The release of the new Skylanders game SuperChargers couldn’t have come at a better moment: in time for Christmas and end-of-school gifts, and around the time of my son’s sixth birthday (who recently had a Skylanders party, which I wrote about here).

Since our introduction to Trap Team last year, and a visit to the Skylanders studio where they make the games, my son and I have been hooked. Yes, it’s technically a kids’ game, but I’ve always considered it a family game because it’s so much fun, and the strategy and entertainment apply to children and adults (read more about Skylanders Trap Team here).

We’re also not alone… in just under four years, the Skylanders franchise has become one of the most popular series ever. It passed the $3 billion mark this year, and as of June 2015, it has sold more than 250 million toys that get brought to life through the game.

The twist with SuperChargers is that there are now vehicles (20 of them) that can be brought to life. Like the Skylanders themselves, which are each assigned one of eight elements, the vehicles are grouped into three categories: sky, land, or water. Sky vehicles fly, land vehicles drive, and water vehicles navigate above and below the surface of the water. There are also 20 new SuperCharger characters, and they’ve also brought in classic Nintendo characters Donkey Kong and Bowser to help fight.

Good news is that players can still use any of the toys released before this one, which means you don’t only have to buy new characters in order to play.

With the characters and vehicles, players can battle the evil villain Kaos, who is still trying to control the game’s world. In SuperChargers, Kaos has his most sinister weapon ever – a massive “Doomstation of Ultimate Doomstruction” capable of eating the sky itself.

Other need-to-knows

Skylanders SuperChargers is available for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, and iOS ( iPad Air, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3, iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPod touch 6.

Each starter pack consists of the game, a portal, two characters, one vehicle, and a poster.

Prices for the starter packs range between R799 and R999, depending on the console you’re buying for. Characters cost R199 each, and vehicles R249 each. The game is suitable for kids aged six and up.

Games are available from leading electronics and toy stores, and online at Takealot and Loot.