Brace yourselves, Skylanders is launching Multiplayer. Now the kids can game together without packing up the toys!

Skylanders is a mega-hit. In just over four years over 250 million Skylander toys have been sold globally, the first in a now competitive line of games products bringing physical toys to life on the big screen through the family games console.  This year, the franchise expands again and there’s more than just a whole new level of toys, there’s a whole new style of gameplay.

Skylanders SuperChargers will bring new characters into a whole new adventure world, and along with the characters will be vehicles.  That’s right, on land, sea and in the sky these toys will join a character on the portal to allow the kids to explore the world and complete the adventure in a completely new way.

Never before have you been able to drive around, fly around or float around Skylands, and of course for parents this means yet more toys to buy:)

For all the previous Skylander games, kids would pack up their toys and visit a mate to enjoy the game together sitting side by side trying to work their way through the story.  All that changes on September 24 when Skylanders SuperChargers launches.  This year, kids can play together via their home internet connection.

Online gaming is far from new, but it’s not been a feature of this hit franchise.  So with SuperChargers kids (and Adults!) can play together cooperatively to complete the adventure, as well as in a whole new competitive racing mode.

I played the game today and it was an absolute blast.  Similar to many racing style cartoon games you drive around a hugely over-designed track with jumps and boosts and things to collect, however with Skylanders you’re faced with different maps to suit the different vehicles (Land / Sea / Sky) and in the Sea mode for example you can float on the water to race or duck underwater also.

There are literally endless ways you can play, the maps have trick passages, various ways to go and just an all round bunch of fun.

According to Activision, Racing Mode will work from day one with the Skylanders SuperChargers Starter Pack, and includes six race tracks – two for each terrain type: Land, Sea and Sky. You’ll be able to purchase Racing Action Packs that unlock additional content. A total of three Racing Action Packs, one for each terrain, will be available and include three special toys (a SuperCharger, Vehicle and villain trophy). The villain trophy unlocks two new tracks and new modes, including SuperVillain Cup, Boss Pursuit and Mirror Cup.

Playing side by side is still an option too – with Split screen mode

If you’ve got a headset, you can enjoy Voice-Chat also with players on your friends list, as well as with friends of friends to get the competition going.

This is the one area Activision needs to take care – and I have no doubt they have.  This is a kids game, and parents (like me) have happily allowed the kids to play because it’s a cartoon experience, with no “killing” or over the top violence.  It’s the same situation in multi-player mode, but the restrictions around who they can play and chat to will be new to many parents.

We haven’t tested the experience in the real-world yet, but expect the multi-player experience to be platform limited (ie: Xbox to Xbox only) and the friends list to be based on Xbox or PlayStation profiles.  We shall wait and see.

You could argue this is a logical progression for the franchise, and without question toy sales will once again boom – I know what’s going to be on my son’s Christmas and Birthday list.

Skylanders SuperChargers is out September 24 (In Australia), the prices:

• $99.95 – Skylanders SuperChargers Starter Pack
• $19.95 – Individual vehicles toys
• $89.95 – Nintendo 3DS Starter Pack
• $17.95 – Individual SuperChargers character toys
• $119.95 – Skylanders SuperChargers Dark Edition Starter Pack
• $39.95 – Skylanders SuperChargers Racing Action Packs