TDmonthly's ToyFair 2006 Preview--Card Games Product Category

Speed Limit by ENGLISH TIGER GAMES

Whether on land, in the air, or even underwater in a new submarine, players must follow rules to survive, and avoid getting caught going over the speed limit. This exciting game tests players’ abilities to obey traffic laws and use the proper speed to become the race ace. “Speed Limit helps players become familiar with various kinds of transportation while improving their skills at adding and subtracting numbers,” President Liam Finn of English Tiger Games told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 1, 2007. 1/12/2007 (Price: $9.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Infinity: The Word Game of Infinite Possibilities by ENGLISH TIGER GAMES

Infinity is a fast-paced game in which students, families and friends can show off their spelling, vocabulary and card playing skills while improving their English. The deck design allows for a variety of exciting games, including Alphabet Soup, Crossword, Stack ‘Em, and Letter War.
— “This unique product is an ideal learning tool that will not only entertain players but teach them a thing or too as well. Because games can be modified according to players’ skills, this deck can be used by players of all ages and abilities,” Liam Finn, president of English Tiger Games, told TDmonthly. It’s “great for classrooms or evenings at home gathered around the table.” Launch date: January 1, 2007. 1/12/2007 (Price: $15.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Irregular Verbs Bingo by ENGLISH TIGER GAMES

English Tiger has taken the classic game of BINGO and added a twist to make learning more fun. In this set of BINGO cards, players learn irregular verbs in an easy and entertaining way. The unique design allows teachers to change game play depending on student ability so that they can become even more familiar with the words. The special game cards are double-sided and have colorful pictures to help learners associate them with the words. Launch date: January 1, 2007.
— “In today’s ESL market, a lot of focus has been put on CAL (Computer Assisted Learning), which we believe has its benefits but removes some interactive elements from the learning process,” President Liam Finn of English Tiger Games told TDmonthly. “Our products engage learners through lively game play and encourage students to exhibit cooperation in the classroom.” 1/9/2007 (Price: $19.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Cineplexity by OUT OF THE BOX PUBLISHING

Cineplexity brings movie fans together for delightful movie madness. Each round, players race to name a movie that includes elements from two Cineplexity Cards. The player who’s the first to come up with a title wins a point. With more than 500 cards players will have hundreds of hours of fresh movie fun. ( Watch Video) 1/4/2007 (Price: $24.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Bella Sara 2nd Series by HIDDEN CITY ENTERTAINMENT

The Bella Sara Second Series features new swimming, flying and fantasy horses. Bella Sara Second Series is a unique new trading card game and online environment for girls that features uplifting messages, such as “Beauty Comes From Within.” Each blister-packed card pack contains five random horse and/or energy cards and one random activity card; the Bella Sara Second Series set contains 130 cards total. The corresponding Bella Sara website enables girls to nurture their virtual horses, play games and explore a magical online world. This product is a Spring 2007 Dr. Toy Best Product Award winner and a 2007 iParenting Media Excellent Product Award winner. Launch date: March 2007.
— “Bella Sara’s positive messages make it a rare product that is uplifting for girls and one that parents can feel comfortable introducing to their daughters,” Andre Lawless, director of marketing for Hidden City Games, told TDmonthly. 1/4/2007

Piratitan™ - The Card Game by GIDDY GOOSE 'N GANDER GAMES LLC

Aarrr! Piratitans are back. In this fast-paced card game, players pick their victims and seize their treasure. They can try to escape but must beware; they can’t outrun Piratitans. This game is unpredictable fun for everyone. Kids won’t even know it’s educational when they battle each other with ships loaded with cannons.
— “I’ve never seen a card game like this before,” said 11-year-old Victoria Ledford, a Homeschooling Roundtable partcipant whose family loved the game and gave it 5 of 5 TDmonthly stars. What did she like most about it? "Everything!" 1/2/2007 (Price: $9.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Amazing Places: National Parks by BIRDCAGE PRESS

Discover 52 amazing national parks as you play dozens of card games. Collect canyons, mountains, caves, deserts, and other amazing places as you play "Go Fish" and read fun park facts on each card. Or use this complete 52-card deck to play all your favorite card games. Launch Date: February 2007.  ( Watch Video) 12/11/2006 (Price: $9.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Wild Cards by BIRDCAGE PRESS

Kids can play three great card games and discover 47 wild mammals of North America, from polar bears to river otters. Each card has fun facts about the animals and what family they belong to. Bonus cards teach kids to identify animal tracks. Tips for playing "Memory," "Old Maid," and "Go Fish" are included. This product received a Spring 2007 Parents' Choice Approved Award. Launch date: February 2007. 12/11/2006 (Price: $9.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Go Fish for Wildlife: Sea Creatures by BIRDCAGE PRESS

By playing "Go Fish," "Rummy," "Crazy Eights" and "Snap!" players get to know 36 wild creatures in each game. They can learn their names in English and Spanish and discover what family each one belongs to. Each deck is filled with wildlife photos taken by the world's greatest wildlife photographers, and bonus cards give fun facts. This product received a Spring 2007 Parents' Choice Approved Award. Launch date: February 2007. 12/11/2006 (Price: $9.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Go Fish for Wildlife: Mammals by BIRDCAGE PRESS

Children can play "Go Fish," "Rummy," "Crazy Eights" and "Snap!" and get to know 36 wild creatures in each game. Players learn their names in English and Spanish and discover what family each one belongs to. Each deck is filled with wildlife photos taken by the world's greatest wildlife photographers, and bonus cards give fun facts. This product received a Spring 2007 Parents' Choice Approved Award. Launch date: February 2007. 12/11/2006 (Price: $9.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Xeko Gift Bundle by MATTER GROUP LLC

A Xeko Starter Set combined with two Booster Packs makes the perfect holiday gift, and gets new Xeko adventurers off to a great start. 12/8/2006

Xeko Pals by MATTER GROUP LLC

Hairy is the star of Xeko Mission: Madagascar, the award-winning animal trading card game. This 5" hairy-eared dwarf lemur from Madagascar is made from earth-friendly organic cotton and soy-based fabric, features an 8" tail, and is roughly the size of a real hairy-eared dwarf lemur, one of the most endangered lemurs in the world. The Xeko Pals line of quality plush toys is designed to delight toy lovers while raising awareness of endangered species and raising money for global conservation efforts. Hairy is “the ‘green’ gift of the year!” Mark Gross, director of marketing for Matter Group, told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 12, 2007. ( Watch Video) 12/8/2006 (Price: $16.99)

UNO Spin by MATTEL INC.

This spin-off of the original UNO game adds a little more fun to the goal of trying to discard all the cards. The spinning board may direct players to trade hands, show cards to opponents, or play a variation of war.  It received the 2007 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award. 12/7/2006 (Price: $15.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

ESCAPE Family Card Game by MASTERPLAY ENTERTAINMENT

The game has 108 cards for three to six players. Kids and adults can match wits against opponents while trying to rid themselves of all the cards in their hands. But in this new card game, opponents can openly discuss how to stop each other (within limits). Trying to stop someone from going out normally occurs when a player only has two or three cards left in his or her hand. The game scenario is in constant change. One minute a player is on offense, trying to win himself. The next minute he’s on defense as he works individually or as a team with other players to stop someone from going out. Launch date: 2nd Quarter 2007. 11/28/2006 (Price: $9.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Professor Noggin's Geography of the United States by OUTSET MEDIA

Multi-award-winning Professor Noggin’s games help children learn and communicate while having fun. Players collect 30 sturdy, illustrated cards by correctly answering knowledge-based questions. Game play challenges memorization skills. A special three-numbered die creates interactive play, while Noggin’s Choice turns allow players to take cards from their opponents. There are two levels of difficulty for children of different ages and abilities. There also are now 30 titles — one for every interest. It’s great for travel and waiting in airports. The games fit in a suitcase or glove compartment. ( Watch Video) 11/17/2006 (Price: $9.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Word Builders by RESOURCES FOR READING

Developed by a retired teacher, this product helps children practice reading, writing, spelling, vocabulary, word puzzles, and social and game-playing skills. Sixty phonics flash cards can be used to construct 1,015 words by combining beginning and ending cards. The flash cards “can also be used as game cards to play 12 different enjoyable family reading games for beginning to advanced readers,” Inventor Siva Heiman told TDmonthly. In 2006, the product was named one of Dr. Toy's 100 Best Children's Products and 10 Best Educational Products. Launch date: May 2007. 11/14/2006 (Price: $11.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Apples to Apples: Bible Edition by CACTUS GAME DESIGN INC.

Apples to Apples: Bible Edition is a wild party game that provides instant fun for everyone. Players select the card from their hands that they think is best described by a card played by the judge. The player whose card the judge picks wins that round. Each round is filled with surprising and outrageous comparisons from a wide range of people, places, things and events from Christian history. Launch date: October 15, 2006. 11/9/2006 (Price: $24.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

You've Been Sentenced! by McNEILL DESIGNS FOR BRIGHTER MINDS LLC

Using a deck of cards containing conjugations of funny words, famous names, places and wild cards, players make grammatically correct, justifiable sentences. They then read these aloud and explain their meaning to the jury (other players). The jury votes on whether the sentence and justification stand and then scores. The 540 cards, with more than 2,500 words, insure billions of possible sentences and laughs. “This is truly the first patented game in history to turn language into a seriously hilarious game,” Chairman Don McNeill of McNeill Designs for Brighter Minds told TDmonthly. The game received the 2006 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal and the iParenting Media “HOT” Award, and was a winner of the FAO Schwarz Inventors Toy Audition. Launch date: May 5, 2005. Read Review
Awards: 2015 TDmonthly Top Toy Award ( Watch Video) 10/25/2006 (Price: $24.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Heralds of Galactus Collector Sets by UPPER DECK ENTERTAINMENT

He Hungers! Featuring all the familiar characters cosmic beings fans have come to love, this unique collector set contains stunning artwork of the Devourer of Worlds himself, Galactus, as well as his most famous herald, the Silver Surfer. This unique set contains two deck boxes, six exclusive variant extended art foil cards, 130 tournament-worthy deck sleeves featuring art from the Heralds of Galactus Booster set and four booster packs. This Collector Set is an ideal way to get started with the Vs. System or to expand existing collections.
 10/16/2006 (Price: $34.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

World of Warcraft Trading Card Game: Heroes of Aezeroth Starter and Booster Packs by UPPER DECK ENTERTAINMENT

Setting the mark as the industry’s leader in innovation, Upper Deck Entertainment is pleased to release the most-anticipated trading card game to date based on the biggest name in the Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game genre, World of Warcraft®. 10/12/2006 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Man's Chest Starter Sets and Booster Packs by UPPER DECK ENTERTAINMENT

Upper Deck Entertainment (UDE) invites trading card game fans to engage in the swashbuckling adventures of sword fighting, cannon fire, and the search of pirates plunder with the new Pirates of the Caribbean Trading Card Game. 10/12/2006 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Avatar Trading Card Game – Master of Elements Starter Set and Booster by UPPER DECK ENTERTAINMENT

Based on Nickelodeon’s hit animated series, “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” the Avatar Trading Card Game combines the amazing world of Waterbenders, Earthbenders, Firebenders, and Airbenders and features the exciting adventures of Aang – a reluctant hero who must lead the fight against the evil Fire Nation to restore balance in his war-torn world. 10/12/2006 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

History's Mysteries Card Game by U.S. GAMES SYSTEMS, INC.

The History's Mysteries Card Game is full of intriguing subjects such as the Loch Ness monster, Big Foot, crop circles, ghost ships and more. This rummy-like game is as fun as it is interesting to play while players strive to collect different mysteries and score the most points. It's based on the History's Mysteries series on The History Channel. 10/10/2006 (Price: $12.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Go Figure! Crazzzy Critters by MADE BY HANDS

The goal of this tricky card game is for players to put together the set of shape cards in a manner that creates an image their opponents will recognize. The Crazzzy Critters game has players create various animal shapes, and during each round, the first player finished with his or her critter yells, “Go Figure!” 10/10/2006 (Price: $11.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Supernatural: Season 1 Premium Trading Cards by INKWORKS

A fusion between "The X-Files" and "Route 66", this fan-favorite television series features bothers Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki) as they travel the country tracking down various supernatural leads on their way to finding their parents.

This 81-card base set features their mysterious investigations and the clues uncovered in its premiere season. Also look for these randomly inserted bonus cards: Autographs, Pieceworks® cards, nine “Searching” puzzle cards, six foil "Dead End" cards, box loader cards and a special "Crash" case loader card. Also, look for an exclusive Supernatural: Season One collector album. 9/26/2006