Welcome to Transformer Generation Dad's
2011 Holiday Gift Guide
Now that Thanksgiving has been properly dispatched, it is time to shift the laser focus of our obsessive personalities from food to holiday shopping. Thankfully, Transformer Generation Dad is here to provide at least a small amount of guidance. Didn't give thanks for that at Thanksgiving? That's okay, just remember to mention us over the turkey next year. In the meantime, please peruse our plethora of promoted products, beginning with the most important of all holiday items.
TOYS
If you are asked to decide what you best Christmas present ever was and don't mention a toy, you're a liar. Yeah, I said it. Or maybe you just never received anything as good as the following items, poor kid. Take a look at our list of recommended toys for this year, starting as all toy lists should, with...
LEGO
Captain Jack Sparrow's legendary vessel is finally here in Lego form. It includes 6 minifigs, including Jack, Davy Jones and both Bootstrap and Will Turner.
Recommended retailer: Target
Price: $99.99
Perfect for: Lego enthusiasts, young and old
Blackbeard's massive ship is even bigger and more detailed than the Black Pearl. Just take in the beauty of all the Lego skulls and bones adorning its perimeter. Even though it's from an inferior Pirates movie, it makes a great Lego set.
Recommended retailer: Target
Price: $107.99
Perfect for: Lego enthusiasts, young and old
Republic Frigate #7964
Kids these days identify more with The Clone Wars than the original Star Wars movies, or even the prequels for that matter (though my boys are Episode IV-VI fans all the way...that's good parenting). This set is the best looking of the Clone wars sets out there this holiday season.
Recommended retailer: Target
Price: $119.99
Perfect for: Experienced Lego building kids
While it isn't as downright ginormous as the old $400 set, this smaller version of the galaxy's greatest ship (you know, the one that made the Kessel run in under twelve parsecs) has an awesome amount of detail yet stays within a more manageable price range.
Recommended retailer: Target
Price: $114.99
Perfect for: Any Lego and/or Star Wars enthusiast
Despite the fact that it is from the worst (by far) of the six films, the podracers look pretty neat in Lego. If only they had filmed the entirety of Episode I using Lego.
Recommender retailer: Target
Price: $79.99
Perfect for: Kids with Lego experience
Over four feet long and weighing more than 8 pounds, this is the year's massive feature set. The minifigs included allow you to recreate the bounty hunter scene from Episode V, provided you already have Boba Fett ($400 doesn't get him included?!).
Recommended retailer: Lego Store
Price: $399.99
Perfect for: Lego collectors
Lego Master Builder Academy
It starts with set #20200 and expands from there as the Lego company teaches your kid through both in-home and online instruction how to design and build their own sets the way their master builders do.
Recommended retailer: Lego Shop
Price: $29.99
Perfect for: Kids 8+ who want to move beyond the instructions
OTHER TOYS
Cool, collectible and with build-able tracks and habitats. You can use the Nanos as stocking stuffers, some larger bugs are remote controlled and the track sets and The Hive give you a place to let the little battery operated critters "live." They are genuinely sort of creepy in action to boot.
Recommended retailer: Target (they have a large section devoted to them)
Price: $4.99 for a Nano - $29.99 for the Hive
Perfect for: Kids
Lego forgive me, but these things are pretty cool. They allow you to build Transformer robots out of plastic bricks and while they don't actually transform, you can build either the robot or vehicle version of each character. On top of that, the bricks fit in seamlessly with Lego bricks (I've tried) and provide you with varieties of bricks that Lego has never made (there's one 5 studs long). May Lego forgive my blasphemy.
Recommended retailer: Amazon
Price: $19.99 for Bumblebee
Perfect for: Kids, Transformer collectors
GAMES
Reviewed here on the very pages of Transformer Generation Dad over the summer (click the link above to see the review for yourself...hint: we loved it!), this three dimensional marble maze in a sphere is not only fun, but it develops patience and hand-eye coordination. There are three levels of difficulty, but the Original (pictured) is the best.
Recommended retailer: Target (Original only) or Amazon (all 3)
Price: $17.00 on the above sites for the Original
Perfect for: Everyone
Not a new game, I believe it was on last year's gift guide as well, but it isn't widely known and is a great game for all ages. It can be played in co-op or competitive format and has the essential fantasy aspect to it. It was also reviewed here on TGD early in the year. Click the link above again to read the review for yourself.
Recommended retailer: Target or Amazon
Price: $26.39
Perfect for: Fantasy game enthusiasts, group board-gamers
VIDEO GAMES
I'll admit now that this section may be a bit lacking. While I'm aware of some of the bigger titles to be recently released, I haven't been keeping up on my gaming which means my latest video game information streams in from my sons. This results in a rather Nintendo-centric view of the game market as they are surgically attached to their Wii and DS, but I will try to look into other games and post as many good looking ones as I can find as time goes on.
Nintendo 3DS
With the recent reduction in price and the bevy of system specific games being released, the 3DS makes more sense now than ever. If you already have a DS, many stores are taking trade-ins so you can upgrade without taking on the full cost.
Recommended retailer: Gamestop (you have the option to buy one pre-owned)
Price: $169.99
Perfect for: Gamers, Kids
A new take on the world introduced to us in Mario 64, but this time made specifically for the 3DS. The upgarde hadn't even been requested in my household until word of this game's release hit my sons' ears. Now they want the new system just to get this game. We'll see if Santa is obliging.
Recommended retailer: Gamestop (might be too new for pre-owned)
Price: $39.99
Perfect for: Kids, Mario fans of all ages
Spelling be damned, the original will forever remain one of my favorite all time games. But the franchise must move ahead with the times and from what I hear, Nintendo has done right in the latest installment. Are there really seven of them.
Recommended Retailer: Gamestop
Price: $39.99
Perfect for: Kids
It is my humble opinion that Ocarina of Time on the Nintendo 64 was the best Zelda game to date. This is mostly because it revolutionized the franchise in amazing ways that have yet to be rivaled by any of the successive titles have. Now it appears that a new installment have arrived to do things with the Zelda universe that have never been done before. Critics are raving about the game play, the aspect that I think was improved so much on the 64. I hope Santa brings me a copy.
Recommended retailer: Gamestop
Price: $49.99
Perfect for: Gamers, fantasy fans
Skylanders
Available for multiple systems, Skylanders allows players to purchase figures then use a portal to import said character into the game, playing single player, co-op with friends or online minigames with included cards.
Reccomended retailer: Gamestop
Price: $69.99 for the starter set (pictured), $4.99 each for new characters
Perfect for: Kids
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
I loved MW2 (still play it when I can) but skipped over Black Ops. I think I may have to get back on the horse and start with the newest title in the regime. Attention multi-player addicts, you have been warned (just kidding, go easy on me, please).
Recommended retailer: Amazon
Price: $51.99 (put it in your cart to see the discounted price)
Perfect for: Gamers
So far behind on my gaming that I ought to turn in my card, I am going completely on my brother's (previously referred to on this blog as "the selection committee") recommendation with this one. Mind you, though he is more up to speed than I am, it is not often that he gets so excited by a game as he is with this one.
Recommended retailer: Gamestop
Price: $59.99
Perfect for: Fantasy adventure fans
BOOKS
The Lego Ideas Book
Filled with tricks and techniques that adults and kids alike can learn a thing or two from. After flipping through its pages, you will want to grab a bucket full of bricks and try your hand at a few of them. A neat aspect of the book is also comments from Master Lego Builders from around the world. I think it's expecially great for kids to read comments from people who have such an amazing job.
Recommended retailer: Amazon
Price: $14.68 on sale
Perfect for: Lego fans
Lego Star Wars Character Encyclopedia
Documenting every minifigure in the Lego Star Wars Universe, this is a fun collector's guide. It also comes with a Han Solo award ceremony minifigure, much like the Luke award ceremony minifig contained with the Lego Star Wars Visual Dictionary released a while back.
Recommended retailer: Amazon
Price: $9.48 on sale
Perfect for: Kids, collectors
Posts
You need to add what is the best present that I almost received...
ReplyDeleteMacGyver - The Complete Series. It even includes the last two made for TV movies. My wife almost got this for me for Xmas a few years ago. She had a coupon for a significant discount at Borders. The only problem was that the store (and all stores in the area) were out of stock. (Remember when people used to shop in actual stores?)