It's seldom that a toy appears today that isn't a movie tie-in or geared up with some new technology. Imagine how interesting a simple 3 inch tall articulated figure has to be to get the attention of the entire toy industry. In 2003, Stikfas figures won the coveted "Best Original Concept" award from Wizard's Toyfare (the leading magazine of the toy industry). It was the first time in years that the award was given to a non-electronic toy. That makes sense: these figures are really fun and became an instant classic.
Stikfas kits come in several sizes; Lite Packs include a figure and some accessories, while Mega Packs can even include vehicles. Once assembled, the figures cut an atmospheric silhouette of characters not often depicted in children's toys. These two kits are among the latest batch of Stikfas, a Viking and an Egyptian.
[You're about to read our first ever product review. Rest assured that these hands-on tests are completely unpaid and independent - the views expressed are entirely our own. Enjoy! -James]
Lots of today's avid video game players began their careers with the groundbreaking Nintendo NES. Not only was it a quantum leap in home video game technology, but it helped rescucitate video games after the industry crashed in 1983. The NES was long-lived, lasting into the 90's, but who would think that there would still be a company developing new products for the classic 8 bit system twenty years later? Messiah is an American company that has probably gone the farthest to bring NES classics back in a big way.
NES had wireless controllers back in the 80's, but their range was rather limited, and you needed to maintain line of sight during your game - difficult during an intense session of Rad Racer. Messiah's wireless controllers have no such limitations; they use the same 2.4 GHz RF tech as a good cordless phone.
The Messiah controllers had me beaming with a new hope - could these controllers empower even a sucky player like me? Would I wage a wireless war on all those classic 8 bit games that kicked my butt so many years ago? Here's our hands-on review.
This peaceful full color Parisian street scene was shot on July 19, 1914 - only a few days before the outbreak of WWI.
