Well, here it is, approaching a month since Toy Fair happened back in February, and I am winding up my coverage with this one last article. Through my travels during Toy Fair, I came across some fun things that did not really fit into any of the stories that I already posted. Therefore, they are all being collected here. Consider this a highlight reel of sorts… some fun finds from Toy Fair.
1. “Say Anything” by Northstar Games
I probably would have not swung by this booth if my friend Pat hadn’t told me to go. All she said was that she met these guys at the bar the night before and they seemed like fun folks, so I should go take a look at their game company. When I got there, I was asked if I wanted to play one of their signature games called “Say Anything”.
Premise of the game is this: A person asks an “In my opinion…” question, and the rest of the players write down what they think the best answer is for the person asking the question. For example, I would ask “In my opinion… What is the best fruit out there?” Answers would come in like “Apple”, “Banana”, “Pear”… or other more ‘colorful’ answers. From those answers, I secretly choose my winning answers, and then the other players bet on which one they think I chose, whether it be theirs or someone elses. Points are awarded based on who chose what. After 12 rounds, a winner is chosen.
I will tell you this, by Round #2, these individuals whom I never met before were slinging the obsceneties. According to them, one of the guys REALLY likes ‘pickles’, a girl has fantasies about her boss… and his wife, and another guy has a fascination with his coworker’s fondness for both of those facts. It was a highly entertaining, albeit very adult, game.
However, about a week after Toy Fair, a copy of the game arrived at my house as a thank you from my new friends. I played the game with my family and, though the answers were less colorful and more down to Earth, we still had blast playing. It really is fun game and you should check it out. You can find “Say Anything”, and other games from Northstar, at their website.
2. Scalers by NECA
Just released, these little accessory cord climbers are a cute way to bling you headphones, power cords, etc. with pop culture characters both old and new. With over 50 different scalers (and certainatly more on the way), these are a really cool fashion accessory. My favorite? Freddy Kruger. 🙂
3. Texty Bears by Mezco
They probably won’t end up in my apartment, but I am sure there will be a lot of people adding the new Texty Bears from Mezco to their collections. Colorful bears bearing shirts with popular texting terms like “WTF” and “FML”, I have a feeling they will be a hit for the teenagers of this era.
4. Eco-Aquarium
A self- sustaining aquarium where you can have tiny fish or frogs as a pet with little maintenance involved? I had to go and this see for myself. Sure enough, lo and behild was the Eco-Aquarium. Using “living gravel” and a shoot of bamboo to create a small individual ecosystem. With frogs, this means you can keep two Dwarf African Frogs by only having to feed them twice a week and cycling the water out every 3 months. It’s a pretty fun little thing to have for kids or people with limited space to have pets, or don’t have the time to care for larger pets.
The best thing is that I was able to adopt two frogs right then and there, as the company would have a hard time transporting them back to the office. I would like to introduce you to Nutsy and Trigger.
I have now had them for a month and they are awesome. The water has remained pretty clear during this month, and the frogs have survived, which is a plus, especially with my track record.
You can find out more information on the Eco-Aquariums by visiting their website.
5. WWE 31″ Jon Cena
Wicked Cool Toys is putting out something fun this year for all of you WWE fans… that being a 31″ Jon Cena figure. It is quite an impressive looking toy, and quite realistic. If something like that came out when I was growing up, it would have been an awesome addition to my wrestling collection (I think most of the guys reading this had one growing up). For those of you still with the wrestling collection, or have children into wrestling, this figure would be a great. It’s coming out in August. For more information, and to see more of the fun stuff from Wicked Cool Toys, including TMNT and WWE collectibles, visit their website here.
Well, that about wraps up my coverage of Toy Fair 2014. I would like to thank Matt for again allowing me to cover it for the Vinylmation Kingdom family of sites. I would also like to thank all of the company reps for allowing me to be a part of an event or a booth tour. It’s always great going top this event, and I am glad I could share it with all of you.
Previous Toy Fair Coverage:
Disney Infinity Preview- Agent P, Phineas, and the Ultimate Pack
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by Playmates
Matt Norris