The final step in becoming one with the Force is for Jedis to build their own lightsaber. Now kids can choose their destiny by building their own Ultimate Lightsaber, as they decide whether to fight as a Jedi Knight, or join the Sith. Lightsaber parts assemble in different ways to design a customized look. A filter changes the blade color, while the crystal determines the heart and soul of the lightsaber. This easy to assemble and reassemble kit allows for over a thousand different configurations!

Young artists show "flashes" of greatness in a whole new way with Lite-Brite FX-Flash Art. To begin, children grab their paintbrush and paint one of many design cards. Next, they insert the card into the Lite-Brite unit and push the play button. Then watch as the art forms while spinning ´round and ´round to create a unique light show with electronic lights, music and motion! Children use a variety of buttons to start, stop and showcase their masterpiece. Package includes four different bottles of cool paint and seven design cards. Includes four "C" batteries.

Similar to the well-loved game for older children, the new PLAYSKOOL version provides arcade-style play but for a younger age group. The toy has two different play patterns: Roll It or Bounce It. During the game, electronic music plays and lights flash as players score points. Each game has three modes of play to meet the child´s skill level. Parents can easily set up and store the toy for anytime rolling and bouncing play.

VideoNow XP is the interactive video system that allows tweens to enjoy top-rated programming and hot music videos, as well as play fun, interactive games anytime, anywhere! The VideoNow XP player combines the high-caliber programming and easy portability of the popular VideoNow Color with the addition of interactive adventures, an exciting all-new format for VideoNow. VideoNow Personal Video Discs will feature bonus trivia and games playable only with the VideoNow XP player.

This 70th anniversary edition is a luxurious interpretation of the classic property trading game. “Own it all” in style, with 1930s-inspired graphics, plastic houses in four architectural styles, unique hotels and 12 deluxe tokens inspired by players’ favorites.
— “Greatest family game of all time,” said Thomas Ryan, owner of The Game Shoppe in Boston.
— “Christmas always means Monopoly in my store,” explained Donald Jacobs, owner of Jacobs’ Ladder, in Tallahassee, Fla. “It’s a family game that everyone can play.”
— Monopoly is the most-played board game of all time according to Wikipedia and, according to the Guiness Book of World Records, more than a half a billion people have played the game since its creation.

This classic set comes with 66 wooden and plastic Tinkertoy pieces to build big structures quickly. Kids can easily build lots of structures that swing, roll and spin. Every Tinkertoy Classic building set comes in a sturdy canister package with a metal lid and bottom. All pieces, except green flags, are made of 100 percent real wood. The starter kit contains four plastic flags, four pulleys, four end caps and eight connectors.
— “Tinkertoys” was among the best-selling classic toys in the store, according to Sylvia Pudtice, co-owner of Giggles for Kids in Suwannee, Ga.
— When asked about classic toys, Roberta Kenworthy, owner of AbraKIDabra Toys in Greenville, N.C., listed “Tinkertoys” as among the best-selling in her store.
— Tinkertoy was cited by Toys "R" Us on its 2006 guide for kids with special needs. Specifically, Tinkertoy was described as a toy that “challenges kids to think.”
— “People love Tinkertoys, as well as Lincoln Logs. We carry both of them because they're so popular,” Gail Small, owner of Dragon's Toy Box in Seattle, told TDmonthly.

This is the classic fast-thinking categories game. Players try to match categories using words that start with the same letter. They score points if no other player matches their answers. The game now comes with more categories for extended play. It includes six folders, 48 category cards, a 10-sided die, six plastic clip strips, a timer, a die-rolling board and an answer pad with six pencils. For two to six players.

Chutes and Ladders is the game of rewards and consequences. As kids travel along the game path, they encounter situations that reward them for good deeds by letting them climb the ladders or punish them for misbehaving by sending them down chutes. All the while, they are learning to recognize numbers and count to 100. Included are a game board, spinner with arrow, four pawns and instructions in English and Spanish.

This realistic Darth Vader helmet makes electronic Vader breathing sounds and includes phrases taken from the Star Wars movies. It comes with a Vader chest plate so kids can better make believe they’re the true Jedi-turned-bad-boy of the empire.
— “Our best selling boys’ toy this Christmas,” said Juan Sanchez, co-owner of Sanchez Toys in Panama City, Fla.
— Mark Haber, Haber Gifts in Washington D.C. pointed out, “With the latest Star Wars DVD coming out, boys are really wanting them.”
— “I wanted to save some for my kids, but we sold out,” Diane West, co-owner of Funopolis, in Macon, Ga., explained.

This pocket-sized digital music recorder plugs into a standard headphone jack. It comes with a belt clip, earbuds, 6 games and 6 screen savers.

This seemingly real baby doll comes alive to speak, make facial expressions and move her eyes. In addition, she eats doll food and poops, as she did 33 years ago in the previous model. She is new for 2006.
— There were “a lot of requests” for Baby Alive as Christmas neared, said Janet Gessner, owner of Deep River Toy Company in Deep River, Conn.
— “I have no idea why it’s popular,” puzzled Ben Choinsai, manager of Special Toys and More in East Windsor, Conn.
— Four of 31 toy-store owners said they received requests for Baby Alive throughout the holiday season.

PLAY-DOH 50 COLORS gives children an endless number of creative options with 50 different-colored cans of compound, including six new colors. This product is special for 2006, Play-Doh’s 50th anniversary.

The Fuzzy Pumper Crazy Cuts is an updated version of the wildly popular Fuzzy Pumper Barber & Beauty Shop playset introduced in 1977 that allowed kids to "cut" and "comb" the boy or girl character's Play-doh hair. It’s new for 2006.

This interactive DVD game of pretend asks children to imitate the behavior and sounds of characters on the television screen. Different segments include “At the Farm,” “At the Zoo” and “In the Town.” The game can be played either alone or with a group. Look for it on store shelves in Fall 2006.

This game includes four individual dance mats where players perform dance moves they learn from on-screen instructors. Look for it in summer of 2006.

Kids plug their plastic light saber into the television’s AV input to fight on-screen with their favorite Star Wars heroes. Four “AA” batteries are required (not included).

Kids can power up any B-Daman battle with the cool Lava Knight DHB Blaster featuring electronic lights and sounds that take the mêlée to the next level. They can try different gaming options to test playing skill, such as DHB Triad or DHB Tag, two awesome variations on radical B-DaBall action. The B-Damans toys are not from an outright movie but a Japanese anime show. They are getting wickedly popular now while the show has not yet become mainstream.
— “I’ve been a fan since the very first toy came in from Japan,” explained Douglas Mattigan, owner of Mattigan’s Madness in Portland, Ore. “People don’t realize they’re from a show, they just like them.”
— “I think the Battle B-Damans are a fresh look from everything else out there, and kids can collect them and play with them without following a ‘trend,’” said Deborah Solvang, manager of Dusty’s Toy Box in Denver.
— “These things are addictive,” laughed Tony Stalling, co-owner of Little Things in Cleveland. “You start playing with them, and you can’t put them down.”

In the 2006 line of Tiger Games is the return of virtual pets. Kids adopt a Giga Pet and might even get attached to it as they train it, feed it, play with it and watch it grow. If you were studying, it would be a constant interruption, but if you are traveling and your pet needs to “go outside” or be “played with,” it is a welcome interruption.

Players must decide who will rule the Ancient Earth — and beyond. In the world of Risk Godstorm, ancient faiths and rears rule. Players must battle across the Earth and in the dark regions below, harness spiritual forces to strike with devastating power, and command five ancient cultures: Greek, Celtic, Babylonian, Norse and Egyptian in a continent-spanning battle. Risk Godstorm also includes everything needed to play the classic game of Risk. It is for 2 to 5 players. It includes an Ancient Earth Game Board (20" x 30"), Underworld Game Board, 5 Ancient Armies, 5 Sets of Gods, 12 temples, 60 Faith Tokens, etc.
— Risk is the best selling fantasy game at Ambassador Toys San Francisco, said manager Emily.
— The average customer review, based on 6 reviews, was 5 stars, according to amazon.com.
— Gamepieces include highly detailed characters.

G.I. Joe Sigma 6 smaller scale (2-½-inch) offerings, Dragonhawk, the Sigma 6 team’s primary drop ship from the hit animated TV series, has a number of awesome features to make self-created combat situations even more exciting. The MIC-2 (Magnetic Interface Connector) docking system allows the ship to bring various SIGMA 6 vehicles into battle; a fast-deploy system to launch the team’s Ninja Lightning Motorcycle into action; as well as rotating propellers, a hand grip for easy play and a variety of electronic lights and sounds. Launch date: Fall 2006.

Darth Vader is one of the first Star Wars 3.75” figures available from the TITANIUM SERIES Collection. The intricately micro-detailed figures each include a custom base and premium display case. Collectors will be interested in limited-edition versions of each figure featuring a patina finish. Throughout the year, the TITANIUM SERIES universe will continue to expand with the addition of vehicles and figures from TRANSFORMERS and Battlestar Galactica. Launch date: March 2006.

This nitro-fueled rocket of a car can go up to 25 miles per hour, all controlled with a touch of a button. The Nitro XRC Ricochet is Hasbro’s return to RC after far too long.

Monopoly has been America’s favorite board game since 1935. This special Nostalgia Series edition brings that history to life with vintage-look playing pieces, wooden houses and hotels, and “aged” Monopoly money. The wood collector box features a built-in banker’s tray and cover art reprinted from the 1957 edition. It’s an evergreen game that will be cherished and handed down through the generations.

This is an updated but limited edition of the all-time classic game. It’s the Monopoly we all know, except that it’s updated to reflect the “here and now.” Player pieces represent modern symbols. Properties and their prices are familiar in current American culture. It’s an innovative way of playing a familiar game for today’s generation. It’s designed for two to six players. Launch Date: 2006.
— “Monopoly is popular because it’s a classic kid's game — it’s very familiar,” was the observation given by Monica Brewster, associate at Sweet Dreams in Berkeley, Calif.
— “[Classic games like Monopoly] are popular because so many people have them and those that know them think everyone should,” was the unique insight provided by Emily Holmes, executive assistant to the president at Ambassador Toys in San Francisco.
— Patricia J. Riso, VP for public relations at Hasbro Games, spoke with TDmonthly: “Monopoly: Here & Now Edition was designed to answer the question: ‘What would the most popular board game of all time look like if it were invented today instead of in 1935?’ … The new game has newly appraised property values and rents (players who land on Times Square with a hotel will pay $20 million), larger currency denominations and airports replacing the railroad spaces. All the property spaces were selected by a popular online vote, making this version of Monopoly the first-ever that was designed by fans!”

Who will win in battle – Darth Vader or Optimus Prime? In this pack of six battle figures, iconic figures from the Star Wars universe collide with the world of Transformers. Omega Supreme and Crumplezone can help bring exciting action to your next battle. Players must destroy their opponent’s ranks when Omega Supreme picks up and throws his enemy. The last one standing wins. “The highly collectible figures represent a new kind of pick-up and play game where no game board is needed and strategy is the top priority,” Joanna Barber of Hunter Public Relations told TDmonthly. Launch date: Fall 2006.