Editorial Reviews:
Editorial Review
Outfitted in orange and purple, this electronic learning system for preschoolers plugs directly into a television, and at first take looks a lot like a video-game console. Insert any of Vtech's "Smartridges" into the unit for lessons on language, math, phonics, problem-solving, music, and more. Children can choose between two difficulty levels. Included are a large joystick, adjustable to right- and left-handed kids, and an Alphabet Park Adventure cartridge; other cartridges are sold separately. There's also a storage compartment on top that holds up to six cartridges. The system can run on either three C batteries or an AC adaptor; strangely, neither are included. --Andy Boynton |
Customer Reviews
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Not worth the money you spend!, Sep 3, 2005
I bought the V-Smile game at Christmas time for my 3 year old daughter. She had wanted a Playstation of her own as she plays her uncle's quite frequently but when I saw the V-Smile, I thought that it would be a much smarter move on my part to purchase that instead as it was geared more towards her age group and the price was much more reasonable for a child her age. Boy was I wrong! From day one she lost intrest. The graphics are terrible, and I mean worse than Atari! And it's difficult to play. The joystick does not work as it should and the games are focused too much on winning and not so much on the important things such as numbers, letters, and so on. As part of the game, the children lose if they don't do things properly and don't recieve a second chance as I feel they should. There is too much work involved for a child of 3 or 4 to have to do such as running, jumping, ducking etc.. and I feel it should be more focused on teaching children the basic preschool concepts. I have recently returned our V-Smile to the store as have many mothers that I have spoken with. I truly believe that this game is not worth the money you spend. Maybe an upgraded V-Smile 2 will be a smarter prchase in the future.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Great toy, but needs improvment., Sep 1, 2005
Mine keeps shutting off, or I have a hard time getting it to come on in the first place. Kind of hard keeping the kids patiant while I noodle around with it to make it work.
Other than that, great concept and my kids love it.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Great for younger than 6-7 year olds!, Aug 24, 2005
I purchased this for my son who was 6 years old at the time. The games were a bit young for him. I feel that the ages listed on this should not include 7 years old. I did not return it however, and it has become a favorite for our younger visitors!
I would suggest this as perfect for the 4-5 year old children. The software for this system, although perfect for the little ones is just too simple, basic, and slow moving for the older 6-7 year old children. At least in our home.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
5-yr-old Loves It!, Aug 23, 2005
My 5-yr-old son loves his V-smile. The younger games (ages 3-4) are easy for him to understand, yet challenging enough to keep his interest. The next level (ages 5-6) are a bit more difficult as they require some reading skills and addition to complete. However, my son has shown a new interest in learning to read and learn math. He was nervous about kindergarten, but now he wants to "Learn Everything!" so he can get better with his V-Smile. His friends who come over to play love it as much as he does, and a few of the parents have either gotten this for their children or plan to do so at Christmas.
Recently, we were having some issues with my son's behavior at school and created a rule for NO V-Smile if you don't get 5 stars every day. His teacher repeatedly tells me that she cannot believe the difference in his behavior in class. There's nothing like an incentive to help them do the right thing, and V-Smile has mixed just the right amount of education with fun for a wonderful teaching tool.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
V-Smile Rocks!, Aug 21, 2005
I have twin 3.5 year old nephews, I bought them the V-Smile game system for their birthday. At first it was a bit over their heads, but within a few weeks they had mastered use of the game controlers and are now matching colors, shapes, numbers and letters. They love it!
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