Toys and Games - Reviews and News

As slim as England’s chances were of winning the world cup, it came as a huge surprise to all of us to see them sink to such a meteoric low against our bitter arch-rivals, The Germans. The nation will be reeling for some time, not just from England’s swift exit, but also from the way they limped through the group stages then crashed out so pathetically. Those feeling especially low will by the kids who hero-worship these failed footie father figures.

Months of anticipation and high expectations after a strong qualifying campaign were dashed in the space of ninety minutes last Sunday. Fans and the media are looking for a scapegoat, an individual to blame for this farce. The truth is this is no one’s fault, the team were collectively terrible and deserved to exit when they did, if not sooner.

So, where from here? The thought of another four year wait to see England play in a world cup is positively agonizing, better to ease the pain and enjoy the rest of the tournament, free from anxiety. What better way to do that than to surround yourself with an array of Word Cup experience enhancing gadgets? An ice cold beer is the perfect accompaniment to a game, so why not inject a touch of personalization into your beverage by brewing it yourself?

If you thought you had it bad, think about those kids. Their idols have failed to live up to expectations, budding Wayne Rooneys across the nation will be hanging up the replica shirts in disappointment. All is not lost however, instead of letting your little ones skulk around the house, get them in training for World Cup 2014 with some fun but practical toys.

A huge inflatable football will not only improve hand-eye co-ordination for your stars of the future, it is also a great way to keep fit and healthy and get them out in the fresh air after being glued to the TV for the past two weeks. Even Robert Green couldn’t miss one of these!

When the British summer inevitably takes a turn for the worse a traditional game of table football has got to be the next best thing. If you can’t keep up with your kids in the garden show them who’s boss by putting a few past them with just a twist of the wrist. To avoid questions of whether it crossed the line, invest in an RC Helicopter to provide your own eye in the sky goal-line technology, even if Mr. Blatter is not interested.

Two words which aren’t often used together, right? Safety has never been top of the list for toy and games manufacturers, but there is an emerging school of thought that the two concepts can be combined to create exciting, practical products for kids. There are currently a range of gadgets and toys being released which satisfy both of these categories.

It is high time toy manufacturers started adopting a responsible philosophy. Horror stories concerning toy hazards are about as regular as a swiss alarm clock. Tales of limbs on action figures which could be easily swallowed by toddlers in the 1980’s have been joined in recent times by fears over the effects of violent video games on youngsters. With this taken to into account it is truly a breath of fresh air to see such products as the Pool Jet gaining commercial success.

The Pool Jet is a small swimming aid for kids which provides underwater propulsion for those who are not yet entirely confident in the water. This kind of thing is perfect for kids from beginner to novice level and can be used in public swimming pools or the sea with adult supervision.

It works by spinning up the jet when buttons on the handles are clasped, as soon as these buttons are released the power is cut and the jet stops rotating. Of course this will put parent’s minds at ease as their kids can splash about’ confident in the knowledge that the Pool Jet can get them out of trouble.

Form a kids point of view this is clearly also going to be great fun, imagine motoring around the pool at your desired speed, racing your friends and generally enjoying being in the water. Come to think of it, I’d love one myself!

Pool Jets would make a great birthday gifts for him, allowing life-like and stunning reenactment of the underwater battle scene in the bond movie Thunderball. It could also be considered one of the best gifts for her as this will turn even the most overweight partner into the spitting image of the man from atlantis!

It would seem with all of this new technology such as computer consoles and crazy programmes for kids on the television that smaller and smaller numbers of children are actually sitting down with their parents and building something from one of those model kits. Even easier constrictive sets like the popular Lego bricks are finding it hard to sell and it would seem that adults are more interested than kids. However is all of this actually having an effect on our children?

Gaming

Personally I have no problem at all with kids sitting down and playing video games but this should really only be done at certain times and they should not be there all of the time doing it. The great thing about model kit building is that kids need help with it which is where the parents come in but with something like gaming it is often the kids teaching the parents on what to do which is why on the most part gaming is called unsociable. Although I do not believe this to be true because of things like Xbox Live I have to say model building with the parents would be much better for a child.

So if you can why not get your child a model kit and sit down with them to build it, if this is something  you know will not happen then consider getting them one of those RC helicopters or RC Tanks.

Childhood toys are fantastic there is certainly no doubt about that. The reason for this is often down to the fact that as adults we will always remember playing around with them and the thought of this really does make us smile.

The great thing about these toys is actually that every single adult has a favourite one and will think differently of each toy.

My personal favourite was the SNES and if any of you do not know what that stands for it is simply Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The reason that it has always been my favourite is simply because I remember countless times of me sitting there with the mates playing on Super Mario World. The great thing about this “toy” is that I can get away with going back to it and playing with it again because it is a games console!

So why not go in search for that favourite old childhood toy just to remember the good times you had with it.

Many people think that the business is just there for work and it is these people that find it very hard to get in after a long day and relax. The real answer is that you do not have to be working all of the time at work as there are things like breaks and breaks for lunch. Instead of just carrying on with your work for the hour why do you not do something that is a bit of fun with the work colleagues?

This is where Toys come into it. Which Toys are the best when it comes to the business?

Believe it or not this can be great for a lunch when the weather is brilliant outside. The reason for this is simply because the entire office can get out to the local beach or park and just have a game. It’s not a kids game by any means and is something everyone can join in with. We often do this in the summer months simply because the office can get really hot, dull and boring when the weather is looking perfect.

Games Console

A games console can be a great release at lunch simply because you can do anything from beat the crap out of your rivals on a fighting game or shoot the hell out of your rivals on a FPS! Although the initial cost to the company could be high because of things like Televisions and the console, it is well worth doing. We have both the Xbox and the Wii in our office and it fills the place with a bit of laughter during the lunch hour.

Pool Table

These are among the best simply because they are great fun! Challenge your work buddies to a game for either fun or cash. You could even have an in-office pool tournament.

So move the mail management and print service out of the way for those lunch hours and have some fun!

Games consoles are becoming more and more high tech as they go on and the real question is, could they be used in the office for things like Asset Tracking?

Well if you look at a console like the Nintendo Wii, it has to be said of course not. But if you take the Xbox 360 or PS3 and think about how the next versions would look like then you may see that it is is more than possible.

So what would the office day look like if you had an Xbox instead of a PC?

Morning

Do a bit of asset tracking, followed  by a light snack followed by a bit of actual work.

Lunch

Switch the console over to game mode and play a couple of matches on the newest Halo game with mates from around the office.

Afternoon

Bit more work with a last half hour gaming session on the Xbox before clocking off in the evening.

Now that sounds like a fantastic day at work if you ask me!

Would all of this really be possible, only time will tell but for now enjoy them for what they are, great toys!

There are so many toys out on the market that really are just plain wrong, from Christmas toys to toys that just shouldn’t exist, here are just some of them.

Breastfeeding Doll

This has got to be the worst one out of the entire list simply because it is just not right for a kid to be doing it.

This toy is only available in Spain and is aimed at young girls between the ages of 8 and 10. In the box you get a baby and a bra. The child puts on the bra and brings the baby closer to the fake bra just like a woman would do when their child is in that stage.

The owners of this product say that it is out there to try and teach children how to breastfeed for when they are older. Surely this is something a mother will learn on her own and not through a toy? Rivals have suggested that this can only increase the chances of teen pregnancies and should be taken away from the market immediately.

Airport Security Play set

This set is absolutely crazy as kids get to see how airports security works. This has actually been made by playmobil. Perhaps it is used to make children less worried while they are at the airport. I can just see a cartoon series featuring baby Osama trying to get through playmobil airport security.

Golliwog

This has something that has been argued over for a long time. Although this is often seen as a racist toy, many people are after one simply for nostalgic reasons. It is easy to see how they are classed as racist but is also easy to see why they shouldn’t kick up a fuss over it.

So it’s up to you really, you can either buy these gifts for your child or not. Of course many kids are more interested in getting an Xbox 360 or a mobile phone nowadays. If this is the case for you then make sure you have mobile phone insurance as kids tend to wreck the phones often.

I am a frequent flyer who has to visit Europe often four or five times a month and the United States around five or six times a year. Keeping myself entertained while waiting in airport lounges has become something I am very good at.

I’ve tried pretty much every portable entertainment device on the market but I have yet to find another travel game that compares to Sudokube. It’s like a cross between Rubiks cube and Suduko and it’s incredibly addictive.

On a recent return trip from Stockholm I went to retrieve my car from the Gatwick parking lot and thought that I’d just spend a few minutes relaxing with my Sudokube before hitting the M23 for the drive home. Two hours later, I reallised that I’d become completely immersed in the little numbered cube and hadn’t been able to tear myself away. That’s how addictive this little beast can be.

At only £3.49 a Sudokube is a very affordable little travel companion.

Nintendo Wii games don’t stand out just because of their amazing graphics, but because they’re played in a interesting way.  Nintendo has created a revolutionary new control system for their Wii.  The games can be played with a wireless, hand held remote controller.  Players can move in all directions while pointing and swinging with the Wii controller.  Alot of sites are also offering a free Wii for completing offers.

No matter what kind of games the player enjoys, he or she will have a lot of fun with the wireless controller.  Classic Nintendo favorites, such as Mario and Legend of Zelda, are always number one on most players’ lists.  These favorites are now back better than ever thanks to Nintendo Wii’s innovative new features.

Sonic the Hedgehog is another Nintendo favorite that is back for the Wii.  “Sonic and the Secret Rings” and “Sonic Unleased” are just two of the new Wii games that classic Nintendo fans and new ones alike can enjoy.

One game that a lot of gamers have been raving about is “Warrior Ware: Smooth Moves”.  This game represents everything that only Wii is capable of.  Players are given instructions over what type of movements and action are required in order to complete each part of the game.  If they make too many wrong movements, they have to start over.

And this is why Nintendo Wii is distinguished more so than other gaming systems.  Success requires correct movements.  Video games are traditionally played by sitting down, but now there can be a lot of physical excitement in playing.

Needless to say, sports games for the Nintendo Wii are a lot of fun.  Wii Sports, for instance, is a game that features athletic simulations.  Gold, baseball, tennis, bowling, and boxing are five games that players can choose from.  Players must use correct sports movements in order to succeed.

Whether players enjoy role playing games, first person shooter games, sports games, etc., Nintendo Wii brings an entertaining new way to play all of them to the table.  Gamers don’t have to worry about getting cramps from sitting around in one spot, thanks to Nintendo Wii!

There are many new games made for Nintendo Wii, making it one of the most popular systems on the market.  In fact, Nintendo Wii’s and games are very hard to come by—with every new release, they’re sold out in no time at all!  It’s all thanks to the unique controller, beloved classic games, and all around fun that only Nintendo can provide.

While shopping for a garden trampoline for my kids this Christmas I came across this rather interesting history of trampolines and trampolining.

I recall seeing silent footage of stage performers using a ‘bouncing bed’ as a prop in their act. Made up to look like a bed the prop was actually a precursor to the modern trampoline.