Skylanders SuperChargers introduces vehicles for the first time

Vehicles are to be the key differentiator in this year’s new entry in the Skylanders series, dubbed Skylanders SuperChargers.

Spanning land, sea and air the new vehicles, of which there are 20, are the centrepiece of Vicarious Visions’ new title, although a new hero class – SuperChargers – also feature. Skylander figures and vehicles can also be combined to form a SuperCharger combination.

The vehicle toys are designed to be playable with in their own right, featuring moving parts.

The best news for gamers, however, is that the game will be compatible with all of the 300+ toys previously released in the series. Previous Portals will be compatible with the new game, although SuperChargers ships with a new version called the Portal of Power +, the differences of which are not clear.

(UPDATE: It doesn’t look as if the physical version of the game will be released without the Portal of Power +. Activision has told MCV that existing Portal owners will be able to use their hardware with theDigital Portal Owners Pack available on PSN and Xbox Live, which includes digital versions of the toys. Furthermore, the original Skylanders Portal will not work with the new game, but all Portals from Giants ownwards will.)

Furthermore, existing Portal owners can opt to buy a digital version of the game complete with digital in-game versions of the Star Pack’s figure and vehicle.

Skylanders SuperChargers will be released on PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii U on September 25th in Europe and September 20th in the US. A separate new Skylanders game is apparently in development for Wii and 3DS, along with an iPad version.

"We created the toys-to-life category and have continued to lead it by bringing new innovations and new magic to the genre with each and every game,” Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg said.

First we brought action figures to life, and now we’re bringing vehicles to life with Skylanders SuperChargers. We love making these games because in order to do it well, you have to constantly tap into your inner kid. What kid hasn’t imagined epic vehicles with amazing powers and dreamed about the adventures they could have with them? Skylanders SuperChargers makes those dreams real.”

Toys R Us’ global chief merchandising officer Richard Barry added: Since first partnering with Activision to bring the original Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure to our stores, we have believed whole-heartedly in the magic and innovation of this brand, as well as the company’s ability to reimagine and redefine play experiences with the toys-to-life concept.

With each new introduction, Activision never disappoints its highly loyal fans of the franchise, and we are thrilled to continue to offer the broadest assortment of all Skylanders merchandise, including the newly introduced Skylanders SuperChargers.”

Here’s a trailer: