This week's best-selling toys and games: Bananagrams, Scrabble, Heisei Kamen Riders

With less than a month left until Christmas, board games are proving popular in Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, while in Japan toys based on the Heisei Kamen Riders card game and manga series remain consistently popular.

The best-selling* toys and games worldwide are:

Amazon.com: Scrabble flash cubes - Hasbro ($28.47/€21.47 reduced from $29.99/€22.62)

A compact and updated version of the classic word game that is suitable for younger players. Scrabble Flash Cubes features only five tiles with changing letters that light up and beep once a word is completed. The game features "single" and "multiplayer" modes.

Amazon.co.uk: Bananagrams Game- Winning Moves (£8.45/ €9.98 reduced from £10.00/€11.81)

This word game doesn't require a board, pens or even paper and comes in a case shaped like a banana. The game has consistently been among the most popular toys and games on amazon.co.uk and this week moves from second to first position on the best sellers list.

Amazon.fr: Bey Blade- Jeu  de Plein d'air - Storm Pegasus - Hasbro (€23.00)

A toy loosely based on a spinning top, inspired by the manga-style TV series Beyblade; other Beyblade -associated products such as Lightning L also appear several times in the best-selling toys and games list on amazon.fr.  

Amazon.de: Ravensburger - Schlag den Raab! - Das Speil (€19.98)

Translated into English as "Beat the Host! The Game," this board game, based on the popular German television series which inspired the English series 'Beat the Star', tests players' knowledge of trivia and reaction speed. The game combines classic rounds from the television series with new challenges specially designed for the board game version.

Amazon.co.jp: ??????OOO(???) ????????01 (3500 Yen / €31.58)

Roughly translated in English as "Rider 000 set 01," this toy consists of a series of plastic discs which can be inserted into the Heisei Kamen Riders Belt in order to "transform" the wearer into any one of the characters. Both the Rider 000 set 01 and the Heisei Kamen Riders Belt are inspired by the popular game and TV series Heisei Kamen Riders.

*Best-selling as defined by Amazon within the category "Toys and games" at 11:00 am GMT on December 3, 2010.