From the Toysit archive
The Secret Saturdays: Zak’s Cryptipedia
Explore Zak’s Cryptipedia, its character cards and pretend cryptid hunt, then create a moon-garden field report for an invented animal.
The play at a glance
A field guide for an imaginary expedition
Zak’s Cryptipedia has the look of a gadget borrowed from an animated adventure: a silver-and-yellow body, a round screen with green graphics and broad translucent fins at the top. The separate cards in Toysit’s photograph add a collecting element. A player can discover information about The Secret Saturdays characters and take the handheld on a pretend search for the story’s creatures.
Cards and a make-believe search
The guide describes two connected kinds of play. Loading a collectible card introduces a character to the device, which can speak its name and a fact from the fictional world. In the hunting mode, tilting or moving the handheld sets up a simulated encounter, with beeps and blinking symbols building anticipation.
Those encounters draw on the character information already loaded. That makes a card feel like a page added to an explorer’s notebook: learning a name gives the next imaginary expedition a familiar creature to look for. For an existing toy, an adult should check the matching guide and handle the batteries and small accessories.
Try a moon-garden field report
This original Toysit activity begins with a friendly creature that exists entirely in your story. Perhaps it has umbrella-shaped ears or a tail that resembles a curled fern. Draw it on a card and choose a name, then make a paper field report with three spaces.
- A footprint. Invent a track that suits the creature. A round print with one little star could belong to a moon-garden hopper.
- Three observations. Write or draw where it rests, what sound it makes and what it does at dusk. Keep each detail part of the imaginary habitat.
- A considerate visit. Decide how the explorer can watch quietly and leave the home undisturbed. Draw a viewing spot a little way from its resting place.
Invite a partner to add one paper sign of a visit: a bent fern, a dropped seedpod or a tiny drawn trail. Read the clues aloud and tell what might have happened. The report can end with a thank-you note from the explorer, while the creature continues its evening in peace.
The historical record
Original Toysit coverage
The complete earlier product account and commentary are preserved below as historical coverage.
Cryptid tracking device and electronic encyclopedia
Secret Saturdays adventure animated action series about ta family of cryptozoologists dedicated to protecting the secrets and mysteries of the world. The Cryptipedia is the ultimate accessory for Cryptid hunters to be just like Zak Saturday. Lock in your Cryptid and action figure stands to learn secret facts about characters from the show, or use the Cryptipedia as a tracking device to find nearby Cryptids. Cool sounds and spoken text make this a fun and interactive device for kids. Includes exclusive Komodo figure with collectible stand.
In the animated TV show "The Secret Saturdays," Cryptids are mythical or legendary creatures that are central to the series' plot. The show follows the adventures of Zak Saturday and his family, who are part of a secret organization tasked with studying cryptids and protecting them from various threats. These cryptids range from well-known mythological creatures like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster to more obscure beings from folklore around the world. They are often depicted as misunderstood animals that are more complex than simply being monsters. The Saturdays aim to understand these creatures and protect them from exploitation or harm, particularly from the series' villains who seek to use the cryptids for their own nefarious purposes. The concept of cryptids in the show serves as an entertaining way to introduce viewers to various myths and legends, while also offering exciting adventure and mystery.
Sources and editorial notes
Mattel’s complete P4568-0920G2 instruction sheet was read and visually reviewed. Its body and card-slot diagrams match the pictured design; the contents/assembly drawings show a lizard figure and three cards, with one used as a stand. This clarifies the earlier stand wording, while the exclusive Komodo name remains the archive’s identification. The simulated hunt concerns fictional creatures, not real animal detection. No physical testing was performed.
- Original Toysit image — Existing same-site image reviewed and retained unchanged.
- Mattel Zak’s Cryptipedia instructions (PDF) — Complete P4568-0920G2 production sheet reviewed: contents, card identification and simulated hunting mode.
- Original Toysit coverage — Complete historical account retained, including its original claims and wording.
Images and descriptions are retained as historical material. How Toysit covers toys.
Created for Toysit by Tabbloza — the artwork in our header.