December 2008 Notable Toys — Licensed Products

At the beginning of the Ocarina of Time, Link unsuccessfully tried to save the Great Deku Tree from the evil curse placed by Ganondorf. However, with the help of his fairy companion Navi and a host of other friendly faces, he sets out on an adventure across time to banish the evil forces of Ganondorf from Hyrule. Cast in high quality poly-stone, this Adult Link from the Legend of Zelda: the Ocarina of Time statue is hand finished and hand painted. Not only has Adult Link been faithfully recreated, but so has the Master Sword and Hylian Shield. Stands upon a diorama base and includes a dungeon map and dungeon key for added realism. His pose shows him winding up for his signature spin attack. This statue is highly limited at only 2,500 pieces available worldwide.

In this game for three or more players, each team tries to guess a famous name as they're given up to four clues. More points are earned for guessing the name with fewer clues given. The first team to 300 points wins. Launch date 2008.

Featuring the original soundtrack from the movie "Barbie & The Diamond Castle," this 11-track album includes a song called "Connected," performed by Katharine McPhee. There are two bonus tracks, "I Need to Know," from "Barbie as The Island Princess," and "Shine," from "Barbie in The 12 Dancing Princesses."

Blending country and rock and roll, this 17-track album spotlights Strawberry Shortcake and her band, Strawberry Jam. It includes two songs in Spanish and features tunes "The Gettin' Better Boogie Woogie" and "Fun for Fun's Sake."

Igor: The Monster Making Game is a fast-paced custom-dice game about building monsters while trying not to leave unfinished projects on the table where other mad scientists could steal your work. The game is based on the movie "Igor " — a playfully irreverent comedy that brings a new twist to the classic monster genre. Launch date: September 19, 2008.

This soft, 3' whip features whip-cracking sound effects and theme music from the Indiana Jones movies. It includes a belt-loop attachment so that kids can easily carry the whip with them. Sounds can be silenced with the flip of a switch, and the product comes with three AA batteries.

This remote-controlled version of Disney-Pixar's WALL-E features realistic expressions, sound effects and movie voice, eyes that light up, and real tread motion, plus dance moves. The wireless remote is programmable, and there are more than 1,000 possible action combinations. Ten specific buttons are designed to control voice, expression, motion, dancing and more.

This action figure portrays the Joker character in Warner Bros.' 2008 movie "The Dark Knight." Launch date: 2008.

Kids can build an army of Clone Troopers with this set, which includes four figurines plus a blaster turret and speeder bike.
— Dean Smith, Owner of JaZams in Princeton, N.J., told TDmonthly in late Spring 2011 that he sells "at least" 20 of these LEGO sets each month.
— As of 05/13/2011 this product had 4.5 out of 5 stars from 20 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Detailed; the speeder vehicle included is fun and seats two clones; good for travel because of their smaller scale. Cons: One reviewer complained there weren't enough figures included in the set.
— "Every time there's a new Star Wars LEGO, it blows right out the door," Joe Berardoni, owner of Pun's Toy Shop in Bryn Mawr, Pa., told TDmonthly in September 2008. He and one other retailer, out of 63 polled, mentioned LEGO when discussing best-selling products.
— “Star Wars Lego has been insane at our store,” said Michelle Smith of Piccolo Mondo Toys in Portland, Ore., at the end of 2008.

Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? Tabletop Game is an electronic tabletop game based on the top-rated TV game show, Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? Just like the TV show, the object is to answer 11 questions in a row, from 1st through 5th grade school subjects, in order to win one million dollars.

One of RAVENCLAW™'s...ummm...well...most unusual students joins the ranks of HARRY POTTER™ TONNER® DRESSED CHARACTER FIGURES™. LUNA LOVEGOOD™ at HOGWARTS™ is 17" tall and features a new face sculpt of an authorized likeness of actress Evanna Lynch from Warner Bros.' "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," with 14 points of articulation (neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, bust line, hips, knees, and ankles). She features hand-painted face details and rooted saran hair. LUNA LOVEGOOD™ comes dressed in her school uniform, which includes a white cotton shirt, pleated wool skirt, button-down cardigan, blue & grey striped tie, grey tights and faux leather Mary Janes. Her RAVENCLAW™ robe, wand and cheery earrings complete her ensemble — not to mention a special charm necklace that helps to ward off NARGELS. Display stand included. "Highly detailed costumes, likeness sculpts and quality of collectible dolls and Character Figures sets Tonner apart from similar items," explained Shauna Perry, Director of Sales and Marketing Tonner Doll Company, Inc. Launch date: Fall 2008.

Ten easy-to-understand phase cards help children identify what they are collecting each round. Scoring is simple: The first to collect what is shown on their phase card wins. Clear colors, numbers, shapes and kids' favorite "Sesame Street" characters make collecting easy. There are two levels of play: younger kids match three things, and older kids match four things in classic Phase 10 play. "This game expands on the worldwide popularity of Phase 10 and brings the game to a younger audience. Children love the "Sesame Street" characters, which during game play help them to learn colors, shapes and numbers," Katie Hemlock, marketing specialist for Fundex Games, told TDmonthly. Launch date: April 2008.

This is the very first item based on Dexter, the star of the hit CBS/Showtime television series by the same name. A blood-splatter expert for the Miami Police Department by day, Dexter spends his nights murdering other serial killers. Now this so-called "good guy" is available in 7" bobble head form. He's made of resin and would love to make the world a safer place. Launch date: September 15, 2008.

This Betty Boop figurine wears a sleek, black evening gown. The company offers a full collection of Betty Boop items, including T-shirts, jewelry boxes, pens, clocks and more. Launch date: September 1, 2008.

Made to resemble the Tiger mascot of the University of Missouri, this quality plush backpack has adjustable straps and center compartment that zips shut. Launch date: July 2008.

No one will doubt an individual's support for his or her favorite team when they're wearing this plush mascot backpack, outfitted with a zippered compartment and adjustable straps. It is available for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and various other collegiate teams. Launch date: July 2008.

This mascot backpack invites the ultimate in team spirit for the Georgia Bulldogs. It is made of quality plush and features adjustable nylon straps plus a zippered center compartment. It can be displayed with other collegiate gear, on a rack or on a mannequin. Launch date: July 2008.

Made of 100-percent lambswool, this cap bears an official crest and is available in four color combinations. The company offers matching scarves. Launch date: 2008.

Based on the hit NBC-TV show starring Steve Carell, players race around the office visiting cubicles and answering questions about the adventures and misadventures of its unique characters. Includes a “Support the Rabid” rubber bracelet—as seen on the show—that players get when they win the “5K” race. For 2 to 6 adult players.

Join the cast of NBC’s hit show “The Office” in a DVD game that features some of your favorite scenes. Answer questions about the clips to earn Schrute bucks as you move along a game board that Dwight himself created. There’s seven different kinds of questions for lots of variety.  For 2 to 6 adult players.