This microcosm of Neopets is a portable world for your pocket. Meridell, the land of heroes and legends that was long hidden within Neopia has now been uncovered and is delightfully rendered here in miniature. The pocket Neopet world folds up into a small gold colored pod that you can take anywhere. Open up the case and you can play with your three Neopets: Lupe, Draik, and Lxi. Name them, choose their personalities and preferences, and then proceed to play with, feed, and generally care for them. The sensors in the electronic ports they sit in know which pet you're playing with. There are six games you can play on the small LCD screen with four toggle buttons--they aren't the most engaging games, but winning them scores you points you'll need to buy food and toys for your pet. If you don't give your pet everything it needs, it will run away. Of course, you can always reprogram it to come back to you. There are three little slots to tuck the pets neatly into when you close up the case and hit the road. --Megan Sullivan

It seems like in recent years every toy phenomenon, especially those originating in Japan, has a card game component to go along with it. But while Neopets does continue that trend, at least the characters featured on the cards are a good sight cuter and more pleasant than many of the scowling bad guys found in other popular toy lines. This starter set features two 30-card starter decks along with two special foil cards, a rule book, a play mat, dice, and an 8-card booster pack. Fans of the actual Neopets toys will find the game to be a fun and easy to grasp extension of the fun they're already having. --Charlie Williams