Each Christmas season we try to keep you up to date on the hottest toys of the year. Now in 2008, with a looming recession and consumer spending at an all time low, parents are faced with some of the most expensive wish lists ever.

We traveled to our local Toys 'R' Us in hopes to pick the "must haves" for the season.

1. Kota the Triceratops - Hasbro Retail $299.99





By far the coolest toy we've seen in a long time. Kota the Triceratops will be a big hit for Hasbro this year even with the hefty price tag. Kota has sensors that respond to touch and sound. Your child can even feed the triceratops her plastic leaf. Her eyes, mouth, head and tail all come to life before your very own eyes. Kota stands 2.5 feet tall and can support up to 60 pounds of abuse from your kid.

Pros:
We got a chance to play with this thing and we fell in love with it right away. It moves and responds so well that you think it might be alive. (Warning- Please do not make a horror movie out of this we've all seen Child's Play). Your child can "ride" Kota, but it will not move so you don't have to worry about him/her getting trampled. It's huge.

Cons:
It's Huge! It's expensive though we did see it for about $240 on sell at Target. Your child will break it in a year, so be sure to watch them around it.

Bottom Line:
Come on it's a freaking animatronic dinosaur. Who doesn't want one? This thing is EXPENSIVE and it takes up some room so weigh your options. Unfortunately, it came 20 years to late for us.

2. Elmo Live - Fisher Price Retail $60.00





Hearing about a new Elmo toy made us about as excited as the new Kenny Rogers holiday album. That was, until we actually saw it in the store. The new Elmo Live is not last year's TMX waste of plastic. No, this new Elmo could be considered an android. It falls somewhere between fascinating and down right creepy. He talks, moves and acts like a muppet. He even stands at 1 foot.

Pros:
He acts and looks like he does on TV. Your child will freak out. This Elmo will be tough to beat next year and the price tag isn't too bad.

Cons:
He acts and looks like he does on TV. Your child will freak out.(Yeah, that could be a bad thing; emphasis on creepy)
Not very durable. After 3 months you have to ask yourself the question "will your child still be entertained"?

Bottom Line:
We saw children and adults freak out about this toy in the store. Your kid is going to want one. We're not sure if they are going to make it to $100 on Ebay, but it's going to be popular. We have to admit they're pretty amazing.

3.EyeClops Night Vision Goggles - Jakks Pacific Retail $79.99





Eyeclops Night Vision Goggles allow you to see 50 feet in darkness and as a kid who was scared of the dark this would have been a necessity for me. Now your child can see which monsters are partying in their closet thanks to Jakks Pacific. I'm not sure how often you might let your child roam around outside in the pitch blackness, but this toy can appeal to all ages. Who needs to pay that power bill when the whole family has their very own set.

Pros:
You can see in the dark. 50 feet is a pretty solid distance, in other words over 15 yards. Your child can spy on the neighbors which makes for all kinds of family fun.

Cons:
Your kid is going to break it. Your child will scare you all the time in the middle of the night. When you drop little Timmy off in the woods at midnight he'll probably find his way home before daylight.

Bottom Line:
A little on the pricey side, but night vision comes with a cost. When coupled with Jakks' Laser Tag Pistols (see below) you can probably bribe your kid to do their homework for at least 3-4 weeks. If anyone is looking to get us something for Christmas we'll be happy to take a couple.

4. Spike the Ultra Dinosaur - Fisher Price Retail $140.00

Don't be fooled by the lame name, Spike the Ultra Dinosaur has a reputation of frightening the family pet and annoying the old man. The second animatronic dinosaur to make the list this year; Spike walks, blinks, roars, stands up and even disciplines the kids. (Editor's note: Just kidding about the disciplining however, Spike has been known to eat GI Joe toys.) Included is a nifty wireless remote control that your child can throw at you when you tell it is nap time. You can see Spike on demo display at most Target stores.

Pros:
Pretty rad toy. Wireless remote is a must have in 2008. Your kids' imagination is going to explode all over the place. Spike is really about as cool as you get for an affordable animatronic animals.

Cons:
Price tag, $140 is way too much. $99 would have been more reasonable. A common theme with this list is durability and we're worried that Spikey here might not be able to hold together with your kid's excitement.

Bottom Line:
If you can't afford Kota, but your child loves dinosaurs then go with Spike. If you can find him for $99 then that's a pretty fair deal. Your kid will love him, however your family pet will urinate on your bed sheets for at least 2 months.

5. Hannah Montana's Malibu Beach House - Play Along Retail $169.99

This is going to be popular because of the name Hannah Montana. Come on everybody it's an "Exact replica of Hannah's real house on the show!".

Over 75 accessories for your vacuum cleaner to find and chew up. It's big enough for your child to live in when you can't afford the mortgage any longer.

Pros:
75+ accessories. Exact copy of the house on the show. A safe drug-free environment without all the teen angst. Does not come with 20 year old real-life boyfriend.

Cons:
$169.99?!?!?!?!?!?!? Really? Costs as much as real apartment.

Bottom Line:
Just give in. There is no stopping Hannah Montana. Just be glad that the whole Britney and Paris thing is over with.

6.Guitar Hero World Tour Band Kit - Activision Retail $300.00

Drums? Check. Guitar? Check. Bass? Check. Mic Stand? Check. Drugs and hordes of groupies? Nope. That's right folks now your kids can enjoy all the fun of a real rock and roll band without all the uppers and STDs.

Your child and their friends will stay out of trouble while they spend countless hours learning how to match color keys on plastic instruments. All joking aside this is a good way to bond with your kids. Chances are that you'll probably want to play as well and become the next Partridge Family.

More songs, more instruments, more downloadable content and a battle of the bands feature.

Pros:
Non-violent gaming at it's best. Introduce your kid to non-pop music. Make it a family bonding experience. No need to worry about smoke filled clubs or drunk guys throwing bottles at you.

Cons:
Buy your kids a real instrument and get them lessons. PRICEY! You better hope they have LCDs at the local homeless shelter. Will drop in price by summer.

Bottom Line:
Good to enhance creativity and musical knowledge, but it is way expensive. However, you could do with a once a week family night of fun all around and the movies are getting more and more expensive.

7.Yo Gabba Gabba Dancing Brobee and other Yo Gabba Gabba Toys - Spinmaster Retail $34.99

Yo Gabba Gabba is a popular kid's show on Nick Jr. that encourages children to be nice to one another and get plenty of exercise. Think Sesame Street meets Soul Train with a little Tinky Winky on top.

The Dancing Brobee is just one of the toys from the show that is increasing in popularity among all ages every week.

It sings and dances making it the cutest thing on the list, well next to Kota, that is.

Pros:
Positive and encouraging young children's TV show.
Price of toys are on the cheaper side of this list.

Cons:
These toys are hard to find and seem to eat batteries like Gremlins eat fried chicken after midnight.

Bottom Line:
Very popular show with a very collectible toy line. Catchy tunes and beats will have you listening to this on your Ipod without the kids.

8.Laser Challenge P.R.O. Basic Pistols -Jakks Pacific Retail $39.99

Hit the link above to read a review on these we posted a few months back. Probably the best affordable laser gun systems on the market today.

Pros:
Very accurate even at long range. Lots of fun. Different team settings.

Cons:
Doesn't work well in the sunlight.
Arm band has tendency to slide down.
Hard to know if you scored a hit.

Bottom Line:
Jakks Pacific is dead on with these laser pistols. Affordable and fun is a great combination to have. Yes, we play with them and no you can't have ours.

9.Disney Pixar's Wall-E U-Command Wall-E Robot - Thinkway Retail $59.99

Possibly the best Pixar movie to date. Wall-E flabbergasted audiences with it's cuteness and commentary on consumerism. And what says commentary on an addiction of buying useless junk other than purchasing toys from the movie. In all seriousness, this little remote controlled Wall-E is quite entertaining. U Command Wall-e can move, make noise, lights up and speaks. Over 1000 action combos.

Pros:
Captures the cuteness of Wall-E. Wireless remote. Looks like the real thing.

Cons:
A little on the pricey side. Hard to use on carpet. You really need a completely flat surface.

Bottom Line:
Pass, unless you can find him on sale. These toy companies must not have seen the end of days coming (aka January when we and them will be laid off.) However, he seems to be selling out online. Good luck with finding him.

10.MagNext iCoaster Building Set - MEGA Brands Retail $89.99

Who needs Legos when you can create a roller coaster with magnets. You can even hook up your MP3 player to add effects. Who doesn't want one? Oh wait $90? Just give me the laser tag.

Pros:
It's awesome!

Cons:
Beyond expensive for what it is.
You can only build 10 configurations.

Bottom Line:

Wait till it is on clearance and then make it a birthday present.

Best Toy For The Value and the Recession

Slinky

Bottom Line:
It costs less than $10.