Merry Christmas

Avatar: Smoking Hot Christmas Gifts

James Cameron’s Avatar the Movie is Christmas 2009′s blockbuster of the year Release. It was 15 years in the making but it has been well worth the wait. Avatar is a major franchise with tons of merchandising: figurines, books, clothes and of course, a variation of Avatar the Game for each gaming platform.

Figurines

Many of the movie character figurines are tipped to become collectible items and would make wonderful Xmas presents for movie fans and action figure collectors of all ages.

The magnificient graphics and compelling story line is sure to grab all who see Avatar the Movie’s and children of all ages are going to want to collect the figurines.

An added bonus that comes with each figurine are the iTags which can be used to play an “augmented reality game via webcam.” What that means is that you can hold these iTags up in front of a webcam attached to a laptop or PC and you are logged onto the Avatar web site. Depending on which figurine/s you have, you will be able to control their 3-D character images, vehicles, armaments or creatures and have them interact with each other, fight, move through the envrionment and so on. iTags will be have value in their own right and be collectible and tradeable like collectors cards.

Figures released: Jake Sully, Colonel Miles Quaritch, Corporal Lyle Wainfleet, Dr. Grace Augustine, Norm Spellman, Neytiri, Private Sean Fike, Tsu‘Tey, AMP Suit, Direhorse, Banshee, RDA Grinder, Thanator, Leonopteryx, RDA Dragon Gunship, RDA Scorpion Gunship, Eytukan, Trudy Chacon, Jake Sully with Interactive Battle Pack

The Music

The soundrack for the Movie “Avatar” was released on December 15th 2009. It features music composed and conducted by Academy Award-winner James Horner (Titanic, A Beautiful Mind, An American Tail). The Album is available as an album or in individual track downloads.

Track List:

“You don’t dream in cryo. ….” (Album Version) James Horner 6:09
Jake enters his avatar world (Album Version) James Horner 5:24
Pure spirits of the forest (Album Version) James Horner 8:49
The bioluminescence of the night (Album Version) James Horner 3:37
Becoming one of “The People” Becoming one with Neytiri (Album Version) James Horner 7:43
Climbing up “Iknimaya – The Path to Heaven” (Album Version) James Horner 3:18
Jake’s first flight (Album Version) James Horner 4:50
Scorched earth (Album Version) James Horner 3:32
Quaritch (Album Version) James Horner 5:01
The destruction of Hometree (Album Version) James Horner 6:47
Shutting down Grace’s lab (Album Version) James Horner 2:47
Gathering all the Na’vi clans for battle (Album Version) James Horner 5:14
War (Album Version) James Horner 11:21
I See You [Theme from Avatar] (Album Version) Leona Lewis 4:20

Avatar the Game

Avatar the Game released for PSP/ PS3 / Xbox 360 / PC – Windows 7, Windows Vista, XP / Nintendo DS / Nintendo Wii

Do not get confused with “Avatar: The Last Airbender” or “Avatar: The Burning Earth.” These games are based on the Animated TV Series and not connect with the Movie in any way.

The Avatar the Game released for PS3 / Xbox 360 / PC – Windows 7, Windows Vista, & XP are all the same game but there are variations for other consoles.

Avatar the Game released for DS & DSi are a simpler, less complex game than that of the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. It is, however, no less challenging.

Avatar the Game released for the PSP is similar but has many differences to the DS & DSi version of the game.

Avatar the Game released for Nintendo DS & DSi are again different from the PS3, Xbox 360, & PC. They are not major differences but enough for the gamer.

Avatar the Game released for Nintendo Wii has quiet a number of changes although the story line remains the same. The Game is designed to work with the with the Wii Blaster Controller attachment, Wii Balance Board & Wii Motion Plus Controller. It is very definately a work out game!

The PSP Game Avatar is based on the James Cameron’s 2009 released movie “Avatar” is in time to be a smoking hot PSP Game for the Christmas Gift season along with all the rest of the Avatar Movie merchandise and particularly the action figures which come with the i-Tag.

Genre: Action/Adventure Platform

Developer: Ubisoft

Ubisoft Website: www.avatargame.us.ubi.com

Characters you will encounter include:

RDA Commander Falco (Falco is a lifelong soldier who has fought with honor and duty without ever being truly rewarded for his efforts. When Falco won the assignment to Pandora, it was like hitting the jackpot. Second only to Colonel Quaritch in the RDA command structure, Falco aims to skim whatever he can from a planet teeming with abundance. Standing in the way of this, of course, are the Na’vi. Falco embodies “might makes right”, believing a bigger AMP Suit grants him moral authority. Control the planet, you control its wealth.)

RDA Kendra Midori (In spite of her assignment to research methods to make the atmosphere breathable for humans, Kendra became enamored of the planet’s ecosystem and its myriad of riches. Eventually, Kendra undergoes a profound change: she begins to understand the true nature of the conflict between Corp and the Na’vi, a conflict that sees both sides unwilling to reach a place of peaceful co‐existence. Kendra is soon forced to walk the fine line between her own personal survival and the survival of her lifelong ideals. In the end, she chooses to side with the one thing that has come to matter the most to her: the planet Pandora itself.)

RDA Dr. René Harper (Nearly ten years into his mission, Harper has proven a pe asp o e his worth as a top notch Xenolinguist in the Avatar Program. Specializing in the primitive language of the moon’s native inhabitants, his primary mandate is to accelerate the Na’vi’s understanding of Earth‐based languages, thus minimizing unwanted misunderstanding between the two cultures. Harper was instrumental in the formation of the Na’vi school and was one of the core instructors in educating the Na’vi on human language and customs.)

Na‘vi Beyda’amo (Beyda’amo is a powerful and respected Na’vi warrior whose grim persona and stern leadership have earned him a place of high regard within the Hadamaya. In addition to his formidable talents as a warrior and his uncompromising leadership skills, Beyda’amo is also a master Banshee rider, unrivaled among the People for adeptness on his airborne mount. He wears the scars from wounds delivered by a Pandoran beast across his body like a badge of honor. Beyda’amo’s actions represent a long dormant ideology in the Na’vi culture; a war‐like creed awoken by the human incursion into their lands. The homeland must be defended. Now is the time to fight.)

Na’vi Tan Jala (Tan Jala is a senior member the Hadamaya Clan, a warrior known for his wise words and honest perspective. Soon, the humans’ affronts to the land become impossible for Tan Jala to ignore or excuse. While he understood the frustration of warriors like Beyda’amo, he knows there is still much to be gained by a peaceful bond with the Sky People. Tan Jala believes in reaching out with an open hand to the humans rather than striking out with a fist. Peace and harmony are the way of the Na’vi.)

Creatures you will encounter include:

Thanator (Pandora’s top jungle predator, the Thanator is the perfect combination of agility, speed, and raw power. Getting anywhere near its powerful teeth and claws is an experience few have been able to survive. The Thanator can detect prey from miles away, so don’t expect that you’ll be able to avoid or surprise one if it lies in your path. Even the Na’vi, known for their courage and communion with their natural environment, have little else to say but warnings about the might of the Thanator.)

Mountain Banshee or Forest Banshee (The mountain banshee (like its smaller cousin, the forest banshee) is highly adapted for flight. Its bones are hollow and air‐filled. Specially developed muscles attached to the breastbone allow for the powerful strokes needed to achieve lift. Its torso is stiffened by fused backbones that provide support for the wings)

Viperwolf (Viperwolves, although not the largest beasts on Pandora, can be quite a lot to handle when they attack in packs, or at night, when they’re out on hunting sorties. Certain varieties of viperwolves have the ability to fully camouflage themselves in their surroundings, making them nearly impossible to detect and defend against.)

Hammerhead aka Titanothere (This massive, grazing creature travels in small herds or packs. It is moderately social, but also extremely territorial and hierarchical. Constant threat displays, both visible and audible, are a large part of the titanothere’s day. When angered (which happens easily and often), a titanothere will lower its head and charge at the perceived threat. The sheer momentum and ferocity of this display is usually enough to send any Pandoran creature running for cover.)

Tapirus (The Tapirus is one of the few nonaggressive creatures of Pandora. During the day, the can be found wandering the forest fringe and the plains in small groups. At night they assemble in the jungle for protection. Although not immediately dangerous, one should always avoid harming Tapirus unnecessarily, as their shrill cries are likely to attract the attention of larger (and more dangerous) predators.)

Direhorse (When wild, direhorses move together in a loose herd through the forests, feeding on tree bark and shrubs. Herds numbering in the dozens have been spotted from aircraft, but evidence (including scatological and plant impact) suggests that herds of over one hundred animals are not uncommon. The animals are easily startled, and, when all six legs are working in unison, can reach formidable speeds. The direhorse is larger by a third than the largest Terran draft horses such as the Clydesdale or the Percheron, and substantially larger than the biggest horse ever recorded on Earth.)

Vehicles you will encounter:

AMP Suit or Amplified Mobility Platform (The Amplified Mobility Platform, or AMP Suit, despite its significant bulk and stature (it stands nearly 4 meters, or 13 feet tall), is surprisingly nimble in combat. Controlled through gesture recognition by the pilot safely housed in the torso cockpit, the AMP Suit wields a powerful swivel GAU‐90 rotary cannon. This combination of deadly ordnance and groundshuddering power, makes the AMP Suit one of the most feared opponents of the Na’vi.)

SA-2 Samson Transport (The Samson Transport is truly the workhorse of the RDA fleet on Pandora. Its independent tilt‐rotors can stabilize heavy troop and armament loads while maintaining a high degree of manoeuvrability in order to avoid any unwanted attention. The Samson can be rigged with a variety of hull or skid‐mounted artillery when outfitting for missions into unknown or Na’vi controlled territory.)

Swan (In the thick of the jungle and the vast expanse of the plains on Pandora, you’ll be thankful that you left Hell’s Gate with nothing but the best equipment on six wheels: The Swan. This all‐terrain Ground Assault Vehicle (GAV) is built to take a bump, with its permalloy armor, and deliver a crushing blow to anything in its path, with four turretmounted sixty millimeter rotary cannons.)