For those that don't know, this is a Gauntlet-style game designed to be playable by younger players. The gimmick is that the game comes with a physical "portal" and figurines. The figures have RFID chips inside that store their stats and items as they level up. To play the game, you place a figure on the portal and the related character appears on the screen.
I just discovered this game a few days ago and went balls deep. I own the Wii version along with almost every figure available at this time. Ultimately, there will be a total of 32 regular figures and 5 special figures. I have been playing this with my friend (we are both age 30+) and it is not only fun, but a well-designed and programmed game.
The portal is very responsive and you can switch figures at will. Each figure has an element type (water, fire, wind, etc) and there are certain sections that can only be accessed by a specific type. There are also enemies which are weaker against certain types. So the game encourages you to swap in the best type for the moment (and to also to go out and buy new figures of types you don't already own).
The game comes with three figures and you can go through the game with them. However, the chances of anyone not succumbing to the desire for more figures is probably zero. The figures are $7-8 each, or a little cheaper if you buy them in a three-pack. There will also be a total of four add-on levels available (two are currently in stores), which open up new areas. The game is already very re-playable, as you will undoubtedly need to play through each level a few times to "complete it". The game keeps track of items and secrets that you missed and awards stars for completion. I am not yet sure what getting all stars in a particular level awards the player.
One thing that some people may hate, but I personally love, is that the game has zero online component. The characters are not downloadable DLC. They are all physical in the form of figures you place on the portal. Yes, this means you are actually just paying to unlock existing content already on the disc. I actually prefer this method as it means the game will work for the rest of my life, instead of ceasing to exist whenever the publisher shuts down or the platform is obsolete. It also means that character loading is instantaneous and not reliant on an internet connection.
Again, extra figures are not required to play through the game. However, you will miss out on a small amount content reserved for figures of a certain type. However, for the frugal gamer, you can easily play through almost all of the content by just owning a figure of each element type (eight figures total).
The figures are 100% multi-platform and portable. You can take your figures from your Wii to a friend's PS3 and it will load all of your current stats directly from the chip inside the figure. The game is available for literally every current platform: PS3, Wii, 360, PC, Mac, and 3DS*. There is also a additional browser-based game which you can play by entering codes that come packaged with each figure.
This game is great fun for kids (age 6+) and adults. Check it out if you haven't already. I won't fault you if your first response to seeing the game is "what the hell is this crap lol" because that is pretty much everyone's first response to the game. Once you research it, see videos of the gameplay, and try the game yourself, you will likely change your mind.
*Note: The console versions are all virtually identical (other than video resolution), except the 3DS version, which has standard Spyro platformer game play instead of the hack-and-slash gauntlet style play.
I apologize for this being a repost from nintendoage, if you happen to see it there. I later realized it might make more sense here since the game is available on every platform.
Something to do with PSN or something?