January 2012 Notable Toys — Electronic Games

This download card provides an access code to download learning games, e-Books, videos and more to Leapster Explorer or LeapPad Explorer systems.
— As of 11/14/2011 this product had 4.2 out of 5 stars from 9 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Nice gift idea; Lots of games available. Cons: Lots of packaging, but all it is, is a card with an access code on it.

The Laser Band is a laser-activated instrument from PlayAbility Toys that lets children and adults experience the joy of creating and playing beautiful music. The Laser Band allows everyone a world of musical opportunities with small arm and hand movements that break the plain of a laser beam. Launch date: October 2011.

Buzz Light Year's parts require some fixing. Fix Buzz's lazy laser or his busted ball joint. Operate carefully; if players hit the sides Buzz Light Year's laser sounds. Includes a storage drawer to store all of Buzz's parts.
— As of 10/25/2011 this product had 2.9 out of 5 stars from 7 reviews on ToysRUs.com. Pros: Interactive; fun. Cons: Too difficult for specified age group; flimsy.

The Electronic Battleship Advanced Mission game by Hasbro features a laptop design that brings this classic naval combat game to eye level for greater command of the fleet. Sinking opponent's ships is even more exciting with improved sound and commands that immerse players in each strategic battle. When  done playing, the unit folds up for quick and easy storage. Includes folding Battleship unit, 10 plastic ships, 200 white pegs, 100 red pegs, 50 blue pegs, 3 blue aircraft, 3 red aircraft, label sheet and a mission instruction booklet.
— As of 10/25/2011 this product had 4.1 out of 5 stars from 28 reviews on ToysRUs.com. Pros: Entertaining; helps develop strategic thinking skills. Cons: Difficult to understand instructions; flimsy; several users reported faulty electronic elements.

It’s four Simon games in one. The Wonder-Link technology lets the cubes know where players shuffle them, when they win and what they scored. The yellow game is Simon Lights Off. The red game is Simon Shuffle. The blue game is Simon Secret Color, there’s only one order that will show the same color on all four cubes. The green game is Simon Classic Stop shuffling.  Can be played as a group or alone. High-tech twist on the legendary Simon game tests memory and logic skills. Includes 4 electronic cubes, game case, rules and quick-play card.
— As of 10/18/2011 this product had 3.8 out of 5 stars from 22 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: No rating below 3 stars; different modes of play keep it interesting. Cons: Expensive; not challenging.

Thanks to innovative Wonder-Link technology, these super-smart dice know what was rolled, what the player decided to hold and automatically re-roll the rest. Choose from four ways to play - Poker, Max, Wild or Flash. Can be played as a group or solo. It comes with 5 Electronic Yahtzee dice, a game case, Rules and Quick-Play Card. It includes 5 button batteries.
— As of 10/18/2011 this product had 3.5 out of 5 stars from 21 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Ideal for single player usage; nice storage case. Cons: Screen can be difficult to read; scoring happens too quickly; not as fun as the original.