Many of Tiger's new products have LCD games built into them. Everything from Chess to a Star Wars version of Operation are available, and all of them are built into well-sculpted replicas of the vehicles and accoutrements from the movie. The Naboo Escape Game requires players to gently place machine parts in corresponding slots, then connect the whole thing into a simplified circuit board. There is a time limit, and the game is extremely challenging, and that much more involving because it looks like the Royal Naboo Starfighter.

The Electronic Naboo Defense Game is a first person shooter, played on a dot matrix black and white screen, that looks like a Naboo blaster. Other games are built into a Gungan submarine, Anakin's podracer, and lightsabers. While the play is fairly typical LCD quality, and most of the games only sport five levels, the packaging is hands down the coolest. Little extras, like the wiring involved in the Naboo Escape Game or the motion sensing control of the lightsaber games, make the new offerings from Tiger that much more interesting.

Beyond the scope of LCD gaming, Tiger has also created a slew of gadgets that are very cool indeed. The Animated Destroyer Droid Room Alarm can detect changes in sound and light. It will unfold and order the intruder to halt when it detects somebody crossing its path. The Electronic Darth Maul Binoculars have a built in listening device. Not only can you view faraway object with 6X magnification, but the microphone and amplifier allow you to eavesdrop on distant conversations. There are also two new electronic yo-yos available from Tiger: the Electronic Destroyer Droid Yo-Yo and the Electronic Trade Federation Battleship Yo-Yo. Speaking as a devotee of yo, these things are remarkably usable. So many gimmick yo-yos lose their quality, but Tiger has created well-balanced yo machines.

The collection is topped off with higher end technology. The Picture Plus Image Camera looks like a set of battle droid electrobinoculars, but the 35 mm camera superimposes one of six images over your scene. You can have your picture taken with the characters from the movie, wherever you are. Tiger is also ressurrecting Lazer Tag in the form of Star Wars blasters, complete with sights and force fields. Perhaps the most exciting gizmo is the Royal Naboo Starship Answering Machine. You can put three different quotes from the movie on your outgoing message to wow your friends. Witness the power of this fully functional digital answering machine, and marvel at the quality of the starship replica.

The best things about these products is their price. The games and gadgets range from $15 to $50. Tiger hits the right consumer base by making their toys so affordable. They are also marketing these games in the best possible way. Tiger has created one of the most amazing websites I have seen. You'll need Flash 7 to view it, but it is completely worth the download time. The design is quinessentially Star Wars, and the graphics are interactive and mindblowing. Users can download a Star Wars screensaver, send Star Wars electronic postcards, and even play the Electronic Escape From Naboo Skill & Action game online. I highly recommend stopping by www.tigertoys.com and then clicking on the Star Wars link, because this is one website you have to see to believe.

Overall, Tiger is doing its best to make road trips and long summer days that much easier to cope with. The variety and quality of these toys and games make them a great value, and the Star Wars tie-in only ups the fun.

-- Shawn Rider