They'll smile at a VSmile! (VTech VSmile Cyber Pocket)

Member Name: Pia23

Product:	VTech VSmile Cyber Pocket
Date:	29/12/08 (509 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fun, educational and interactive

Disadvantages: Games are expensive, flip screen not very adjustable

I bought this for my 5 year old boy; it was to be his "main" Christmas present this year from me.

I was debating between this and a Nintendo DS, and due to money being tight I stuck with the Cyber Pocket, since it was around half the price of the DS and the games are somewhat cheaper, as well as being more educational than some of the Nintendo games I have seen.

VTech is probably one of the most innovative brands as far as kids toys go, so I knew I wouldn't go far wrong with this games console. They are also known for making their toys educational, so I was happy to let my son have this as his first ever games console, there is plenty of time for him to have the likes of the DS.

The box isn't very big of course, so it didn't look as extravagant under the Christmas tree as some of his other toys, not that it mattered - this was an instant hit.

The console comes with Scooby Doo's Funland Frenzy game; which, as far as my son goes, I wasn't too optimistic about because he's not a fan of Scooby. Or if you buy the pink version, I believe it comes with a Cinderella game.

_____________________The console: _____________________

The machine itself is really quite bulky, but it doesn't matter. It has a flip up screen and a touchpad which allows for more interactive game-play using a pen; this encourages hand-eye co-ordination in a fun way, just one of the many impressive features. The pen can be handily clipped onto the back of the console when not in use, something I didn't discover until a few days of having it.
Another thing you should note, is that if you've ever bought your child a VSmile console (not handheld, or indeed the non-flip screen version of the handheld) then the games are compatible with all of these, so it may well be that you don't need to buy the games if you have them already.


_____________________The buttons: _____________________

Around the touchpad there are the usual useful buttons. The first is the Exit button which you can use to navigate back through the menus in-game. Under this is a help button, which in most games will remind your child what to do next in case he forgets. There is also a Learning Zone button which is a handy shortcut to get to that part of your game, although we've never really used this.
On the right side is On and Off buttons, clearly labelled for young readers. There's also an Enter button, but I can't see why this would need to be used since there's a big round button which does the same thing.
Underneath is the 4 coloured buttons which your child will be prompted to use in most games.

The main buttons are the "joystick" direction pad and a big round enter button; both of these are big, round, and well-placed for little or large fingers and thumbs. There is a small clip on the back of the machine which you can use to flip these buttons upside down, to reveal these buttons in blue, and opposite for left handed users.

_____________________The screen: _____________________

The screen itself is clear, large and bright. You can adjust the contrast with a dial on the front of the console, but ours has stayed on highest. There is also a handy volume control.
When flipping up the screen the first thing I noticed was that you cannot choose how far back you have the screen, which was just a minor niggle, it will only stay part way up if you keep very still, but it's designed to be folded all the way back.

_____________________The extras: _____________________

There is a built in microphone, but I've not yet used a game which requires this, I'm sure there's plenty. There is a headphone socket which is also a nice little extra.

In the box you get a cable to connect to the TV, very handy and easy to do. Simply plug in the white and yellow connectors and it shows on your large TV screen; although not crystal clear, but good enough.
You also get a wrist strap, but as I mentioned earlier it is a little bulky so I'm not sure I'd let my little one carry it around anywhere far.

_____________________The games: _____________________

The games come in a range of ages and characters. The ones I bought are Disney Pixar Cars, Nemo and Wall-E, all of which have been hits - but my son (who doesn't like Scooby) particularly likes the game it came with.
I was concerned I'd bought games aged 4-6 for my almost 6 year old but there are different levels of difficulty which you can select so they are fine.

_____________________The price: _____________________

I paid £49 for the console in Toys'r'us, which was £10 lower than RRP.
I also claimed £10 cashback from VTech directly - I believe this promotion runs until March 2009, I posted the barcode and receipt to the address on the box, along with my name and address and received a £10 cheque a week later, along with my receipt.
The games are expensive though, I bought them on a 3 for 2 offer which was available to me as I was buying the console at the same time, they generally cost around £18 - £22 each which is a little too much in my opinion - it is worth finding out if your friends have any of the VSmile range so you can swap games etc.

_____________________The batteries: _____________________

It runs on 4 AA batteries which actually (and surprisingly) last quite a long time, it's worth getting some rechargeable ones though. I don't know exactly how many hours of play you'll get but I would estimate at around 6-8 hours before they die.

Alternatively, you could do as I did and buy the 9v adaptor (I paid £5 in a sale but they're generally £6-£9). The problem with this is it's no longer mobile, and the wire isn't very long to allow for moving around. I'll be sticking with the rechargeable batteries unless he starts sitting in one particular spot when he plays. Also if you're halfway through a game and accidently pull the plug then you lose progress! So having batteries in there too is a good idea.

_____________________Overall opinion: _____________________

My son loves it; I like it and have played it regularly. It's educational and fun, and fairly priced if you can get a good deal on games or especially if you have games from an existing VSmile console. He hasn't stopped playing with it since Christmas day.
I would recommend this for anyone who believes their child is too young for some of the older consoles out there, but if you feel you child would grow out of it too quickly (the game go up to age 9 I think) then maybe you'd prefer a DS.

Summary: Handheld console from VTech with a catalogue of games available