Buzz battles Go Go Pup for top toy slot

A SPACE ranger, a miniature tail-wagging barking pup, and the new Kinect game controller are among toys and games expected to top the list of most-wanted toys this Christmas, according to toy and game retailers.

Smyths’ Toys Superstores has predicted the Fur Real Go Go Pup will be the most sought after toy this year. The little dog can be taken for a walk and guided by a remote control leash, and has the added advantage that its owner doesn’t need to clean up after it.

Buzz Lightyear and his friends from the Toy Storymovies are "incredibly popular" this year, according Jamie Darby of Smyths.

Argos believes its Real Construction Deluxe Workshop will be the number one Christmas gift. Also high on the Argos list is the VTech Kidizoom Camera and a classic Lego set.

The Game stores predict the Kinect motion-operated game controller will be its best seller.

Its commercial manager Alan Wilson said the PlayStation Move motion controller was proving very popular. Games such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood and PlayStation 3’s Gran Turismo 5 were all selling well, he said.

Expect a few of the top 10 games and toys to make an outing on tonight’s Late Late Toy Show.

Presenter Ryan Tubridy said he was going to attempt something that had never been done before by a Late Late presenter – he is to sing during the show’s opening act. “It will be mildly ridiculous but it’s a kind of mildly ridiculous night,” he said. “It’s the most fun night of the year for me, working-wise. It makes a nice change from politicians.”

The presenter said he hoped the show would be “a national distraction” after the terrible week people had experienced. Toys would be tailored to meet all budgets, he said. Children would be asked to manage expectations when writing to Santa.

He declined to reveal his choice of Christmas jumper for the show: “I have been sent what could be the equivalent of the European jumper mountain to my office. I have seen the most disgusting jumpers known to mankind.”

This will be Tubridy’s second Late Late Toy Show. He said he wanted to be on the show since he was a child. “I didn’t have great ambitions to be presenter of The Late Late Show . . . but I did have great ambition to present the Late Late Toy Show.”

The second season of The Late Late Showhas been criticised in some quarters for its weak line-up of guests, but Tubridy said: "Our numbers have been extremely satisfactory and last week we were thrilled. We had an audience share of 51 per cent and to us that's a tremendous achievement."