Parents' Guide to

VSmile Pocket Learning System

By Jinny Gudmundsen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Educational handheld for ages 5 to 8.

Game VSmile 2005
VSmile Pocket Learning System Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

Community Reviews

See all
age 4+

Based on 1 parent review

Armenurs
Armenurs Parent of 6-year-old
December 1, 2009
age 4+

ages 4+ and those learning English

Our daughter adopted from Korea was able to quickly grasp the English concepts of this system and available games. Children ages 4 to 16 learning English like the games and system as does my 50+ yr old husband! lol

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
See all 1 parent review

What’s It About?

VTech's VSMILE POCKET LEARNING SYSTEM, which plays software called VSmile smartridges, works best for kids ages 5 to 8. It 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.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

The features of this 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 outsize 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, and one that launches "Learning Zone ABC," a special play mode. The VSmile Pocket runs on four AA batteries, but an AC power adaptor is available separately.

Earlier smartridges were pretty mediocre. Zayzoo, however, provides a high-quality educational gaming experience for kids ages 5 to 8. Watch for reviews as new software titles for this system are released.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether games that combine entertainment and education are as fun as games without an educational component. Why or why not?

Game Details

  • Platform: VSmile
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Publisher: VTech Electronics
  • Release date: August 29, 2005
  • Genre: Educational
  • ESRB rating: E
  • Last updated: November 4, 2015

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate