Toys of the Abyss
Fan of the Tales series? Namco has a little sumthin' for ya.
Published: October 30, 2006
When Namco and Bandai merged a while back, we're sure a lot of folks were scratching their head. After all, Namco is something of a household name (among those houses that are hardcore gamers, that is), but Bandai... well, they started building up a reputation with games like .hack, but they were nowhere near the powerhouse that Namco was. But Bandai does have an leg up on the big N: toys.
To this end, the pair have started to practice that whole synergy buzzword that marketing folks love throwing around; Namco makes the games, Bandai pumps out adorable little toys, and everyone wins. The toy in question here is Anise from Tales of the Abyss[/i]' magically growing puppet Tokunaga. In the game, the little guy starts out as a simple stuffed animal riding on Anise's back, but during fights, the roles are switched, Tokunaga grows to massive size, and Anise rides on his back.
In fact, while we're talking about awesome little toys, Tokunaga was apparently a chance for Namco to just throw in references to all their previous games; heads for Tales of Symphonia's Presea, KOS-MOS from [game=780]Xenosaga, Tekken's Heihachi and the Prince of All Cosmos from Katamari Damacy are all unlockable if you pour enough time into the game (and if you aren't, read our review and then buy the game and get to it).
The toy version of Tokunaga, fittingly, also has these heads, and you can try to win 'em all at the official Tales site, or get the basic set for free (if you can pony up the cash for shipping and handling). Head on over to the site and check 'er out!
To this end, the pair have started to practice that whole synergy buzzword that marketing folks love throwing around; Namco makes the games, Bandai pumps out adorable little toys, and everyone wins. The toy in question here is Anise from Tales of the Abyss[/i]' magically growing puppet Tokunaga. In the game, the little guy starts out as a simple stuffed animal riding on Anise's back, but during fights, the roles are switched, Tokunaga grows to massive size, and Anise rides on his back.
In fact, while we're talking about awesome little toys, Tokunaga was apparently a chance for Namco to just throw in references to all their previous games; heads for Tales of Symphonia's Presea, KOS-MOS from [game=780]Xenosaga, Tekken's Heihachi and the Prince of All Cosmos from Katamari Damacy are all unlockable if you pour enough time into the game (and if you aren't, read our review and then buy the game and get to it).
The toy version of Tokunaga, fittingly, also has these heads, and you can try to win 'em all at the official Tales site, or get the basic set for free (if you can pony up the cash for shipping and handling). Head on over to the site and check 'er out!
