By Lou Carlozo, dealnews contributor An urgent missive came in from the North Pole just moments ago, alerting us to yet more toy deals! We sent our dealnews elves out to investigate, and behold: We found five more Editors' Choice deals... and that can only mean one thing — the best time of the year to buy toys is fast approaching! LEGO Star Wars R2-D2 Figure Store: Walmart Price: $139.97 with free shipping Lowest By: $40 Is It Worth It?: Attention Star Wars fans: The Rebel Alliance has given you the mission of assembling 2,127 LEGO pieces into a way-cool LEGO R2-D2. This kit, when put together in the right way, builds an R2-D2 that stands over a foot tall and features two fold-out front spacecraft linkage control arms, retractable third leg, rotating head, and more. It also comes with a fact plaque and an R2-D2 mini figure. This kit is not for junior Jedi, though, as it's recommended for ages 16 and up. Also of note: Target has a close price, charging $139.99 with free shipping. Nintendo Wii Skylanders Giants Console Bundle Store: Toys "R" Us Price: $124.99 with free shipping Lowest By: $41 Expires: December 28 at 10:05 am ET Is It Worth It?: This bundle includes a Wii Console, nunchuck controller, Skylanders Giants Starter Pack, and Gnarly Tree Rex Figure and you'll net $41 in savings if you buy it through Toys "R" Us's eBay store. A sequel to the wildly popular Skylanders Spyro's Adventure game, by using the mystical Portal of Power, players once again lead a team of heroic Skylanders in an all new adventure to save their world. Not in the mood for a themed Wii console? We found an Editors' Choice deal on the Nintendo Wii Console in Black bundled with Kirby's Epic Yarn, an additional Wii Remote, and your choice of three additional Nintendo Wii games for $159 with free shipping (a low by $14). Available extra game selections include Rock Band: Green Day, Ghost Squad, Bakugan: Battle Brawlers, Bachelor: The Game, and more. Lionel New York Central Flyer Train Set Store: RiteAid Price: $209.99 via coupon code "GIFTSALE" with free shipping Lowest By: $89 Is It Worth It?: You can get just about anything at a drugstore these days, including this terrific bargain on a train set. It features a W-80 transformer, steam 0-8-0 locomotive and tender, boxcar, gondola with canisters, coal dump car, caboose, FasTrack uncoupling section, smoke fluid, and more. The track measures 40" x 60", and the product ships at 23.2 lb. Whether this train runs on time, though, is entirely up to your kid. Nintendo 3DS XL Mario Kart 7 Handheld Game System bundled with a $20 Best Buy Gift Card Store: Best Buy Price: $199.99 with free shipping Lowest By: $20 Is It Worth It?: Not only are you getting your kid the Nintendo 3DS XL Mario Kart 7 Handheld Game System in Blue/Black, but you're also ensuring that three days after Christmas little Tommy will have a back-up game to play with when he gets bored courtesy of a $20 Best Buy Gift Card, which will be automatically added in-cart. The game comes with Mario Kart 7 pre-installed and features two LCDs (one 320x240 touchscreen and one normal 800x240) which display 3D visuals without the need for 3D glasses. It also features a 3D Depth Slider, built-in motion and gyroscope sensors, Circle Pad (analog control), 3D camera, 4GB SD memory card, and more. For $70 less, you can pick up a Nintendo 3DS Handheld Game System in five colors for $129.99 (a low by $40) at Fry's Electronics. Nintendo Wii U 8GB Basic Console Store: Shopko Price: $289.99 via coupon code "GIFTSALE10" with free shipping Lowest By: $10 Expires: December 14 Is It Worth It?: Say hello to the first discount we're seeing on the latest Nintendo console! Most stores are charging $300 before applicable shipping fees and taxes, but we found it for $289.99 after coupon code "GIFTSALE10", which is applicable for new customers of Shopko. Front page photo credit: Masonic Gamer Lou Carlozo is a dealnews contributing writer. He covers personal finance for Reuters Wealth. Prior to that he was the managing editor of WalletPop.com, and a veteran columnist at the Chicago Tribune. Follow @dealnews on Twitter for the latest roundups, price trend info, and stories. You can also sign up for an email alert for all dealnews features.
