Every year, all the biggest toy manufacturers from across the country get together at London Olympia to show off their wares for the year. MSN Tech and Gadgets went down to take a look at the best tech toys coming to our shelves in 2012.
The Mechatar remote-controlled battling robots had to be one of our favourite toys at the show. The beauty of the Mechatars is that they have both offline and online play, and will evolve depending on how much gaming you do - Pokémon style.
Solo, you can perform tasks and have virtual battles online (with excellent 3D graphics), but in pairs, you can have a physical turn-based battle with your opponent, complete with movement and sound affects. All of your gaming done both online or offline is logged onto your Mechatar, and will affect your gaming ability immediately. Very cool.
This mini remote-controlled car from Revell also comes with a miniature price tag too - at £19.99, it's much cheaper than rival products on the market. It has roll hoops to prevent you overturning, charges via USB (the controller uses AA batteries) and can be used both inside and outside. It also comes with a cardboard ramp - pair this with the boost button to get some serious air.
We got a sneak peek at an early model of MyFly from Revell, a remote-controlled helicopter that will be completely controlled using your iOS device.
AppToyz, the brain behind the appBlaster, is coming out with a number of great new app-based peripherals in 2012. This one, the appQuiz, allows you to slot in your iPad to play a buzzer-based quiz with friends. It can also be used for other group-based games, all available from the App Store.
The appArena is one of the things AppToyz is working on. You might be playing a standard game of chequers, but on the iPad screen, you see augmented reality characters that react and follow when you make a move. When you take one of your opponent's pieces, the two characters will have a battle on screen - making your game of chequers a little more exciting than before.
The Tardis Smart Safe comes with a free app download, which allows you to set the passcode that will open your safe. Once set, you'll need to slot in your phone and type in the correct code to open it - it won't work with any other phone or code. There's also an R2D2 version for Star Wars fans.
Ditch the cars - this Scalextric features X-Wings and TIE Fighters instead. Each player's aim is to knock the other off course, while staying on course themselves. The course glows in the dark for extra cool points.
Apps are big in toys right now, and AppGear was showing off two games that work with props and augmented reality. Elite Commander is a rather Halo-esque shooter, fighting off aliens coming at you from all angles, with your phone (Android or iOS) in a gun-shaped holder. Foam Fighters, on the other hand, includes a toy plane that you fix on to the front of your phone in front of the camera. When you play the game, the plane is placed in a number of simulated environments that you have to guide it through, shooting the enemies down along the way.