July 2010 Notable Toys — All

As Andy prepares to depart for college, Buzz, Woody and the rest of the loyal toys are troubled about their uncertain future. This comical adventure lands the toys in a room full of untamed tots who can't wait to get their sticky little fingers on these "new" toys. It's pandemonium as they try to stay together to ensure that "no toy gets left behind." The game features expanded play for the Leapster2 system, so Leapster2 players can connect online for extra games, activities and rewards, and parents can get detailed learning progress reports through the online LeapFrog Learning Path.
— As of 7.26.2010, this product had 5 out of 5 stars from 1 review on Amazon.com, and was listed No. 1 in the top 100 best-selling toys and games. PROS: Multiple games to choose from. CONS: Not perceived as challenging enough by some children.

When kids stomp on the launch pad, a blast of air propels the Stomp Rocket over 100 feet into the air. This kit comes with four glow-in-the-dark foam rockets.
— As of 12/17/2012 this product had 4.6 out of 5 stars from 291 reviews on Amazon.com. PROS: Simple to use, no assembly, rockets fly high, and foam construction of rockets doesn't damage people or property. CONS: Could use a sturdier base and wingnut/screw connection.
— In an August 2010 TDmonthly survey of 43 retailers, three cited Stomp Rockets as an overall top seller.
— Stephanie Dupuy of Playville in Covington, La., told TDmonthly in a November 2011 survey that their best selling flying toy is Stomp Rocket. They sell between 12 and 18 each month, depending on the weather.

Leopard kittens Moka, Keeki and Koko are made from the same luxurious French faux-fur as first edition Hannah's Kittens. They measure 6"-7" long and come in shades of caramel, dark chocolate and creamy white.

Daisy, Violet and Sweet Pea are luxurious, weighted plush kittens designed to feel like real kittens. Made of fluffy French faux fur and satiny fabrics, they measure 6"-7" long. A portion of proceeds goes to animal rescue and children's literacy charities. Price shown is for the set of three kittens.
AWARDS: 2009 Family Choice Award, 2009 Publisher's Choice Award

These 4" plush figures capture the wide-eyed enthusiasm and quirky nature of Scott Pilgrim and Ramona Flowers. Each features a clip so they can easily and securely attach to a backpack or keychain. Ramona sports her famous skates and her goggles while Scott sports two of his iconic looks.

These 8” plush figures capture the wide-eyed enthusiasm and quirky nature of Scott Pilgrim and Ramona Flowers. Scott wears his jeans and trademark SP shirt, while Ramona sports her famous skates and her goggles. The set includes one of each design.

This 6" figure is based on character from the comic and film, "Scott Pilgrim."

These stylish silicone skulls are ready to be filled with batter and baked into perfect cupcake craniums. Four silicone skull molds are included in each set.

These stylized vinyl figures were modeled after NBA players including Kobe Bryant and Derrick Rose.

Players use swiveling ramps to launch chips onto the play board. With careful aim, the chips will fall into the desired hole. As players take turns, the stack of chips in each hole gets higher. The goal is to try and get three matching color chips in a row, either vertically, horizontally or diagonally. This game is for two to four players.

Babies are mesmerized by seeing their own reflection in a mirror. This musical light up mirror offers babies an opportunity to see themselves plus much more. The large, distortion-free mirror is fitted on to the front of a durable tote bag that features three colorful, friendly light-up faces. The tote bag is designed for take-along with room for bottles, wipes and other accessories inside, plus links on the front for attaching additional toys, pacifiers and more. It also stores the rattling giraffe plush toy that comes with it. The lights and music are activated by a switch that both parents and babies can push.

In this game, players shuffle the five discs and place them on the table, then everyone at once tries to find the common object that’s on all five discs. Whoever finds it first gets to mark that object with his or her colored coin and flip over any one of the discs. There will always be only one common object that appears on all five discs, no matter which disc is turned over during the game. This game is for two to four players ages 5 and up.

This environment includes two Mango Monkeys, a hot tub, pagoda, patio, water slide and lake for pretend play. The Tree House also features four spacious rooms to fill with furniture and accessories. Critters can feel free to take a dip and relax in the hot tub, enjoy meals outside on the patio or take a fun canoe ride on the lake. Critters can also open the trap door to go down the water slide, or travel across the bridge to the pagoda and view beautiful scenery.

The All in One Play Kitchen is a canvas for little cooks to practice pretend-play skills. It is full of details that are designed to enhance play value and lead to hours of fun, including a refrigerator, a sink, a microwave, an oven, a dishwasher, a clock with moveable hands and a wall phone. "This product is manufactured to withstand years of enjoyment," Guidecraft designer Dave Ruddock told TDmonthly.
— In a May 2012 survey, Sherry Grisham, owner of Today's Dolls and Toys in Corinth, Miss., told TDmonthly that this is her best selling furniture item.

Lightweight and easy to move, fold and store, the Kitchen Helper safely and securely elevates children to countertop height. It easily adjusts to three platform heights and is available in two designs, Natural and Dollhouse. Natural features fun cutouts, wipe-off marker board and chalkboard. Dollhouse is a play item in addition to its functionality as a kitchen aid. The item ships fully assembled and safely supports up to 125 lbs.

Innsmouth Horror introduces several new game concepts to the Arkham Horror board game, including personal stories unique to each investigator as well as the Innsmouth Look. Innsmouth Horror also adds 16 new investigators, eight new Ancient Ones, two new Heralds, Epic Battle cards for the new Ancient Ones, over 30 new monster markers, plenty of new encounters, and an expansion board featuring the town of Innsmouth. Overall, this expansion adds over 300 new cards to the base game. Innsmouth Horror requires a copy of Arkham Horror to play. GAME CONTENTS: 1 Rulebook, 1 Game Board, 16 Investigators 8 Ancient Ones, 2 Heralds, 272 Cards ,49 Tokens. Playing time is two to four hours for this one- to eight-player game.

Return once more to H.P. Lovecraft's vision of New England, this time to explore the dream-haunted shores of misty Kingsport, a city where the dimensional barriers are at their thinnest. This place also has powerful guardians, so perhaps the investigators will find someone or something willing to help them in their battle against the Ancient One. This expansion adds a new game board and over 300 new cards to add to the Arkham Horror game.

A dangerous cult has risen in Arkham. Meeting in secret, these heretics and madmen consort with dark powers and offer up sacrifices to the Ancient One, while hordes of vicious monsters descend on the the town. It’s up to a small band of investigators to infiltrate the cult and learn from these dark rituals, yet even the most pure-hearted may find himself corrupted in the process. Will their efforts be enough to stop the Ancient One from awakening, or will the investigators succumb, one by one, to the blasphemous seduction of its Herald, the Black Goat of the Woods? The Black Goat of the Woods is an expansion for the Arkham Horror board game. This small box expansion adds new cards, investigators and cards to enhance the Arkham Horror Game.

A new play is coming to Miskatonic University, and anyone who's anyone will be there for the opening performance. However, there's something sinister about this play, and the people who see it come back a little ... different. As if the investigators didn't have enough to worry about before, now they must deal with the mind-warping effects of the King in Yellow, a play that tells a tale of madness and horror, opening a door for the Tattered King to enter through. This expansion pack features over 160 new cards.

The supernatural disturbances that plague Arkham, Mass., are not limited to that unfortunate place. The town of Dunwich is only a short train ride from Arkham, and if anything it is a darker, more frightening place, with its own secrets and its own perils. It looks like the investigators are going to have to protect two towns now instead of just one; if they ignore the dark forces that are stirring in Dunwich, they'll have to face the wrath of the Dunwich Horror. Dunwich Horror is an expansion to Arkham Horror, complete with an extra board and the entire town of Dunwich, accessible via train from Arkham. There are plenty of new rules and new components, usable either with or without the Dunwich board addition. This pack includes over 20 new monster tokens, dozens of new items and skills and new encounters, totalling over 300 new cards in all. Arkham Horror is a cooperative game for one to eight players.

It seems harmless enough. Just a room full of dusty old antiquities, dug up from some old tomb in Egypt. Miskatonic U's faculty are all a tizzy, of course, but why did Professor Armitage go all pasty-white when he saw the Pharaoh's sarcophagus? The weirdness didn't start until the next night ... Curse of the Dark Pharaoh is the first expansion for Arkham Horror. Focusing on the thematic game play, art and strange tales of the original game, this expansion includes 166 new cards in all.

Arkham Horror was originally published by Chaosium, Inc. in 1987. This updated edition features new artwork and graphical design (including a new gameboard, counters, cards, and playing pieces) as well as revised and expanded rules from the game's original creator, Richard Launius. Players select from 16 unique playable investigator characters, each with unique abilities, and square off against the diabolical servants of eight Ancient Ones. Arkham Horror is a cooperative game for one to eight players and can be played in two to three hours.

Compiled by distinguished conflict historian Dana Lombardy (Streets of Stralingrad), the Tide of Iron: Designer Series is a hardcover collection of 20 scenarios crafted by today's most famous wargame designers. Using the mechanics of the Tide of Iron base game, these design masters have crafted the first volume in one of the most exciting collections of wargaming history. A copy of Tide of Iron is required to play. Rick Nauertz, sales associate for Fantasy Flight Games, told TDmonthly, "The Tide of Iron: Designer Series is an incredible addition to the Tide of Iron base game, offering a whole new level of depth and historical context for players to enjoy." Features: Scenarios vary from short, fast-play skirmishes to massive tactical battles. Historical backgrounds and anecdotes for each scenario written by the scenario designer. Several scenarios incorporate the North Africa Days of the Fox Expansion. One epic scenario which requires two copies of Tide of Iron for a massive, multiplayer experience.

Across the Mediterranean lie the deserts and mountains of North Africa where soldiers of the British and German armies fight the greatest war in human history. Field Marshal Erwin Rommel leads a brilliant offensive against Commonwealth forces, far exceeding his orders and earning himself the nickname "The Desert Fox." This first expansion for Tide of Iron features the introduction of the British army and the North African campaigns, including new terrain tiles, new rules, new units and new scenarios.