Activision are never one to miss a big shindig. One of their titles to appear at E3 was Skylanders Trap Team, for which they introduced us to some of the new Skylanders to be appearing in the title.
Chopper - Tech
Growing up, Chopper was much smaller than the rest of his dinosaur kin. But this didn’t bother him because he had big ideas. Ahead of the annual hunting competition to honor the village idol, RoarkeTunga, Chopper spent weeks building himself a super Gyro-Dino-Exo-Suit. When the competition began, he took the air – firing his missiles and chomping everything in his path. With Chopper on the verge of victory, the competition came to a sudden halt when the nearby volcano erupted, flooding the village with lava. Seeing the residents of his village trapped, Chopper quickly flew into action. One at a time, he airlifted everyone to safety. And was even able to save the village idol. For heroically using his head, Chopper was made a Skylander!
Food Fight - Life
Food Fight does more than just play with his food, he battles with it! This tough little Veggie Warrior is the byproduct of a troll food experiment gone wrong. When the Troll Farmers Guild attempted to fertilize their soil with gunpowder, they got more than a super snack – they got an all-out Food Fight! Rising from the ground, he led the neighborhood Garden Patrol to victory. Later, he went on to defend his garden home against a rogue army of gnomes after they attempted to wrap the Asparagus people in bacon! His courage caught the eye of Master Eon, who decided that this was one veggie lover he needed on his side as a valued member of the Skylanders. When it comes to Food Fight, it’s all you can eat for evil!
Gearshift - Tech
Gearshift was created on the Tech island of Metallana by King Mercurus, who considered the young robot to be his own daughter. But rather than performing royal duties, Gearshift preferred to spend her time in the oily depths of the kingdom among its workers, secretly tending to the huge subterranean machines. When her father discovered this, he was furious – but then a squadron of Undead Stormriders suddenly attacked. Learning that these marauders wanted to capture her father, Gearshift used her knowledge of the labyrinth below to hide him. Seizing the emblem of her people – The Great Gear – she used it to fight the Stromriders, inspiring the workers to rise up. Together, they drove the Stormriders out of Metallana and saved the kingdom. For this, Gearshift was made part of the Trap Team, using her new awesome Traptanium-forged gear to help defend Skylands!
Jawbreaker - Tech
Jawbreaker hailed from a race of robots that operated and maintained a vast underground complex of enormous machines that powered the legendary Sky Train, which traveled between a thousand different islands daily. Like many of his fellow robots, Jawbreaker led an ordered existence – full of rules and regulations – which he followed happily. However, one day a huge army of Gear Trolls invaded the subterranean complex. Known for being major train enthusiasts, they were set on taking over the Sky Train for their own evil use. Jawbreaker quickly jumped into action and used his massive fists to beat the trolls into retreat. His quick action and ability to think for himself made him an individual. For this he was made part of the Trap Team, where he now uses his Traptanium powered fists to deliver mighty blows to evil!
Krypt King - Undead
The perfect blend of sword and sorcery, Krypt King wandered Skylands for years as the disembodied spirit of a knight – until he found his way into the depths of an ancient Arkeyan weapon vault. Upon finding an enormously powerful suit of armor, the spirit decided to make it his own. Unfortunately, this triggered a long dormant auto defense system. With alarms blaring, a massive sealed chamber was opened, revealing a huge army of war machines. Krypt King launched himself towards the attack force, swinging his newly found giant sword until every machine was utterly destroyed. Realizing the power he wielded could serve a broader purpose,Krypt King sought out the Skylanders and was made a member of the Trap Team, where he now uses his massive Traptanium blade to cut down evil!
Snap Shot - Water
Snap Shot came from a long line of Crocagators that lived in the remote Swamplands, where he hunted chompies for sport. After rounding up every evil critter in his homeland, Snap Shot ventured out into the world to learn new techniques that he could use to track down more challenging monsters. He journeyed far and wide, perfecting his archery skills with the Elves and his hunting skills with the wolves. Soon he was the most revered monster hunter in Skylands – a reputation that caught the attention of Master Eon. It then wasn’t long before Snap Shot became the leader of the Trap Masters, a fearless team of Skylanders that mastered legendary weapons made of pure Traptanium. It was this elite team that tracked down and captured the most notorious villains Skylands had ever known!
Torch - Fire
Torch’s childhood was spent working with her grandfather as a dragon keeper, where she helped tend to a stable of dragons that protected her village. One year, an evil Snow Dragon unleashed a terrible blizzard that trapped her entire homeland inside a massive ice glacier! Torch was the only one to escape. Having always been fearless, she set out at once to rescue the villagers and her dragons from their chilly fate. Armed with her Firespout Flamethrower, she fought hard through the treacherous conditions and bravely defeated the Snow Dragon in an epic battle. After the village was free from its icy doom, Torch returned home to find her grandfather missing. The only token left behind was his lucky flaming horseshoe. Now as a member of the Skylanders, Torch wields her powerful flamethrower as well as her lucky horseshoe in hopes it will one day lead her to the grandfather she had lost.
Wallop - Earth
For generations, Wallop’s people used the volcanic lava pits of Mount Scorch to forge the most awesome weapons in all of Skylands. And Wallop was the finest apprentice any of the masters had ever seen. Using hammers in both of his mighty hands, he could tirelessly pound and shape the incredibly hot metal into the sharpest swords or the hardest axes. But on the day he was to demonstrate his skills to the masters of his craft, a fierce fire viper awoke from his deep sleep in the belly of the volcano. The huge snake erupted forth, attacking Wallop’s village. But, bravely charging the beast with his two massive hammers, Wallop was able to bring down the creature and save his village. Now with his Traptanium-infused hammers, he fights with the Skylanders to protect the lands from any evil that rises to attack!
Wildfire - Fire
Wildfire was once a young lion of the Fire Claw Clan, about to enter into the Rite of Infernos – a test of survival in the treacherous fire plains. However, because he was made of gold, he was treated as an outcast and not allowed to participate. But this didn’t stop him. That night, Wildfire secretly followed the path of the other lions, carrying only his father’s enchanted shield. Soon he found them cornered by a giant flame scorpion. Using the shield, he protected the group from the beast’s enormous stinging tail, giving them time to safely escape. And though Wildfire was injured in the fight, his father’s shield magically changed him – magnifying the strength that was already in his heart – making him the mightiest of his clan. Now part of the Trap Team, Wildfire uses his enormous Traptanium-bonded shield to defend any and all who need it!
As well as the heroes, we got a bit of information about some of the villains too:
Wolfgang - Undead: "A rock n’ roll werewolf who shreds on his harp guitar to rip through any enemy jam session!"
Broccoli Guy - Life: "A lively stalk of broccoli who proves that not all veggies are good for you!"
Grinnade - Fire: "A walking bomb with an explosive smile!"
Buzzer Beak - Air: "A mischievous bird with a propeller hat whose chop is worse than his chirp!"
Pain-Yatta - Magic: "An oversized piñata who can barf an endless supply of candy that sweetens any battle!"
Riot Shield Shredder - Life: "A wood carved villain with a sharp metal shield that can shred anything in its path!"
Chill Bill - Water: "A really cool troll that uses his frosty jet pack and freeze ray to ice down his enemies!"
Shrednaught - Tech: "A massive lumberjack tank piloted by two trolls delivering 360 degrees of chopping power!"
We didn't get any details on these two villains, although Kaos should be instantly recognisable to Skylanders fans anyway.
Chompy Mage
Kaos
Finally, most of the development teams to appear at the expo got collared for an interview at some point. The team at Toys for Bob got their turn when Production Team member Lou Studdert got a grilling.
Take the new Skylanders for a spin when the game is released on October 5th in North America and October 10th in Europe.