This week we had the opportunity to test one of the most interesting games for mobile platforms of the moment. Developer Activision carried out an unusual maneuver to date, launching the same title Skylanders Trap Team on most consoles (of the two generation that now coexist) and on tablets (Android, iPad and Kindle Fire). We tell you our impressions of the starter pack.
It is becoming more and more frequent that, when a new video game is released, the main mobile platforms also receive their small portion, with a much more basic product, as has been the case of Fallout 4 in recent days, or with applications that enhance the gaming experience, as happened with iFruit and GTA V a few months ago. However, Blizzard affiliate Activision set a new milestone by releasing exactly the same version of its Skylanders Trap Team on PlayStation 4 or Xbox 360 as on Android o iOS.
Compatible tablets
Of course, due to its graphic requirement, this title will not work on any device. For starters, it only runs on tablets, where the gamer can have a proper immersion and enjoy the game at an ideal size. The second is that we will need a team powerful and up-to-date, at least to Android 4.4 and, at least, 3GB of free storage.
On this website you can consult the compatibility table. At the moment, the Skylanders Trap Team is available for download on all iPad mini and on iPad 9,7 ”(except first and second generation), all Kindle Fires from 2013 onwards, latest Galaxy Note 10.1 and Pro 12.2, the Tab Pro and Tab S, the Nexus 7 (2013) and 9 and the Nvidia Shield Tablet.
Of course, we can attest that in all these teams, the game works fluidly and we will not notice any kind of lack with respect to what a console can offer.
Contents of the Starter Pack
The Starter Pack costs right now on Amazon about 43 euros and with it we will receive the portal, the two main Skylanders figures, Food fight (nature element) and Snap shot (water element), two traps, one of water and one of nature, and a game pad that will only serve us for this game. We will also have two sticker sheets with the character codes to unlock, two collectible cards and a game poster.
We will connect all the accessories with our tablet through Bluetooth. If there is something remarkable, it is that the connection gives zero problems: just arrange all the things and we will quickly be playing. The downside is that it requires battery AAA, at a time when we are used to internal and rechargeable power systems.
The idea, after acquiring the pack, is complete the collection with other characters that can be purchased separately. This concept is very interesting to us because it mixes the virtual environments typical of video games with toys manipulables of a lifetime, making two models converge that seemed to go their separate ways. Depending on their level of "rarity" and their powers, the characters will be more or less difficult to find and more or less expensive, however, a skilled collector will always know how to find an inexpensive way to get hold of it. desired figure.
Game mechanics
This Skylanders combines two genres, platforms y action (along with the odd puzzle), all in a universe designed for children that will undoubtedly be able to attract older people as well. The grace of mixing the toys with the video game is that we will use the portal to change characters, simply by placing the figure with which we want to play on it, and to use the traps in which we will catch the enemies. In turn, the more Skylanders we discover, the more areas we can access and enjoy a greater variety of scenarios.
Fans of the saga know what each new Skylanders title entails: above all, abundant fun, a sense of humor and a huge range of characters, especially since we can capture enemies and use them in combat. When "summoning" them we will have a limited time of use, indicated by a bar that will go down and will accelerate its download as we receive attacks from rivals.
Leaving aside the more than 10 hours campaign (very replayable, if we take into account the high number of characters), there are two extra game modes: one combat arena, where we can challenge other players in different scenarios and a defense mode in which we will have to resist waves.
Free game without starter pack
In case we do not want to buy the portal, the figures and the controller or we simply want to take the game anywhere without having to set up a stage, we can also play with some controls tactile perfectly optimized, very very comfortable.
The free version will give us hours of fun, however, we must buy virtual passes if we want to enjoy a complete gaming experience. Either way, considering that it is a video game with all the laws, identical to its versions on PlayStation, Xbox or Wii, and also comes with accessories, we believe that the 40-odd euros it costs is a very reasonable price for everything it offers.