Diamond Multimedia's Monster 3D II gaming board ($169.95, www.diamondmm.com) comes with 12 megs of RAM, so graphically intense games like Drakan really shimmer with detail. It's the rugged SUV of 3-D cards.

The truth is up there. Pump up Plantraco's Flying Saucer ($75, www.link.ca/saucer) with helium and fly it with its battery-operated remote.

Now that Hot Wheels ($13, www.hotwheels.com) sport computer chips inside, they give speedometer readouts, lap counts, and more. Where's a miniature Jeff Gordon when you need him?

Feel the vibe. Nuby's Reality Vest for Nintendo 64 and PlayStation ($69.95, www. nubyonline.com) kicks last year's vibrating game-controller innovation up a notch by lightly jarring your upper bod as you play.


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