There are two track sets that will be available in the UK later this year – The Death Star Attack and the Battle of Endor. The Death Star Attack has highly detailed X-Wing and Vader’s TIE fighter which race along a figure 8 track that uses the box as a tunnel and has poster style figures painted on the track infield of Luke and Lord Vader. The fighters are raised off the actual “business end” of the racer and they slide around dog fight style. And what’s really cool is that the fighters glow in the dark, so you can turn off the lights and they look like they’re really flying around in space battling each other. And because the fighters are a bit too big for the track, catching up from behind enables knocking the other off the track – thereby shooting them down.

The Battle of Endor set has speeders which go along a T-shaped track that winds it’s way through a cardboard forest from the Moon of Endor, with ATATs and Chicken Walkers looking from above and rebel Ewoks ready to reign down doom in their unbelievably low-tech fashion.

Ages 5 and up. Should be out by fall.

Hat Tip – Pocket Lint

The Marines have been collecting Toys for Tots since 1947. Semper Fi!

And it’s grown far beyond and extra curricular activity for off duty Marines. In 1995, the Secretary of Defense approved making the annual Toys for Tots drive an official mission of the Marine Corps Reserve. Over the last 62 years, the US Marine Corps Reserve have distributed over 400 million toys to more than 188 million needy children and the Marine Corps Toys for Tots Foundation has added to the toy collections by purchasing nearly a half billion dollars in toys to insure that no child gets left behind at Christmas.

And this year, as with any year, the campaign needs your help. You know the mission – pick up an unwrapped toy for a boy or girl and look for one of those dashing jarheads sitting next to a collection box near the entrance to the store. Or, you can Swing by http://www.toysfortots.org/ to make a cash donation to the Marine Corps Toys for Tots Foundation. While at the site, you can find more information on a toy collecting center in your area.

Semper Fi and Merry Christmas!

Games … the final frontier. Star Trek is out to capture the world of gaming once again as WizKids/NECA announced a new Star Trek HeroClix line which will work perfectly with HeroClix rules, but exist outside a standalone game.

With more than 20 different StarFleet and Klingon ships to choose from, gamers can use standard rules, but it will differ from Modern and Golden Age tournament gameplay. Called the Tactics game, each will also use Powers and Abilities cards that a regular HeroClix game is played with. The Starter Kit comes with 4 different ships (two StarFleet, two Klingon), two theme dice, 1 HeroClix rules book, 1 powers and abilities card, and two maps.

The Star Trek Hero Clix game commemorates not only the 45th anniversary of Star Trek, but also the 10th anniversary of WizKids HeroClix games. Since it’s founding in 1991, Hero Clix has featured numerous pop-culture lines including Marvel and DC universes. Starting this year, Wizkids started expanding the Hero Clix line with “Street Fighter”, “Lord of the Rings” (releases November 15th), “Gears of War 3, ” and most recently “Halo.” Each O gauge Hero Clix figure has both an Attack and Defense Value, Speed and range capability, Damage point values, and a rarity rating for collection and trading. During battle, the values as changed by turning the clicking wheel at the base of the figure.

The Star Trek Hero Clix line will launch in February, 2012.

Hat Tip – AFI

The clear, plastic toy is based on the Dual Model Kit made by Takara Tomy. It stands about 10″ tall and does have articulating arms and retractable swords. Note that Clear Prime can point, move his arms, and change standing positions. Sadly though, it doesn’t transform into a Semi Truck, and from what I can tell, you still have to put it together which looks to be quite the challenge. But who cares?! It even has a compelling look in the face along with those piercing eyes. A very nice piece for Transformers fan looking for a unique looking display piece which pops.

If I could swing it, I’d spend the almost $190 just to get that toy and toss the Blu-ray! But that would be almost as much a waste as buying a ticket to the movie.

Hat Tip – Seibertron

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has joined forces with Health Canada and issued a product recall on Blade mCP X helicopters and blades for potential laceration injury. Around 17,000 helicopters, made by Horizon Hobby, Inc, have been recalled due to the potential of the blades fragmenting and causing lacerations to bystanders upon impact.

Since it’s release, the mCP X has caused 312 reports of the main rotor blade coming off the helicopter. Twelve reports resulted in laceration injuries, prompting the recall to be issued. The recall affects the following models and replacement parts:

* Bind-N-Fly Helicopter, model number BLH3580
* Ready To Fly Helicopter (transmitter included), model number BLH3500
* Main Blade Grips with Bearings (replacement part), model number BLH3514

The helicopters were sold starting in March 2011. If you’ve purchased one of these models, you are encouraged to stop flying it immediately and should contact Horizon Hobby at (877)-504-0233 or visit the website at www.bladehelis.com/MCPX, for free replacement rotor grips and instructions on how to replace the faulty blades.

Hat Tip – Consumer Reports

If you’re planning on going to Disneyland or DisneyWorld this summer, you’re going to be in for a big surprise as STAR TOURS has gotten an upgrade. The new ride will have 51 different adventures to keep it fresh. But if you can’t make it, building this cool fleet of paperkraft StarSpeeders is the next best thing. The only thing missing is Captain Rex.

Paperkraft is a great way to get into modeling. The only thing is costs is some paper, some glue, and the ink from your printer. You print out the design that you’ve downloaded (this star speeder is from Disney) or you take a 3D model and using something like Pepakura, you unfold it. Print it and then cut it out. Glue tabs and you have a paper model. Very cool! And you can make a paper model out of just about anything.

The StarSpeeder is the galactic Republic’s version of a puddle jumper commuter vehicle that takes citizens to their favorite vacation destination in the Galactic Republic. But with finicky droid flying them, the vacation adventure is all too often an adventure for your life! At least that’s the storyline for one of the funnest Disney rides going.

Hat Tip – Disney

The set comes with 743 pieces, enough to build the tower, Ligtning McQueen, Mater, Fin McMissile,, and several others from the Disney/Pixar film coming out this summer. It also comes with a wench to wench Mater up to the top of the Big Bently clock Tower.

The set is due to come out in August 2011 in the US, but it’s listed as being on sale June 1st on Amazon.UK for £71.99 (which is around $144 US).

Other sets coming out based on Cars 2 include Mater’s Spy Zone (Set 8424), Escape at Sea (8426) and Ultimate Build Francesco (8678). There’s also single car sets including Radiator Springs Lightning McQueen (8200), Classic Mater (8201), Tokyo Pitstop (8206) , Mack’s Team Truck (8486) and Flo’s V8 Cafe (8487). There are several others due out and it looks like Lego fans are going to have their hands full reliving the thrilling adventures of Lightning McQueen, Mater and the gang as they race around the world! Cars 2 is directed by John Lasseter and Brad Lewis and stars the voices of Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Caine, and Jason Issacs. It’s coming to a theater near you on June 24, 2011.

Hat Tip – Smashing Bricks

All Lego construction sets and games are also going for Buy 1 get one at 50% off. Nerf toys, 25% off. BOGO50 deals on all baseball equipment and trading cards. Nintendo DS games 2 for $50. $25 off Microsoft Kinect and 2 Video games. BOGO50 on Thomas the Tank Engine Toys, $20 off bikes, BOGO50 on dolls. You’d be hard pressed to NOT find a deal on the toys you’re looking for as just about everything is on sale.

So hitch a ride on the Jeffrey Soul Train and shop early for Christmas! Sale ends Sunday.

Prices for monthly issues have dropped to under $3.00

The heroes of DC Comics all share a mission in 2011. Cheaper prices for comics. That’s right, the comic book issues that were once a quarter just a half century ago, will be dropping this year to $2.99.

Looking more like line art, the new DC covers will catch the eye of the reader.

Editors at DC sas that while they’ll be lowering the price of their comics, the quality of the story telling will remain as high as it ever has. How will they do it? WHITE BACKGROUNDS.

Spinning the notion that using a white background will make the action “pop,” we all know that the nuts and bolts reason to use a white background is to cut down on the cost of ink that is used when printing the title page in any given issue. But in this case, both goals are accomplished as it really does draw the eye to the artistic manor of the subject without getting cluttered in the background. And perhaps that’s the idea as well … eye catching title pages which make kids want to open the cover and start reading.

So, to recap, when we last left our intrepid heroes, the cost was lowered to $2.99 an issue, white backgrounds to make the image “pop,” and you get a work of art that tells a story.

Sounds like a win win to CT.

Hat Tip – Geeks of Doom

With common household items and summer freetime, kids can use HowToons to make some cool toys.

As inevitable as the sun rising in the East, this summer kids are going to eventually get bored. Why not put all that time, and their raw imaginative power to good use and get them to make their own toys? Difficult you say? Not if you take them over to HowToons.com …

Using a few 2 liter bottles, there's no limit what a kid can make with HowToons showing them how.

This site shows step by step instructions on how to make fun toys with common household objects. Instructions are drawn “toon style” so that kids will warm up to the fun and dive right in. They can make just about anything from a Water Rocket to a Submarine to a Marshmallow shooter. There’s also the classic Rolla Bolla, a flute made from a turkey baster, and even a ZoeTrope movie display which will teach kids the basics of movie animation. And the cool thing about HowToons is not only that the toys made are safe and easy to make, they’re also educational as kids learn about science, movies, puppetry, engineering, and more. To quote the site’s author, Saul Griffith, the possibilities are endless!

And if kids really love what they find there, parents can also pick up the HowToons book at Amazon.com to add to the library (right next to the Dangerous Book for Boys and the Daring Book for Girls. Each of these literary gems will give kids plenty of activity and imagination to while away the hot summer days and are completely worth the investment.