Tic Stack Toe might be one of the top toys for 2013. The game was shown for the first time at the International Toy Fair at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. As you can guess from the name alone, it is based on Tic Tac Toe.

We have all played Tic Tac Toe. The game has been around for thousands of years. While the game is fun, there is not a whole lot of strategy to the game. Now the classic game of Tic Tac Toe is being reinvented for a new generation as Tick Stack Toe. Now Tick Tack Toe is a stackable board game that involves chess like strategy.  It’s the way that Tick Tack Toe was meant to be played. The game literally adds another dimension to the game. The new game plays out just like the version that we have all grown to love. People who have played the original game will easily be able to pick up and play the new game. Now players have to stack their X's and O's upwards. It’s like a construction toy.  Read more in this article: Top Toys 2013 –New Building Sets From KNEX. The company is hoping that it will be one of the best toys of 2013.

One of the problems with the original game is that there were very little options. With Tick Stack Toe, players can choose different configurations for the board game to add more complexity. The board is expandable which adds more game play options. There is a 3 X 3 grid, a 4 X 4 grid, all the way up to a 5 X 5 grid. The game encourages people to use their spatial skills to think one step ahead of their opponent. When it is released later this year, the game is going to be one of the hot toys in 2013 for strategy gamers.

The creator said he got the idea when his daughter was stacking blocks in his living room. He decided to introduce the game to his office. The game was played by everyone in the office. The team realized that the game captured all of the strategy of the original but added an extra layer of depth in the third dimension.

Although there is board game, the team wanted to reach even more players. It seems all kids nowadays are playing with smart devices. Tic Stack Toe will be available in digital form as an app. The game captures all of the fun of the original game but adds several immersive worlds. One of the coolest new features is that the app adds the ability to compete with your friends on Facebook.

If you have played Tic Tack Toe, the new game is just as easy to pick up and play. You will begin to understand the new game right away without slogging through pages and pages of rule after rule. The game is expected to be one of the top toys of Christmas 2013 when it hits stores later this year.

The company is planning a line of products with the Tick Stack Toe theme. There is going to be a muti colored set which is perfect for kids.  There is a travel version to take on the road.

Do you think Tic Tack Toe will be one of the top toys for 2013?

We have been waiting long enough for it and today Hot Toys and Sideshow Collectibles has announced the Black Widow Sixth Scale Limited Edition Collectible figure. This is going to be on our top toys  2013 list for sure. The toy is finally available for preorder and should be released in December 2013. We wish it would arrive earlier but it should make a nice Christmas present for serious toy collectors.

Earlier we saw Hot Toys release a detailed Hulk action figure. We have seen other characters from the Avengers movie, but all of us wanted Black Widow more than anyone else. It was beginning to look like we wouldn’t be getting Black Widow. A lot of us thought she would be left out of the lineup.

However, Hot Toys has calmed our fears by announcing this incredibly detailed version of the Black Widow. We have seen Hot Toys produce a version of the Black Widow before. While the figure looked good, the face lacked detail. This new version looks a lot more realistic.

The toy is based on the Black Window character in the new Avengers movie played by the tough Scarlett Johansson. She is not the most beautiful woman in the world but we think that she is perfectly cast as the Black Widow in the new Avengers movie. Scarlett Johansson does not have a face like Megan Fox. Her face lacks proportionality and symmetry. She has a very mature face. Her nose is a little bit too long for a woman and her face also seems too long. Her face has the occasional pock mark. These features reflect her toughness rather than her beauty. She gives off a very intelligent vibe. That is why she fits the Black Widow role perfectly.

The figure looks very life like thanks to the sculpted head, hair implantation, body sculpt, and clothing based on the new Avengers movie. It’s going to be a 1/16 inch representation of Scarlett Johansson.

When we first saw the figure, we actually were thinking where the toy was. The toy is immensely detailed that it is actually easy to mistake it for the real thing. We had to take a second look before we realized that we were staring at the actual toy. We thought it had a striking resemblance to Nicole Kidman but it does look like Scarlett Johansson.

There is no denying that there is great detail in the face. You can even see the makeup.  We actually like the expression on the face. It does look like a cold stare, something you would see on an assassin and out of the movie. It really does capture many of Scarlett’s features both good and bad. You can notice that the face lacks proportionality just like Scarlett’s face in really life. The nose looks unfeminine and is a tad lopsided. Her lips are nice and small. The head sculpt is pretty much perfect.  Hot Toys has gone through great length for providing every little detail.

The actually body is well done and her one piece skin tight suit highlights her distinctive body shape nicely. She got a belt accessory and holster for her pistols on her thighs. She is wearing a pair of tall boots. The figure actually seems a bit more slender than Scarlett’s real body.

Even the material on her suit looks like a lot of work was put into it. With over 28 points of articulation, you can recreate just about any pose out of the movie. The alien rifle blade looks pretty dangerous as well. You can also make her carry both of her pistols to make her look like a deadly assassin.

Hot Toys sort of threw a curve ball at us. When it was first announced, we thought we would be getting sculpted hair. However, the hair is actually made out of fabric and rooted. Most of us prefer rooted hair on dolls. While it looks realistic, the only problem is the hair can get in the way.

This figure stands 28 cm tall. Regular 6 inch figures are nice, but these Hot Toys 12 inch figures are completely on another level. The figure looks glorious. It’s the closest thing to having Scarlett Johansson in your house. It’s realistic in every way. We just wish that Hot Toys would consider making a life size version of this collectible.

We could do away with the stand which grabs the figure in an inappropriate way. The stand has got to be one of the most awkward we have seen. It is a little too kinky for us.

Pricing details have finally been announced. It going to be $189.99 but there is also a monthly payment plan for those that need it. It is a bit expensive but Hot Toys are generally worth it if you can afford the hefty price tag. There are several hands, fists, and guns included with the figure.

About Black Widow

The first character to take on the role of Black Widow was Natasha Romanova. Black Widow was created by the legendary Stan Lee. Black Widow is one of the world’s deadliest spies and has the ability to disguise herself. This scarlet hair spy’s name is Natasha Romanova, but most people call her by her title of the Black Widow.  She was born in the late 1920s. She became an orphan when her parents were trapped in a burning building with her. She was rescued from the fiery blaze by Ivan Petrovitch Bezuknhow, a Soviet Soldier. She was recruited to part of the Black Widow Program. She kept her secret spy identity hidden by pretending to lead a normal life as a ballerina. She married Alexi Shostakov. She was told that her husband died but the KGB actually faked his death. She continued studying at the Red Room Academy. This is where she received the title of the Black Widow. The Black Widow has served on many superhero teams including the Avengers, the Defenders, the Champions, Shield, and Thunderbolts. She has also made appearances in motion pictures. The latest movie that she was in was the Avengers.