VG Pocket 50
© 2005 Performance Designed Products
Can't afford a Game Boy Advance? The all-in-one video game system (Model VG-2000) comes pre-loaded with 50 eight- and 16-bit arcade games, a clear and bright 1.5 by 1.25 inch color screen, and both an internal audio speaker and a headphone jack (to avoid driving somebody nearby crazy with bleeping noises). The controls are nearly identical to the GBA and are surprisingly responsive given the price of this gadget. One rather unique feature is the audio and video output jack that enables you to plug the device into a TV. (Note that the cable uses a nonstandard mini plug, sold extra for $10.) Other features include a handy auto power OFF feature that saves the three AAA batteries. The 50 games are organized into the following categories: Action (Get it Right, Lawn Game, Leap, Road Works and Small Ball); Racing (Bandit Racer, Motor Rally, Road Ace and Road Race); Shooting (Air War, Earth's Star Fighter, Quick Shot, Sky Fighter, Space Shooter and Sub Hunter); Sports (Bulls-eye, Free Throws, Surfs Up and Target Shoot), and Wits (Bird Crazy, Bird Droppings, Bounce, Butterfly Catch, Chuck Holes, Dragon's Tail, Drop and Stock and Egg Catcher). They are generally old and, in many cases, poorly designed (blotchy graphics and scratch sounds). A few are very addicting. The VG Pocket is actually a good history lesson in how games used to appear. Our testers used it frequently to kill a few minutes of boredom. Note that the VG Pocket 50 (also called the Pelican VG-2000) has since been upgraded. Four other newer models have higher quality games and larger screens, including the VG Pocket Caplet, VG Pocket Tablet, VG Pocket Gameit! Princess Pals and VG Pocket Gameit! Classic Pals.
$30, Smart Toy, TV-based Game
Teaches: logic, temporal and spatial relations
CTR Rating: 82%