Skylanders: Swap Force (Activision; 3DS, PS3, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360; rated everyone 10+)

Easy to play and with lots to explore, Skylanders: Swap Force is the third game in the action game series that is made for kids, but as much fun for adults. There’s lots that’s new here, including a new villain, a new focus on melee attacks, and new abilities such as bouncing, climbing, digging, and flying.

But the real fun comes from the new characters. The 16 Swap Force Skylanders have top and bottom halves that can be switched. So Blast Zone’s top and Wash Buckler’s bottom can be combined to create Blast Buckler, which has powers and abilities of both. In Swap Force are the expected elemental gates that can only be opened by associated Skylanders, but there are also new multi-element gates, which can be opened either through the cooperation of two players or by creating a Skylander with a top and bottom representing the two elements.

Yes, it may all be in service of encouraging the purchase of more characters, but with dozens of hours of play, it’s a far better investment than another recent fad: Trashies. PS4 and Xbox One versions of Swap Force, in all their technicolour glory, will be available later this month.

Cross-posted at the Georgia Straight