Skylanders Thread

Thought I'd start a skylanders thread for people new to the game or having the same questions that we all have. I'm no authority, but I had a ton of questions and am now an 'investor' (sounds better than junkie).

We'll set up a wiki after the initial thread but here's a few basics:


What's the difference between portals?
The giants portal is larger than the original, and lights up different ways
The 3DS portal is USB (for compatibility with other systems) and is IR for the 3DS


What is the difference between the games?
Giants is the newest game, it supports all figurines
Spyro's adventure is the original, supports original figurines and some of the new ones (called reposed; same character but different position)
The 3DS version of Spyro's is supposed to be the only one where you can jump/fly; it's also the only one where you don't always have the portal connected (see saving below)


How do the figurines work?
RFID is the short answer; they have a chip in the bottom that has the character details and the portal saves the character stats as you're playing. You can take your character to another person's game and play it there with the same hat/stats.


How do I save/quit on the 3DS?
It saves to the SD card when you're going in/out of sanctuary.
It saves to the character when you bring them IN to the game; so you have to exit/come back in with the figurine/portal.


Do I need all the characters?
No. Technically you can finish the game without all of the characters. To complete all of the challenges, you need 8, at least one from each class.


What should I pay? (lets's discuss this one, include MSRP & expected)






What should I pay for rare items?
My opinion: no more than MSRP, but if you've got to complete your collection, market price, and you could go broke doing that.




Explain compatibility again?
The best thing you can do is get a picture of the package, they note if it will work with the original in the bottom, right-hand corner of the front.