I've been amazed at the amount of "limited special ultra edition" cereals that've come out in this past year, but recently, the number has been unreal. Whatever's fashionable with youth is now eaten for breakfast, and you're going to have a hard time locating a box of Cheerios under the piles of sugarcrap based on holidays and Nickelodeon cartoons. Recently, I came across three that were just too unusual to resist. While our kitchen cabinets are already overflowing with boxes of stale cereals once reviewed, I couldn't fight the desire to archive the existence of such strange bowl-fillers. If interested or hungry, don't forget...these won't be around for long. Now is the time.
"Special Edition Lucky Charms"
Lucky's back, and this time, he's really pushing the Irish bit. The all-green half-foil box of "Special Edition Lucky Charms" features everyone's second favorite leprechaun peddling "bigger clover marshmallows." Gone are the purple horseshoes and red balloons, cast aside in favor of a springtime collection of three different clovers and bright pots of gold. The cereal's lack of its former variety is well compensated by the super-sized marshmallows -- they're nearly twice as big in this "Special Edition," and don't feel anywhere near as chalky. The game-filled back of the box features all sorts of stupid riddles. "What has four legs but can't walk?" IZZA TABLE! Go Lucky, go go go.
"The Fairly OddParents Cereal!"
I gotta be honest -- "The Fairly OddParents" remains the one Nicktoon I just can't get into at all. I've seen a lot of people talk it up and pay it compliments, but for me, it's just too damn loud and grating to get through. While I'm usually able to tune out the television while working, this is the one show that gets my ass running to the power button 100% of the time. That said, it's an interesting cereal. The pastel blue box is eye-catching and unique, and as for the grub itself...hmmm. Described as "sweetened corn, wheat n' oat stars," I'd consider it more as the closest thing to eating a bowl of cookies for breakfast outside of literally eating a bowl of cookies for breakfast. These things are more like cookies than "Cookie Crisp." They're also covered in candy sprinkles, and the five-sided stars really do a number on your throat. Also: why does everyone on this show look like a hamster?
"Apple Jacks: Jack-In-The-Box"
Well, Kellogg's has gone truly insane with the Apple Jacks brand in recent times. First we had that whole "blue carrots" fiasco. Now we've got Apple Jacks actually shaped like jacks. Everything else remains as was, so I'm a little curious as to why this necessitated a huge ad campaign. Are kids really going to be excited that Apple Jacks are now 50% jack-shaped? I mean, if blue carrots didn't inspire big sales, what chance does this have? I guess they're just trying to compete with a breakfast market that now includes ninja star-shaped cereal bits based on Nicktoons and marshmallow clovers the size of Iran. There's a saving grace, though. Mixing the old and new pieces found in each box, you can now play Tic-Tac-Toe while eating Apple Jacks. The back of the box invites kids to join up with a team of hiply dressed preteen sleuths who solve crimes related to cereal. That's an interesting niche.
Posted by Matt on 02/25/2004. E-mail me!
Chestnuts roasted by 
mmmmmmm….haven’t had lucky charms in years. Haven’t had Apple Jacks in probably over a decade. Its kinda sad how I grew outta sweet cereals. Nowadays they just make me feel queezy but they used to rock back in the day. I sound like an old man…..