Parents' Guide to

VSmile TV Learning System

By Jinny Gudmundsen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Gaming system is too hard for preschoolers.

Game VSmile 2004
VSmile TV Learning System Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 5+

Based on 1 parent review

faizi
faizi Parent of 1 and 4-year-old
November 12, 2009
age 5+

perfect for age 3-9

i love v smile learning game system . this is totally educational. my kids love to play this. i bought them all this game's cartridges to them. appropriate for age 3- 9.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
See all 1 parent review

What’s It About?

Hoping to appeal to preschoolers as young as 3, VMSILE TV LEARNING SYSTEM touts learning through video game and showcases a controller with outsize buttons and an over-large joystick. Kids play through side-scrolling games that require them to walk, crawl, jump, and dodge as Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse, Scooby-Doo, and even Spider-Man. The system comes with \"Alphabet Park Adventure\" software; the adventure part of the software offers some educational aspects, but they are clearly secondary to the gaming aspects. A separate section called Learning Zone offers stronger educational content.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (2 ):

The gameplay is too difficult for the preschool crowd. Kid-testers younger than 5 quickly lost interest because they didn't have the hand-eye coordination and patience required to make characters jump at just the right time to land on moving platforms. The system provides a two-player option, but VTech missed the boat here too, because instead of having them play at the same time, it makes each child wait to take a turn.

With the current software, this system isn't a good fit for preschoolers, but can be fun for 5- to 7-year-olds looking to play video games. You might want to consider it if you have a child who is between 5 and 7 years old and he/she has older siblings who are gaming -- this is a way to help the younger sibling fit in. However, if your objective is to provide quality learning in a gaming format, choose Leapster instead.

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? Families can also discuss playing the roles of their favorite characters. Which character do you like to play as?

Game Details

  • Platform: VSmile
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Publisher: VTech Electronics
  • Release date: December 3, 2004
  • Genre: Preschool
  • ESRB rating: NR
  • Last updated: November 4, 2015

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