susiej/reviews

The Wii was the first and only video game I allowed in my house; I was never enamored with the idea of spending hundreds of dollars on a game system that ended up putting my kids on the sofa in a vegetable state while they moved their thumbs, and their eyeballs moved across the screen. But, the Wii is different; I’m enamored with the “action” and “get off the couch” movements this video game entices.

When the ParentBloggers Network asked me if my little boys would like to review The V-Motion Active Learning System, sort of like a Wii for the younger set, ages 3-7, I fired off an e-mail and said yes… please send. It turns out that V-Tech is right in step in creating innovative games to meet the entertainment, educational and active needs of the pre-Wii kids.

These nice big controls on the Vtech - V-Motion Wireless Controller are easier for little hands to handle;

much easier than this popular remote: (And much cheaper.)

The V-Tech system plugs easily into your TV with a few cords, and comes with the Action Mania Smartridge, which is compatible with all Vtech - V-Motion Wireless Controller V-Motion systems. The Joystick accommodates all the lefties in our house; and can be used for up to two players, or for a solo game. My son, he’s 5, instantly loved the large-sized controls which are easy for him to grasp, and he can easily figure out how to make the game work. His biggest complaint about the Wii is that the buttons are too small for his fingers, and he had trouble figuring out which button to press; especially while his big brothers kept saying, “Hurry up!” So much pressure for a little guy!

So, here’s how it went. Just like the Wii, The V-Motion has a motion controller and screen interaction with the screen with simple sports games. Tennis involves swinging the racket; one puts you in a bobsled race; which is his favorite. The older brothers love the “driving” games — just like pinball games we play at the arcade. My five-year old was able to navigate through the game fairly easily without much help from me, or his brothers.  Each game we played has some educational component, covering mathematics, spelling and cognitive development.

My son, and I became a bit frustrated with the controls; then we finally understood how the game set-up is designed; the system gives you the option to use the joystick or the motion sensor, and it asks you before each new game. There is no default override that lets you blanket your future selection to the joystick, for example. Without realizing it, he had selected the joystick, and was trying to get the motion sensor to take him on the bobsled race.  Once we understood that; we just knew to check for that every time.

I don’t think he will soon get bored with this system, as I was pleased to learn that the technical skills will advance has he masters them. Overall, I feel much better about him spending time playing this than plopping him in front of the TV to sit on his bum while he watches Diego; with V-Tech, he’s up and moving and learning — and laughing while he plays.

At first, the bright colors of the console attracted my little boy instantly to the system; soon, those same colors became a turn-off; he wanted something cool, plain and sleek, just like his big brother’s Wii. (Big brothers do have that kind of influence, more often than I’d care to mention.)

The V-Tech Vtech - V-Motion Wireless Controller game is $69.99, and individual games cost $24.99. For more games, you can also hook the V-Link System up to your computer and, using the Internet, download more games from the V-Tech website; if you’ve ever downloaded a song, you’ll have no trouble figuring this out. Very easy to set-up. I’m happy to give this to my little guy; he was feeling a bit left out because the Wii controls were a bit to advanced for him. The V-Tech Motion Game seems to suit him just fine. Now, we have to deal with the fighting over which game system we’re playing tonight!

Filed under: kids, products, toy |