This time, it's all about 'swapability'... if that even is a word.
Skylanders SWAP Force, the latest instalment in Activision's "toys to life" franchise, has been confirmed for release on Wii U, 3DS and Wii later this year.
The signature feature for this game is the addition of 16 new SWAP Force Skylanders. Each of these figurines can split into two halves, and one half of any one toy can be attached to another half of any other toy in the SWAP Force line. These hybrid creations will then appear in-game when placed on the Portal of Power. All in all, around 250 unique combinations are possible if the player owns all 16 SWAP Force figurines.
On top of this, 40 regular Skylanders will be made available for the game. 16 of them are completely new characters, eight are new LightCore figures and the remaining 16 are remastered versions of characters from Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure and Skylanders Giants. All of the figures from the previous two games shall, of course, be compatible with the new game.
Gameplay-wise, the only details given so far about SWAP Force is that it will take place on Cloudbreak Islands and for the first time in a home console Skylanders game, characters will have the ability to jump, creating the potential for platforming levels.
Vicarious Visions is overseeing development on Wii U, whilst the 3DS version is being handled by n-Space. Spiderman stalwart Beenox, meanwhile, is developing the Wii version.
Specific release information has not yet been revealed, but Activision did confirm that Skylanders SWAP Force will make its first appearance at Toy Fair 2013 in New York City this month.