An example would be the players writing the letter B on the handheld game and then seeing an animated dance the B does on the TV screen. This action is controlled by using the multi-directional control pad or by placing the attached stylus directly to the toy’s interactive touch screen. When a TV is not handy (possibly when traveling between destinations) the portable game can be played in single screen mode. The full color system features a backlit screen for easy viewing and a headphone jack for quiet play. comfortably shaped for little hands with safe, rounded edges and small enough to store or travel easily. The Leapster L-Max helps teach through four exciting modes: Educational Game Player. Lets players learn essential school skills with leveled games that teach reading, math, and critical thinking skills. Digital Art Studio. Encourages creative thinking with dozens of art tools and step-by-step lessons that let children draw, write, and create anything they can imagine. Electronic Book Reader. Inspires a love for reading via electronic storybooks that teach literacy skills, story comprehension, vocabulary, and phonetic awareness. Interactive Video Player. Develops fundamental reading and math skills by playing interactive videos that encourage children to participate in the action. The device itself is comfortably shaped for little hands with safe, rounded edges, and is small enough to store and travel easily. A bonus cartridge with six educational games is included. Games offer multiple skill levels and teach kids letters, words, plants, animals, shapes, and basic math. The L-Max requires special cartridges (sold separately) for dual-screen play, but can work with existing Leapster titles. Older titles won't play on dual screens, though, and may not project to the TV. Four AA batteries are required, but not included.

Beneath all the fast-paced adventures and familiar characters, there lies an educational component. Important grade-school concepts, such as reading comprehension, problem solving, math, vocabulary, music, spelling, and other skills, are covered in every game to make each activity a learning experience. Kids will delight in helping a space alien spell out words, count seashells for making Ariel’s necklace, or participate in plenty of other challenges that will seem too fun to be good for their brains. This versatile game console hooks up to a TV to provide plenty of stationary video game fun and then detaches again for battery-powered games on the go. Measuring 7-1/2 by 5 inches, this handheld unit slips into a backpack or beach bag and is an ideal size for play while traveling. The 3-by-2-1/4-inch screen is large enough for kids to comfortably view and gauge their progress during games. Thumb-operated buttons on either side of the V. Smile Pocket are conveniently placed. Players can even convert the rightie-configured, multi-directional joystick button for comfortable left-handed play by pushing the existing buttons in and flipping them inside-out. Kids will need to get used to the loose handling of the joystick button, however, as its aim can easily be misdirected. The rest of the layout is just as easy to master. The Learning Zone button, just below the screen, lets kids skip all the lengthy game introductions and get right into this mode of play, which focuses on one narrow skill within the curriculum and is helpful for kids who need some remedial review in a particular area. Also below the screen are an Exit button to quit the game and a Help button for kids who are stuck. The Help button is a bit disappointing: Kids with some experience playing educational learning or computer games might expect a helpful tutorial delivered by an encouraging and likeable character. Instead, pressing the button deposits the player back to the beginning of the game, where the original game instructions are repeated. The portable console is simple to connect to a TV screen via the color-coded jack inputs. Graphics are not super, either on the touchscreen or a larger TV screen, presenting a more one-dimensional look. Younger kids might not mind but older kids who have been exposed to more video games probably will notice. On top of that, graphics tend to be a little fuzzy and hard to make out, which is definitely a detriment when kids are asked to spell out an item’s name or locate an item that they can’t clearly identify. Colors are not always true either so it’s possible to make incorrect choices when there are color-oriented modules. Game cartridges for the V. Smile-cleverly referred to as Smartridges—provide a wide range of appealing characters for kids to learn with. The V. Smile Pocket comes with one cartridge featuring games with The Little Mermaid’s Ariel. Other Smartridges, which can be purchased separately, include appropriate favorites, such as Little Red Riding Hood, Spider-Man, Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story, Nemo, and Scooby-Doo for junior V. Smile Pocket players. Older players can choose from Cinderella, Aladdin, Mickey Mouse, and many more. Each game cartridge offers two modes of play: More on the side of edutainment is the Learning Adventure, which provides a few brain-building activities but focuses more on the game aspect. This mode quietly draws children in by making the learning topics secondary. The Learning Zone, on the other hand, gets right into play-oriented drills on specific learning concepts needed for school and is useful for targeting weaknesses. Two levels of play, either easy or difficult, let children advance at their own pace when they are ready for a challenge. Compared to similar products, the V. Smile Pocket does not provide in-depth tutorials on the rules of play for each game. Children are expected to intuit or ascertain through trial and error how to move and select items within the game so new games are confusing at first. In addition, younger children may have a hard time with games that present mazes or obstacles as these screens leave a very tight path for kids to maneuver through. Persistent personalities will persevere, picking up super spatial skills and perfecting their hand-eye coordination along the way. Other children may become easily frustrated with their lack of control and may give up early. The V. Smile Pocket may have a few shortcomings, but it is a great replacement activity for kids who are drawn to video games or the TV set and are resistant to giving up any additional screen time. This electronic system is designed in pink for girls (a blue version for boys is also available) and comes with four AA batteries so kids can start playing immediately. Other accessories, such as a battery recharger and a backpack for transport, are sold separately. -Cristina Vaamonde.

Requires 3 "AA" batteries, not included.