure goes into the jar individually (so multi-packs get split up). Once one of the kids earns 4 Skylander Points, they get to draw from the jar. They can write me a book report or a story, memorize Bible verses or other academic things.

If the kids draw a small magic item, they get a second draw for free.

I like the sidekicks because they are fun. Sure, they are useless in the console game, but we also play Lost Islands where they are useful and my kids play with their Skylander toys and figures every single day, even though they only play the video game a couple of times per week.

What do your kids do when they pull a name out of the jar? Do they get to use the characters in the game? I like the memorizing Bible verses idea! Do you homeschool them?

Yes, we are a homeschool family. The things that the kids do to earn skylanders points are kind of like extra credit... it is in addition to everything they do as part of their curriculum. So they might go a month without drawing a skylander and then they might draw several in one week, but their school work always has to be done.

Once they pull the name out of the jar, I go get the figure and card from my top-secret hiding spot, then they close their eyes and I hand them the figure and they try to guess it without looking. Sometimes it is a figure that we already have a different version of... all they know when they draw is that it is some figure that they don't already have. After they guess it, or give up, then the figure just goes into their inventory and they can play with them in the game or as toys, etc. They "belong" to the kids at that point.

This entire system evolved because my wife didn't like that I was buying SO many skylanders and giving them to the kids (an entire wave when it was released, etc.). So I came up with the idea of the kids earning them, but I had such an inventory of them in storage and the kids would of course choose to work for the figures they wanted and not try to earn the figures that they aren't as excited about, so I randomized it by making it into a lottery system instead.

It may sound weird, but it's a lot of fun.

The most frustrating part for me is that I might REALLY want to play a character, but if the figure is "in the jar", then even I don't get to play with it. Until its name has been drawn from the jar, they stay put away. Sometimes the name gets drawn when it is a pretty new release, sometimes it takes a while due to the random chance of the draw. For instance, just today my 6 year old was able to recite all 10 Commandments and was then eligible to draw and she drew Jade Flashwing, which I bought at Target when she was released last year.

Quote: DarthW

Sidekicks are magic items. They aren't playable characters and even the games show the purple potion bottle image when you place a sidekick on the portal.

In our house, we classify them as "small" magic items. "Large" magic items are Battle or Adventure pack items that unlock a level or an arena.

We differentiate because, in our house, as I buy new Skylanders figures, I put their names in a jar and the kids have to do things to earn "Skylander Points". Each figure goes into the jar individually (so multi-packs get split up). Once one of the kids earns 4 Skylander Points, they get to draw from the jar. They can write me a book report or a story, memorize Bible verses or other academic things.

If the kids draw a small magic item, they get a second draw for free.

I like the sidekicks because they are fun. Sure, they are useless in the console game, but we also play Lost Islands where they are useful and my kids play with their Skylander toys and figures every single day, even though they only play the video game a couple of times per week.

This is so cool! It sounds simple and balanced and I really like how it's tied as rewards to extra credit type activities.

I wish could get a hold of another set cheap. I can find all of their skylander counterparts cheap and switch their chips so sidekicks could be be playable.

Quote: DarthW

Quote: Kartoonkid91

Quote: DarthW

Sidekicks are magic items. They aren't playable characters and even the games show the purple potion bottle image when you place a sidekick on the portal.

In our house, we classify them as "small" magic items. "Large" magic items are Battle or Adventure pack items that unlock a level or an arena.

We differentiate because, in our house, as I buy new Skylanders figures, I put their names in a jar and the kids have to do things to earn "Skylander Points". Each figure goes into the jar individually (so multi-packs get split up). Once one of the kids earns 4 Skylander Points, they get to draw from the jar. They can write me a book report or a story, memorize Bible verses or other academic things.

If the kids draw a small magic item, they get a second draw for free.

I like the sidekicks because they are fun. Sure, they are useless in the console game, but we also play Lost Islands where they are useful and my kids play with their Skylander toys and figures every single day, even though they only play the video game a couple of times per week.

What do your kids do when they pull a name out of the jar? Do they get to use the characters in the game? I like the memorizing Bible verses idea! Do you homeschool them?

Yes, we are a homeschool family. The things that the kids do to earn skylanders points are kind of like extra credit... it is in addition to everything they do as part of their curriculum. So they might go a month without drawing a skylander and then they might draw several in one week, but their school work always has to be done.

Once they pull the name out of the jar, I go get the figure and card from my top-secret hiding spot, then they close their eyes and I hand them the figure and they try to guess it without looking. Sometimes it is a figure that we already have a different version of... all they know when they draw is that it is some figure that they don't already have. After they guess it, or give up, then the figure just goes into their inventory and they can play with them in the game or as toys, etc. They "belong" to the kids at that point.

This entire system evolved because my wife didn't like that I was buying SO many skylanders and giving them to the kids (an entire wave when it was released, etc.). So I came up with the idea of the kids earning them, but I had such an inventory of them in storage and the kids would of course choose to work for the figures they wanted and not try to earn the figures that they aren't as excited about, so I randomized it by making it into a lottery system instead.

It may sound weird, but it's a lot of fun.

The most frustrating part for me is that I might REALLY want to play a character, but if the figure is "in the jar", then even I don't get to play with it. Until its name has been drawn from the jar, they stay put away. Sometimes the name gets drawn when it is a pretty new release, sometimes it takes a while due to the random chance of the draw. For instance, just today my 6 year old was able to recite all 10 Commandments and was then eligible to draw and she drew Jade Flashwing, which I bought at Target when she was released last year.

That's not weird at all, that such an awesome way to get excited about learning! I would of loved that when I was schooling! We are a homeschool family as well and I love that your teaching your kids the Ten Commandments, really important to know the perfection of our creators standards and our inability to live up to that standard as sinners. Good show