CRAZY

Getting hands on with Skylanders Imaginators at E3 was something of a revelation. We had heard a lot about the character creator before the event but it wasn't until we tried it for ourselves that it became apparent just how in-depth and flexible this is.

The interface works well at balancing all these options with the simplicity important for younger players. With a few presses of the buttons and sliders you can create your own Skylander and then hone how it looks to your heart's content. As you progress through the game you can then unlock more parts and gear to further enhance your creation.

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There's a real sense of RPG-style to all this as players hone both the look and performance of their character. Perhaps what's most impressive about all this is that all the characters we created at E3 felt like genuine Skylanders; they have the familiar sense of style and personality, right down to a specific catchphrase and even theme tune.

Also on show at E3 was the Crash Bandicoot character, which has perhaps stolen much of the game's hype. He will be available (initially at least) in the PlayStation Starter Packs for Skylanders Imaginators. However, unlike the amiibo-Skylanders last year, Crash will work across all platforms. This brings the character to the Wii U for the first time and on-screen, he looks every bit the part.

The figurine is also impressive with a close attention to detail, and is a toy that will work as well on collector's shelves as well as a play thing on the living room carpet. Putting Crash side by side with Spyro, you can see how far the character design has come since the initial launch of the game.

While there is likely more to discover about Skylanders Imaginators, it roundly impressed at E3, and having Crash on Wii U is certainly a nice cherry on the top.