EDICOLA NEWS: THE REVIEWS nr. 210
album: The adventures of TPOC PLAYS (Sbabam)
stickers: 110 (1-110)
starter pack: album + 3 packets + board game
box: 24 packets (5 stickers per packet) 0,80€
Two Players One Console as you’ve never seen them, at least in a sticker album. Essential as a whole, because the number of stickers is not a rule that must be exponential, quite the contrary. Sbabam probably thought about the period we are experiencing, where moments of conviviality, even among the little ones, are not as frequent as they used to be. But even if it were, returning to the glories of the past, making an album usable and collectible for all portfolios, is not a step back, quite the contrary.
The album is a long adventure in stickers as if we were the protagonists of the video game with the two kings of the web, very colorful and dynamic, virtual, multimedia. Too much for the older ones, but certainly appreciable for the younger ones. Being passionate about stickers we can only notice the quality of the stickers, very funny, similar to products released previously but not a mere copy. Step & Phere are of course the main characters, turned into cartoon. To be meticulous maybe some shaped, round figurine could be fine. They always look good, it couldn’t be otherwise.
The advice we can give is to put the stickers in order as they are found and then attach them one behind the other according to the number, following the numbering and interacting accordingly with the story. Council that we already know quite impractical, especially for the little ones, but at least try to do it!
The very choice of making a sticker album is also appreciable, perhaps the product would have been sold simply as an illustrated comic attached to a game, perhaps. We are of course the first to argue that the charm of stickers is undeniable and immortal, publishers who believe in it are welcome. The point, we repeat, is to ride the times we live in and not be overwhelmed by them. It is not just a question related to the health emergency, it is a different world, where the youngest (not just them ..) receive constant solicitations and the focus on a particular product changes in a short time. A compact sticker album helps in this regard.
Then certainly a few more stickers could have been there, in reality we like to think that it is a “test” album to test the ground, a setting like this, in the event of a sales success, can be renewed with another release also in relatively short time.
Also noteworthy is the starter pack, where in addition to the board game (from the Gioco dell’Oca family) there are two random pawns to play. Do you want more? It is not clear whether they will come out in another way but if you go and browse the Sbabam website you will find the possibility (not yet active) to be able to buy the entire set of 12 pieces for just under 6 euros.
Truly an interesting release, in some ways classic, in others innovative, we hope it will lead to the results hoped for by the publisher to be repeated later. And .. thanks for the lack of cards! Often extra spending and absolutely useless in the album economy.
(EN)