If it weren't for the innovative addition of toys, this game would blend in with other action-packed games with cute characters and similar missions. Therefore, I was a little hesitant to give this game a shot. But, what's better than collecting toys to add to bins and boxes of other toys? Toys that store data. Skylanders Spyro's Adventure actually comes to life in an interactive and fun way, making it unique amongst other games.

The game comes with Spyro, Trigger, Happy, and Gill Grunt. Of course, you can purchase more figures (32 in total). You don't even need all of the characters to beat the main quest in Skylanders Spyro's Adventure - it can be done with the four starter pack figures. Each toy is equipped with special powers including air, life, water, earth, fire, undead, technology, and magic. Each character starts out fairly basic and needs to level up to give the player a better personal connection to the game. You increase your stats slowly by killing enemies. You also collect money by opening chests and destroying objects in each level. This allows you to purchase upgrades and expand on your attack abilities. To get the final weapon upgrade, you must collect soul gems. There are also loads of treasures, hats, chests, and story scrolls throughout the game. You can only access side quests that relate to the character's special power. Now, that's why it's cool to have all 32 toys - think of all of those quests!

This is how it works. There's a portal. You place your figure on the portal and within three seconds, that character is in the game. You can swap them any time you'd like throughout the game. The coolest part is that all of your data - from leveling up, purchasing new abilities, collecting money and boosting your stats - is saved right into the figurine rather than the console. You can take the toys to your friend's house and place them on their Portal and just like that your character (with all of the data you collected) is ready for action. A second player can even join in by placing their toy on the Portal as well. Another innovative aspect of this game is that this toy-saving-data system works across platforms. You are able to use any of your characters from your Xbox 360 and use it on your Wii, PC, 3DS, or PlayStation 3. However, the Portal is needed for each system, and it's, therefore, provided in each starter pack.

Of course, even if you unlock characters in Skylanders Spyro's Adventure, you are unable to use them until you purchase them and place them on your Portal. Besides collecting figures, the game itself is action-packed and full of fun that includes shooting and fighting, as well as mini quests and puzzle games. The main quest follows the Portal Master's story. That's you. Your mission is to defeat Kaos by bringing pods back to life in the land of Skylanders. Each uniquely themed level contains a boss that must be defeated. When a player's health is low, they regain full health by restarting or completing a level, or by finding a health-replenishing snack. Tip: If your health is low, choose a new character until you find the health replenisher! A player is aware of their damage when taking a hit - a red splash indicates just how much damage was done.

All in all, the levels are fun and the graphics are great, with bright and vibrant colors. Besides eye-catching graphics, the game also offers a superb orchestral soundtrack. 

Skylanders Spyro's Adventure is amazing and changes the world of gaming, especially for the younger adventurers. However, it isn't perfect. Starting up was tricky, and getting the Portal to work took some time. It can be fun for young kids to save up their money to buy these toys. Not so fun if you lose the toys and, therefore, lose all of your data. Older players may be annoyed that they don't earn players by honest playing and mad skills - rather they need money to buy the characters.

Overall, you take some good with the bad. Skylanders Spyro's Adventure has amazing qualities and features, with only a few setbacks. The flaws include the confusing portal, expenses adding up by purchasing new characters, and no online multiplayer. But in my opinion, the pros outweigh the cons. There are even two Adventure Expansion Packs to add on to your game and unlock new adventures. This clever gamereally comes to life in a unique way. Hardcore gamers might pass on this one, but kids will absolutely love it. If you enjoy adventures like these, I say go for it! This innovative game is truly one of a kind.

GameDynamo's Score for Skylanders Spyro's Adventure (Wii)

	Score	Description
Graphics	92	This game looks amazing! The fun characters, textures, and bright colors look great.
Sound	93	Beautiful orchestral music and dynamite sound effects.
Gameplay	87	Not very challenging, but super fun. Lots of quests, expansion packs, and 32 unique characters will keep you busy.
Play Value	95	Amazing play value with stories and quests that are clever and simple to follow along.
Final Score	90	Game adventurers will love this game. It's fun, unique, innovative, and clever, and those are a few good reasons to give this game a shot.

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