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Toy Review: V Smile |
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Electronic Educational/Edutainment Unit
By Vtech
Our Recommended Age: 4-7
Our Rating: A
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Buy V-Smile
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The
concept is excellent: the V.Smile is an electronic
learning system designed for children too young for
traditional video games. The colorful unit plugs into the TV
and accepts software in the form of cartridges (called
Smartridges). Children use the unit's large, kid-friendly
joystick to interact with the software.
Parents
of young children, especially those with older siblings,
know that their preschoolers are itching to play video games
like the "big kids". The V Smile offers
games that truly play like video games, but feature a
distinct educational component at the same time.
The
unit comes with one software title, a Smartridge called Alphabet
Park Adventure. Additional Smartridges, many of which
feature popular licensed characters such as Winnie the Pooh
and Scooby Doo, are sold separately.
The
package includes a joystick, but the unit can accept two,
and the software titles allow for two-player games. An
additional joystick is sold separately for approximately
$14.99 US. The one-player games are sufficiently satisfying,
however, and will certainly suffice at least for the time
being.
The
V.Smile operates either on batteries (3 1.5V C batteries) or
with an AC Adaptor. The fact that the AC Adaptor is not
included in the package was somewhat disappointing.
The
unit connects to the TV via cables that plug into the video
and audio input jacks. Some older TVs don't have a video IN
and audio IN terminal, but the unit can also connect through
the VCR.
Smartridges
feature two types of gameplayone is Learning Adventure
mode, which offers learning games in the context of an
adventure, and the other is Learning Zone, which features
learning games that are played independently of the
adventure. Two difficulty levels are offered (easy and
difficult). Kids can choose to play as a girl or boy character, and
two-player games are possible (you will need an additional
joystick for this option).
Alphabet
Park Adventure, the included software, features a
variety of games, found in the Toy Shop, Monsterville, Bug
World, and more. Children play with "lives" in the
form of hearts (when they lose their energy, they get bumped
back in the adventure a little bit). Kids hop on trains,
jump over toys, dodge obstacles, duck through tunnels, fly
on a magic umbrella, and the like. Some of the games involve
answering multiple-choice questions, and kids can use the
color buttons on the joystick to provide answers. These buttons light
up when it is time to answer a question with color-coded
answers.
The
learning challenges are not entirely easy for younger
preschoolers, even on the "easy" setting. For
example, a game that involves alphabetic order confused our
youngest testers. The mechanics of navigating are rather
straightforward, and gently challenging. Many kids will need
to replay levels quite a few times before getting the hang
of it, but this mimics "big kid" video games (who
sails through video games the first time they play?) and
extends the life of the software.
If
your child is easily frustrated by the fact that he or she
is bumped back when a life is lost, and/or if your child is
having a hard time answering the multiple-choice questions
correctly on the first two tries, you might want to turn to
the Options section of the game. There is a "No
Lose" setting that is a thoughtful option. As
parents, we often tend to arrange that our children
experience "errorless" learning. This is
particularly important for children who are struggling with
learning concepts. However, for the average child, some
setbacks and "errors" are healthy and will help
prepare kids for the real world. Of course, this is up to
individual families, and Vtech's inclusion of two ways to
play in terms of how many "chances" children
receive is a smart move.
Compared
to most software games designed for preschoolers, the
Smartridges offer more challenge, and a bit of pressure can
be a byproduct. For example, at one point in the game, a
(toy) crocodile snaps at the character's heels. For this
reason, in addition to the fact that some of the learning
challenges are difficult, we recommend the product for
children approximately 4 to 7 years old.
The
graphics will not impress you like those of current video
game units on the market, but most parents won't expect to
be floored by graphics in a product with a $59.99 US retail
price tag. Kid testers don't notice, although it did affect
gameplay at one point when children needed to decipher
pictures in order to determine which ones started with a
given letter (one picture, for example, was apparently a
queencould have fooled me!). Another nitpick we have is
the choice of words for beginning letterskids need to
find an object that starts with the letter "E",
and "eye" is the correct answer. Something like "egg"
would have been more intuitive. We have the same complaint
with many electronic educational toys that teach the
alphabet.
The
unit itself is very well-designed, with easy set-up and
large, colorful buttons. The joystick can be adjusted for
left-handed children as well! Of course, a learning hardware
system such as this one is only as good as the software it
runs. There is room for improvements, such as a larger range
of difficulty levels so that younger children will be
accommodated, in future software titles developed for the V
Smile. All in all, however, the V.Smile is an innovative,
attractive product. The user's manual wisely opens with a
few guidelines and cautions concerning the encouragement of
healthy television habits. When used in moderation, the
V.Smile is an engaging product for children ages 4-7.
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For more information,
user reviews, or to buy: V-Smile
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Reviewed October 2004
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