July 2009 Notable Toys — Video Games

Designed for use with traditional drum sets or with drum console gaming systems, Rock Stix LED drumsticks pulse with every beat. The user taps the Rock Stix to activate the ultra-bright LED, which illuminates the entire stick. Batteries are included and replaceable. The Stix are constructed with Lexan professional-grade plastic for superior durability and optical clarity. There are no switches, wires or controls, and the product is available with red, blue or rainbow LEDs. The packaging features a "try me" option so customers can see the functionality of the product and the LED brightness and color before they buy. Launch date: July 2009.

The Riff-Rocker is a portable, personal USB guitar game that can be plugged in and played anytime, anywhere. The pocket-sized guitar functions like the widely popular, interactive guitar game but costs a fraction of the price. The Riff-Rocker is portable and designed to be easy to use. It requires a one-time, free software download. The software comes with an assortment of preprogrammed songs and allows players to import their own purchased music from the Web or their MP3player. The Riff-Rocker’s frets are used to play notes that appear on the computer screen. Players earn points by hitting the notes, and additional points are awarded when the fret keys are held down for long notes. It includes easy, medium and hard levels of play, as well as a multiplayer option. "The Riff-Rocker was designed as an inexpensive gaming alternative to all the accessories, games and consoles required to play other musical video games," Karlie,in marketing at Buztronics, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2009.

Designed for use with traditional drum sets or with drum console gaming systems, Rock Stix LED drumsticks pulse with every beat. The user taps the Rock Stix to activate the ultra-bright LED, which illuminates the entire stick to create incredible lighting effects in low-light conditions. Batteries are included and replaceable. Rock Stix are constructed with Lexan professional-grade plastic for superior durability and optical clarity. There are no switches, wires or controls to get in the way. They are available with red, blue or rainbow LEDs. The packaging features a "try me" option so customers can see the functionality of the product and LED brightness and color before they buy. Launch date: July 2009.

This game boasts a huge roster of playable characters among the heroic Autobots and evil Decepticons as they battle across the globe. Players can transform from robot to vehicle in an instant and run, drive or fly around the enemy. It features multiplayer online modes and is available on Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Playstation Portable, PC, Nintendo DS, and Wii.  Launch date: June 15, 2009.

This game follows the plot of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” as Harry and his pals prepare for dark sorcery from without (the rise of Voldemort) and from within (just who is “the Half-Blood Prince?”) Players duel with wizards, mix potions, fly on a broom in a Quidditch match, and even take a detour into romantic subplots. It is available on Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC and Macintosh. Launch date: Sept. 30, 2009.

Attempting to make players feel they are the future X-Man, everything about Wolverine is right there: the razor-sharp claws, his healing factor, and his moves. Supported by a big screen release and countless comic books, the game is available on Wii, Nintendo DS, PC, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Portable. Launch date: Late Spring 2009.

Game Vault is the second generation from the original Game Chamber. The Game Vault is a storage organizer designed to prevent the loss of games. "The Game Vault makes the child put back the game they are playing before another game will come out. This prevents the game finding [its] way under the car seat, couch or on the plane ... sav[ing] parent hundreds of dollars," Michael Rosenberg, CEO of Daze Products, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2009.