V.Smile Motion Active Learning System
I was a bit wary about presenting my 3-year-old daughter Lily with a games console. Is that bad parenting, does she really want to end up like her dad, boggle eyed and decapitating Super Mutants on Fallout 3?
No of course not... and thankfully this superb kiddie console from V-Tech has the best interests of your kids at heart and teaches them that gaming is fun but it is also educational.
V. Smile Motion is a brand new educational video gaming system for pre-schoolers, we told Lily it was her very own Wii, and she seemed to like the idea. The console is perfect for her as she is right at the starting age for it and can grow with it over the next few years.
It is really easy to use and simply hooks up to the TV through those old red, white and yellow jacks.
The special movement detecting wireless controller allows motion-activated play, encouraging children to get up and be active as they learn and interact with their favourite characters, so yes in effect it is the same principle as a Wii, just a bit more simplistic.
There are some great branded games released with this such as Thomas The Tank Engine and Scooby Doo and I can't recommend this enough to any parent who wants to get their chid involved in new technology in a healthy, educational way.
V.Smile Motion comes with an Action Mania Learning Game, which includes sports based activities such as tennis and car racing - Lily loved the tennis game and it has seriously helped her distinguish between left and right and certain key colours.
The graphics are pretty charming and nicely done; gameplay is at various levels so there is an access point for the teeniest tots to the slightly older children.
Educational benefits are spread across a broad range of areas from Maths and English to basic co-ordination and response.
Great great fun, educational, colourful and a product which achieves everything it sets out to do.
Find out more at www.vtechuk.com
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Steve Wollaston - Sunday Mercury games reviewer Steve has been writing about video games for donkey's years. In fact he is probably far too old for it now which is why you will see a lot of reviews been done by kids... He has been nominated three times for Regional Games Journalist Of The Year at the Games Media Awards, but never wins. His major love is sports games and rates Sensible World of Soccer circa 90's as the greatest game ever made - closely followed by Championship Manager 2. Skyrim has currently taken over his life.
The V.Smile Motion is a fantastic gaming system for younger children both in design and because of the educational value. The oversized action button on the controller makes it pretty hard to miss when needed - perfect for little hands. Also at around a third of the price of the Wii console, Vtech definately have a winner here :)
Totally agree. Very popular in our house and very educational too....