Kicking off NYCC with Hasbro: D&D, Marvel, My Little Pony, Nerf, and Angry Birds
New York Comic Con begins today, and we kicked off the event last night with Hasbro, where we got a good, long look at some of Hasbro’s new toys and products being released for the company’s most popular properties, from Dungeons & Dragons and Marvel, to Nerf, My Little Pony, and Angry Birds.
Before you ask: no, Magic: the Gathering was not at the pre-NYCC party, but people often forget that Hasbro owns Wizards of the Coast, so no one will mind if you continue forgetting about that. Hasbro did have its other biggest properties out in full force, displaying their upcoming newest product lines.
First up, Hasbro showed off the full line of the Dungeons & Dragons Kre-O sets. Kre-O, of course, being Hasbro’s version of LEGO that released back in 2011. The D&D sets involve a simple game where two opponents fling plastic balls from a catapult at their enemy’s Kre-O army. Last man standing wins. We played a quick match at the booth, and it was more fun than it may seem like it is. Interesting note: the catapults are much more powerful than you’d think, so at full force, the plastic boulders fling much farther than expected. So, the game finds depth when you’re attempting to balance aiming with the proper amount of force.
Angry Birds Telepods made a strong showing at the party as well. We’ve previously tried out the toys, and felt that they’re Hasbro’s answer to the Skylanders fever that swept the toy market in recent years. Rather than action figures you can invoke in an action-adventure game, the Telepods are invoked into Angry Birds Star Wars, each character with a special in-game power. However, the play sets also come with tangible destructible environments and pieces, so you can fling the birds and knock down structures in real life if you want to put your tablet down for the night.
Next, we played with a moving target Nerf rig set up with some guns from the Zombie Strike series, and an infinite well of foam ammunition — for journalism purposes, of course. The rig featured the Crossfire Bow, the revolver-esque Hammershot, and the Shotgun-like Sledgefire (which fired multiple darts at once). All three guns had a surprising amount of power and accuracy, and I was able to easily fire the darts through holes being partially obscured by rotating blockades.
Finally, the last property we invaded was the My Little Pony Ponyfication Station (wonderful pictures in the gallery), where stylists infused our hair with friendship and magic. Accompanying the vibrant, multicolored pony weaves, we also received cutie marks — a play on beauty marks that were essentially face decals with My Little Pony symbols, such as rainbows or diamonds.
Aside from the interactive exhibits, the party floor had a multitude of Star Wars, Marvel, and Dungeons & Dragons action figures displayed on lighted platforms, making for an atmosphere at which we felt right at home. Overall, the pre-NYCC Hasbro party was a great way to kick off the event, and the company’s upcoming toys were a blast to play with, especially while our hair was infused with pony magic.
