Consoles Beware: Skylanders Trap Team Coming to Tablets

Activision’s Skylanders series has long been a multi-platform experience, making the popular toy / video game hybrid project accessible to a multitude of players. An additional demographic will be able to join in on the toy-swapping shenanigans soon: Skylanders Trap …

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Activision’s Skylanders series has long been a multi-platform experience, making the popular toy / video game hybrid project accessible to a multitude of players. An additional demographic will be able to join in on the toy-swapping shenanigans soon: Skylanders Trap Team, the latest entry in the main series, will receive a tablet port when the game hits consoles and handhelds this holiday season.

Given the franchise’s popularity, a tablet release is a pretty big deal. Parents are no longer obligated to buy a console or the Nintendo 3DS alongside a Trap Team bundle. They can simply download the game onto their tablet (or buy a new one for the purpose, thereby making the day of any kid asking for Skylanders and a new iPad).  Then again, we have to ask ourselves if mom and dad will be happy about dropping more than $70 on a game for a platform that’s known for one dollar fare.

skylanders_trapteam_01

Vicarious Visions is developing Skylanders: Trap Team, and in an interview with Mashable, CEO Karthik Bala said the company is working hard to make the game’s iOS, Android, and Amazon Fire ports indistinguishable from its mainstream console releases. The Trap Team tablet bundle is priced at $75.99, same as the console bundles.

Trap Team for tablets is packed with a Bluetooth-enabled portal that beams Skylanders toys directly into the game. It’s also packed with a Bluetooth controller, and a stand to prop up the tablet for long play. The controller and the portal will reportedly connect when the game is loaded on the tablet, presumably sparing kids (and any tech-deficient adults in the house) from the pain of fiddling with Bluetooth settings. Touch-screen controls are still in place for anyone that doesn’t want to use the controller.

Trap Team for tablets has a few tweaks in place to help make it a streamlined experience. In order to work with online stores’ download size restrictions, new levels load in the background as you play. There’s also an on-the-go mode that contains two pre-loaded characters, allowing you to get your Trap Team fix even if you’re not able to access the Bluetooth figurine portal.

Skylanders Trap Team hits tablets on October 5th, matching the launch date for consoles and the Nintendo 3DS.

[via Mashable]

In the early aughts, Nadia fell into writing with the grace of a brain-dead bison stumbling into a chasm. Over the years, she's written for Nerve, GamePro, 1UP.com, USGamer, Pocket Gamer, Just Labs Magazine, and many other sites and magazines of fine repute. She's currently About.com's Guide to the Nintendo 3DS at ds.about.com.