Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that VSmile Pocket is a new educational handheld that can also be played using the television screen. It's a competitor to the excellent Leapster and Leapster L-Max. Parents will want to evaluate the software available for both the Leapsters and the VSmile Pocket systems to determine which system is best for their kids.
If you already own the VSmile TV Learning System and some of last year's smartridges, those same smartridges will play on this new handheld system.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Jinny Gudmundsen
Shane, age 5, sits in front of the family's TV, playing an educational video game. His onscreen character carries the letter "V" and is madly careening through a playground maze, trying to tag the kid carrying the matching word "van." Shane has been playing this particular level for several minutes when his dad announces that it's time to leave for soccer practice. Turning off the video game would mean losing all the work he has accomplished. No problem. Since Shane is playing on VSmile Pocket, so he just unplugs the controller from the TV and takes it with him in the car -- the game continues playing without missing a beat because the controller includes its own screen so it can become a handheld gaming device. Now if he can just finish the level before they arrive at the soccer field!
VSmile Pocket Learning System is the newest product from VTech, the maker of last year's VSmile TV Learning System. Both VSmile systems play the same software, called VSmile smartridges. By the end of 2005, about 25 smartridges will be available.
The VSmile Pocket, which works best for kids ages 5-8, comes with its own cable to plug the system into a television, but it can also be played as a handheld.
The features of this new handheld are impressive. The high resolution screen (320 x 240 pixels) is easy to see, and the sound is good. The unit fits comfortably within a child's hand (it measures 7.5 by 5 inches), and the outsized controls can be adjusted to accommodate right- and left-handed kids. There are also four colored buttons for expanded educational opportunities, a "help" button, an exit button, plus one that launches "Learning Zone ABC," a special play mode. The VSmile Pocket runs on 4 AA batteries, but an AC power adaptor is available separately.
The VSmile Pocket comes bundled with the Zayzoo My Alien Classmate smartridge. Kids join Zayzoo, a cute alien, in an adventure that consists of four solid educational activities with three levels of difficulty. The smartridge also offers three more arcade-type games separate from the adventure (use the "Learning Zone" button), but they aren't as good.
Since VSmile Pocket is a kid-friendly gaming platform, the true test of its worth is how good is its software? Some of last year's smartridges, like Alphabet Park Adventure and Winnie the Pooh: The Honey Hunt, were pretty mediocre, and they were marketed to children too young to handle the gaming required. Zayzoo, however, provides a high-quality educational gaming experience for kids ages 5-8. Watch for reviews as new software titles for this system are released.
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