Loot Crate - November, 2014 - Battle

When I went to get the mail yesterday, I was expecting to find a bunch of bills, some flyers, maybe a few coupons, and potentially something from Amazon that I ordered. What I didn't expect to find was a Loot Crate. But, that's not the most surprising part of this story. What was more shocking to me was that the tracking information was sent to me a couple of hours after I picked up my box! But, apparently, that wasn't enough for Loot Crate. No, they had to put this on the side of their box:

It took every bit of willpower for me not to stand there in the freezing cold and rip the thing open to see what the notice was all about. I also had to stop myself from running home since dress shoes and icy sidewalks do not get along. After a slow, slippery walk back home, I finally cracked open my Loot Crate and this is what I was met with:

Yeah. I know. I drooled a little, too. Now, for those of you who haven't heard of Loot Crate, it is a monthly subscription box that caters towards "nerds" and "geeks". Each month, subscribers get a themed box of 6 to 8 items. What's interesting is that Loot Crate has different subscription programs. Here's a breakdown:

1 Month Plan - $19.37 USD / $29.95 CAD per month

3 Month Plan - $55.11 USD / $84.00 CAD per 3 months

6 Month Plan - $105.99 USD / $162.00 CAD per 6 months

NOVEMBER - BATTLE

When Loot Crate announced their November theme on their Facebook Page last month, I was ecstatic. "Battle", to me, had to involve "Street Fighter" in some way, and that is my favourite fighting game series of all time. I made the conscious decision to not visit their Facebook Page after the announcement because I really wanted to be surprised by what I found in my box when it arrived. So, what did I get yesterday? Here's a list:

- Loot Crate Mini Magazine ($2.50 CAD)

- Loot Crate Theme Pin ($0.75 CAD)

- Pirates vs. Ninjas T-Shirt ($15.00 CAD)

- Loot Crate Exclusive MegaMan Mini Helmet ($12.00 CAD)

- Mega Bloks Halo Drop Pod Figure ($5.00 CAD)

- Assassin's Creed Unity Coin ($15.00 CAD)

- Loot Crate Exclusive Street Fighter Headband ($10.00 CAD)

- Free Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition Coupon ($20.00 CAD)

- Free MegaMan Digital Comics Coupon ($5.00 CAD)
- 50% Off Lichdom Battlemage Coupon ($22.00 CAD)

Custom Loot Crate Box and Loot Crate Mini Magazine

Once again, Loot Crate sent its subscribers a box with a custom design. But, this month, they added a little message on the outside that got me super excited. When you first open the box, it looks simple. However, as the exterior note mentions, the Mini Magazine holds the key to what makes this Crate so special. Behold!

Yes, that's right. The Loot Crate box turns into a diorama for the cardboard cutout Ryu (from "Street Fighter") and MegaMan figures included in the Mini Magazine! Whaaaaaat?! The box and magazine are a fantastic one-two punch combination that truly makes this month's Loot Crate a thing of beauty. I really appreciate the thought and effort put into designing the diorama. Absolutely fantastic! Oh, and here's the Mini Magazine's awesome cover.

Loot Crate Theme Pin

The pin design this month is colourful and fun. Plus, this is the first time that the orange ring around the pin actually matches the rest of the design. Very nice.

Pirates vs. Ninjas T-Shirt

Ah, the never-ending debate over whether Pirates or Ninjas are better finally arrives at Loot Crate with this month's spectacular T-shirt design. I love that it's not just a bunch of words making two characters, but also a Yin-Yang symbol. It's incredibly creative. In addition to this, Loot Crate took the design process one step further by including a post card with exclusive art on one side and a description of the whole Pirates vs. Ninjas thing on the other. Check it out.

Loot Crate Exclusive MegaMan Mini Helmet

This MegaMan mini helmet is one of four randomly packed in this month's Loot Crate. Subscribers could get blue, red, this green one, or black, each of which represents a different power in the game. I think it's a cool exclusive Crate item, but I personally find it to be kind of boring. Don't get me wrong. I love MegaMan, but I think a MegaMan figure would have been a better item. I do appreciate that it's different, though. You definitely wouldn't expect a MegaMan mini helmet, kind of like how you wouldn't expect a MegaMan air freshener (see August, 2014).

Mega Bloks Halo Drop Pod Figure

I'm a huge fan of Mega Bloks' series of "Halo" figures and building sets. I have a relatively impressive collection, though I've stopped adding to it for over a year now. A few months ago, I saw these Drop Pod figures start appearing at Wal-Mart and Toys R Us stores, but never bought one since the price is, in my opinion, too high for a figure with a pod. Still, I wanted one and I'm very happy to receive one in my Loot Crate. It's super cool!

Assassin's Creed Unity Coin

I have never played an "Assassin's Creed" game before, but I think this coin or medallion from their latest game, "Unity", is pretty awesome. It doesn't look very large, and it isn't, but the thing is weighty! When I checked online for pricing information on similar coins, they were selling for anywhere from $15 CAD to $40 CAD! Whoa! I love the pouch this coin comes with, too. It's a nice addition to an already great item.

Loot Crate Exclusive Street Fighter Headband

Ryu is my second favourite character from the "Street Fighter" series of games. He's so awesome that I cosplayed as him several years ago. With that said, you can probably imagine how loud I squealed when I found this Loot Crate Exclusive Headband in my box. Yep. I'll leave it at that.

Free Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition Coupon

Giving us great items from a game is one thing. Giving us the actual game is something else altogether. I was blown away by this coupon card. I own "Street Fighter IV" on PS3, but now I can get it for free on Steam! This item is also great for introducing or re-introducing people to the "Street Fighter" series. Good on Loot Crate for teaming up with Capcom and Valve like this.

Free MegaMan Digital Comics Coupon

On the back of the "Street Fighter" coupon card is a promo code for 2 free digital issues of the "MegaMan" comic book series. Way to make both sides of the same card epic, Loot Crate!

50% Off Lichdom Battlemage Coupon

I'm not familiar with the game "Lichdom Battlemage", but I checked out the game page on Steam and 50% off the price brings it down to around $22 CAD, so it's definitely more affordable if I decide to buy it. I like that Loot Crate gives us these kinds of discounts. I may not buy any of the items the discounts are for, but some people definitely will, and saving people money is pretty awesome in my book.

OVERVIEW

The November Loot Crate was quite possibly the most impressive subscription box I've received. Every single item, even the mini helmet, was fantastic and the overall value of box blows the price of entry out of the water. I especially liked the incredible amount of thought that must of have been put into making this month's Crate truly unique. The box-diorama-magazine-figures combo is epic on so many levels and giving people a game to allow them to fully experience the inspiration behind current and maybe future items is plain awesome. All-in-all, this is the kind of box that keeps people coming back for more. I'm one extremely satisfied customer!

So, what's coming up next month? Christmas is fast approaching, so will Loot Crate put together something that will fill our hearts with Yuletide spirit? I don't know! Why? Because my Crate arrived so early that both the Loot Crate Web Site and Facebook Group are still talking about the November "Battle" box. Heck, right now, you still have 1 day to subscribe, and if you use the code BATTLE, you get $3 off your new subscription. Don't worry, though. When the peeps over at Loot Crate HQ finally reveal December's theme, I will be sure to update this entry. So, stay tuned!

As always, thank you so much checking out my blog. See you again soon!

~ Mike

UPDATE: The December Loot Crate's theme has still not been revealed, but there is now a new savings code! Use SAVE3 to get $3 off new subscriptions. I'll update again once more information about the December Crate becomes available. Cheers!

UPDATE 2: The peeps over at Loot Crate HQ finally announced their December theme, which is Anniversary! On their Facebook page, they mention an exclusive Marvel item that has me extremely excited. Their new code to save you $3 off a new subscription is ANNIVERSARY. Happy Holidays!

Nerd Block Jr. - March, 2014

Mike here. A couple of months ago, Nerd Block started advertising that they were coming up with a new subscription box geared towards kids called "Nerd Block Jr.". As more information became available, it was revealed that there would be two different boxes based on gender. The marketing for the boxes was honestly somewhat disheartening. The box for boys was going to be blue and the brands it was supposed to have included Nintendo, Marvel Comics, Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. The box for girls was going to be pink and the brands it was supposed to have included Hello Kitty, My Little Pony, Monster High, Furby, and more. I can somewhat understand Hello Kitty and My Little Pony being in the girl box, but even those have fans of the opposite gender. The other brands, in my opinion, are not very gender specific. My niece, for example, loves Star Wars. My friend's daughter knows a heck of a lot more about Nintendo than my 5-year-old boy cousin, AND she has a favourite Avenger. Oh, and what about Bronies? Wasn't there just a story in the news last week about a boy who brings a My Little Pony lunch box to school? And, I'm not talking about a high schooler. No, I'm talking about a 9-year-old.

Not all was negative, though. You've seen me continually criticize Nerd Block for the decrease in quality of its included products, especially when it came to including toys one could find in a dollar store. With Nerd Block Jr. and larger adult Nerd Blocks planned to hit at the same time, it seemed like Ned Block was looking to move some of the cheaper products to the Jr. boxes and then provide better stuff in the adult one. Now that it's March, you've heard what I have to say about Nerd Block Adult. Here, we'll see if the Boy and Girl boxes are worth the price of admission.

In case you didn't know, Nerd Block Jr. is a monthly subscription box and each month, people receive all sorts of products from "nerdy" franchises. Here is some information:

- choice of Boy or Girl box
- $13.99 USD plus shipping per month per box

- $20 USD / $22 CAD total per month per box in Canada

- arrives around mid-month in Canada

MARCH, 2014

NERD BLOCK JR. for GIRLS

Photo by Ryan F.

Alrighty, here we go! I will start off by admitting that I did not subscribe to either of the Jr. Nerd Blocks. Instead, I got my information from friends. Let's start with the Girl box. Here's a list of what was received in my buddy Ryan's daughter's box with approximate Canadian retail prices in brackets next to each item:

- My Little Pony Tin-Tastic Tin ($8.00)

- My Little Pony Slap Band ($2.00)

- Mega Bloks Moshi Monsters Build-A-Monster ($8.00 / $5.00 on Sale)

- Mega Bloks Hello Kitty Blind Bag Figure ($2.50)

- Disney's Brave Bear Plush ($15.00 / $7.50 on Sale)

My Little Pony Tin-Tastic Tin

I remember seeing these tins at HMV late last year. You could buy them or get one for free when you purchased a certain amount of stuff. Now, they're available at my local comic shop. You get a silly-looking tin, pencils, a sheet of stickers, and 2 rubber pony figures. Not bad for 8 bucks and a fun thing to get for Nerd Block Jr. subscribers who are into My Little Pony. Plus, this tin is definitely something that I feel fits a kids box.

Photo from Amazon.com

My Little Pony Slap Band

Adding to the pony fun is a slap band which reminds me of the snap bracelets kids had back in the 1990's. There is a big difference, though. Back in the old days, snap bracelets were covered in cheap fabric that frayed and eventually fell off. These new millennium slap bands are covered in sturdy rubber. Three cheers for progress!

You only get one band.
Photo from Amazon.com

Mega Bloks Moshi Monsters Build-A-Monster

I have no idea what on Earth this is. I mean, I love Mega Bloks and have given their perpetually-on-sale Moshi Monsters a quick glance each time I am in the building blocks section of Toys R Us, but I don't know anything else. Enter Google. Oh, look. They're monsters that are a combination of cute and angry. You build them. Ryan's daughter got the one that's some kind of mischievous flame rabbit. Cool.

Photo from Amazon.com

Mega Bloks Hello Kitty Blind Bag Figure

I don't know who thought making blind bags for blocky Hello Kitty figures was a good idea, but I will admit that I bought one of these a long time ago. Like, 2 years ago. I swear it was for manly comedic purposes. Really. Stop laughing...

Photo from Amazon.com

Disney's Brave Bear Plush

The most expensive item in the box is a bear plush from Disney's "Brave". Uh, Nerd Block, you're a little late here. I think "Frozen" is the movie de jour. I smell "Bargain Bin Toy" all over this bear, although I still think it's pretty cool. Regular retail price is indeed $15.00, but wait for one of the Disney Store's plush sales and you can get it for half price or less.

Photo from Amazon.com

NERD BLOCK JR. for BOYS

Now, let's take a look at the boy version of the Jr. boxes. Ryan's friend was the one who got this for his son and my thanks goes to him for permission to post his photo. Here's a list of what was in the box with approximate Canadian retail prices in brackets next to each item:

- Star Wars Battle Droid Figure ($8.50 / $5.00 on Sale)

- Star Wars Slap Band ($2.00)

- Mega Bloks Hot Wheels Racer ($8.00 / $5.00 on Sale)

- Mega Bloks Marvel Blind Bag Figure ($2.50)

- Mario Kart Racer ($2.00)

- Skylanders Key Chain ($4.00 to $6.00)

Star Wars Battle Droid Figure

The most expensive item in the Boy Nerd Block Jr. is kind of crappy. Of all the Episode 1 characters they could have included, Nerd Block went with a Battle Droid? It's bad enough that this particular series of figures that has Darth Maul on the back board is roughly 3 years old and almost always on sale for around $5.00 at Wal-Mart. Getting a Battle Droid adds insult to injury. But, hey, at least it wasn't Jar Jar Binks, right?

Photo from Amazon.com

Star Wars Slap Band

I love Ewan McGregor and his interpretation of Obi-Wan Kenobi. I also think that the new rubber slap bands are a neat advancement in snap bracelet technology. But, seriously, what's with the Prequels love? We all know the Original Trilogy is where it's at! Down with Episodes I to III slap bands! :p

Photo from eBay.ca

Mega Bloks Hot Wheels Racer

This toy is pretty cool. You build a Hot Wheels car and then use a rip cord to make it zoom across your room. Problem. This is yet another product that keeps getting the SALE sticker on it. Right now, Mega Bloks has some decent, lower-priced sets for Skylanders, Call of Duty, Halo, Smurfs, and Power Rangers out that would be a much better fit than bargain bin Hot Wheels racers. Besides, if Mega Bloks is trying to promote their products, they've failed by letting Nerd Block include an almost-discontinued series. I mean, what if I got this car and liked it enough to want to get another one, only to discover that they're no longer available in stores? Would I suddenly buy a set from another Mega Bloks series? Nope.

Photo from Amazon.com

Mega Bloks Marvel Blind Bag Figure

Yet another Mega Bloks product. I guess we know which company had the most overstock to get rid of. But, wait. This blind bag has a Marvel Comics figure! It's Series 3, too! That's the latest series of these figures, right? Sure, it certainly is. However, did you know that they came out 2 years ago AND have been discontinued?

Photo from Amazon.com

Mario Kart Racer

Hey, look! It's a cool Mario Kart racer! This must be awesome and expensive, right? It's Nintendo after all. Well, I'm sorry to disappoint, but I see these toys sold at Dollarama all the time for $2.00. Canadian. That's, what, 5 cents in the US? Kidding, kidding. It's around $1.75 in the US.

Photo from Amazon.com

Skylanders Keychain

I unfortunately don't have a photo of this last item. However, I've looked into all Skylanders key chain products out there and the price is generally between $4.00 and $6.00. From what I've seen, the various key chains are all of decent quality and have some cool designs. Considering the popularity of Skylanders right now, I think this was a good product to include.

OVERVIEW

I'm honestly quite shocked by the variance in quality of included products in the Jr. Nerd Blocks. I feel that the Girls box was much better than the Boys box. It's not really a dollar value issue since you may find cheaper products that are better than more expensive ones. Instead, I just find that you can do much more with the stuff in the Girls box overall. Of course, this doesn't mean I'm happy overall. No, I am completely disappointed with Nerd Block Jr. as a whole. Almost everything included is unsold product that the respective companies are trying to just get rid of. This shows me that the problems plaguing Nerd Block aren't exclusive to the adult boxes. This is a company-wide issue that needs to be addressed. I already cancelled my adult Nerd Block and I sure as heck will not subscribe to Nerd Block Jr. It's really a shame since this subscription box company had so much potential.

~ Mike