Announced each year by magazine co-publisher Jim Silver, the release of the TOY WISHES' 'Hot Dozen' has been touted as the 'official' kick-off to the holiday toy-buying season. Joined by co-publisher Gareb Shamus and Chris Byrne, The Toy Guy(TM), Silver unveiled this year's 'Hot Dozen' at the first-ever TOY WISHES Holiday Preview, held at the International Toy Center in New York City.

The Toy Wishes editorial staff began the 'Hot Dozen' selection process more than a year ago on their annual quest to preview - and review - all of the toys and games hitting the market in 2002. Over the past four years, the magazine has accurately predicted the best-selling and most popular toys of the year, from the more than 150,000 toys on the market at any given time. While Toy Wishes magazine features more than 500 new toys, only those predicted to be the most impossible to find because of their popularity receive "Hot Dozen" status.

So, in an attempt to relieve holiday shopping jitters and frantic attempts to find the impossible, this year's Hot Dozen is as follows (in alphabetical order):

Barbie® As Rapunzel
(Mattel/Ages 5 years and up/$19.99)
The magic of Barbie as Rapunzel is brought to life with a world of dolls and accessories that allow girls to play out the storyline and artistry from the movie. Now girls can play happily ever after with Barbie as Rapunzel, featuring Barbie doll's longest hair ever! With more than a foot of luxurious locks, Barbie as Rapunzel invites girls to play with her "growing" hair with an extendable ponytail and hair extension.

Barbie(TM) Wireless Video Camera
(Kid Designs/Ages 6 years and up/$129.99)
This real video camera has all the features found in regular models, plus a cool design that girls will love! Fun and easy to use, with simple installation and a universal receiver that works with any standard TV and VCR. The cool accessories include a tripod, universal remote, and a handheld microphone for filming live performances.

Bratz Salon 'N' Spa
(MGA Entertainment/Ages 4 years and up/$49.99)
The Bratz Stylin' Salon 'N' Spa, is a full-service beauty salon that includes everything needed for a day of beauty - a hair salon, a manicure/pedicure station, a cosmetic counter, a Jacuzzi, and a smoothie 'n' cafe bar! With the Bratz Salon 'N' Spa, pamper and treat all the Bratz, including new Bratz girl Dana, to the ultimate beauty experience for the mind, body and soul! Real Glitter Make-Up for you and your Bratz let you create the funkiest look ever!

Chicken Dance Elmo
(Fisher-Price/Ages 18 months and up/$19.99)
He's giggled, played pretend and rocked out on his guitar, but you've never seen Elmo like this... Dressed as a chicken, Elmo sings the infamous song, while doing the Chicken Dance! This Elmo is so adorable and silly, that kids and grown-ups alike will want to set him dancing again and again.

KidClips(TM) Disney Tunes
(Tiger Division of Hasbro/Ages 3 years and up/$9.99-14.99)
Now preschoolers can listen to Disney music with their very own interchangeable music system. Tiger's KidClips(TM) Disney Tunes combines the breadth of the Disney music library with enchanting hardware. Each KidClips(TM) Disney Tunes Music Chips contains a 60-second edit of a Disney classic tune that is played on adorable, easy to use players.

FurReal Friends(TM)
(Tiger Division of Hasbro/Ages 6 years and up/ $34.99)
FurReal Friends(TM) is Tiger's magical line of electronic plush cats that, when stimulated by touch, convincingly duplicate and mimic mannerisms unique to a "real" cat through life-like organic movements and sounds. FurReal Friends(TM) have intelligent sensors located on its upper back, lower back, tail, one on each side of the head and one between the ears that detects light and dark. Each of the sensors is strategically placed to induce a natural interaction between owner and cat.

Musini
(Neurosmith/Ages 3 years and up/$59.99, additional cartridge $29.99)
Musini gives children a whole new way to make music - simply by moving! Musini's revolutionary MagicSensor detects every vibration and responds with a totally unique musical composition. With five different types of music, Musini allows children to explore new musical styles, tempos, rhythms, and beats, and research indicates that music making helps develop higher-level cognitive skills!

LEGO® Harry Potter(TM) Chamber of Secrets
(LEGO/Ages 8-12 years/$69.99)
The LEGO Harry Potter Chamber of Secrets set provides children with the unique elements, characters and hidden features to create and re-enact their favorite on-screen moments from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The 591-piece set includes several key movie characters and combines with other LEGO Harry Potter sets to form the Ultimate Hogwarts Experience, where children can construct scenes to match the action and adventure Harry and his friends experience during their second year at Hogwarts.

Harry Potter Slime Chamber Play Set
(Mattel/Ages 5 years and up/$15.99)
Mattel's classic Slime(TM) gets a Hogwarts Twist in this fun action playset. Kids load the head of the basilisk with Slime(TM) and place any action figure in the Slime Chamber. Then they release the snake's jaw, dumping Slime all over the unsuspecting intruder. The glow-in-the-dark Slime can also be used alone to create gross-out adventures with friends.

Quantum Pad(TM) Learning System
(LeapFrog/Grades 3rd-5th./$49.99, Quantum Pad Books $14.99)
The Quantum Pad Learning System incorporates games and activities to make learning fundamental subjects enjoyable. With the touch of an interactive pen, Quantum Pad books come to life with entertaining audio that engages while they educate. Children can practice and hone their math and spelling skills by using a dry erase pen and working through math problems and spelling exercises directly in the book. The book guides children through the lessons and provides hints to help them arrive at the correct answer.

Tony Hawk Pro Skater(TM) 4
(Activision/PlayStation 2, Xbox and Nintendo GameCube versions are rated "T" (ages 13 years and up); PlayStation and Game Boy Advance are rated "E" (ages 6 years and up)/$39.99-49.99)
Featuring a new free-roaming career mode, the player starts as an amateur and chooses which goals to take on to build skills and work up to becoming a pro. Earn respect and pro status by conquering a skater-specific Pro Challenge - before opening an entirely new set of difficult Pro Goals. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 delivers the deepest and most challenging gameplay experience in the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series, including a comprehensive online feature where up to eight players from anywhere in the world can challenge each other in new multiplayer modes like Goal Attack and Capture the Flag.

Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING GAME Booster Pack Collectors Tin
(Upper Deck/ Ages 8 to 14 years/$19.99 -24.99)
Fans of this fiercely popular card game can stack their Decks with a collection of booster packs designed to increase the complexity and power during monster dueling matches.

Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME Booster Pack Collectors Tins include an assortment of the game's most recent additions, including two "Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon" booster packs; two "Metal Raiders" booster packs; one "Magic Ruler" booster pack; and one exclusive variant card in each of six uniquely-designed tins.

All of the toys in the Hot Dozen will be available at most major retailers and toy stores and through many online e-commerce sites this holiday season.

TOY WISHES will retail for $4.99 and will be available on newsstands and everywhere magazines are sold on October 8th. For more information, check out the website at www.toywishes.com.